opinions about gazelles

  • Was just wondering anyones opinion about gazelles. I am getting one ina week and was wondering if anyone wanted to share thier thought about them? Good? Not good? Just wondering. Thanks in advance.

    TTFN, Lori
  • I have one- I liked it. I used to do it everyday for about a year and then of course slacked off and now it's a clothes hanger in the bedroom. My "problem area" is my thighs- they often hold me back from buying a smaller size because my waist and hips are smaller. anyways got down 1 size pants by only doing the gazelle- 1 hour a day. no diet or anything.

    Easy and fun- I liked how you could make it tighter and everything- more challenging.

    I have no motivation when it comes to working out at home or after 5 pm. So I only do Curves and diet now.
  • As long as you get the pistons, and engage them fully, you can get a really good work-out. Without the pistons and/or without them engaged fully -- not-so-much.
  • The gazelle is ok, but the one I bought (at wal-mart for like $100) doesn't have any resistance bars, so it's really easy. Probably too easy. I only use it as a warm-up for other exercises now.
  • I bought a gazelle last April, used it for a few months, didn't lose any weight and only lost on my thighs. Just sold it last week for 40 bucks, to me it was a total waste of money.



    Started South Beach on Jan 02, 2004
    Valentines Mini Goal 165
  • We had a thread on the Gazelle in Buyer Beware last week (at least I THINK it was in Buyer Beware).

    Since I've never used the Gazelle (I'm a gym rat...plus our apt is itty bitty and what space we have is taken up by hubby's music studio ) I'm not going to *directly* comment on its useability...but I am going to say (and this goes for ANY piece of exercise equipment - especially one that takes up as much space and goes for such a high price tag as this one) that IMO everyone is going to have a different experience. Please, please, please...TRY BEFORE YOU BUY. Go to Sears, KMart, WalMart, whereever they have them on sale...wear some appropriate shoes and perhaps some yoga pants - something you can MOVE in...and spend as much time as you can trying it out, the different resistance levels, all the features.

    Then - if you still want it and feel it's a worthwhile investment - I suggest you go on Craigslist.org or a similar classifieds site and find one that someone is trying to get rid of. As Jenn's experience points out, you can find a LOT of "as seen on TV" exercise gadgets being sold by people who bought them with lots of enthusiasm, used them for a very short time (or maybe didn't even bother taking them out of the box!) and then they gradually became clothes hangers.

    My best suggestion for 'at home exercise equipment' would be to get a good outdoor bicycle (doesn't really matter which type - road, mountain, hybrid...whatever is most comfortable for you) and a WIND TRAINER (preferably a quiet one!) from a cyclery (bike shop)...during inclement weather you can attach the bike to the wind trainer and cycle indoors in front of the TV...and during the warm summer months just use the bike 'the regular way' and get some fresh air outdoors.
  • I love my Gazelle! I replaced my treadmill with it about a year ago, after I finally wore the treadmill out, and now I'll never go back! I picked it up at a yard sale for $20.00, and I gotta say, it's been the best 20 bucks I've ever spent. Mine doesn't have any of the extras like pistons or a heart rate monitor, but I do plan to upgrade to a better model when I save up enough money. Since I already know how much I love the Gazelle that I have, I know that the money I have to spend for a better model will be well worth it. I really recommend it, but I have to agree with the others, try it out first.

    Beverly
  • Quote: I also have not tried the elipticals yet so I have to see how comfortable I would be on one. When I was having a STRESS test on a treadmill this past year I had the uncomfortable feeling that I was going to fall forward the entire time and I was holding on for dear life, but I guess they had me going a bit faster than I normally would because of the stress test factor. I have to try one at a slower speed before I make up my mind completely.
    I think you'd like the ellipticals better than the treadmills. You shouldn't feel like you're going to 'fall forward' - the elliptical lets you go at your own pace - you just set the resistance and (on some models) incline % level. Also, ellipticals are very low impact compared to treadmills.

    However...I have only used the ones at my gym (Precor) not the cheap home ones that you see at Target or Sportsmart or whatever. Precor DOES make home equipment but it'll cost ya. I believe the main difference in their home equipment vs. commercial is the power supply; obviously most residences don't have the 'juice' running through them that a gym that has a a slew of treadmills, stairclimbers, ellipticals, lifecycles and etc would require...