Infomercials

I don't know if I've ever mentioned this, but I love Infomercials. I seriously get sucked into them and can't quit watching. I don't know what it is. Perhaps a feeble mind, perhaps the fact that I don't have cable. I don't know. But I love infomercials.

I've never bought anything from an infomercial before. Laura has (ProActiv, TaeBo, Winsor Pilates, etc) but for the most part, I just like watching them. I seem to be immune to the sales pitch. Until last week, that is.

We've been looking for a new home gym dealie to replace the antique universal weight stack system that I've had for a while. Neither of us like it for a variety of reasons. I read a while back that the Total Gym is the real deal and was about ready to buy one, until I saw the infomercial for this. Something about it just rubbed me the right way.

If you buy it new, they want upwards of $1300 for it. I found a seller on Ebay (that I later found out to be Fitness Quest, the actual retail distributor for them in the first place) selling returned demo units that are "refurbished to new condition" for half price. After some inner turmoil, I finally pulled the trigger last week, it arrived today.

Quick initial thoughts: not difficult to assemble, though quite time consuming (took about 2.5 hours). Very solid construction, seems pretty bullet proof. I've never used a non-stack (Bowflex, Soloflex, etc) weight machine that feels so close to actual weight stacks, if it weren't for not hearing the metal plates clang together it would be easy to believe they're actual weight stacks. Since it's mostly cable exercises, the lack of range of motion that you sometimes get from traditional weight machines doesn't appear to be a problem. I was a little worried about 220lbs max resistance, but after messing around with it a bit 220lbs should be ample for an average guy.

I think we made a good purchase. If anyone cares, I'll offer a better writeup after using it for a few weeks.

Infomercials can have a strong influence on the weak-minded.

Let me know your thoughts after a couple of weeks.

I love infomercials too.     I could watch the Medicus and Qray Saturday morning shows forever.    Straight Shootin' Golf was my first, from then I was hooked.  I rarely buy anything, but I do love to watch them.

The Total Gym is the real deal.  I've been on one.  As soon as I scrape up the several hundred bucks, I'm buying one.

Not from them, or online.  They sell the 1500 model at *8==>*'s.  Best deal I've seen.

Probably would work great as a place to hang laundry to dry.  That is what we'd turn it into after a few weeks.


BTW, I totally want the rotisiere cooker thing that cooks stuff in like 5 minutes.  It looks badass.  That and the magic bullet.

You're a Regifter!!!!!

Dude.  Buy it at Cous Cous.  I did.  Same exact ladder, but only a hundo!   

Component ladders vs. OEM.

That looks cool.  I've love to get something like that, but we don't have a basement, so we've got space issues.  The Bio Force doesn't look to massive, though.