Rigby native’s exercise invention a huge success on Kickstarter – and it’s not the first time
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IDAHO FALLS — For the second time in two years, a Rigby native has launched a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign to make a product that will help people exercise on the go.
Since June 2, Ethan Abbott and his wife, Kinsee, have raised a whopping $232,000 dollars for RYZE-UPS – pull-up handles that fold to the size of a book and lock-on to nearly any door. Their invention has performed in the top 1% of Kickstarter campaigns of all time.
“Our original goal was to raise $20,000 total but on the first day, we did over $30,000,” Abbott tells EastIdahoNews.com. “It was mindblowing to see how fast it was growing.”
Kickstarter campaigns are used to help inventors raise money for projects. A target dollar amount is set and must be reached by a certain date for the invention to move forward. Those who donate are guaranteed the product if the goal is met.
The cost of a pair of RYZE-UPS is $99 and as of Wednesday afternoon, nearly 2,000 backers had pledged money for the handles.
“There’s a zip clamp where you push a button and can cinch it onto your door,” Abbott says. “They have a rotating handle so you can target specific muscles and they’re really easy to travel with. All the other bars fall off or you have to screw them onto your door frame. With our clamps, you can pull them off without any damage.”
Abbott is proud RZYE-UPS will be manufactured in Utah. He hopes his invention will bring a handful of jobs to people looking for employment due to COVID-19.
This is the second fitness project for the Abbotts. In 2018, they launched CrossGrips by Jayflex and raised $170,000 on Kickstarter. The “multi-gym fitness handles” can be used for pull-ups, sit-ups and push-ups. CrossGrips are so popular that they instantly sell out every time a new shipment arrives from the manufacturer in China, Abbott said.
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“It’s been extremely rough lately getting them manufactured because of COVID-19 as all the companies over there were shut down,” Abbott says. “Having RYZE-UPS made in Utah will help with the problem.”
Abbott is a Rigby High School graduate who works as a healthcare consultant in Saratoga Springs, Utah. Because his inventions have been so successful, they may become his full-time job by the end of the year.
Until then, he’s focused on getting his new creation out to the public. The Kickstarter campaign ends Thursday and a new phase of work begins.
“The molding and tooling will ship to our factory in Utah. Then we’ll work on assembly and that will take up until January. We’ll ship it out and have it available online as well for everyone’s new year fitness goals,” he says.