Looking like a redesigned George Foreman grill with bright-orange tentacles, the Italian-built Xbase training pod is a versatile, portable exercise solution designed to bring fitness to the office, home or hotel room.
All the Xbase really requires is a flat, smooth, clean surface for the 18 suction cups on its base to adhere to. The device suctions to the floor, providing the platform for numerous exercises.
Once the Xbase is secure on the floor, the user grabs hold of the elastic cords and uses them to works the arms, legs and core. According to its Swiss parent company, Adatto GmbH, Xbase can be used for a variety of exercises that you'd usually need to zip around to different corners of the gym for. Specifically, it can be used to strengthen muscles, improve balance and suppleness, stimulate circulation and reduce stress.
If I'm being honest, I'd be a little worried about those suction cups failing, slingshotting the Xbase right into my face. Adatto seems a little worried about that, too, since it includes a safety suction pad as an extra anchor and writes a pretty thorough disclaimer about how incorrect usage can cause the Xbase to pop free during intensive exercise, leading to injury. It also suggests checking the suction pads regularly during training to make sure they're secure. So yeah, it doesn't seem all that unlikely that this thing could peel off the floor and chisel a big, red notch in your forehead.
The Xbase may seem like the latest fitness scheme destined to show up on late-night infomercials, but it has earned some strong acclaim in the design and fitness communities, winning a Red Dot design award and an ISPO BrandNew Award nomination. It is available now starting around €200 (approx. US$260).
The video and photo gallery give you a better idea of the types of exercises the Xbase is designed for.
Source: Adatto GmbH
