Lateral Step trainers?

Cianos

Hi,
I was wondering if anyone knows whether lateral step trainers are worth getting? I'm carrying a bit of extra weight around the stomach and want to tone up a bit. On the TV ads they say they are effective for this as well as cardio etc. And it would be handy to have in the house so I could just hop on it for 15 mins every now and again.

Any advice appreciated:)

justsomebloke

Or you could walk around to your local shop and get an apple instead and you will probably get just as much exercise and some vitamins and fiber and think how many apples you could get for the price of a stepper.

So basically what i am saying is, don't bother with the stepper as it will just be a giant paper weight after 2 weeks. Go out in the fresh air and get some exercise it's free. That and to be truthful it would be better to get your diet in order then do 15 minutes of exersice here and there

Cianos

So basically they dont do what they say on the tin? I dont mind paying the €130 for it, if it would benefit me. Admittedly, I should be out jogging for 20mins every morning but I know that most mornings I wont bother, whereas if I could just use that I would get a lot more excercise in reality.

P.S Surely walking for 15mins doesnt compare to using one of those for 15mins?

justsomebloke

Cianos wrote:

So basically they dont do what they say on the tin?

actually most of them do exactly what they say on the tin, you just have to know what part of the tin to read. As most of them will say that with the aid of a balanced diet they will help you lose weight. i.e. eating well will lose you most of the weight and they will have gain €130 for helping you lose the other small portion.

To be truthful diet is where you will lose the weight, exercise though will help it come of quick and help you keep it off as well as keeping you healthy. So get your diet in order first, that or it will be a waste of money. Trust me i spent a 120 euro on a tride a couple of years back for when i couldn't be arsed going to the gym, but i just found it more enjoyable to go for a run outside at that point and it had better results and now i have a bike, which i am currently using for my cardio when i want to start from home

Cianos

Right I get ya. My diet is ok. I dont eat too much junk food, but I guess beer is where my weakness is.:rolleyes:

I actually cycle a fair amount. The odd time I'd cycle for an hour+ a day. Although I find it much easier to cycle for an hour than jog for 15mins.

Back to the beer...how much beer in a week could the body take without holding it as excess weight?:o

Dragan

Cianos wrote:

Back to the beer...how much beer in a week could the body take without holding it as excess weight?:o

Would depend entirely on how much else you ate and drank.

Beer, like most other things has a certain calorific value.....go over you base calorific needs and you'll be eating excess...which will be stored.

Boru.

A selection of relevant reviews form fitnessinfomercial review...


At first it was ok, but then

8 Mar 2006 - Karen of California, USA writes:

I bought the Lateral Thigh Trainer because it was compact and it looked like it would be fun to do. Initially, things were great except that after about 20 minutes the Speed Control/Resistance lever would shift and I would have to get off and put it back into place. After about 5 months of using it 2 to 3 times a week for 30 minutes, the lever broke and wouldn't move at all. My husband took it apart and found the Ball Bearing Assembly had become deformed from use since they had used very thin metal for that part. Very disappointing.


The LTT burns more than I do.

6 Mar 2006 - Pim of California, USA writes:

I have to admid the LTT gives a nice workout both me and my girlfriend like using it. After little over one month of use it started squeaking however, and yesterday we enjoyed the nice smell of burning plastic. I opened it up to see what was wrong. The chain is well lubricated and not the cause of the squeaking, but a plastic ring was melting and the metal parts had gotten terribably hot. Today I had another look at it, discovering that already after 5 minutes of use, you could not hold its metal parts anymore. What to say. In my opinion the fitness idea is good, but the apparatus is not fit for the job. It can not handle a regular workout of more than 20 minutes.


17 Dec 2005 - Brigette of Missouri, USA writes:

I tried the Lateral Thigh Trainer for several months and I thought it was a pretty good workout but the machine constantly squeeked therefore, my husband had to keep oiling it weekly. Also, the computer would constantly stop during exercising and I was not able to keep an accurate track of time and steps. After several months of use, the chain broke during a workout ... thank God I was I was able to keep my balance because it could have been a very nasty accident.

4 Nov 2005 - Allen of California, USA writes:

I was living overseas, saw the informercial, and even though I'm not typically suckered in by them, I was too intrigued by the Lateral Thigh Trainer to resist. Getting it to me in South America was a nightmare, but finally it arrived. I'm an old hand at steppers and stair-climbers, but I immediately liked the difference this machine offered--the slight side-to side swiveling vs. just up-and-down. If you like dancing--and I do--this machine will make you fall in love with it. I combined it with a new diet, and lost a surprising amount of weight in record time. HOWEVER...the big downside to this machine is that the manufacturers unfortunately chose VERY cheap materials. Much like many other people who have posted reviews here, my chain broke in about two weeks. I replaced it with a store-bought bike chain. As I was overseas, returning it was out of the question. Next, the "L"-shaped metal arms underneath wore out and snapped. Keep in mind, I only weighed about 180 lbs (82k) at the time; I have to wonder what would have happened to a TRULY overweight person! I had to take the machine to an auto repair shop to have it welded. I ended up returning on a WEEKLY basis. Next, the rubber cords that I ordered with the machine snapped as I was using them! The other problems were annoying, but this was truly hazardous. If the manufacturer is reading this, please note: you have a HUGE legal liability on you hands! These deficient bands could easily take an eye out (they did in fact hit me in the face!). All in all, it IS a great, fun, and effective machine--but it's just made like junk. If you plan to order one, order TWO, so you'll have something to use while the other is being fixed!

and so on...

My quick capsule review - one of the reasons I left the fitness company I used to manage was becasue they wanted to sell these. Its a piece of crap and I couldn't rip people off like that..so I left.

Cianos

Thanks for the heads up Boru.That is pretty shameful alright. I guess the manufacturers know that most of their customers wont even use it more than a few times, and then those that do and have problems wont bother complaining so its only a tiny amount of people they have to give refunds to.