Anyone else find those equipment commercials to be annoyingly compelling? It is like I HAVE to watch till the end just to hear the price. And all I can think for the ones that fold away is that they won't even become the extra clothing rack.

I actually think it's a ploy by the manufacturer to make slackers feel less guilty about not working out. Out of sight, out of mind.

Heck, if it's stuck far enough under the bed they might actually forget they own one and buy another!

If I see one more Bowflex commercial, I may have to hurt somebody. They've got a gazillion commercials and all of them seem to be on during my favorite shows.

Anybody else watch the "Fitness Made Simple" commercials just to see how many times John Basedow's hair color changes during one 30-second ad?

Hee! That awful blond shade plus the haircut my gym teacher had in 1987 is doing him no favors. I'm surprised that he has no wardrobe consultant type to tell him to change his haircut.

And they all find ways to be utterly, completely annoying (case in point: the jackass who crows, "I gave my fat pants to my fat friends!").

I like the exercise commercials because I like ogling the muscleboys, but there's no way a fat middle-aged man is going to have the body of the hottie 20-something fitness model in 20 minutes a day, 3 times a week.

Grasonville, I too watch until the end because I want to see how much the stuff costs, because until then, I'm thinking, "Hey, that's not such a bad idea..."

I like the one for -- can't remember the product -- but it's the short, bald guy with one of those tribal tattoos around his impressive biceps. They exercise outdoors. The equipment actually looks pretty good.

And I'm still intrigued by the Chuck Norris one. I think it makes the most sense, but I don't get why it's $1000. I see them in the store for much less, so I think it's a lesser model.

Actually -(small voice) I LIKE the Bowflex commercials (small voice) - I must because it has compelled me to order the FREE DVD at least 3 times. (Never watched any of them though) :)

I watch these because I'm a horny straight guy and I like seeing women's bodies. The problem comes when there's a closeup and I think I'm looking at some part of a woman and it turns out I'm looking at some part of a man. I hate that when that happens.

I like how the OTHER exercise equipment is in black and white, and the people using it are all out of shape. But the advertised equipment is in color and the people using it don't need it because they're already lean and buff.
I guess the message is that just HAVING it will slim you down and tone you up.

That's why it folds up and fits under your bed. Just sleeping above it makes you buff -- osmosis, I think.

If you get the kind that DOESn't fold away - it will keep your laundry toned from hanging on it instead of being in a pile on the floor.

Has anyone here ever purchased any of this equipment "as seen on TV"?

I saw an ad for the Total Gym a couple of weeks ago, and was surprised to see them still using Wesley Snipes as a celebrity endorser. I guess they really believe in the concept of innocent until proven guilty.

Glad the Hertz Rent a Car people don't.

Of course their former pitchman is busy on the golf course looking for the REAL killer - but I digress.

Just saw a "fitness ball" commercial - now THAT would be easy to roll in to the closet - never to be seen again

I bought the original Ab Lounge™ from QVC about three years ago. I used it consistently for two years and lost over 50 pounds. The video that came with it (staring Rosalie) was useless, though. If I had followed their program I doubt I would have lost any weight. I had to use it five days a week for one hour each to get the results that I did. It's now resting under my bed, because I hurt my back and legs and wasn't able to use it anymore.

I'm really intrigued by the Bio-Force TNT™ infomercials. I like how they show the problems with the Bowflex™ and how the "real" people that try the eight week product trial aren't fitness models. The people start the eight weeks all fat and flabby. At the end of the eight weeks, they are slightly less fat and moderately fit, but definitely not models, or even attractive. The the host reminds me of an elf for some strange reason.

I bought one of those AbRollers (or maybe it's called AbGlide. It's basically a roller skate with handles on the side). It really worked your abs but I have the wrists of a 6 months old so it hurt to use it. I moved twice and now I can't find it, but I don't remember throwing it away.

I bought Yoga Booty Ballet and it actually works really well. The first time I used it, I felt like I had been run over by a car I was so sore. I got out of using it for a while because I had knee surgery followed by hip surgery. I've just started to use it again and I really like it, it's actually kind of fun. And I don't feel like an idiot when I do the workout.

I just love the name of that product. It makes me laugh.

How about a jump rope - without rope - maybe the next best thing will be a lap pool with no water

http://jumpsnap.com/

Oh, dear ghod.


That's hilarious.

"So why aren't we all doing it?"
There.Are.No.Words. Yay, Grasonville!

They want sixty bucks for that thing?

Well, I suppose it's cheaper than a Bowflex.

I think that's the stupidest thing I've ever seen, and that's saying a lot. Couldn't you get the exact same benefit by, I don't know, just hopping in place?

I don't know about lap pools without water, but they do have lap pools without length. Endless Pools

Conversely, I hate when there's a closeup of a bulging biceps and it turns out to be a woman.

I think I want to get the JumpSnap! Because I don't know how to jump up and down and roll my wrists without the sound effects of a jump rope. Plus, I have too much money and too little sense.

Wasn't one of the early eliminatees on the latest American Inventor a guy with what amounted to a waterless lap pool? Some sort of table/bench/platform, thing that held you in "swimming position", so that you could do the arm and leg movements of swimming, at any rate? If ropeless jump ropes sell, he could be onto something.

But but then we wouldn't have BOUGHT something..............

Snark Away

http://www.infomercialratings.com/abdomina...uct_reviews.htm

If I didn't know any better, I would have thought the Jumpsnap was a Geico commcerial or an SNL skit.

/small voice/ I actually think the Jumpsnap looks kind of cool. Jumping rope is a really effective cardio workout according to many fitness professionals. When I used to cardio-box we always started the class with five minutes of jump roping and it was hard! And it actually is really frustrating when your feet catch on the rope (cue fade-in to black and white and a visibly aggravated Givemeakleenex fumbling angrily with those annoying old-fashioned jump ropes). This looks like you get all the same arm movements and for me personally, there is something to be said about the "clicking" sound of the rope, psychologically speaking.

Laugh and point, but I'll make you all a deal. I'm willing to be the guinea pig on this one. I'll be back in a few weeks either in victorious glory, or complete shame and embarrassment. Stay tuned!

Promise me you WILL do this in a public setting - and eventually you could order TWO and do the INVISIBLE DOUBLE DUTCH Championships.

I watched on QVC last night 40 minutes of watching baby boomer host kvelling over 55 year old mother of FIVE and GRANDMOTHER of FIVE (said with increasing amazement each time) demonstrating the NEWEST Bowflex Revolution 2 - $1999.00 (but FREE SHIPPING!)

http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/app.detail

That's next week on ESPN 5, right?

That cordless jump rope does have some other functions besides just making rope noises. According to the video it tells you how you're doing, counts your calories, number of jumps, exercise time, and lets you set a target time. (All these features for a low low price!) So I think that would be the real benefit to getting one, as opposed to jumping up and down without a rope by yourself. Not that I'd ever buy one.

Also, I hate real jump ropes. One time in gym class I messed up and whipped myself across the leg so hard that I fell over! (Much to everyone's amusement.) There was a huge red welt across my leg for the rest of the day. And it wasn't just a regular soft rope, either. Nope! It was one of those evil jump ropes that they like to use in gym. It has like...little plastic tubes over the rope itself. Almost like beads. Ugh. So anyway, yeah... that's another benefit of the cordless jump rope! No accidental lashings.

I'm on a nostalgic mental trip right now thinking about those school-issued plastic covered jumpropes! I remember that used to HURT like hell to get whipped by one of those. I used to play double dutch at the playground with friends at recess and got whipped in the face a few hundred times. Those things were good weapons to use against the boys too!

No, the Ocho.

Mine too (sorry).
Please please please post it on YouTube.

I just saw Chuck Norris in the Total Gym commercial. What the hell happend to his face and what's with that total mustache on his upper lip?

He looks weird.

#snerk# I loved that movie.

Exercise equipment: I bought one of those cardio-glide machines years ago. It does work--my mother, in fact, uses it every time she visits--but with my spinal tumors and polymyalgia rheumatica, I can't use it any more. At least when I have visitors it gets some usage.

My god...Brett Favre has become one of the Bowflex shillers. Say it ain't so Brett!

I realize this is an old post, but we just saw this commercial last night and are totally baffled by whatever happened to him. I agree that he looks weird, and to me his voice sounds funny too. It's like someone secretly replaced Chuck Norris with Sonny Bono to see if we could tell the difference.

Before, or after he hit the tree?

Okay, calling this a piece of "exercise equipment" is probably a stretch, but this is the closest-fitting category, IMHO.

It's for Slendertone, one of those vibrating belts that are supposed to tone your abs. The look of lust the woman gives her husband/boyfriend is priceless. Because, after all, sexy abs are what turn us on. *snerk*

I was kind of surprised to see this type of product resurrected, because I read several years ago that the FTC(I think)was cracking down on ads for similar devices because the belts don't work.

Thanks to Disraeli Ears for noticing my blunder.

Hmmmm...I would be expecting more of a quizzical look. *giggle*

Oooooops. *blushes*

I'll go back and correct it...

I just saw a commercial for this gadget that hangs you upside down and is supposed to be good for your back. There are no words.

Teeter Hang-Ups

We've seen that commercial and, to my horror, TudorPrince seems to think it's a good idea and may want one.

His NAME is Teeter? Like Teeter Totter?

You can't make this stuff up.

[tiny voice]When I was twelve I bought an American Consumer Body Trimmer. It was one of those rope-and-handle devices that hangs off a doorknob. You lie on the ground and stick your hands and feet in the straps and flail your arms and legs back and forth. It also makes a horrendous grinding noise that terrifies anyone who might be on the other side of the door - it sounds like you're chopping up a dead body.

Years later, they did a Seinfeld episode about it. I felt only mildly vindicated.[/tiny voice]

I'm convinced some so-called fitness equipment featured in commercials is only created to provide sit-com fodder.

I like how Teeter says he started the business 25 years ago. I've never heard of the product until now. You'd think they'd have some infomercials or something years ago, unless I missed them.