I've Been Using a Bala Beam For a Year, and These Are My 6 Go-To Moves

You're probably familiar with the Bala brand because of their gorgeous Bala Bangles, which can be used as wrist or ankle weights. But did you know they also make a weighted bar called a Bala Beam? It's worthy of your attention: I've been using (and loving!) it for over a year.

Similar to a barbell you'd use for weightlifting, the Bala Beam is made from recycled steel wrapped in a super-soft silicone, so it can't hold weight plates but is easy to grip. It comes in a variety of chill colors including charcoal, blush, sand, sage, heather, shine, and sea. At 36 inches long, it's shorter than a regular barbell — and a lot cheaper, too. A regular barbell can run you several hundred dollars, but the Bala Beam costs $99 for the 15-pound bar and $125 for the 25-pound bar. Not to mention, it looks a whole lot better in your living room.

The sleek, curved design makes the Bala Beam easy to hold and use for all types of exercises that you'd normally do with a regular barbell or dumbbells. Sometimes I hold it with both hands, sometimes with one hand, and sometimes I rest it on my shoulders — I love that it's so versatile and different from the basic dumbbells I have at home. When I hold it with one arm to do biceps curls or overhead shoulder presses, the uneven weight caused by the length of the bar adds an extra challenge that forces me to engage even more muscles. Curious about what, exactly, to do with the Bala Beam? Here's an example Bala Beam workout I like to do at home.

Directions: After warming up for five minutes (I usually do this workout after rowing), do the six exercises ahead for the designated numbers of reps, followed by one minute of rest. Repeat two more times. After the workout, cool down with this 10-minute stretching routine.