Rock n' Roll down the street! The stepper that won't stay put!
Written: Jul 07 '09
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Light, small, stores easily, assembled, simple to use
Cons: Travels, squeaks, not much of a challenge, no resistance levels, could be dangerous
The Bottom Line: Tony Little Rock 'n Roll Stepper is eay to use but moves all over. It's hard on the knees and could be dangerous if you lose your balance on it.
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| PattyTherre's Full Review: Tony Little Rock 'n Roll Stepper |
I am into all kinds of exercise gadgets to vary my at home workouts. I had (and hated) the Lateral Thigh Trainer which was a side to side stepper but Tony Little made the Tony Little Rock 'n Roll Stepper seem easy and like so much fun that I just had to buy it. It's not a BAD gadget per se but it tends to travel across the room and it could be dangerous to those with balance issues.
About the Stepper
This stepper is made from light metal and is 21" x 11" x 10". It came to me completely assembled which was a relief. I hate trying to put anything together. It is a very light stepper despite being made of metal. My husband, who was a welder for many years, said that it was made very poorly and out of "junk metal" but it looked OK to me.
The stepper is a very simple little gadget. It has two wide foot pads that have little bumps on them to keep your feet from slipping. The bottom is an upside down C shape (oval) so that it can rock from side to side. It has a small "computer" in the middle that supposedly counts repetitions, steps per minute, calories burned, and has a timer to keep track of how long you have used the stepper. I didn't find the computer to be very reliable although the timer was correct. Also in the box is a square rubber mat that is to be placed under the stepper if you use it on a non-carpeted surface. I highly recommend that you use it no matter where you put the stepper down because the whole thing actually travels across the room when in use!
Also included is a DVD with two different workouts showing three different levels of intensity. They're really pretty lame and Tony Little is as frantic and frenzied as I have seen him.
There is no brake or "kick stand" to put down so you can step on the stepper without it moving so getting on the thing can be a challenge at first. The stepper can accommodate up to 250 pounds.
How to Use the Stepper
This stepper is made to work the legs and glutes in a lateral motion. That is, side to side as compared to stepping like you would when going up a flight of stairs. It's more like ice skating.
To get on the stepper, you have to carefully place your foot on the foot pad and try to put your other foot on the other pad and balance real quick before you fall over. It really can be challenging to those with balance issues or anyone who isn't used to having to quickly shift their body weight and balance. I suggest that you hold onto a chair or other sturdy surface when stepping onto the Tony Little Rock 'n Roll Stepper and having something nearby to reach out and hold onto to if you feel off balance when starting to use it. Once on the stepper, you simply shift your weight side to side and the stepper rocks up and down.
Because there is no resistance adjuster, you only get one level of workout as far as how tough the stepper is to use but you can amp up the cardio by going faster or using light weights when stepping. If you have bad knees or tend to have pain in the knees after exercise, this stepper is not for you. The way your hips and legs shift take a toll on the knees. If you feel pain right after using the stepper or the next day in your knee or knees, slow down or even stop using the stepper. I ended up having knee surgery because i didn't heed the warning my knee was giving me when I was using another similar gadget years ago.
There's really nothing else to this stepper but getting on it and rocking back and forth. You can change things up with certain exercises on the DVD, using hand weights, or going faster but, otherwise, the unit is quite limited.
My Experience
I was looking forward to having a party in my house as Tony Little promised. I was going to rock and roll my way to aerobic fitness and dancer's legs without having to do anything else. That's what he told me on all the infomercials!
I used the stepper on my carpet so I didn't put down the little rubber mat. Well, within five minutes, I had traveled across the room and ended up smacking my shoulder against the front door. I then put down the mat and set the stepper on it and tried again. Again, the whole stepper would travel, usually to the right, across the room. It also made strange squeaking sounds that caused me to fear that the whole thing would give out and I'd break my ankle or something. Luckily, the unit didn't break nor did my ankle.
However, I couldn't get the Rock n' Roll Stepper to stop rocking across the floor! I tried it on different carpets, cement (with the mat) and even my kitchen floor (with the mat under it) and, no matter where I used it, the stepper would travel unless I went really slowly which did nothing for my heart rate as far as elevating it.
In fact, it took a LOT to get my heart rate up into the fat burning zone. I would have to go super fast on the stepper for a while before I started to actually feel as though I was burning fat. Then, of course, I would hit the wall. Literally.
For some, the Tony Little Rock 'n Roll Stepper may be a good little gadget to work the legs and glutes and to get a bit of cardio work in. For me, it was nearly useless. I just could not get the thing to stay put. It's not well made and it's quite limited in what can be done on it. If it had a few resistance levels, that would at least give an exerciser something to aspire to. It would also be helpful if your interest is building muscle or toning the legs as opposed to trying to get a cardio workout on the stepper. It's so easy to rock on the stepper that it takes a lot of work to get at the leg muscles as well to build up the heart rate. If you have no balance issues and no knee issues, this stepper may work for you. It didn't for me as you read but I know of some people who enjoy the stepper and don't have as much trouble with it traveling.
I'm underwhelmed with the Tony Little Rock 'n Roll Stepper and have gone back to my AirClimber. It's not lateral but it's well built and works great for me. It's all in what works for each person!
Buying Info
You can order the Tony Little Rock 'n Roll Stepper on Tony Little's website or on a number of sites that sell exercise equipment. The price ranges from around $60.00 to $80.00 plus shipping. It may be available at sporting goods outlets offline as well.
Conclusion
The Tony Little Rock 'n Roll Stepper is not for me. I find it to be too easy with no resistance and it travels all over the house. It squeaks and also has a strange odor that smells like burning rubber although that didn't dissuade me. It was just annoying. My knees really didn't give me any issues when I used the stepper but I didn't get a chance to stay on long enough to know if the lateral movement would have made them ache like the Lateral Thigh Trainer did. In all, I simply didn't find this stepper to be a good addition to my exercise equipment and I gave it away. I give it 2 stars. It could be dangerous so please be sure to hold onto something sturdy when you step on it for the first few times until you're confident that you won't fall. And hey, if it doesn't work for you like it didn't for me, you could always use it to travel around the neighborhood! Ha!
Recommended:
No
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