Stairway to Heaven(ly cheeks)
This stepper is a great little machine. It was very easy to assemble - I didn't even look at the directions. The battery for the monitor was included so I was good to go right out of the box. Included are the stepper the monitor 2 "light" resistance bands 2 "medium" resistance bands (light and medium are pretty subjective terms) attachable handles and attachable... um... foot thingies. Additionally I was elated to find it comes with a workout DVD. I must have missed that on the product description. So some bad news: it squeaks. I have gone over the length and breadth of it with a can of 3-in-1 oil and it still squawks intermittently. It's diminished over a few workouts so I hope it will stop eventually. In the meantime I keep lube-ing it up before a workout. The resistance bands while adjustable are still a bit too long for my 5'3". I also think they are a little weak but that might be because I can't get enough resistance based on the length. Regarding the monitor: I think that one needs to know things like heart rate age and resting pulse before it's possible to accurately calculate one's expended calories. So while the monitor is nifty and a nice guide I don't trust it. When I tried the DVD I was dismayed that it's only a 10 minute workout. I was just getting into it and it was time for the cool down. However I found the instructor only merely annoying and very supportive. If you are just starting out on a fitness program (and weigh under the max. recommended weight of 220 LBS.) this could be great for you; otherwise I would watch it once for some basic ideas (like plie squats and stretches) then go to it with the tunes cranked. I have not yet tried the resistance bands workout which follows the 10 min. cardio but I like the bands and use them for crunches etc. They add more than strength training: they add stability. Keeping the cords taut might help some people with balance issues feel more secure. I have not had any trouble with the stepper sliding around but it's not a bad idea to place it on a yoga mat just in case. In retrospect it might sound like I don't really like the machine. I do! This little guy slides under the couch or bed and the bands are easily detachable for other forms of exercise. I get a great workout while watching a movie or the news. I live in a small place on a tiny island where winters are long and bitterly cold. This stepper is a small and inexpensive alternative to a giant elliptical trainer and I wish I had bought it sooner... especially since it kind of validates all the TV-on-DVD I watch lately. My brain might be rotting but my bottom is gonna be fabulous! UPDATE: The squeaking has subsided and I continue to use this machine regularly. I purchased a heart rate monitor and was surprised to see that the calorimeter on the machine was pretty close to the one on my wrist which is calibrated to my weight age etc. One thing I did notice is that I HAVE to add upper arm stuff (weights or the bands) to get my heart rate up into a cardio zone. Remember that you can't adjust the difficulty on the machine and it gets easy after while. It's a good idea then to keep going along with something in your hands to really get your heart pumping. The bands are great now that I've tied some knots in them. I still love this thing. It was a great purchase. More detail ...
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