The Ironman Gravity 4000 inversion therapy table won’t cure a bad back, but as a therapeutic aid it has few peers. Ultra sturdy, it offers ease of use and solid function at a moderate price.
Design, Simple Yet Powerful
Ultra sturdy, the Ironman Gravity 4000 offers ease of use and solid function at a moderate price.“Powerful” seems like an odd term to use for an inversion table. After all, the device doesn’t push you around, you push it. Yet the word has another meaning: “producing great physical effects”. By that definition, the Ironman 4000 definitely qualifies.
It offers a sturdy tubular frame that supports individuals up to 350 lbs. No insult intended to those who struggle with a weight problem, but anyone heavier than that has a health issue an inversion table won’t address. What it means for others is that you can rest on this table and rest assured it won’t collapse.
The Ironman 4000 itself, even given the sturdy frame, does weigh a surprising amount: 82 lbs. That can make it a bit of a challenge to take out and put away. At this heft, it’s something you’ll want to place and leave, if you have space for it. Most people do something similar with an exercise machine or treadmill, so that’s not out of the question.
Setting it up for first use, while not effortless, is no big strain, however. It assembles in about 30 minutes. The instructions are not particularly difficult to follow. Anyone who can put together a TV stand will not find it a challenge.
If you have to store it and remove it frequently, you’ll be pleased that Ironman made that as easy as possible, too. It folds smoothly and compactly. It opens up just as easily and rubber stabilizers on the base ensure it stays where you put it. And, the Ironman 4000 measures 26″ wide x 65″ long x 49″ high, making it usable by anyone up to 6′ 6″ in height.
As a pleasant if minor point, you also don’t have to worry about the machine looking old after a few times in use. The powder-coated finish is scratch resistant and stands up to long wear while still looking new.
In use, this inversion table pleases mightily. Of course, what counts is not looks but how an inversion table functions in frequent use. There, no one will have any reason to be disappointed.
Superb Memory Foam Backrest
One prime way it pleases is the nylon-covered memory foam backrest that is one of the best in the field. Like a memory foam mattress, it conforms to your body rather than you to it. For those already seeking relief from back pain, that’s a great benefit.
Common pressure points on a surface – tailbone, head, elbows – simply don’t feel anything here.
That backrest has another value, one signaled by the term “memory”. Activated by body heat, it restores automatically to original shape when you lift up.
Modern memory foam can do that hundreds of times before leaving an impression that lessens its value (not to mention, looking shabby). Unlike ordinary foam rubber or your bed mattress, it keeps functioning like new for a long time.
As a nice addition, there’s a removable pillow that can attach to the backrest to provide lumbar support.
Superb Ankle Supports
Another key element of an inversion table got close attention from designers in the Ironman 4000: the ankle supports. The ankle locking system ratchets so you can fit the straps to your size with ease. In many tables the ankle straps are a weak point; they sometimes create high pressure above the arch. The bones there are named “cuneiform”, “navicular”, and the “cuboid”. Not surprisingly, above those bones lie nerves that don’t take kindly to being compressed.
By contrast to some inversion tables, the Ironman Gravity 4000 treats those areas gently. The cushioned ankle support is really well done, thanks to good materials and intelligent shaping. Good padding and ergonomic molding make a huge difference in real-world use.
As a result, no gravity boots are needed with this model. While they have benefits, gravity boots take time and effort to put on and take off and they’re often expensive. Some cost $100 or more. For once, you can use an inversion table barefooted and still feel great the whole time at any angle.
That problem is also lessened in the upright direction with very sturdy, right-sized foot rests. They provide a solid platform where and when it’s badly needed: getting on and off the inversion table. It’s simple to adjust them to allow for any height up to the 6′ 6″ maximum.
Easy Operation In Multiple Ways
Aside from the effortless ingress and egress, tilting the Ironman 4000 requires nothing more than raising your arms above your head. Change your center of gravity and the platform moves to as far as 90 degrees off the horizontal.
Using the rubberized hand grips ensures you don’t slide off (even apart from the ankle straps). The large oval safety rails on the sides provide both security and another way to manipulate your position without undue effort.
New users will likely not want to go “full monty” the first session. Increased blood pressure to the head can be very uncomfortable at first. Fortunately, it’s easy to prevent that using the simple ratchet lock to secure the table as it tilts. The system lets you stop easily at any of 10 different angles.
Summary
Real-world use shows that the Ironman 4000 is simply a great value. Anyone contemplating a purchase of an inversion therapy table has a right to be skeptical. There are all sorts of health-related products out there that simply don’t work (or worse).
But with only two negative reviews out of nearly 200 on Amazon, you don’t have to take this reviewer’s word for anything. By the way, both of those poor reviews are based on individual assembly problems that others clearly did not experience. Click here to read reviews from nearly 200 Amazon buyers.
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