Rebounding-for-Heavy-People Compare the top rebounders and rebounding styles. Each rebounder has a slightly different bounce. Cellerciser, Needak, Bellicon, ReboundAir, Urban

Heavy people have to be very careful to not get a rebounder that won't support their weight. Heavier people tend to get less amplitude and just by standing on the rebounder the bellys of the springs are already stretched out. Heavier people get jarred the most while too light of people have to jump higher to gain G force. As far as the Health bounce for lymphatic bouncing the best in each category are the Cellerciser, Lymphaciser and for the bungee rebounder the Jumpsport (smallest mat).

Depending on the actual weight of the person, the Lymphaciser or Cellerciser will be my choice. The Hard Bounce Needak is probobably the best match for the Cellerciser if a person is over 300.

The soft bounce Needak can bottom out more and especially if you don't change the springs often.

The more bounces a rebounder will allow someone really heavy to get per minute is always going to be my first choice if the Health bounce is the main reason for using the rebounder.

The last thing a heavy person usually wants is to jump higher out of the mat to gain enough G force to spring themselves back up and to drain their lymph. The ReboundAir, based on people that I have interviewed, has the most bottom out of all the rebounders with very heavy people. Many people say they have to "over bounce" to compensate for their weight. The Cellerciser, although way more expensive that most people probably wanna pay, is the only one that can support someone really heavy giving the most bounces per minute. The Lymphaciser, although my favorite Health bounce rebounder, doesn't support heavy people. It will at first but springs hooks can snap very soon.

The 2nd biggest complaint I get with heavier people rebounding on rebounders that are not right for them is inversion (pronation of the ankles, cocking inwards). I do recommend shoes that help with inversion if someone really wants to get a rebounder that is known to invert, if someone really wants to be mindful of their foot position and always standing equal distance and close to the edge, then it might be ok not to wear special shoes.

Noise can also be an issue as their is more tension on the spring hooks rubbing against the frame. I normally tell people to just oil their rebounders every few months but in this case, a different type of lubricant I think is better, but it takes a few hours to apply it but the noise will be permanently gone. The Cellerciser which is what most people buy can be the noisiest unless you do this to the spring hooks and pins. The cheaper rebounders don't have to be lubed up as much as they have lower grade carbon and don't screach as loud.

Also: I strongly recommend the half fold type over non folding for heavy people. Having a break in the frame offsets the tension in the rebounder making it feel more stable. I do NOT recommend the Tri-fold versions for heavy people.

Heavier people also go through springs way more than light weight people. I strongly recommend a rebounder with high carbon springs or for those that can't afford a high end rebounder, at least on some you can change out the cheaper springs with Cellerciser or even Needak springs if they will fit. Needak springs are Analog springs but are way better than most of the springs out there.

For those that are heavy it makes doing the Health bounce more complicated when getting the wrong tension and mat that cones in under heavy weight. Avoid low carbon springs is my best first advice. The tapered springs are good if just doing the heath bounce and not doing jumping that will stretch it out. The springs probably won't break but will lose the tensile strength so that the health bounce will get all screwed up. Many people keep their springs for 10 to 20 years. Once that tensile strength is lost and the G force can be supported the best benefits of rebounding are not the same and jumping for say 20 minutes on bunk springs is not good.

210 to 220 POUND PEOPLE

This is when I would use a high carbon spring only. A tapered spring or triple tiered spring would be optimal as the belly of the rebounder spring will lose its initial tension and the other tiers would keep the integrity of the bounce. The spring belly would hold the weight. My top pick for a rebounder in this weight class would be the Cellerciser or the Jumpsport (smallest mat model) with adjustable bungees if set it at the highest tensile. The Lymphaciser has the bottom out feel when jumping high, but is is fine for doing the Health bounce, only as long as I'm not jumping too high out of the mat. Urban, forget it. Reboundair, try it and you will see. The Needak is my second favorite with this weight range.

220-240 POUND PEOPLE

No questions asked. The 106 gram, high carbon steel Cellerciser is my only pick for doing the Health Bounce in this range. The yield strength of the third triple tier now comes in play for this weigh class. This is when some people find they have to bounce near the edges of the rebounder mat to avoid their mat sinking to the floor. Although many other rebounders can hold the weight at first, the 80 to 90+ gram spring rebounders, unless they have high carbon steel, probably won't last long. These springs never actually break but lose their responsiveness so you don't accelerate with the same G-force as when the rebounder springs were first new. The Needak is still going to be my 2nd favorite rebounder. Based on my tests, with the Needak I got fewer flushes per minute doing the Health bounce but it still does a good job.

240-280 POUND PEOPLE

This is now when many people bottom out their rebounder (maybe not at first but wait 6 months). The Needak Hard Bounce although it's made for people over 300 pounds gives a better Health bounce but a little firm for doing high bouncing in this weight class. The Cellerciser gives the best bounce fore people up to 300 pounds and uses the 3rd tier of its spring without overextending it. The Cellerciser spring can actually hold up to 400 pounds. At 240 to 280, I choose the Cellerciser as my favorite. This is also when that time comes you have to decide if a hard bounce Needak or a soft bounce is better for you. It really just depends on what type of jumping you are going to do. The Cellerciser is the best but for those that can't get that one due to price the Needak is most peoples other option.

280-300+ POUND PEOPLE

At this range, the Needak Hard bounce is my favorite as long as someone is gonna to be doing higher jumping and not just the lymphatic health bounce. (Sorry Cellerciser, but Needak Hard Bounce has you beat in this range for people over 300 pounds). For Just doing the Health Bounce only, I like the Cellerciser but for doing exercises that require jumping out of the mat, the Needak Hardbounce is my favorite and won't bottom out like the Cellerciser. Also, because many people are not just going to do the Health Bounce only and only that, I pick the Needak Hard Bounce Rebounder as my favorite.

Over all, the higher carbon springs of the Needak Rebounder and the Cellerciser are the rebounders that are my top 2 picks for doing not just the Health bounce. The Cellerciser gives the most even bounce. The Lymphaciser is my favorite rebounder if someone is only doing the Health Bounce. It gives the most bounces per minute with the most G-force but I don't recommend it for doing any other type of bouncing, meaning outside the mat. The springs are too short and low mass to keep up its original tension.

If someone needs to ask any questions before picking out just the right rebounder, you can call me or email me, and I will try to answer all of your questions.

Remember, this is all based on landing on your heals first and then pushing off on your toes (or the bar if you have weak calves).

Contact me now or anytime you want to talk about rebounders. Please take my rebounder quiz before calling me.