Gazelle Freestyle

this is an awesome machine, i had one previously and then i gave it to a friend, and never got it back. in any case all the better because now i have a new one and i am in love with it! it helps to align hips, knees, running stance and stride appropriately so after having trained on it for a short while, then running on ground at track becomes better because my body has become molded to running correctly rather than the incorrect way with knees going inward, and stride becoming choppy or wobbly. this machine makes it far easier for females to run making the feet and legs directly shoulder width apart allowing for a stride that will remain good for the abs, back, legs, knees, and feet. (this is of course all my opinion, but as i have used this machine for approx. 9 years, and noticing all the positive advances i have made using it, i figure this message is valid)

OK.

So no doubt the title caught your eye and you're curious - what does he mean? I mean some of the reviews here are a little inaccurate, and I intend to respond to some of these comments. But first, let me give my personal thoughts on this machine.

Background: I'm currently in the process of getting my body back into the shape it used to be in during high school. I have a Bowflex which does great for the strength training and muscle development, but regardless of what the commercials say, it's NOT designed to help you lose weight. So I decided to get the Gazelle Freestyle.

First thing I noticed was that the parts are very sturdy and thick, definitely not as cheap as it looks in the pictures. They're hollow piping, so the whole deal is not too heavy; less than 60lbs. There also aren't that many parts to assemble, however I was not happy with the assembly process, for many reasons.

First, the parts had some bolts pre-screwed into final holes which irritated me. It means you have to unscrew, find a place for them, then re-screw them after you connect the parts which, incidentally, might not happen until the end of the assembly. It's just an irritant; I'd rather just have the standard board of bolts and parts that comes with stuff today and let me attach it when it's good and ready.

Second, the instructions aren't clear and the pictures are ambiguous. It makes it extremely difficult to know how things should be laid out - additionally, one of the steps is wrong. It shows a picture of the foot rests upside down, yet if you install it that way, it'll be wrong.

Third is a symptom of the second one above. The steps in the instructions tell you to do things the wrong way - literally, assemble it in the wrong direction. If you do it in reverse, the assembly will go a LOT quicker and you'll realize that it's actually nowhere near as complex as it's made out to be. It's quite simple, really consisting of three steps instead of the 7-8 that the instructions have you believe.


Ok, so now that the bad news is out of the way, onto the actual experience (and my responses to the other reviews).

Squeaks: Haven't noticed any. It makes a tiny noise as moving parts will, but it's nothing deal breaking. If you get some regular grease and add a bit to the axle bar, you won't even notice it. It does come pre-greased, but again, if the squeaking bothers you so much....

Ineffective: Uh, what? I'm in decent shape and I was able to get a decent workout from this thing. I think some of these guys had super-high expectations based on Tony Little jumping around like an idiot. You're not going to start sweating on this thing after a minute of moving, even if you do it rapidly. There's a reason for this, and it's a good reason if you think about it: merely moving doesn't cause you to sweat. Impact causes you to sweat, even if you don't actually come in contact with something. That's why if you were shadow boxing, you'll get a good workout, because you're actually making impacts with the air, sharp hits that actually exert your muscles. This machine doesn't actually exert your muscles beyond normal range of motion, which is why it shouldn't be used for any strength or endurance training. It will, however, give you a good cardio workout after a time. NOT A MINUTE. That said, I did the workout all through a 10-minute WWE match, and by the end of it I was at the beginning stages of sweating, and started to feel a little fatigue; comparable to what you would feel after having walked rapidly for two miles, but with less muscle exertion. I took a break, and got the feeling in my legs where it seemed as though I was still going through the motion.

Heart Monitor: I think this device is not useful. I'm serious. I mean if I were actually running or walking then I would pay attention, but as I mentioned before, there is no true exertion on this device which would really push your heart muscle. To me, a heart monitor is more useful on a treadmill or even an elliptical, not on this. If you use it, great...I didn't even bother installing it, therefore I can't review it.

So, do I recommend it? Yes...as long as you don't have any misconceptions about performance. It's not going to cause you to start sweating after a minute of use. You really need to work it for at least 10 minutes, consistently, changing speed and angle. If you lean forward, you add some resistance and will feel it.

I really thought that this machine would get me sweating, but after weeks of trying............nothing. There is no resistance, your just gliding through the air for no reason what so ever. I got absolutely no feeling of accomplishment of finishing a great workout with this machine. After following Tony through the video he provided, I was really suprised when it was over. I was waiting for "the burn," thatburn that lets you know you have actually done something to better your body. This did not do it for me.

If I could have given this thing no stars I would have. Unstable,doesn't give a good workout, difficult to fold away or move without the feet bashing into you, takes up too much room when set up (the feet need room to do there thing) and just plain sucks. I am 26 and it did not feel safe enough to me to get in a groove (unstable). I certainly would recommend either an electric (pay more for an electric one that you can adjust incline and speed) treadmill or elliptical before this hunk of metal.

I love it!! I am overweight, and love this exercise. I do it 20 minutes twice a day.
A little hard to put together, but oh so worth it in the end.