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Animal House Fitness – Monkey Feet REVIEW
Now and then I’ll come across a fitness product that makes me say “you can’t be serious!” out loud. John McEnroe reference aside, some of these pieces of equipment are so ridiculous that their very existence seems like a joke. But RARELY, I find a company like Animal House Fitness. Their main 
product, Monkey Feet, look a little silly upon first glance, but if you actually think about it, your legs will gain strength like crazy while saving you time and space in your home gym. As a calisthenics lover, the Monkey Feet are particularly great because all the leg workouts that the Monkey Feet target wouldn’t be nearly as effective without this obscure piece of equipment. Check out my Monkey Feet Review to learn more!
Animal House – Monkey Feet Specs
Equipment Type: Slip-On for Shoe (“Other”)
Weight: 1.2 lbs
Dumbbell Clip: Can hold diameters between 1.45 inches and 5 inches
Shoe Size: Fits most shoe sizes up to 14 men’s (US)
Sold Individually: Can slip onto either foot
Refund Policy: 30-day guarantee
Warranty: 1-year policy for defects. Contact Animal House Fitness for defects after 1 year.
Cost: $79.95
<<Purchase Monkey Feet from the Official Site Here>>
<<Purchase Monkey Feet from Rogue Fitness Here>>
Animal House Fitness – Monkey Feet: What Can You Do With It?
Yes, I was very skeptical about this goofy looking product too… until I saw the ways you can spice up some amazing bodyweight exercises that I personally don’t find myself doing very often. With Monkey Feet, my leg workouts have changed in a great way.
Here are the four main leg exercises you can do with Monkey Feet:
- Hamstring Curls
- Donkey Kicks
- Knee Raises
- Leg Extensions
In addition, many of the abdominal calisthenic exercises I do involve using my legs and feet. Therefore, Animal House Fitness’s Monkey Feet are also great for the following ab workouts:
- Hanging Leg Lifts & Knee Raises
- Hanging Bicycle Kicks, Windshield Wipers & Scissor Kicks (if you have two Monkey Feet)
- Bicycle Crunches on the Floor
- Knee Drivers
- Hollow Body Holds and Leg Lifts
- Dead Bugs
- Seated Leg Lifts and Knee Tucks
- Planks with Arm & Leg Raises
- V-Sit (if you have two)
- Floor Bicycle Kicks, Windshield Wipers & Scissor Kicks
You can do MOST of the above with a single Monkey Foot. Just switch shoes when you want to hit the other side.
And as a random bonus, let’s add in a chest-tricep workout in addition to abs and legs:
- Spider Push Ups
Animal House Fitness – Monkey Feet: Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Great for calisthenics. Doing lower body workouts with just your bodyweight will eventually leave you behind in terms of strength, muscle definition, and hypertrophy. But with the Monkey Feet, you can consistently improve your leg strength with calisthenics without feeling like you have to play catch-up. Certain calisthenic skill progressions, like the L-Sit and V-Sit, can also be improved with Monkey Feet.
- Hit the legs hard! Go beyond squats and lunges! You will be able to strengthen your legs in ways that you haven’t before. I NEVER did moves like knee raises and donkey kicks because they felt ineffective from a calisthenic standpoint. Animal House Fitness changes that with the Monkey Feet.
- Goes beyond leg workouts. Like I mention above, the Monkey Feet are great for abdominal work, too. It doesn’t take too much thinking to figure out all the ways to take advantage of this funky little product.
- One-Size Fits Most. The Monkey Feet are easy to adjust and should fit over your shoes without too much trouble. The clip for dumbbells also shouldn’t cause any trouble, since it fits most handles.
- Better than ankle weights. Since you can clip on a dumbbell of any weight, the pre-weighed ankle weights you may have lying around your home gym are most likely obsolete now.
- High-quality. You can use this item without worrying about it breaking. If it does, the warranty is generous.
- You only need one. Obviously, two would be ideal for a few of the exercises I’ve mentioned (and maybe some I haven’t). But really, you just need one Monkey Foot to get by for the most part. Just switch shoes between sides.
- Easy to put on. Simply slide it over your foot and crank it a few times to ensure it’s snug.
- Saves space. The convenience of the Monkey Feet is great. It’s a small, lightweight item, and when you’re done with it just move it out of the way.
Cons:
- Takes some getting used to. The Monkey Feet feel pretty awkward at first. You should only put it on when you’re in position for its dedicated exercise(s). You don’t want to walk around with this thing on! It’s also not exactly comfortable… not that it’s supposed to be.
- One size fits most… again. There are a few negative reviews of people complaining about the Monkey Fit not fitting their shoes as well as they should. If one pair of shoes doesn’t work for your Monkey Feet, try a different pair and see if that one is better. And in my case, I work out barefoot! So it’s another adjustment in that regard for me.
- Use caution when starting out! You will be surprised at how strange it feels to have a heavy dumbbell strapped to the bottom of your foot. This is different from a machine or bodyweight exercise. To stay safe, start with a lighter weight and move to a heavier weight once you “get” how it all works.
- Plastic straps. Like a ski or snowboard shoe, the Monkey Feet has ridged plastic straps to tighten against your foot. However, the fact that this is intended to hold heavy weights and be lifted and lowered repeatedly may cause wear and tear on the cheap plastic straps in time.
Animal House Fitness – Monkey Feet Review: Overall
Did Animal House Fitness intend for their Monkey Feet to go so far beyond leg workouts? Maybe, maybe not. Either way, this is an innovative and exciting new product that I definitely recommend to my fellow bodyweight enthusiasts! Finally, some variety to our leg workouts! And as always, remember to stretch!
My Score: 4 out of 5
<<Purchase Animal House Fitness’s Monkey Feet Here>>
<<Purchase Monkey Feet from Rogue Fitness Here>>
Do you own an Animal House Fitness Monkey Foot? Let me know how your experience has been in the comments below!
I used to have these weights that I needed to stick to my legs, so as the train my legs to get a better back. But they were very annoying, because every time I moved my legs, those weights didn’t stick to my legs and just moved along. So this seems like a perfect solution to replace it with, thanks!
I know exactly what you’re talking about, Lizzy. I have a pair of those as well, and haven’t used them in quite some time. They aren’t bad, but they get annoying after a little while with the sliding around and up and down my legs. I like the Monkey Feet even though they look goofy. The workouts you can do with them are great. Thanks for reading!
I just bought Monkey Feet. I find my feet are too big. The description states it fits most shoes sizes up to size 14 for men. I wear size 11, but it is extra wide, and it does not fit. I was afraid of this. I have tried it once with no shoes. It works okay, I am thinking of getting some extra thick socks and doubling up on the socks and see how that goes.
Hi Rob,
I actually wear a size 11 (US) too. My feet are narrower though, so they fit me well enough. Sorry to hear they don’t fit your feet as comfortably as they should. You could try checking out Xero Shoes, as they are thinner and might be able to fit the Monkey Feet on them. Otherwise, the thicker socks is a good idea.
Thanks for reading!
-Max
Curious about using 2 at the same time. Most dumbbells are pretty wide, especially bow flex adjustables. Is it awkward using 2 really wide dumbbells for exercises that move both feet at the same time? Seems like hanging leg raises would be really annoying with my feet that far apart (maybe even high hernia risk). Does it make sense to use a barbell, or will I fall on my face? Just wondering if this really are useful for T2bar and reverse hyper (not ever buying an HPND).
Hi Matt,
I only have one, but if you wanted to try to hanging leg raises with two I would suggest starting with super light weights – like literally, two pounders that you can buy at 5-Below or whatever. Since I only have one, I still do the leg raises with very light weights, so obviously it’s easy for one leg and more difficult for the other. Then I just switch and do it again. It’s a weird approach but it works. *shrug*
I’ve seen people use barbells with them, though not with the HLR’s – more for the sliding hamstring curls while lying on the floor. Again, if you were to try this, start light, and maybe have someone nearby just in case. I don’t see why they couldn’t be used for reverse hypers, long as you have a safe platform for them.
Thanks for reading!
I have been pondering as to whether I should make the purchase or not. I have searched reviews on this and for the most part they all seem to be pretty positive. But is it too good to be true? That’s my dilemma. I am a competitor and I am currently suffering/recovering from a broke foot so I hav found myself to be training different to get some type of training in. if you know what I mean.
what would be your advise for someone who is reluctant like me?
Hi Tierra,
Thanks for posting! Honestly, I think you should hold off from buying the Monkey Feet if you have a foot injury. Focus on recovery, PT, etc. Once it’s fully recovered, I would look into it again and then maybe make your choice as to buy it or not. Training with the Monkey Feet while your foot is hurt might just make the recovery period longer, or the injury even worse.
As far as it being too good to be true, it definitely is not! It’s high quality and opens up a great deal of options for lower body workouts. I personally love it.
Can most dumbbells be used with Monkey Feet?
Hi Leticia,
Yes, most dumbbells should fit into the Monkey Feet.
Thanks for reading!
Do they take a long time to delivery? I’m always so scared to purchase things off of IG ads because they usually take forever to come or just don’t get delivered. How familiar are you with their customer service?
Hi Naz,
I actually left IG and went straight to their website to purchase: https://animalhousefitness.com/. IG was good to get them on my radar, but that was it. Just go to the website to get the best info.
IIRC, I got mine after a little over a week. It didn’t take too long for mine. I don’t remember if they gave me a tracking number or not. It would be worth asking for one if you do make the purchase.
Regarding customer service, I only sent them one email and I think it took no more than two business days to get a response. But they were friendly and helpful, so I imagine it would be a similar experience for you.
I hope this helps!
Hello could you please tell me if these fit one shoe size. I’m from the u.k. Also when purchasing do I purchase 2 for a pair or just 1 for a pair. Kind regards. Jas.
Hi Jas,
The Monkey Feet should fit most shoe sizes. I am 11.5 men’s US and it fits perfectly. You just have to adjust it to the right comfort. Also, these are not sold in pairs – just a single monkey foot.
Thanks for reading!
-Max
This is actually a takeoff of a piece of equipment that gyms had in the 1950s-60s They were called Iron Boots and the device was shaped like a foot, flat with ridges on the sides and back and two straps to hold your shoe in place. They were made of iron and weighed about ten pounds without weight. Dumbbells were attached below as with this item. I’ve watched many pieces of equipment disappear, only to appear again years later.
OK, I had to Google that one. Well, you can’t reinvent the wheel… Or some such thing. The Animal House (and Kensui Fitness) folks did their homework, apparently…
Thanks for the comment, Geof!