Has anybody tried them? They look really interesting, but there's no way I'm going to pay $69 for a 3 pound hula hoop. Then when I graduate to 5 pounds, I can buy another for $79?

Ok, they are ridiculously expensive, but this is probably a great trend that is getting ready to happen, and then the prices will come down. Has anybody used them?

http://www.heavyhoop.com/index.htm

So what's the deal? Can't we just take a $1 hoola hoop and tie some weights around it?

We have some at my gym and are trying to figure out how to incorporate them into classes They are HARD to use as hula hoops! You get an incredible ab workout. You can also use them just like any other weighted object to hold while you are doing any exercise.

As far as I can see, it's just the latest gym fad. You can get just as good an ab workout about 379 other ways for far less money. For the same amout of $$ you can really stock up on dumbbells and a stability ball.

Just my 2 cents
Mel (the tight-wad trainer)

I have NEVER been able to do the hula hoop thing, even when I was a kid, and I don't think my prowess has improved after 42 years on this planet...unless they put a lot of helium-filled balloons on them or something.

Mel's lucky - her gym obviously gets ALL the latest stuff. Just last year, our gym found it in their hearts to let the 'regular gym folk' use the stability balls, medicine balls and those styrofoam-looking cylinder things (I forget what they're called but they're about 3 ft long and my yoga studio uses them too). Before that, all that stuff was 'reserved for trainer use only'.

However, I 'spect that with a fancy-schmancy Equinox gym opening about 100 yds away from MY gym, management is feeling the need to make improvements...