Fitness Equipment Ratings – Are Consumer Reviews Reliable?
It makes good sense to check out fitness equipment ratings posted by consumers who have already experienced the product you are interested in purchasing. Consumers can offer valuable insights about effectiveness, service, and other product qualities you may not have even considered.
Fitness equipment ratings by users, however, may swing excessively high or low for reasons unrelated to the product itself. It helps to understand the human factors that could influence the reliability of consumer reviews and to know how to extract useful information before you buy.
The Underraters
Consumers may rate a fitness product excessively low due to:
-Anger: Users who are truly dissatisfied seek to warn others about the perils of purchasing a fitness product. Their objectivity, perhaps tainted by anger, may cause them to post excessively harsh reviews as they air frustrations.
-Limited Experience: A new, inexperienced user may underrate a quality fitness product because they have not have exercised long enough to realize a training effect.
-The Promise of Fast Fitness: Users may be disappointed if they do not see immediate results because they bought into “fast fitness” marketing claims. Even the best exercise products will not produce rapid body transformations that exceed normal human capabilities for adapting to exercise.
-Competitors: Raters who are claiming poor results or scams may not be consumers at all. They may have another motive for underrating-to promote their own products.
-The Bandwagon Effect: Fitness equipment owners are sometimes influenced by having read negative reviews and they simply jump on the bandwagon.
The Overraters
There could be a bandwagon effect on the positive side, too, of course. Other psychological and emotional factors that can cause consumers to overrate fitness products include:
-Expectation: If the ads convince consumers to buy, they expect results, especially if the product is expensive. Expectations can positively influence initial perceptions of product effectiveness.
-Motivation: When consumers buy a new product, they are usually motivated to work out. Higher levels of motivation create increased effort, which produces better results even if the fitness device contributes only marginally.
-The Learning Effect: Reviewers may enthusiastically report immediate results. However, products that require novel movements or greater skill can appear to produce short-term results. Early gains are more likely due to the effect of learning than to physiological changes from exercise.
-Visible Results: Real measurable changes can occur from exercising with effective products. The excitement of making progress toward achieving one’s goals can also prompt excessively positive fitness equipment ratings.
-Affiliation: Affiliates, who may or may not have purchased a product, stand to earn a commission by posting rave reviews at multiple sites.
How to Use Consumer Ratings
1. Visit a variety of websites to access consumer reviews about the very same product you are considering.
2. As best you can, try to determine whether the website or reviewers are in some way affiliated with the product.
3. Identify raters who have exercised regularly for at least six weeks-long enough to evaluate the physical training effect, as well as the durability of the product.
4. Sort out comments that appear to be fair and objective from those that are emotionally charged.
5. Read at least 30 reviews by users who meet the criteria described in 1-4.
6. Rely more on consistencies and trends, rather than extremes and exceptions, to form your overall impression of the product according to consumers.
Consumer fitness equipment ratings are just one resource for deciding whether or not a product suits your needs. Temper your overall impression of user ratings with published reports from independent consumer groups, such as Consumer Reports and the Federal Trade Commission, before you make your purchase.
Watch the video related to fitness equipment
Homemade fitness equipment for functional training (without breaking the bank). Part 1 of 2 due to time restrictions. (medicine balls, sandbags, bodybars)
Help answer the question about fitness equipment
Where can you buy fitness equipment in Bendigo?I only know of one place where you can get fitness equipment, but they dont have any variety.
Looking for a treadmill X) advice?
Did I ask about any weight loss programs?
No.
Unfortunately a good elliptical costs a pretty large amount of money. The ones you see in gyms cost around 4000 dollars. But for 500 dollars you could get some good weight equipment such as adjustable dumbells or Resistance bands and for cardio work alot of aerobic dvd's. Almost all gym machines that are high quality cost alot.
Awsome Video!
Check Out my Fitness Video Website FTSvideos
home
Free weights
Walking, aerobics t.v programs, house work, so many ways…. Good Luck!!!!
Hey it's good to hear you are commiting yourself to make healthy changes to your life. I have bought equipment from several online businesses, and it just comes down to your preferances. I personally would suggest http://www.fitnessweightequipment.net because they offer brand name products, they have a huge variety, and their prices are decent. You can also just do a search on google or yahoo and search through the various stores. Good luck and if you ever need advice or help just email me:)
gym!.. i get more distracted at home!
Mark up for most retail items at this price level is about 40-50%. For a distributor, try …
http://www.thomasnet.com
I have my own gym sized treadmill and cross trainer in my little flat, but prefer to workout at home. More relaxed and I can just jump into the shower straight after!
i love to work out with her and show her other work out style
fitness equipments makes me laugh… You don’t need those just do regular push ups, sit ups, etc… no need to purchase stuffs you don’t basically need.
Yes, you can approach to the fitness marketing site for more discount. Usually all fitness marketing sites will offers 24 hour fitness coupon for each purchase. If you are planning to buy more fitness equipment then you can directly approach the site for more offers. There is a chance to get better offer in some online fitness marketing sites.
Saralahalawawa,
The honest answer to this question is very dependent upon you. There is no one size fits all equipment option that best suits you needs.
For the intro user I would highly suggest cardio equipment. While a treadmill can help you lose weight quickly, the impact on your joints (knees, hips, and lower back) can be more substantial versus an elliptical trainer, or a recumbent bike.
For the most intense workout and to shed weight the most effective way I would recommend products that incorporate total body movement to allow parts of your body to be exercised and all your muscles to burn fat.
In my personal option you should take a look at indoor rowers, Jacobs Ladder, and possibly a VersaClimber.
P.S. If you want the most intense workout at home, you can invest in a StairMaster Stepmill – depending on your cardio level 15-30 minutes will be enough to make you cry
This is why girls never have any real development. They do crap excercises with crap like these equipment. These things are definetly not the best way to get fit. Well, maybe if your an old lady on rehab or something. Proof? Well, the chick in the video is pretty much proof of it. And I guarante you that the guy does NOT use any of this shit presentet in this video, but rather proper gym equipment.
Hi there
I have worked in fitness equipment retail for 8 years now and have a Bachelor of Physical Education. To answer your question, it does not matter which peice of equipment you use as long as you're comfortable on it as all cardio equipment is mean't for weight loss or cardiovascular excercise. Ellipticals are good because they are low to no impact while still providing weight bearing activity to keep the bones strong. Problem with ellipticals is that you need to be able to put forth $2500 or more to get one that feels good, is biomechanically correct and can handle your "bigger" stature as you'll want something well built. Recumbent bikes are much cheaper, will provide you with cardio/weight loss excercise and are easy to use. Ellipticals are more efficient than the bikes because you use your entire body meaning more calories expended over a shorter period of time. People also tend to get bored on the bikes. My suggestion is to go to a gym and try them both before you buy. Last thing you want is to buy something that you don't like. As for a website, I am unsure of that. Try some of the fitness equipment manufacturing sites such as many times they will have helpful hints on buying the equipment. http://www.precor.com, http://www.iamstrong.ca (this one is more towards health and lifestyle and has testiomonials).
Hope this helps!
i have a bench a olympic bar with 210 lbs of weight two old school bars with a couple hundred lbs of weight a pair of 35 lb dumbells and a doorframe pull up bar,and for cardio my bicycle.total cost about 180 bucks since half the stuff i bought at yard sales.
working out at the gym makes me feel sweaty awkard and embarrased…which is why this is informative to me…I think other women like me can relate to feeling fat and not pretty enough when I just need to burn calories and be healthy, hopeful y working at home is the solution!!
I own one and I purchased it from a local shop for fitness goods but I am not from Canada. I am not so pleased with this equipment though. I used it regularly the first month but somehow I felt it didn't work that good for me. I got Bowflex Ultimate 2 Home Gym and now I have what I think is best for me. Anyway, whatever you choose for yourself, don't forget to consider factors like your fitness goals, ease of use, cost, space and equipment’s durability so you will not end up like me – with fitness equipment I don't use.