Customer Reviews

Stamina Gyrotonic Transformer 1000

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I orderd this to help recover from carpal tunnel and a locked lower back.
I've used it 3-4 four times a week for about a month. I love it, my back is back to normal my shoulders are really improving too. The only down side is the instructionals are only in vhs format and very limited.
I would highly recommend this machine for people wanting to get back the mobility they've lost and begin to wake up the spine.

For this price what would you expect. I'm a small guy who doesn't lift much weight. A larger person who lifts more weight might want a bigger machine but for me this works as good as any other home gym that you can pay into the thousands for. It folds up real nice. Its been mentioned that its hard to put together. It is. But it is worth it. When I finished assembly I had the exact number of bolts needed.

I can do all the home gym exercises on it: bench press, squats, arm curls ect. I could see where a strong male would want something bigger. As I can lift maximum weight and I'm fairly small.

The machine weighs 125 pounds so its sturdy and well put together. I think women would love this machine and men up to a point. Price is great .

Purpose: I bought this for my parents who are getting older and are starting to move less. This was cheaper than getting them a membership to a gym I know they would never use. Living in AZ, it's hard to go out during the summer because it's so hot so this seemed like a perfect solution for them to get a workout at home.

Age: My parents are both in their mid-50's. They are active in the garden but that's about it.

Setup Time: 2.5hrs. My father and I set up this equipment together and between the both of us, we still had some difficulty with the poorly written instructions. We both have a pretty good background in "putting stuff together".

Pros: low impact, easy to start using, enough resistance for the "older generation", compact, easy to fold up and fold out, comfortable to use for the non-experienced, low price, comfy bench, on-wheels design is awesome

Cons: setup requires a PhD or at least a masters in engineering, the instructions fail to mention that most of the parts are already put together (when you look at the nuts and bolts, the quantities don't match up to the manual's list), you need a lot of work space, setup gives a great workout that you won't need the gym equipment

Overall: definitely worth the purchase. At less than $150 shipped, you cannot pass this by. I am considering giving up my gym membership and buying this instead.

Rating: 4/5


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Oh- my was this annoying to put together. The directions are impossible to follow, I ended up with 3 extra screws-I think they are extra? With that being said, it does give a good Workout-really stretches you out. However, I had to go to Goodwill and purchase a VCR-because the video is a vhs! Basically not worth the $-for the aggrevation!

I bought this product thinking that the picture of the strong man using it was representative of who the machine is for and what it does. I was wrong. After spending a long time putting it together (which was easier than other people may lead you to believe), I immediately found that the first two levels of resistance are equivalent to pulling a loose rope and the third level of resistance I could pull all day. I am 120 pounds and can barely bench press 40 pounds to give you an idea. I don't understand why there are so many pulleys, if there were less than the resistance of the springs might actually do something. If you are a man, this is not for you. Go to Google video and look up this product, you will laugh just as I did when I realized how I was duped into thinking a "full body workout" meant you might actually work a muscle. Women also beware: this is a cardio machine if even that. Also, the box it comes in is crazy big and won't fit in a car unless the front seat goes all the way down or else the back seats go down opening up the trunk more. It folds up against a wall, not down so it would fit under a bed like I thought. This machine could have been really cool if it only had some resistance. I had to return this product because it was not even worth the $100 I paid for it. Not for weight training, and if you want cardio get an elliptical trainer. Watch the videos for a good laugh.

For the person who though the workout was not intense enough do a search for "Stamina Gyrotonic Transformer 1000 home gym exercise equipment" (no quotes) on Google and the 1st or 2nd link should lead you to a place to buy an extra spring pack for about $100. However, you should note that despite the advertising, this machine will not and was not made too bulk you up like that. It is somewhat like pilates in that its made to compact muscle rather than bulk it. Gyro can be compared to pilates as as it is an example of how you can gain muscle without having to feel like your going to die when you workout. Both feel much more gentle than they are, but still just as effective if not more so than traditional weight lifting - remember Madonna uses (in part) this and look at her. Like other froms of exercise, you need to give a try for 1 - 2 months (about 30 workouts) to apperciate the changes. Even though the springs will cost you extra, the price overall is still a good deal. Someplaces sell the unit for $350 without shipping to begin with. Namaste

As far as an in home unit is concerned, as a PRACTICE unit for follow up Gyrotonic Cobra instruction this suits the purpose. If you have not had any Gyrotonic instruction I would not attempt to use this machine. A few practical adjustments for those who start out, adjusting spring strength, and perhaps replacing them with pilates springs.

This is a wonderful way to stay conditioned between classes, perfect my form and come to class without relapsing. If one follows the video, they will think this is an aerobic workout and be clueless to the correct positioning and movement of arms, legs torso and accompanying breathing which can only be taught by a skilled instructor.

Overall I am happy that I have a home unit priced so economically when you think that the Cobra or Tower weigh in at over $5,000 plus s/h!!!
$200 is a bargain....and one word of note....if you don't have the patience to assemble this machine you probably don't have the perseverance to learn Gyro!

I saw this machine demonstrated on the Rachael Ray Show.. Then I typed it in and found it here. I bought it about a year ago. It is very good for your spin, the movement you make with the handels are like swimming and somewhat like rowing. You do need to buy the videos with it to learn how to use it. It has helped strengthen my legs from a hip replacement. I love it, I also bought more coils and a bar, and the golf, boxing and baseball with it. and two more videos.

This is a terrific unit for home Gyrotonic workout. The studio equipment costs around $5000 and is, not surprisingly, much more substantial. But for home use on a budget, this machine gets the job done.

Do not buy this machine if you are hoping for something similar to a Bowflex for standard weight training. Gyrotonic is not like weight training. The Transformer is more like a Pilates reformer. Gyro is best learned from a certified trainer in a studio. Once you have mastered the moves, a home machine can be very useful, and Gyro can transform your body (particularly your core muscles). If you are just going off a video or intuition, you will most likely get very little out of the exercises. Very minor changes in posture and alignment can make an exercise go from pointlessly easy to very challenging.

Overall, though, good economical home equipment.

I have the 1500 version of this item, which is very similiar. I upgraded to the power coils and they work very nicely. I am a frequent exerciser and I feel that it does as good a job, if not better, than other machines. It does work all the muscle groups and provides a good warm up. Some assembly is required, so once you start don't stop until it is finished. I recommend getting the power coils and the wall charts.