Glenn Reynolds wonders whether one ought to consider purchasing treadmills, stair climbers and such from Amazon, pointing out that it would be a total hassle to return something of the sort if it were necessary.
Well, first, I’d like to say that he ought to try the stuff personally before buying there, at whatever local places sell the stuff. But secondly, and more importantly–why would anyone want to pay retail for this stuff? The amount of unused exercise gear purchased in the US could probably fill St Peter’s Square twice over. You can pay pennies on the dollar buying from someone who’s finally realized that he’s never going to use the stuff. Some folks might even give it to you for free just to get it out of their place, so it won’t sit there and mock them.
I’ve just lost 25 pounds on an exercise bike machine I got for free from a friend of my folks who was getting rid of unused junk in her house. There are nicer machines out there, but who cares?
This is a ginormous spam magnet I think.
In California they have Play It Again Sports, which a lot isn’t really cheap. But they do recycle a lot of unused equipment, and being as how I love the earth I really like … hah, just kidding.
Oh and also congratulations dj. 25 pounds is a lot of cupcakes.
But less Swiss Cake Rolls. But a great accomplishment nonetheless.
That’s how I got my treadmill.
And now it sits there and mocks me… but at least I have the mostly valid excuse of not being able to walk terribly well, after a recent illness.
Real nice, Mister Tough Guy Treadmill, mighty big of you, mocking a cripple. Feel good about yourself?
If it’s one of those treadmills that folds up, it might make a good target stand.
Buy it used. Or unused as it were.
Anyway, most of that stuff will only hold up for a year or two under daily use in my experience. Anything built to last will cost too damn much money.
Every once in a while you can find gym-level stuff for sale on Craigslist when a gym goes bust or a hotel is re-doing their “fitness center”. I got my squat rack and weight set that way, for about a third of what it cost new. With the built in chin up bar, erotic asphyxiation has never been so easy! Or fun!
Yeah, if any of you are giving away one of these please let me know. I’m getting tired of being sneered at by non-old non-fat A-cups at the gym.
hmmm, I bought a new very basic stationary bike a couple years ago and haven’t lost any weight so maybe there’s something to the free thing. >: \ I suppose OTOH I could weigh, like, 200 lbs now instead, so, um, there’s that.
The trick is, maggie, you have to ride the damn thing. Just having it in your house doesn’t do a thing for the waistline.
oh, I do, like, um, three times a week at least, usually. what happens is rehearsals start and I have no free time so then I don’t ride for about a month every few months. so we’re back to the “riding” thing. and cupcakes.
Radish, here’s an op with remanufactured equipment for about half-price + shipping from L.A.. They look good on paper.
St. Peter’s? More like Tianemen.
And there would be crap poking out of the alleys around the place.
I hate exercise equipment. We bought one of the big fad pieces (Cardio Glide?)about ten years ago for my wife, who suffered a serious vein issue effecting both legs about ten minutes after the trial period ran out.
I believe it took me five years to get it to a thrift store. It served as a drying rack for shop towels in my garage.
I’m going to have to start swimming. Just as soon as I figure out how to detect indigenous whalers soon enough to get home unharpooned…
The most gloriously named infomercial exercise doohickey, the Ab Slicer, is one of the few things the internet doesn’t know about. (The “Ab Slider,” whatever its weak ass is, isn’t the same thing.) I look it up every time it pops back into my head, and there’s always only one (joking, unreliable) reference to it.
And now, next time, there might be two. I’m so excited.
There should be a “shit I can’t use the internet to prove was real” clearinghouse site where old people can gather to reassure each other that they’re not demented.
Most treadmills have permanent magnet DC motors so as an extra bonus you can generate your own electricity! It’s a win win for the planet!
I got a Nordic Trac if anybody wants it. I’m not coordinated enough to use it. If I had a plasma cutter I’d cut it up and make a sculpture out of it. Or a recumbent bike.
I like my nordic trak – and I went through a tread mill (burned it out ) in less than two years. I would really like an elliptical, but my husband would be more likely to use a treadmill.
As for weight loss, our host Jeff put the P90X bug into me, and I finally accepted the reality that all the cardio in the world wasn’t gonna get me where I wanted to be (I do a LOT Of cardio – or did before) – and that since I basically hated weights and what not, I needed guidance.
I’m on week 9 or something. Anyway, I’m just saying, if you wanna lose weight, don’t bother knocking yourself out with cardio all the time. Do some weights every other day.
And what you pay for one of these machines will in most places pay for a full year’s membership to a gym where you will have lots of different machines to choose from.
Probably the rehab after getting that leg sewed back on was inconvenient, though.
i use a mechanical treadmill at home and it seems adquate for basic exercise.:`