A Head-to-Head Comparison and the Pros & Cons of Each
Please understand that both of these types of rebounders are the finest rebounders you can purchase. I personally own both of these types of rebounders. The Cellerciser® uses springs while the bellicon® uses bungees. Each one has its pros and cons depending on what you would like to do, but quality is never an issue with either of these two units. I simply wanted to outline the differences between these rebounders and from here, you can decide which one is right for you.
Portability
Winner: Cellerciser®
In the Cellerciser® vs. bellicon® faceoff, Cellerciser® wins in this department. Bi-fold models (unit folds in half) & tri-fold models (unit folds
into thirds) are available and each model comes with its own
carrying case. The carrying case that comes with the tri-fold models is particularly useful as it has a set of wheels and an telescopic handle, just like a piece of luggage. If you travel frequently and wish to bring a rebounder with you instead of using hotel gyms, the Cellerciser® is definitely for you.
Unfortunately, none of the bellicon® models can fold. They come in three different frame sizes and even the smallest frame size (39″) is difficult to fit into a vehicle. The 44” and 49” frame sizes can be particularly cumbersome to move around.
Customizable?
Winner: bellicon®
With the bellicon®, you have the choice of a black frame or a stainless-steel frame. 39”, 44”, & 49” frame sizes are available (39″ frame is not available in stainless-steel). All mats are black, but you have the choice of nine colors of mat trim. You can also select the color of the bungees (10 bungee color choices; you can choose up to three bungee colors
for your bellicon®). You can customize your bellicon® to fit your personality and/or the motif your home. Click here to see the various color choices available to you.
With the Cellerciser®, the bi-fold model & tri-fold models are your only two choices. All models have a black frame and black mat, and all models are 40” in frame size diameter.
One Size Fits All?
Winner: Cellerciser®
The Cellerciser® uses a patented spring system that self-adjusts to the weight of the user with each and every bounce, regardless of your weight and how high you are bouncing. You can check out more about this great spring system by clicking here.
With the bellicon® you must choose the bungee strength based on your weight (and the weight of whoever else is going to be using it) and how you’re going to use it. Click here to see the handy reference table I’ve created to help you choose what bungee strength you’ll need based on your weight. If more than one person is going to be using the bellicon®, such as you and your spouse, click here to determine which bungee strength to select in this scenario.
Quiet Bounce?
Winner: bellicon®
The bellicon’s® bungees, which are made from a natural latex, are looped over the frame, and looped through plastic mat hooks. Therefore, there is no opportunity for squeaking and a very quiet bounce is ensured. The bellicon® is a great choice for use in apartments where your neighbors are in close proximity.
The Cellerciser’s® springs, which are metal, are attached to hooks in the mat (also metal) and pins in the frame (also metal). This will inevitably cause some squeaking when in use, but this can be eliminated with just a small drop of oil where the springs are attached to the mat hooks and frame pins. 3-in-One Oil® from your local hardware store does a great job at eliminating these squeaks.
Leave Outside?
Winner: Cellerciser®
The Cellerciser’s® mat is made of a UV-resistant polypropylene material which is basically a type of plastic, and the rest of the rebounder is made of steel components. Yes, you can leave it outside, but I personally don’t recommend doing it for long periods of time simply because the springs will begin to develop surface rust. They’ll still work just fine but will become unsightly.
The bellicon’s® mat is also made of UV-resistant polypropylene and all other components are made of steel or stainless-steel except for the bungees which are made of a natural latex. Letting your bellicon® outside for long periods of time is not recommended because it will shorten the life of the bungees. You can take it outside to exercise and then bring it back in with no problems, however.
Workout Instructions?
Winner: Cellerciser® & bellicon®
David Hall, the inventor of the Cellerciser® and President of Cellular Health Innovations, LLC (the company that makes the Cellerciser®) has some excellent DVDs available on the Cellerciser® website. They’re available for digital download too. Mr. Hall also does Facebook and YouTube videos a couple times a month which are very instructive.
New bellicon® owners are entitled to a 30-day free membership to bellicon Home, an online platform that features dozens of workouts and virtual trainings that can be customized to you and your goals. Also, checkout YouTube for some really good workout videos.
Balance Bar?
Winner: Cellerciser® & bellicon®
For the Cellerciser®, the tri-fold model comes with a balance bar. The bi-fold model does not but one can be purchased separately.
For the bellicon®, balance bars can be purchased separately as accessories.
Warranty?
Winner: Cellerciser® & bellicon®
The Cellerciser’s® workmanship and materials on the mat and springs are guaranteed for five years from the date of purchase. The rubber feet and frame covered by a lifetime guarantee.
For the bellicon®, there is a lifetime warranty on the frame, a five-year warranty on the mat, and a one-year warranty on the bungees.
Price?
Winner: Cellerciser®
Currently, a bi-fold model Cellerciser® is priced at $534.99. A bi-fold model is the entry level or “base” model of Cellerciser®. A tri-fold model, which also comes with a balance bar, is currently priced at $739.00.
There’s a lot more difference in price with the bellicon® because there’s so much customization that you can do. A 39″ black frame bellicon® currently starts at $599.00. This would be considered “base” or an entry level model for bellicon®. Moving up to a 44″ black frame would increase the price to $699.00 and moving up to a 49″ black frame would increase the price to $799.00. If you want to go with the bellicon® Premium line, which is a stainless-steel frame, a 44″ stainless frame starts at $879.00 while a 49″ stainless frame moves the price to $1,049.00. A 39″ stainless frame is not offered on the Premium line.
Please bear in mind that these prices do not include applicable taxes and shipping. Both taxes and shipping will vary based on where you live. However, at this time, Cellerciser® is offering free shipping within the contiguous United States (i.e., the lower 48 states not including Alaska and Hawaii).
You Now Know the Key Differences between the Units. Now Is the Time to Act.
If you want to learn all about the Cellerciser® in depth, click here.
If you want to learn all about the bellicon® in depth, click here.
If you know what type you want and are ready to make your purchase, click the buttons below to make your purchase.
For Even More Intensity and a Great Muscle Strengthening Workout
By “Weights”, I Don’t Mean Dumbbells or Barbells
First of all, I want to stress that you do not need weights for rebounding. This is optional but you can really emphasize muscle toning and strength, particularly for the upper body, if you use weights while you rebound.
When someone says the word “weights” people tend to automatically think about dumbbells, barbells, or some other type of weight normally associated with a typical gym. This is not the case here. Any of these types of weights will be far too heavy for use on a rebounder and if you drop one of these types of weights, you could injure yourself (dropping a weight on your foot is never fun) or damage your rebounder’s mat or its frame.
You Don’t Need Heavy Weights for Rebounding!
The weights I suggest you use while rebounding are only one, two, or three pounds. Yes, only one, two, or three pounds. Why? Well, with rebounding, at the bottom of each bounce and depending on how high you are jumping and what type of rebounder you are using, the amount of gravitational force is increased on your body two, three, four, or even fivefold. This makes the weight feel much heavier at the bottom of the bounce than it actually is. By the way, this increase in gravitational force on your body is what makes rebounding so beneficial to you. If you want to learn how this works and what it can do for you, read the homepage of this website by clicking here and read all about the benefits by clicking here.
The Weights I Use and Recommend
Let’s talk about the weights themselves. The weights I personally own are called CanDo® SoftGrip hand weights. They are basically made of a thick stitched vinyl and filled with metal grains. The metal grains are so finely cut, I initially thought the weights were filled with sand. Remember, they are filled with metal grains, not metal shavings, so you’ll never have to worry about a piece of metal coming through the vinyl and jagging you in the hand.
I’ve owned these weights for several years and they are of very high quality—the stitching has never come undone, and no metal shavings have ever leaked out of these weights. They are very comfortable to hold in your hands and even if you were to drop one on your foot or on the rebounder, you would not hurt yourself and you would cause no damage to the rebounder.
CanDo® makes these hand weights in weights from 0.5 lbs. all the way up to 10 lbs. but I recommend not going beyond 3 lbs. If you are going to pursue rebounding with weights, make sure you purchase a pair of identical weights, not just one weight.
You can Google “CanDo SoftGrip” and you’ll find many places that sell these weights but the best price and availability I’ve seen is on Amazon.
1 lb. (yellow), 2 lbs. (green), and 3 lbs. (black) CanDo® weights. Pictures are not quite to scale but they are close.
Here’s Another Really Good Hand Weight
The company that makes the finest bungee rebounder on the market, bellicon® (you can read all about the bellicon® rebounder itself by clicking here), also makes 1 lb. and 2 lbs. hand weights. Unlike the CanDo® weights, these weights are each equipped with an adjustable hand strap, so you’ll always have a secure grip. The weights are made of latex free vinyl that are also filled with metal grains.
1 lb. (orange) and 2 lbs. (gray) bellicon® weights. Pictures are not quite to scale but they are close.
My Routine
I would never tell you how great something is without then giving you the proper guidance necessary to do it! Therefore, I’ve included my personal routine that I follow when I’m rebounding with weights. With each exercise, I explain the proper form and how to get comfortable with the excise before you actually start performing it on a regular basis.
I begin here with describing each exercise but after the descriptions, I will break down my sequence (in what order do I do each exercise and how many times).
The Warmup
Never do any type of vigorous rebounding workout with first warming up. You don’t want to pull a muscle or worse. You’ll begin with a few minutes of gentle bouncing. This will get every part of the body moving. Every muscle will be warmed up and more supple and your heartrate will naturally begin to elevate. This will prime your body for the more vigorous exercises to come.
The Health Bounce
Also known as The Baby Bounce, this move simply involves standing in an upright, but comfortable and relaxed position with your arms down by your sides and legs about shoulder width apart. Lift the heels of your feet off of the mat and bring them back down. The balls of your feet and your toes never leave the mat, only your heels do. Do this for one to two minutes.
The Standard Bounce
This is similar to the Health Bounce except your feet will be leaving the mat entirely because you’re jumping higher. Stand in an upright but relaxed position with your arms down by your sides and feet about shoulder width apart but lift the heels of your feet with more force so your feet come up off the mat entirely before you come back down. How you land at the bottom of the bounce is up to you. Most people come down on the balls of their feet because that is most natural way to land when you jump. Landing on the balls of your feet and then transitioning back on your heels (which happens in a split second), is how you instinctively land on a hard surface without feeling a jarring effect or injuring yourself. However, if you land on the rebounder mat “flat-footed”, that’s okay too because the rebounding mat and spring or bungee system is designed to absorb the impact. Once you get used to this motion, try bending your knees slightly once you land and back on the way up to start jumping even higher. Also do this for one to two minutes.
The Workout
Now the real work begins.
Overhead Press while Bouncing
Have you ever done an overhead press with dumbbells? The form and motion on this exercise is quite similar. Stand on the rebounder with your back straight (no rounded back or slumping of the shoulders). Grab your two weights (both weights must weigh the same—not 1 lb. weight in one hand with a 3 lbs. weight in the other hand; this will throw off your balance). With both weights firmly grasped, get into the starting position for an overhead press (if you are not familiar with an overhead press, please search “how to perform an overhead press with dumbbells” using your favorite internet search engine). Now, from here, begin bouncing as you would with the Health Bounce but with your arms in the overhead press starting position. Once you get the feel for being in this position, tense up both your arms. With your arms tense and hands tightly clinching the weights and while bouncing, begin to move your arms upwards, just like you were doing a standing overhead press. Once your arms get to the top (your arms are straight and your elbows are locked out), bring your arms back down to the starting position. Remember, this is all done while bouncing. Repeat this until you feel your arms and/or shoulders fatigued, and/or you start running out of breath.
This is a great exercise for the upper body but please practice for as long as it takes to build proper form and rhythm. You’ll notice that when you’re at the bottom of a bounce, that’s where the most weight resistance will occur. Depending on how slowly you’re progressing through each press, you might bounce three or four times. The more slowly you progress through each rep, the more focused, isometric resistance is on the arms and shoulders, which is the point of this exercise. The more quickly you progress through each rep, the focused resistance become more isotonic and the more it becomes a cardiovascular exercise.
I recommend starting slowly and finding the rhythm that is most comfortable for you. Once you learn how to control the movements, you can begin jumping higher (more like the Standard Bounce where your feet leave the mat). This will place even more focused resistance on the arms and shoulders as you progress through each rep.
Lateral Shoulder Raise while Bouncing
This is a great exercise for further developing the shoulders after the overhead press. If you are not familiar with a shoulder raise, please search “how to perform a lateral shoulder raise” using your favorite internet search engine.
Pick up your two weights and step onto the rebounder. With back straight, have both arms straight and down at your sides with the palms of your hands facing in towards your legs. This is the starting position for the lateral shoulder raise. Now, from the starting position, keeping both of your arms straight or slightly bent at the elbow, raise the weights out to your sides to shoulder level. Your body will be in the shape of a cross. Hold this position for around one second then bring you arms back down to the starting position. This is all done while bouncing. Repeat this until you feel your shoulders fatigued, and/or you start running out of breath.
Please practice this motion for as long as it takes to build proper form and rhythm. You’ll notice that at the bottom of a bounce, that’s where the most weight resistance will occur. Depending on how slowly you’re progressing through each shoulder raise, you might bounce three or four times. The more slowly you progress through each rep, the more focused, isometric resistance is on the biceps, which is the point of this exercise. The more quickly you progress through each rep, the focused resistance become more isotonic and the more it becomes a cardiovascular exercise.
I recommend starting slowly and finding the rhythm that is most comfortable for you. Once you learn how to control the movements, you can begin jumping higher (more like the Standard Bounce where your feet leave the mat). This will place even more focused resistance on the biceps as you progress through each rep.
Bicep Curl while Bouncing
If you are not familiar with a bicep curl, please search “how to perform a bicep curl” using your favorite internet search engine.
Grab your two weights and step onto the rebounder. With back straight, have both arms straight and down at your sides with the palms of your hands facing your front. This is the starting position for the bicep curl. Now, from here, begin jumping as you would with the Health Bounce but with your arms in the bicep curl starting position. Once you get the feel for being in this position, tense up both your arms. With your arms tense and fists clinching the weights and while bouncing, begin to move your forearms upwards, rotating only at your elbow joints, just like you were doing a standing bicep curl. Once you get to the top of the curl (your fists will be at approximately the same height as your shoulders), bring your forearms back down to the starting position. Remember, this is all done while bouncing. Repeat this until you feel your arms and/or shoulders fatigued, and/or you start running out of breath.
Please practice this motion for as long as it takes to build proper form and rhythm. You’ll notice that at the bottom of a bounce, that’s where the most weight resistance will occur. Depending on how slowly you’re progressing through each curl, you might bounce three or four times. The more slowly you progress through each rep, the more focused, isometric resistance is on the biceps, which is the point of this exercise. The more quickly you progress through each rep, the focused resistance become more isotonic and the more it becomes a cardiovascular exercise.
I recommend starting slowly and finding the rhythm that is most comfortable for you. Once you learn how to control the movements, you can begin jumping higher (more like the Standard Bounce where your feet leave the mat). This will place even more focused resistance on the biceps as you progress through each rep.
Ski Jumps
In my opinion, there is no better rebounding exercise for the legs than this. This exercise, however, takes a fairly high level of skill so please take some time to develop your strength, coordination, balance, and familiarity with rebounding before attempting this exercise.
Unlike the exercises described above, you will not be using any hand weights on this exercise because it focuses on the legs instead of the upper body.
Begin by standing on the rebounder normally and in an upright position (back is straight). With your feet together, bend at your knees slightly. While keeping both feet together and knees slightly bent, jump from one side of the rebounder mat to the other, all the while keeping your feet together and keeping your knees slightly bent. Continue to jump side to side until your legs are fatigued and/or you run out of breath.
Start out by having your knees only slightly bent. As you gain strength and familiarly with this exercise, start bending your knees even more as you jump. You’ll notice that the more your knees are bent, the more quickly your legs wear out. This is because the more your knees are bent, the more isotonic tension and focused resistance is being applied to your entire legs.
Never jump so far from side to side that you land on the springs or bungees of your rebounder. This could potentially injure your feet or toes.
My Sequence
Warmup
Health Bounce (1 minute)
Standard Bounce (2 minutes)
Workout Sequence (I try to do four rounds of the following):
Overhead Press while Bouncing (until my arms and/or shoulders are tired)
Lateral Shoulder Raise while Bouncing (until my shoulders are tired)
Bicep Curl while Bouncing (until my biceps are tired)
Ski Jumps (until my legs are tired and/or I’m out of breath)
Mixture of Health Bounce and Standard Bounce (until I regain my breath and I feel sufficiently recovered from the previous exercises to begin all over again with the Overhead Press while Bouncing)
Cool Down
Health Bounce (1 minute or until I feel sufficiently recovered to step off the rebounder and walk about normally)
You Can’t Even Get Started If You Don’t Have the Right Tool!
You must have the right rebounder whether you are going to rebound with weights or not. There are only two rebounders I recommend. They are the Cellerciser® and the bellicon®. I own one of each and use both very frequently. The Cellerciser® uses springs as its support system while the bellicon® uses bungees as its support system. The Cellerciser® is the best spring-based rebounder money can buy while the bellicon® is the best bungee-based rebounder money can buy. You can learn all about the Cellerciser® by clicking here and you can learn all about the bellicon® by clicking here.
If you’ve already read about each rebounder and know what you want, click the buttons below to make your purchase.
On days when I just want to do some cardio, one of my favorite activities to do is jogging on a rebounder. Jogging on a rebounder is similar to jogging on a treadmill in the sense that you are jogging in place but jogging on a rebounder produces much less stress on your feet, ankles, and knees. Think about it. A treadmill is a hard surface. Even if you are wearing high quality, cushioned running shoes, your shoes are still hitting a hard surface with each step. This is not the case with a rebounder, especially if the rebounder has a high-quality mat (the surface area where you jump) and a high-quality support system (the spring or bungee system that connects the mat to the frame). You can check out my page on how to spot a quality rebounder by clicking here. When jogging on a rebounder, you can jog with your running shoes on or you can jog barefoot, whatever feels most comfortable to you, although I prefer to jog barefoot.
Your posture and movement will be somewhat different when jogging on a rebounder versus jogging on a treadmill because with a treadmill, the belt you run on is moving and you are jogging at the same pace as the belt is moving. This is the best way to simulate jogging outside where you would be jogging and moving in a forward direction and because of this, your posture and movement will be quite similar whether you are jogging on a treadmill or jogging outside (your hips, pelvis, and chest are naturally extended slightly forward, with your shoulders slightly back, which allows your upper body to remain in alignment and in balance as you take longer strides with your legs and feet). However, when jogging on a rebounder, the mat is stationary, so your posture and movement will be different. When jogging on a rebounder, your upper body (hips, pelvis, and chest) will also naturally extend slightly forward (shoulders will extend slightly backwards) to maintain balance, but you will notice that with each step you bring your knees up higher than with normal jogging. This engages more of your core muscles (abdominals) and hip flexor muscles than normal jogging does. You will also probably notice that you engage your arms more than with normal jogging. This engages shoulder and bicep muscles more than normal jogging. So, with jogging on a rebounder, you engage in more muscle movement during cardio exercise than with normal jogging.
If you are already a runner or a jogger, don’t be surprised if you become out of breath more quickly while jogging on a rebounder. This is normal and it is because of the additional muscle engagement I mentioned in the previous paragraph.
With jogging on a rebounder, you avoid the “shock” of your feet hitting a hard surface with every step plus you engage more muscles than normal jogging. What’s not to like?
If I had just purchased a rebounder and never used one before, I would start by jogging on it at a medium pace (not a leisurely pace but not a vigorous pace where I would be out of breath in two minutes) and work up to 10 minutes at this medium pace. Once I worked up to 10 minutes at this medium pace with maybe one or two 30-second rests in between, I’d work my way up to 20 minutes. I would do this routine every other day.
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) on a Rebounder
Have you ever heard of high intensity interval training or HIIT? High intensity interval training is basically the next level of cardio training. Let’s take jogging on the rebounder as our example. If I jogged on the rebounder at a moderate pace for 20 minutes with maybe two or three quick 30-second rests in between, that’s a good cardio workout. Now, let’s say that instead of jogging on a rebounder for 20 minutes at a moderate pace, I broke that routine up into three of four intervals by jogging at a vigorous pace with a one-to-two-minute rest period in between. So, I jogged on my rebounder as fast as I could for maybe a minute or two until I couldn’t go any longer. I then took a minute or two to recover enough so that I could jog again. That’s basically a HIIT workout.
Why do a HIIT routine instead of a 20 minute, moderately paced routine? Well, there are a few reasons. First, a HIIT routine can burn more fat. With a HIIT routine, you burn calories and fat not just during the routine but up to 24 hours after the workout! Yes, you read that right. More vigorous exercise provides more benefits after the exercise is completed than a moderately paced cardio routine. Second, a HIIT routine provides more of a stimulus to your cardiopulmonary system (your heart and lungs) and circulatory system than traditional cardio does. Third, you’ll also feel better at the end as this routine triggers a release of a greater amount of endorphins (the “feel good” hormones) than a moderately paced routine. This is the type of routine personally do on my rebounders.
If you want to try this type of routine on a rebounder, I would suggest working up to 10 to 20 minutes at a moderate pace first if you do not currently do any type of exercise. Once to attain some level of fitness, then you can break up the routine into more vigorous, but shorter, intervals.
A HIIT routine is much more beneficial to your heart, lungs, and circulatory system than regular cardio but it does place more of a demand on those systems so I would strongly suggest consulting with your doctor or other licensed healthcare professional before attempting such a routine, especially if you have a preexisting medical condition.
My Personal Routine
After a one-to-two-minute warmup of light jogging and bouncing, I do an interval of high intensity jogging, which lasts for about one to two minutes followed by about one minute of simple bouncing on my rebounder to recover from the jogging interval. I do this four times, and this typically takes me about 15 minutes. I feel great afterwards. I do not feel worn out or tired as my routine only took me 15 minutes or so.
You Must Have the Right Tool for the Job
To perform this exercise or any other rebounder exercise, you must have the right rebounder. There are only two rebounders I recommend. They are the Cellerciser® and the bellicon®. I own one of each and use both very frequently. The Cellerciser® uses springs as its support system while the bellicon® uses bungees as its support system. The Cellerciser® is the best spring-based rebounder money can buy while the bellicon® is the best bungee-based rebounder money can buy. You can learn all about the Cellerciser® by clicking here and you can learn all about the bellicon® by clicking here.
If you’ve already read about each rebounder and know what you want, click the buttons below to make your purchase.
