Have You Ever Bought Exercise Products From T.V.?

Sunday, 20 September 2009

Have You Ever Bought Exercise Products From T.V.?

Since I'm a T.V. addict, I see all these informercials featuring workout videos and DVDs, machines and workout material in general.
I'm trying to shed a few pounds I gained over the past few years and I'm wondering if the little message on the bottom of the screen that reads "results may vary" means that their product actually works. I want to know if those workout videos or machines are a good investment. I bought one of Billy Banks infamous workout DVDs, which is about an hour worth of workout... but I can only do a half hour of it! What's worse is that I sweat like crazy after a half hour!
Do you feel compelled to buy exercise products off of informercials? Which ones, if any, have you invested in?

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No i never have.
- 9/20/2009 11:15 PM
- xXCrystal_RaindropsXx@xanga (message)
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two words: Turbo Jam. I saw the informercial to this in the hospital a day after i gave birth to my son and it was talking about all these moms who had shed their pregnancy weight and then some. bought the dvd set and after i got the go ahead from my gyno/obs to work out again, I did. it took about 15 months, but I lost 70lbs on it. very good workout, awesome music, and moves your whole body!

so, it's up to you what you prefer/like, but that's my testimony on that.
- 9/20/2009 11:25 PM
- someone_to_love_you@xanga (message)
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No, but they often inspire me to exercise, regardless.
- 9/21/2009 12:03 AM
- methodElevated@xanga (message)
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@someone_to_love_you@xanga - My mom bought a Turbo Jam DVD, and I used it once when I was at her house. It was a pretty good workout. Even my brother, who was training to get into the Marines at the time, was challenged by it. :)
- 9/21/2009 12:04 AM
- methodElevated@xanga (message)
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Anything with Richard Simmons in it
- 9/21/2009 12:16 AM
- shunny@xanga (message)
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the Hawaii Chair. (google it if you must)

what a damn sham.
- 9/21/2009 12:21 AM
- ChOcOChObO@xanga (message)
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Yeah, I bought an Ab Lounge. It's awesome.
- 9/21/2009 12:25 AM
- raved@xanga (message)
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I'm interested in the Ab Circle Pro just because the swinging motion looks fun. Reviews online, however, say that it's flimsy (and when I watched the infomercial closer, it looked flimsy too) and shady like many other infomercials that end up charging you extra out the ass. It's also overpriced both for what it does and what it's made of.
- 9/21/2009 12:42 AM
- pinkdagger@xanga (message)
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Nope. Have gone to sports store and bought stuff though (no shipping). I think anything you get will only give results if you take the time to use it. So many people let that stuff sit in a corner or guest room.
- 9/21/2009 12:46 AM
- adept_of_chaos@xanga (message)
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no but i should.
- 9/21/2009 1:02 AM
- CalLie_nicolebaby@xanga (message)
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I decided to bite the bullet and renovate a room in my house to be a dedicated gym: Full Olympic Power Cage, Dual High, Medium and Low Cable Pulley stations, Smith Machine, Pylometric resistance cables, Heavy bag, Speed Bag, Elliptical, Recumbent Bike, Treadmill, etc.
Let me tell you something about getting fit: If you want to get fit, the #1 most important thing is in your mind. COMMIT.
You don't need a single piece of equipment to get jacked, or fit, or whatever you want to be. I am a huge proponent of Rocky Balboa style workouts where a person builds functional strength doing things that human body was designed to do.
One of the things I do is fill sacks with 100 pounds of newspaper, grab with my hands, lift over my head, and throw. I shoot in, grab, kick away with my legs, and shuffle. Mount, G&P, grab, throw, repeat. This builds a tremendous amount of useful power.
I've been thinking of writing a series for HealthKicker about workouts that require no equipment.
If I have to recommend a single piece of equipment though, it would have to be this:
Iron Gym Pull Up Bar
The reason I recommend this is because it actually makes sense and it works. Some of the best exercises to do are bodyweight exercises. The Iron Gym Pull Up Bar also allows you to do Supinated, Pronated and Half-Half grips, which is nice. And while I don't recommend it, you can get Ab Straps for it to do Ab work (I recommend using your hand grip while holding yourself up). The push up functions work, but you can do that with your own hands. The Pull Up is a Compound Exercise that works a lot of your Upper Body, depending on your hand positioning, and the Ab workouts you can do with this do a lot of functional work to the Transversals, not just the Rectus Abdominus. Probably THE best Abs workouts you can do, if you know how to do them.
Very highly recommended.
- 9/21/2009 1:20 AM
- chow@ireallylikefood (message)
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No, but I'm going to buy the Flirty Girl Fitness DVD's (from the website though) and maybe the pole stuff when I get my own place. That workout looks like fun :D
- 9/21/2009 1:13 AM
- TheScaleDiaries@xanga (message)
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@TheScaleDiaries@xanga - Ohhh you know what, the Stripper Pole is probably the second best piece I can recommend. You need to be more advanced to take advantage of it though. If you have the strength to use it, it's one of the most versatile pieces of acrobatic bodyweight strength equipment you can use.
If you know how to use it, you can do full body workouts with it that rival any professional gym.
- 9/21/2009 1:17 AM
- chow@ireallylikefood (message)
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@chow@ireallylikefood - hey i would totally subscribe and read if you did a series on no equipment workouts! i would love that actually, please do consider. and i do agree with you, a pull up bar is something i would love to have, then again i live next to a playground with monkey bars, maybe i could use those in the meantime?
- 9/21/2009 4:14 AM
- eluvzmokie@xanga (message)
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well i actually find some of those ads tempting, especially hip hop abs and turbo jam. once a few years ago my mom got this modern version of the ab wheel or ab roller thing (the original version is a little ring with handles that you roll on the floor moving your abs back and forth. i know if either of us would have bothered with it it would have worked (i was only 10 at the time and like someone else said, my mom let it gather dust in a corner), and now i am actually looking for it to use for toning in this day and age haha. great idea for a post though!
- 9/21/2009 4:16 AM
- eluvzmokie@xanga (message)
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I've never bought anything from an infomercial. I tend to do work out tapes, not buy a bunch of equipment. I have a yoga mat, free weights and a jump rope. Otherwise, I do all aerobic/floor/weight lifting work. I have bought Jillian Michaels and the Firm tapes, which I suppose was influenced by seeing the "oh my gosh, I lost 70lbs!" ads.
- 9/21/2009 7:15 AM
- enterthelabyrinth@xanga (message)
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@chow@ireallylikefood - You should write some articles for it. I'm always looking for more exercises to spice up the routine.
- 9/21/2009 7:16 AM
- enterthelabyrinth@xanga (message)
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haha my mom just bought a trendmill if that counts any
- 9/21/2009 9:54 AM
- discover_hienie@xanga (message)
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hehe oh yes yoga mat definitely and the cd that came along with it
- 9/21/2009 9:54 AM
- discover_hienie@xanga (message)
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have two, body slender and ab rocket, for those "can't go to the gym" days. It'll only work if you use it. Exercise is a must regardless of the equipment...
- 9/21/2009 11:23 AM
- furtherthoughts@xanga (message)
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@TheScaleDiaries@xanga - I've been so tempted to get those it's ridic. If you do get them, you should def write an entry about 'em. :]
- 9/21/2009 12:04 PM
- live_for_love@xanga (message)
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@eluvzmokie@xanga - @enterthelabyrinth@xanga - Alright, I'll stick the "No Equipment Workout" articles thing on my To-Do list :)
I think Healthkicker is looking for articles on its main site anyway.
BTW, the things you can do with just a set of monkey bars is incredible. I'll start writing these articles as soon as I can fit them in :)
- 9/21/2009 1:12 PM
- chow@ireallylikefood (message)
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@chow@ireallylikefood - Yay! You know, I love the state parks in Pennsylvania because they all have those exercises courses where you walk from one station to another in a mile or two loop through these set ups. The one I do has monkey bars....that's why I was reminded of them.
- 9/21/2009 1:18 PM
- enterthelabyrinth@xanga (message)
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@live_for_love@xanga - lol thanks, I definitely will keep people updated when I do order them :)
- 9/21/2009 2:00 PM
- TheScaleDiaries@xanga (message)
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@enterthelabyrinth@xanga - I love outdoor exercise courses like this :)
Here in Hawai'i, once or twice a week in the morning, I do a run on a course that starts on a slight grade uphill on a jogging/ bike path overlooking the Pacific Ocean as the sun rises, which leads to a steep 45 minute mountain run up and down the side of an extinct volcanic crater, then down to a trail at the base with an excellent outdoor workout station. I work out here for a bit, and then continue the jog downhill (wonderful eccentric braking stresses on the calves, I love it), and end the 2.5 hour morning routine by plopping down on the sand and then taking a very cooling, relaxing swim. I love these days <3
- 9/21/2009 2:14 PM
- chow@ireallylikefood (message)
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