The Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and surfing community have strong ties. Many BJJ practitioners love to surf. One problem both communities face though, is the need to supplement their sport with outside exercise. Having a well conditioned core, and impeccable balance is essential for BJJ and surfing.
An investment in a high quality, and fun balance board can be a great way to supplement your training, improve your balance, and build your core. We had the opportunity to get our hands on Revbalance’s Revolution FIT balance board and this is our comprehensive review!
Editorial Disclaimer:
Revbalance sent us one of their balance boards for free, in exchange for an open and honest product review. What follows is as unbiased an impression of the product as we are capable of giving. Jiu Jitsu Legacy participates in Amazon’s affiliate program and receives a portion of each sale from the links in this article.
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Product Details
- GAIN NEW MUSCLE, GAIN NEW INSIGHT: Athletes and fitness gurus alike use the FIT to strengthen both body and mind. Carve core muscle groups and improve stability, flexibility, reflexes, recovery speed, and of course, balance.
- BLAST YOUR CORE, AND HAVE A BLAST DOING IT: The FIT is so fun to use, you won’t know you’re working out until your playlist is over.
- FUNCTIONAL CROSS TRAINING: It’s the perfect FIT for sports training. Transform basic exercises your already know into an exciting full body challenge.
- GYM DUTY CONSTRUCTION: Revbalance Boards are built tough, by the tough, for the tough. After all, they’re designed and handcrafted In The USA.
- SYSTEM INCLUDES: FIT Board | Extra Grip Roller | 360 Air Cushion | High Density Rocker | Exercise Guide l A New Lease On Life
- The Revbalance Revolution Fit has three interchangeable bases.
- A rocker (Level 1)
- An air cushion which has one side textured for grip (Level 2)
- A roller (Level 3)
While these three base options can be used as increasing levels of difficulty, they can also be used interchangeably for different workouts. While the balance board primarily works your core, it can be used to work other parts of the body!
- The Revolution Fit board has roller stops on the base. These are little rails on the underside of the board that prevent the roller from rolling out under it. While these may not sound like an exciting feature, my first time using it, I quickly realized how essential they were. They also made me feel safer using it.
- The board has a three-year warranty and a surprising 450lb rating! It’s very sturdy!
- Includes a poster and a digital guide to exercises you can do with the board. This was really helpful and showed us the board could work the upper body as well as the lower.
- The boards are hand-crafted in the USA and the company offers complimentary ground shipping.
First Impressions
Before I unboxed the Revolution Fit board, I took it to my gym, Odyssey BJJ, and unboxed it with my teammates after class. It took virtually no time to assemble and was good to use right out of the box. The only thing we needed to do was inflate the balance cushion, which was able to be inflated without a pump! This was a big relief, and we were able to start playing with it right away.
One thing no one at our BJJ gym expected was how fun the board was. BJJ practitioners love being challenged, and this balance board absolutely did that. We decided to start with the roller (Level 3) and while when we first started many of us were shaky, we all quickly got the hang of it. Once we were comfortable balancing, we tried doing squats and tricks!
The members of my BJJ gym who had the most fun with the board were all people who loved to skateboard outside of BJJ class. They were also the people who were the most quickly able to learn how to balance, and the people who were the first to try tricks.
Out of the six people to try it out, only one fell, and only after trying to do a trick by balancing low on the board. Everyone overall felt very safe. It should be noted, our gym has spring-loaded mats, and we practice a lot of standing takedowns. We are all quite comfortable falling.
Benefits for Jiu Jitsu
One of the most recent criticisms of BJJ, and unfortunately one of the most accurate, is that many BJJ gyms don’t teach enough standup-game. Pulling guard is much more commonly taught and many BJJ practitioners, without prior wrestling or Judo experience, are afraid to engage in stand up with an opponent.
However, in BJJ competitions, and in MMA, the fight always starts standing. At the very least it is important to learn takedown defense and improving your balance is a vital element many BJJ players erroneously think will just come naturally. The benefit to a high quality balance board is that it’s an easy addition to most workouts, and is a tangible way to improve your balance.
As stated earlier, many BJJ practitioners also gravitate towards surfing. However, if you train at an academy far away from the waves, you might be looking for something to help improve your balance on land. Even if you are a BJJ practitioner who frequently surfs (or skate), this balance board can improve your performance in both sports.
The reason a BJJ player might consider a Revbalance balance board as opposed to another brand is that you don’t need to be wearing shoes when you use it. The board has a very soft top and feels good on bare feet. Also, in a BJJ gym there are mats everywhere, which is a perfect surface for this product.
Other benefits of the Revbalance Revolution Fit include its high weight limit, roller stops, variable difficult levels, and its made-the-USA construction.
Who is a Balance Board For?
I would recommend this product to BJJ players, skaters, and surfers. Although their website has many options for boards available with different functions. If you want to passively build your balance as opposed to adding something to your workout, you might be interested in the Desk balance board – which can be used at a standing desk!
I would recommend the Revolution Fit board to people who feel unmotivated to work out in the conventional sense. Once again I can’t stress how much fun we had at my BJJ gym playing with this board and trying to do tricks on it. If you are someone who needs something engaging to get motivated, and for whatever reason you can’t roll; this is a great product to try.
The Rev Fit might be a great option for people who are in the middle of physical therapy too. One thing Jiu Jitsu athletes struggle with is injury and injury prevention. Jiu Jitsu is stressful on the joints at the best of times, and this balance board is a great way to build joint strength, and help injury prevention.
RevBalance Board: A Seriously Fun Workout
The Revbalance Revolution Fit board is an awesome and fun way to get exercise after my BJJ class. Although it was challenging to get the hang of, everyone in my gym had a great time playing with it and I plan to bring it back! My friends who were skaters had an especially good time and were able to do impressive tricks.
The board was ready to go right out of the box and I felt it was very high quality and should last the rest of my life. I also thought it was very comfortable on my feet and I liked that it included three different difficult options. I could even take it to the office with me to practice balancing when I am at work or writing.
Investing in a high quality balance board has so far proven to be a great idea, and I expect to see an improvement in my stand up game at tournaments and overall in the gym.
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Jack is a D who holds a bachelors degree in English Literature. He enjoys traveling, reading, and the Bow and Arrow choke. One day he hopes to teach English overseas and become a published author.