Harambe System Review

The Harambe System is a resistance band bundle that includes a footplate, barbell, and resistance bands.

Seems minimal but these bundles can provide a full body workout without taking up much space.

And with the ability to stack resistance bands, I can make exercises as challenging as I want.

Let’s check it out!

Unboxing

Harambe sells different bundles and also individual products, I got the K Bundle.

The entire bundle came in one box and it’s stuffed with bubble wrap to keep the contents from shifting around.

I took everything out of the box and here’s what’s inside…

A bar (long box), footplate (other box), resistance bands, foam block, and other parts.

Specs

• Footplate: 23.5″ L x 11.75″ W, 2″ thick, weighs 12 lbs, 1000 lbs weight capacity

• Bar: Stainless steel, 35.25″ long, weighs 11 lbs, Volcano knurling, built-in pulleys at the ends, 1000 lbs weight capacity

• Foam block: 9″ x 3.5″ x 6″ with cut grooves for bar placement

• Ropes: 4000 lbs tensile strength

• Spacers: Shorten the ropes for more range of motion and progressively overload

• Rods: Stainless steel, fit resistance bands up to 4″ wide

• Resistance bands: 38″ L x 1/4″ thick latex loop bands, yellow (10-20 lbs), white (20-40 lbs), light green (40-80 lbs), heavy green (80-160 lbs)

What Is The Harambe System?

The Harambe System is a complete resistance band system that includes bands, a plate, a bar, and workout programs.

Using their raised footplate, I slide the bands under it, then hook them to the bar and perform a bunch of exercises.

With the bar only being 35″ long, the Harambe system is perfect for people who don’t have a lot of space and want a minimal home gym setup.

Harambe sells several bundles so I’ll give you a quick breakdown of each one…

T Bundle

The T bundle (travel friendly) is smaller and about half the weight of the K Bundle.

Footplate is 19″ long and the bar is 27.75″ long, making it easy to fit this in most medium sized luggage.

Compact design but still allows for a full body workout.

K Bundle

I got the K bundle with a 23.5″ long footplate and 35″ long bar.

Being in a two car garage gym, I have the space to go a bit bigger than the smaller bundle so I went with this one.

Cyber Bundle

I like what Harambe has done with their Cyber Bundle.

It features a new metal footplate with rollers on all sides so there’s no friction on the resistance bands.

This new design extends the life of the bands which is what will wear out with all band set ups.

Top Benefits Of The Harambe System

Versatile

Just like with any resistance bands set up, I can do an endless amount of upper and lower body exercises with a bar, footplate, and a set of bands.

And I can also add in pieces of equipment I already own so there’s no shortage of exercises.

Sometimes I use my Swissies when I want to do neutral grip bent over rows.

This gives me another grip option and I personally like doing neutral grip exercises cause they’re easier on my joints.

I prefer using my squat harness when doing squats with a double band because the shorter 38″ bands make it harder to put the bar on my shoulders.

When I do squats with a single band configuration they feel too light so I prefer to double it.

Progressive Overload

The K bundle comes with 4 different 38″ resistance bands and I can use these in different ways to keep adding resistance.

These bands are shorter than regular 41″ loop bands so they give me more resistance since I have to stretch them more.

I can increase resistance in several ways:

• Use a band with higher resistance on each set

• Stack bands together

• Double band (place the entire band under the footplate so it’s doubled)

• Add spacers to lift the rods (As the rods go up, the bands stretch more so it creates more tension)

• Use a combination of all of the above

Minimalistic

I like the minimalistic approach Harambe took with their bundles.

It’s just a plate, a bunch of bands that can be stacked, and a bar.

There’s plenty I can do with a bar, plate, and set of bands, and when I’m done I can slide it under my bed or throw it in a closet.

For gym bros, this is the equivalent of having a barbell, bench, and weight plates.

Free Workout Programs

Harambe offers a free program called the Gorilla Gains Program through Harambe Fit app.

It follows a push pull split, 3 times for 6 weeks, then progresses to a 7 day cycle.

I like that they included a program with videos because it makes it easier to follow along and learn how to use the product correctly.

For advanced lifters, they also have a free program with more volume called the HaramBro program.

Best Features Of The Harambe System

Barbell

The bar (called Manhattan bar) is made out of stainless steel and feels solid for a resistance band bar (weighs 11 lbs).

When I first took it out of the box it felt heavy compared to other similar bars I’ve used that are made out of aluminum.

Both sides of the bar have Volcano knurling on them which I like (no center knurl).

It gives me a solid grip but doesn’t feel like my hands are about to get sliced when I load up the bar with multiple bands.

And at the end there’s a set of pulleys that give the bands a natural spin like rotating sleeves on a barbell.

The pulleys are part of a sling system that mimic the symmetrical forces of weights.

Sling & Pulley System

Harambe uses stainless steel rods and ropes to anchor the resistance bands which is unique and something I haven’t seen in other band systems.

And don’t worry, these are rated for over 4000 lbs so you can stack as many bands as you want on them.

The slings are easy to set up…

I insert one rope through each hole on the rods.

Then I add one rope loop to the pulley and leave the other end open.

From here, I throw one end of the band(s) on top of the rod.

Then I add the other rope end to the pulley so the resistance band is secure.

As simple as this looks, it works really well and I’ve never had the ropes come off the pulleys while working out.

Spacers

When I first saw these plastic pieces I didn’t know what they were but then it all made sense when I started doing exercises with them.

These spacers clip on to the ropes between the knots and the rods.

They push the rods up by 1/2″ so now the band is 1/2″ further from the base, feels tighter, and gives me more resistance.

Small detail that makes a big difference especially as I add more resistance bands to the bar.

Plate

The plate is made out of UHMW plastic and feels very solid.

I like that they added curved ends protect the resistance bands from sharp edges.

When I turn it over, there’s one long channel and two cross channels.

This way I can increase or decrease tension in the bands and I can set the board in different positions depending on the exercise.

One way to set up with the long channel is using a double band.

This set up is good for squats, deadlifts, and bent over rows where I can use heavy resistance.

Or I can set up as a single band where only one end of the loop is under the footplate.

The other end goes across the bottom of the bar like you see above when I’m doing shoulder presses.

Here’s how I set up when using the cross channels.

The band is touching the narrow part of the footplate so the band will have less tension.

I use this for exercises like bicep curls and bench press (I’ll show you the bench press set up in a second).

Foam Block

At first, I didn’t think the foam block was necessary but it makes loading and unloading the bar much easier.

It has built-in grooves so I can set the bar on them and keeps it off the floor.

I think of the block as J-cups on a weight rack.

Without J-cups I’d have to load a barbell from the floor and the block works in a similar way.

It lifts the bar off the floor making it easier for me to load each end of the bar.

With the block I’m also able to lift one end of the plate and create an “incline bench” to bench press on.

Harambe System Pros & Cons

Pros

• Build: The barbell, footplate, and accessories are solid. Harambe didn’t skimp on quality.

• Compact: Perfect for small spaces and people who want a minimal workout set up

• Progressive overload: I can stack resistance bands or use the spacers to make exercises harder

• Versatile: I can do just about any exercise and Harambe provides a library full of exercise videos and free workout programs

• Warranty: All parts in the K bundle are covered for 5 years (except the bands)

Cons

• Cost: The K Bundle is $799 which is pricy but the quality is definitely there. Their T Bundle is a smaller, travel friendly option priced at $499.

• Squats: Getting into a squat with a double band configuration can be difficult with 38″ bands

Harambe System Price

The K Bundle is currently priced at $799.

This includes 4 resistance bands, a barbell (with rods, spacers, and ropes), a plate, a pad, and foam block.

It is pricy but all of Harambe’s parts are top of the line quality compared to other resistance band systems.

Harambe System Discount Code

If you wanna get your hands on the Harambe system but don’t want to pay full price, I got you…

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Harambe System Alternatives

X3 Resistance Training System

The X3 Elite Home Gym system is one of the top resistance band systems in the industry.

It includes a steel footplate, a heavy duty knurled bar, and a set of resistance bands that goes up to 300 lbs.

Squat Harness Band Footplate Set

The Squat Harness complete band footplate set comes with everything included at a budget price.

It includes 4 bands, a bar, handles, and footplate for $299, making it one of the most affordable and quality resistance band bundles available.

I like that Squat Harness includes knurled handles because other companies don’t or make them an additional cost.

Vector Athletics Bundles

Vector Athletics has build your own bundles which I think are a great because I can build based on what I need.

Bundles can include resistance bands, split squat belts, resistance band handles, footplates, and more..

My Experience Using The Harambe System

I like the minimalistic approach that comes with the Harambe System.

Little details like the spacers and foam block add more value and functionality to the bundle which gives me more bang for my buck.

And with the exception of a couple of exercises (squats and lunges), the exercises feel good and I can continue to add resistance so I keep challenging myself.

Only issue I had was getting into double banded squats since the bands are shorter than the regular 41″ loop bands.

Is The Harambe System Worth It?

I definitely see the value the Harambe system provides.

It comes with a vast library of videos tutorials, free programs, doesn’t take up a lot of space, and it’s built out of top quality materials.

If you care about quality and price is not an issue, Harambe is near the top of the food chain when it comes to resistance band systems.