AWESOME MACHINE!!!!!!!!!!
Written: Feb 03 '05 (Updated Feb 06 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Fun,effective,no impact,quiet,and does not take up much room.
Cons: Not impressed with heart monitor. $414 is a bit high but would buy again.
The Bottom Line: I was a little afraid to buy this product from some of the reviews that I read but I am glad I did. The gazelle elite is so worth it!
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| gazellehappy's Full Review: FitnessQuest Tony Little Gazelle Glider Freestyle ... |
I love this machine!! I received the gazelle edge for Christmas. I decided to upgrade to the gazelle freestyle elite (infomercial model) with the pistons so that I could get resistance if I wanted(3 Levels OR 4 if you count no resistance at all.)
This machine arrived within 7 days and I am amazed at the quality. From the machine itself to the user friendly printed directions on assembly. All parts and pieces come very well marked and organized. I am 5' 2" and weigh 120lbs (50+ years old) and I put this together by myself in 1 1/2 hours. I did not have any problems what so ever. The Elite is heavier than the edge but I have no problem moving it if I should need to. The wheels on the back make it easy to move for cleaning. That would be the only reason for me to move it. I feel if you don't leave it up that you would not use it like you should.
I love this machine because it gives me another alternative to walking. I know that you need to use and stretch different muscles to get good results. I have bad knees so other forms of exercise do not work for me including leg presses, squats, and other machines ect. I have tried them all and this is the only thing that does not bother my knees after 3 surgeries. Walking fast outdoors or on a treadmill along with the gazelle work great for me. I also have a total gym for strength training. It is also a great workout. The gazelle elite and the total gym are the only 2 exercise machines that I haven't used as a clothes rack. I actually want to get on them... The gazelle freestyle elite is a fun and effective piece of equipment. I have no problem with noise. My gazelle is quiet( I do get a little noise with pistons engaged but it seems to be just the air going in and out of the pistons).....I recommend highly.
Addendum:
I would like to ad a few words on the features of the machine itself.
Comfort and ease of use:
I think that the machine is very comfortable and easy to use. I had no problem getting the hang of it. Because of my physical knee problems I will use the gazelle elite mostly on the easiest setting(no resistance). Occasionally I will use on the first resistance setting. In my case this adds enough resistance. I haven't tried the last 2 settings because I know they will be too hard for me. Changing the piston settings is a little inconvenient but fairly simple to do. You just have to remove the clips that holds them in place and gently pull down on the pistons one at a time to move to the next level.
I am still trying to figure out what they mean by 17 different exercises. What I do is regular gliding, alternating my hand positions (taking my hands off the bars and holding on to the machine itself) I can more easily increase my stride. This is due to my limitations. Those with no physical restrictions should be able to do this holding on to the handle bars I would think. I also will lean forward and backward to change it up a little, turn around to glide backward, and sideways in both directions. So that is 8 at the most, however I have not looked at the books completely or viewed all videos, so there could be more. I usually watch television or listen to music when I use my machine. I am very happy with what I can do on this machine. It allows me to work some muscles that I am not able to do any other way. I bought it mainly for lower body. I do feel it in my waist, not much in my arms but I accomplish that with my total gym and free weights.
I do realize that this might not be enough challenge for everyone. I think it is important to try some of the lesser models as I did before purchasing to see if it is the right movement for you.
Features:
As I mentioned before this machine has 3 levels of resistance (4 if counting no resistance at all).
I only use the first 2, however when my husband starts using the machine (He has not tried yet but will)he might use more resistance than I do.
There is a water bottle and holder included(not important to me).
I am not impressed with the computer that comes with it. The heart rate monitor is not good at all but I guess the time and distance are all right. I think the calorie consumption is a joke on all machines. However this is not important to me because I have a good heart rate monitor that is very accurate that I use most times. I have no problem getting my heart rate up where it should be. I feel this is a direct result of someone's fitness level.
For me they could leave the computer off completely. This is why I gave the features a 4 rating and not a 5.
It also comes with 2 videos in either vcr or dvd format. Tony is a little more subtle on the video I viewed.
It has wheels on the rear of the machine for moving if need be. It could also be folded up for storage(I am not sure on how easy that would be. Maybe someone else will comment on that.), but I would not do this. If I don't leave it out I would not use.
Cost is a bit high but I would still buy. Hopefully it will come down!
Durability:
As I said I am very impressed with the quality of the machine itself. Very heavy gauge steel. I had to get it to the second story in my house so I dismantled the box and took all pieces up that way. It worked. I could have waited for my husband but I really wanted to get it together and use right away. It came very well packaged and all parts and pieces were very well marked and organized. The only thing that I had to have was a screwdriver which I did.
The weight limit is 350 lbs.
I rated the durability as a 4. I think this machine (steel part) will last forever but I think(I do not know for sure) that the only parts that could wear out would be the pistons and possibly the rear swing cables. Again this is not a problem for me. I really believe I will get years and years of use from this machine.!!!!
Last but not least there is another page of reviews on this product in epinions.com. If you will do a search for gazelle elite it will bring up two places to look. The first one pictured is not a picture of the gazelle elite however most of the reviews seem to be on the $414 infomercial machine. A couple of the buying suggestion websites seem to be of the lesser model (the freestyle) however I can not say for sure. I have not seen this model offered anywhere in the $200 range.
Reading both locations of reviews helped me make up my mind to purchase this machine. I hope this helps in your buying decision....
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
gazellehappy
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Reviews written: 1
Trusted by: 0 members
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