Customer Reviews

Lateral Thigh Trainer

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

After using it 3 times, the thing began to squeek with each step. WD40 didn't help and it sure made a mess of things. Maximum resistance wasn't much at all. And here's the worst part: after using this for more than 20 minutes, I began to have patella tendon pain (just below the kneecap), as did my wife. She stopped using it altogether, but I kept using it for a few more sessions to see if the pain/soreness would eventually subside. It didn't.

I'm a physical therapist and I realized (albeit too late) the faulty mechanics it subjects your knees to - internally rotating your tibia (lower leg) in relation to the femur (thigh bone) with resistance, which puts a lot of shearing force on your knee - particularly the patella tendon. I have never had knee pain in my life, but I had plenty of knee pain after using the LTT only a few times. Although it cleared up after a couple hours each time, I could tell I was likely speeding up arthritic changes in my knees. No thanks. It sits in my garage now, collecting dust and taking up space.

So I highly recommend spending the money on some other piece of fitness equipment. Hope this helps.

Kevin in AZ, USA

I bought the extended warranty- thank goodness!!! because I went through one trainer every 30 days. These machines are garbage, the people who made these machines rely on people who purchase the machine and then don't use it. I used it every day for 30 minutes and returned 3 machines. The first problem: The chain broke. Second problem: The tension adjuster snapped. Third problem: the frame cracked. I am not a heavy person either, the unit is just not made to be actually used.

I bought my LTT about a year ago to help get rid of the baby fat I had gained from my pregnancy. I used it 6 days a week for 30 min. and also used 5 lb. free weights while using the machine. It started squeking about three months after I bought it but it wasn't too much of an annoyance with the TV on however, the chain has broken four times already and the hook that connects the chain has now broken. I only weigh 156 pounds, so I can't be the problem. My husband has fixed it everytime that it has broke but when the hook that connects the chain broke last night, my husband suggested buying something else because it is becoming time consuming and costly to fix this machine every other day (literally).<br />
I would say spend your money on something else, although heavy, the gears and chain construction is not good.

Hi all:

I bought this machine primarily for cardio exercise. It's a lot of fun to use; with some good tunes playing, I don't even realize that I'm exercising on it! For this reason, I'm find it extremely motivating to exercise for 30 minutes every morning right after waking up. I never had this attitude about exercise before I used the LTT! I accustomed to it pretty quickly, and I continue to work up a sweat after 10 vigorous minutes on the LTT. I've been using the LTT for six months, and the machine is still easy on my knee joints which ache when I jog on the sidewalks.

I've experienced a few setbacks with the LTT. After the 90-day warranty, the "bicycle chain" beneath the pedals broke. I had the chain links repaired at the local bicycle store, only to have chain break elsewhere -- several times over -- in the past months! Last month, I replaced the whole chain for $10, and it's been problem-free ever since. Like I said, I use the LTT as a motivator for daily cardio, and I find it easy to ramp up the intensity of my workouts. So the chain had probably just succumbed to wear-and-tear. Also, I've had to use WD40 on the joints beneath the machine as it squeaks from time-to-time. These setbacks are very minimal compared to my found joy in daily exercising, especially when it doesn't feel like it with the LTT. Perhaps you will share this experience as well.

I am in decent shape and workout aerobically and with weight training about 3 - 4 times a week. I just got the Lateral Thigh Trainer and tried it. It's a strenuous workout. Someone who is not in shape will have to start out very slow (about 5 mins for the first couple days/weeks) and then work up. I read some of the negative reviews of the LTT. I can see how someone could complain about back pain. It does put a lot of pressure on the lower back. However, it does a great job of working the lower back and thighs (eg, hips, love handles). I also read a review that the motion is not smooth. For a nonpowered machine, mine is very smooth. Maybe some of the mechanisms are not built with the same quality or maybe the review was from someone with different expectations. The only drawback for me is the lack of handles to hold while using. I like that feature because it makes the total size of the machine smaller. However, if someone is older or has a disability, I would not recommend this machine. Overall, I like the it and bought another for a friend.

My wife bought the LTT about a year ago, from the info-mercial, for waaay too much money (total was around $175). It's largely gone un-used, and even with that, it is malfunctioning and breaking. I repaired it once (got rid of metal shavings in the bearings....clearly they used the lowest quality possible), and two weeks later, it is already malfunctioning again. The movement is not smooth, the stance required is unnatural (pigeon-toed), and it only works my quads. I'm throwing this thing away, as I get a much better workout from climbing real stairs.

My boyfriend and I have only had the Lateral Thigh Trainer for about 2 weeks now. I bought it from a Target store so I didn't have to deal with shipping, good thing cause it's very heavy. So this is what we've found:<br />
1) I don't really feel like I've exercised, even after doing 500-1000 steps non-stop. There's a small feeling of exercising my calfs and thighs, but I get a better workout going up the 40 stairs to my office at work. And there's no way it's working my abs.<br />
<br />
2) Machine puts you in horrible positions. Your feet are asked to stand in a pigeon-toed position which is very unnatural and it makes my ankles hurt. Definitely not recommended for a person with joint problems. Plus when standing on it, I find myself swaybacked trying to keep my balance and gain a sense of standing in a stable position, so it puts a ton of pressure on my lower back.<br />
<br />
3) Machine's tension settings aren't challenging. The pedal positions are too awkward for you to safely go at a fast pace, and the "slow burn" setting is hardly challenging. Even if I put it all the way to that setting, only after doing 50-100 step the lever has creeped its way to the easy setting.<br />
<br />
On the plus side, the motion is simple enough that you can do it while watching TV or playing video games.<br />
<br />
I guess this maching is ok if you don't have a bad back or joint problems, but I think your money would be better invested in a standard stepper. <br />

I've owned a traditional stepper before and I think the major difference is the resistance, the traditional one being alot tougher and of course having something to hold on to but I think that this is actually quite better. Not only is it more &quot;compact&quot; (though don't believe the informercial when it says that it &quot;easily &quot; stows away - it's pretty heavy!) the fact that you don't have something to hold on to forces you to stay on, even it means just easing up on your stepping motion. When I used my old, traditional stepper, I absolutely could not finish one workout because even at the easiet setting, it was still super difficult and if I did manage to stay on, I spent most of the time bent over on the bars gasping for air. ;)

Overall, I think it's built solidly, it being heavy enough to stay put, but no where near gym-quality perfection. I think it moves smoothly and there aren't any funky parts that break off unexpectedly, etc.

I don't know if it's just me but the so-called &quot;harder&quot; resistance level was actually alot easier because it goes so slow to push down on the step and for the other one to rebound upward - I know it sounds confusing but you have to understand that the &quot;easy&quot; resistance level makes you step alot faster, making your thighs really feel it.

The only drawback about it is that the adjustable level doesn't seem to stay in place. I'll put it on a more difficult level but once I start stepping, it gradually works it way back to the easy level. Fortunately, the company provides you with a tool to adjust it but still, it's a hassle to do every time you start working out. But if you can handle that, I'd say that this is a smart buy. The informercial makes a big deal about how it's this light-as-a-feather thing but once you see it in person, you'll realize that this is something that you probably wouldn't want to be lugging around.

well, i bought my LTT about 3 weeks ago and i wasn't happy with it at first. it wasn't a very quiet machine and that was quite annoying. but i lubricated it with olive oil for a few days and it seems to be ok now. i bought it to help me lose the final 15 pounds of post pregnancy weight and after 3 weeks of using to LTT everyday for 15-20 minutes, I have lost 7 pounds!!! I have not been doing any other workouts, but i will today begin a workout to help trim my waistline and tone my abs. i have lost a slight amount of weight from the waistline, but the LTT isn't really meant for toning your abs. overall I'm happy with it and would recommend it to anyone.

Stay far away from anything to do with sportrus.com!! The service is horrible. I order 3 weeks ago. My credit card was charged the day after I ordered and I was told it would be shipped the next day - 2 weeks later still no item. I contacted sportrus.com only to find out the e-mail address I was given was invalid. I finally got a valid e-mail address from Amazon only to be told that I knew it would be delayed when I purchased and that it had continued to be on back order and the Trikk would be shipped as soon as they came in stock. So this review is about the lateral thigh trainer - I never ordered a Trikk. They also told me my credit card would not be changed until the item was ready to be shipped (right - I have been getting interest on it are they going to pay it back?) I have sent multiple e-mails asking why I was charged and still no order - they are not answering. I will never use this company again. :(