Theragear Pilates Mini Ball, Purple, 9 Inch

I was told several years ago to do crunchs for the never ending lower back pain that I have been experiencing for years. Well doing crunches flat on the floor was very uncomfortable, which made it harder for me to want to do them. Then I found the pilates ball, and all the neck strain that goes with regular crunches does not exisit when doing crunches with the ball just below the curve of the lower back.

I am very satisfied with my purchase. This 9" ball is the right size for doing crunches comfortably. The ball is made out of a material that sticks to the floor and doesn''t roll around) as you workout. This product was priced well and delivered quickly.

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This ball is great. I had relatively strong abs but not really any definition. I need to do at least 100 situps before I can feel the burn and that takes a lot of time and is uncomfortable. With the ball I do less sit-ups and my abs are becoming more defined. I don''t use it all the time so I can''t attest to weight loss, but it does work well on your abs for definition.

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I thought it was hype. Well, I was wrong! Had and used product less than a week & I can see, plus, feel the results. I weighed 250#, plus, I have lower back problems and I could use the ball. I couldn''t do my normal sets of 25 crunchs with the ball, so I broke them down into sets of 10.

My wife likes the way my 6-pack is coming back, so she has taken to using the ball. In our book it''s keeper. Will probably buy another because this ball is getting so much use.

Update (5/10/09):

I still have the original ball. After awhile the mini ball will slowly lose air but I just pump it back up where it is comfortable for me. With the help of this mini ball, exercise & a relistic diet, I went from a 46" waist to a 38" waist. Seriously! My wife no longer uses the ball but when she did her waist started to shrink. Thank you.

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Exactly what I expected! I''ve been using the ball with a daily exercise routine and have started to see results already in just a few weeks of use. I''m very pleased with the product quality,the price, and how quickly I received my order.

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Reebok Women''s Premier Verona Supreme Running Shoe

They fit perfect and they are very nice. I feel good support on my heel. Be aware that they have a breathable net, so if it rains or you have to go through grass you may get your feet wet.

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Stott Pilates Core Stability Barre Training-Level 1 DVD

Once again, is there such a thing as a bad STOTT PILATES DVD? It is an excellent production. I took this workshop and the DVD comes in very handy to refresh my memory.

i love STOTT Pilates products! they are always awesome! Thank you! I am very happy with this and am putting it to good use!

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Icebreaker Women''s Everyday Long Sleeve Zip Top

Because some of Amazon''s listing descriptions for Icebreaker items have very few details about the products, making it difficult for the customer to make an informed purchasing decision if he/she is unfamiliar with this brand of clothing, below I''ll type some information and personal impressions about Icebreaker clothing.

(Some of Amazon''s Icebreaker listings do provide a lot of useful detail from the manufacturer -such as the product description on the following listing: "Icebreaker Women''s Tech Bodyfit 260 Top".)

Note that my review is quite long and usually only the first half of it is shown on this page. If this happens on your screen and you wish to read the second half, all you have to do is press the "read more" button at the bottom of the review and Amazon will show you the rest of it. :-)

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OVERALL IMPRESSION

Icebreaker''s marino wool items are generally made well, last a long time, are easy to care for, feel fantastic on the skin, are "natural", don''t get smelly easily like polarfleece does, let the skin breathe, etc.

Many of my Icebreaker items have been worn and washed several hundred times and are still holding up much better than would be expected.

I am a BIG fan of this company''s products. For my overall experience of them from around 2000-2010, I would give them a solid "5 stars"!

However, I regret to say that my opinion of the items I have bought from Icebreaker in 2012 is not as high. In the last 2 weeks (late 2012), I have bought 7 items from them and I decided to return all of them because they aren''t as well-cut as the very "same" items that I bought in the 2000s (which I still have and wear, so I can make like-for-like comparisons easily).

Based solely on my 2012 experience of Icebreaker products, I would give them 3 stars, "it''s ok". For me, this is not good enough to command prices of $50 $100+ for quite simple items, even if the basic wool material itself is outstanding and long-lasting.

For my star-rating on this review, I will average the "5" I give Icebreaker historically and the "3" that I would give Icebreaker in 2012, and give them a "4".

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MY EXPERIENCE WITH ICEBREAKER

I bought my first Icebreaker clothing about 13 years ago when I needed some long underwear for skiing.

Up until about 6 years ago, I had been buying Icebreaker items very sparingly, due to the eye-watering prices at London UK sporting goods shops . Then, I discovered that Sierratradingpost sells various Icebreaker styles (usually discontinued items from years past) on their site for a discount. Fortunately, for a couple of years after I discovered this, they had a large selection of women''s Icebreaker stuff, so I bought quite a few things for great prices. (These days, Sierra''s Icebreaker selection for women appears to be smaller, and the prices comparatively higher, than before. I expect that there are more discounters they have to compete with now, to get that kind of stock.)

In addition to bricks-and-mortar sports shops and Sierratradingpost, I have also bought Icebreaker items from several sporting goods online retailers, Amazon, and the Icebreaker website.

I still have almost every Icebreaker item I''ve bought. Even the discounted items have been somewhat pricey, but the quality and longevity were worth the initial investment.

In the last two weeks, I have tried to replace a few of my key Icebreaker items but found the fit and cut of the current versions of the same items to be sub-par. I will keep using my old items for another year, and hope that next year''s fit and cut will be better-suited to my body shape.

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CAVEAT

What I have written below is based on my current knowledge about their products, but it is possible that I have misunderstood some aspects of the brand.

If you wish to better understand their product offerings, I would absolutely recommend that you have a look at the Icebreaker official site to view their entire range and gain more clarity about what items are for what purposes, what the wool weights are about, what the quality levels of the different clothing collections are, etc.

(Unfortunately, their website, while snazzy, does not fully explain these things, leaving it up to the customer to piece some of the puzzle together.)

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ICEBREAKER WOOL WEIGHTS:

Icebreaker''s marino wool items generally come in four weights of fabric: 150, 200, 260, or 320. This is "grams per square meter".

150 is quite thin.

It provides light warmth.

The material is generally see-through. (I wouldn''t wear items of this weight out and about in public without anything over them, but some reviewers have said that they do.)

It''s good for a first base layer, for strenuous exercise, or for sleeping in.

Their items of this weight, especially in the ranges intended for athletic use, tend to be really form-fitting in one''s typical size.

All Icebreaker material seems VERY resilient and long-lasting to me, but because the 150 wool weight is pretty thin, it is the likeliest to be torn, develop holes, get "runs" (like pantyhose). I don''t think this happens too much with it, but I''ve seen some reviewers mention it (most often talking about how they accidentally poked holes in it with long fingernails), and three of my 150-weight leggings have developed runs in them after several years of heavy use.

200 is slightly thicker, but still on the thin side.

It''s pretty warm.

The lighter colors are definitely see-through, such as grey and cream. My older black and brown items made out of 200 weight wool don''t seem to be see-through, but some of the newer dark-colored ones might be.

It''s good for a base layer or mid-weight layer, for exercise, and sleeping in.

Especially in the ranges intended for athletic situations, their items of this weight tend to be form-fitting in one''s typical size.

260 is on the thicker side.

It''s definitely warm, a cozy weight.

None of my 260 items are see-through. I can wear tops made out of this weight on their own (without anything over them) and not worry that my underwear or too many lumps&bumps will show through.

It''s good for a mid-layer or top-layer, and sleeping in (if you get cold at night, like I do).

Items of this weight tend to fit looser than items of the same size in the 150/200 weights do. This may have something to do with how much naturally-stretchier the thicker fabric is, but it also seems that they cut these 260-weight items bigger because this weight is often worn as a top-layer or middle-layer, instead of as a base-layer.

I like this weight the best. I think that the company says that this is their most popular weight across the board.

320 is thickest, of course.

It is quite warm, very toasty and sturdy.

This weight is generally a top-layer, so items made out of this material are relatively loosely-cut.

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ICEBREAKER LINES / RANGES / "COLLECTIONS" OF CLOTHING:

Icebreaker makes different ranges some intended for wearing as normal underwear (like panties and sports bras and tank tops), some intended for wearing as thermal/long underwear, some intended for wearing as everyday clothing, and some intended for wearing as athletic wear.

Even though at first glance most of their items appear VERY similar to each other, there are different feelings to the fabrics (even in fabrics of the same wool weight), different quality levels, different cuts, and different design details amongst these different lines, so it is good to check their website about the particular Icebreaker item you are thinking of buying to make sure that it is intended for the activity you want it for.

Two of the popular ranges at the lower end of the Icebreaker price scale are:

Bodyfit

The Bodyfit range seems to be for athletic situations, but also casual-wear and sleeping-in. The knit of this range''s wool is usually flatter and less stretchy than the knit of the ranges that are for underwear or purely casual wear. Items in this range are usually cut to fit relatively snugly.

Everyday

This range is made of a looser, thicker, stretchier knit than the Bodyfit, and is more for general sleeping-in and casual long-underwear needs, not so much for athletic situations. (However, I''m sure that they would be okay in many athletic situations, and I have worn them skiing and hiking.) Everyday items tend to be made of a stretchier knit and cut to fit more loosely than the Bodyfit items. I wear a size below my ordinary size in this range.

Other ranges

Their other ranges appear to include: Black Sheep Collection, RealFleece Collection, Pure Plus Collection, Journeys Travel Collection, Premium Underwear Collection, GT Technical Sports Collection, GT Bike Collection, Technical Base Layers Collection, and Technical Mid Layers Collection. Please see the Icebreaker site for more information on their ranges.

Frankly, I feel that they''ve made this aspect of their brand over-complicated and too confusing for the average customer, and I have not been able to locate any overview of the various collections on their site or on their product packaging materials.

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ICEBREAKER COLORS:

Icebreaker tends to make most items in black, as their basic universal color.

Many items are offered in about 2 to 8 other colors, as well. There is often some version of blue, red, grey, and green sometimes a pink, sometimes a brown or purple, etc. Often the colors are skewed towards the cool end of the spectrum (which I notice because my coloring is on the warm end of the spectrum and cool tones look awful on me).

The different weights of wool and/or different ranges (e.g., Bodyfit, Everyday, Journeys Travel Collection, etc.) will tend to have their own mini-set of color options. (For example, the current grey color in the 200 Bodyfit is a medium-grey and is called "blizzard" and the current grey color in the 260 Bodyfit is a dark-grey and called "metro", and they don''t offer those particular colors in other weights of wool or other ranges, as far as I know.)

They change their colors every year or so (I think), and some colors tend to sell out mid-way through a season and are not restocked, so if you see an item in a color that you love, or there is a matching set (of long underwear or something) and you want both pieces in the same color, you probably should get it at the time, because it''s not guaranteed that it will be available in the future.

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EXTRA DESIGN FLOURISHES:

A couple of their ranges, mainly the more athletic lines, feature "pops" of contrasting color in a certain part of the garment, such as a stripe running down the sleeves or down the sides, or a triangle of bright material at the ankle. Most internet retailers'' photographs of the garments do show these features because the areas of differing colors are pretty obvious, but it pays to read the item descriptions (and check out the manufacturer''s site for confirmation) if this kind of thing is not what you are looking for.

In a couple of their clothing ranges, mainly the underwear, 150-weight, and casual-wear lines, some of the tops and bottoms have printed patterns (like floral motifs or abstract swirls sometimes in contrasting colors) on the sleeves or in the hip-region. This *can* escape your notice when the only images of the item you have available to you are the tiny product photographs that most internet retailers provide, so do double-check the customer reviews of the item, and maybe the Icebreaker site''s own full description of the item, if you want to know for sure if the item comes with a printed pattern on a section of it.

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ICEBREAKER SIZING:

Sizing and fit are so variable from person to person and from brand to brand, but in case it may help, I''ll talk about my experiences with Icebreaker clothing.

For reference, generally I am usually a women''s size 4 or 6 in US sizing, a women''s size 8 or 10 in UK sizing, and a small when it comes to small/medium/large sizing. This goes for both tops and bottoms.

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Sizing of Tops

Almost all of my Icebreaker tops from the last 13 years -crew tops, long-underwear tops, turtlenecks, and zip-up jackets -are women''s size small.

The only tops I have in size extra-small are from the Skin range (which they phased out in 2006, but the sizing and type of material used for the Skin range appear to be very similar to those of the current range called Everyday).

Generally, I know that an Icebreaker small top is probably going to fit me.

The main issue that I''ve had with their tops is sleeve length (too long). This is not uncommon for me, because I do have arms that are on the petite side: most suit jackets I buy have to be shortened a little in the sleeves, and I often have to turn up sweaters one turn at the cuff. And one feature of some Icebreaker tops is a thumb loop which necessitates that the sleeves are meant to be about three inches longer than the wrist I understand this, and just roll those tops up a turn or two. However, I''ve read quite a few reviewers'' comments that mention that Icebreaker sleeves tend to be long, and I do think that their sleeves are longer than normal. ["Normal" being subjective, of course! ...the only women I''ve met from New Zealand actually did happen to be tall, lithe, and willowy, so maybe that''s normal there. :-) ] Last week, I bought a 2012-made Icebreaker "Oasis" top in a size small, and while it was too tight in the chest area (which is normally NOT a problem for me with Icebreaker), the sleeves were a crazy four or five inches past my wrist, even though they didn''t have thumb holes and therefore were meant to end at the wrist. I had to return it.

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Sizing of Leggings:

I have run into inconsistency in Icebreaker legging sizes. I have some in extra-small, some in small, and some in medium. (And in one 2012 collection, the extra-smalls are a little too big for me but there isn''t a smaller size to go to.)

I have not found Icebreaker''s official sizing chart (available on their site) to be terribly accurate for leggings.

For the leggings, it seems to me that one must experiment in each Icebreaker clothing range and wool weight to discover the best size and fit for oneself.

I will spell out below the ones that I have tried. Because the sizing of the "same" leggings sometimes has varied across the years, I will mention what year I got them.

1. BODYFIT range

1a. Bodyfit 150 leggings

2006 or 2007 Bodyfit 150 leggings

Size medium. The label says "slim fit" (possibly back then they had different "fits" within the Bodyfit range, but they don''t seem to now).

Fit me snugly, but well.

Waistband comes up to the belly button, feels secure.

2008 Bodyfit 150 leggings

Size small.

Are a bit too small for me this winter they fit me when I''m about 5-to-8 pounds less than I am at the moment.

Waistband hits 1 inch below the belly button, feels okay.

2012 Bodyfit 150 leggings

I decided not to buy new 150-weight leggings in 2012 because after a few years of heavy use, my old Bodyfit 150 leggings developed some un-mendable "runs"/"ladders". I still wear them and love them, but they are slowly self-destructing. It is comparatively easy to snag them on a rough surface or to poke a fingernail through them when pulling them on or off.

Actually, I''ve just looked on the Icebreaker site (December 2012) and they don''t list ANY Bodyfit 150 leggings. The only 150 weight leggings they list are the "Sprite" leggings from the Premium Underwear Collection. Also, I think that the "Nature" leggings (which are a discontinued style) were of 150 weight, and I have seen these still on sale on a few websites.

1b. Bodyfit 200 leggings

Current suggested retail price of around eighty (discounted price of around sixty).

2008 Bodyfit 200 leggings

Size medium.

Fit me, and there is extra room in them I probably could go up 5 to 8 pounds and they would still fit. When I purchased those mediums, I tried on the small size and found it to be way too small, especially along the tight and narrow waistband that these leggings were made with at the time. (I think it was a reaction to the consumer response to that waistband that they made the newer waistbands really wide and soft.)

Waistband comes up to the belly button, feels secure.

2012 Bodyfit 200 leggings

At first, based on the Icebreaker official size chart, I ordered a medium in these. They were too big, so I exchanged them for a size small.

The small fit relatively well snug, but acceptably so.

Waistband came up to 2 or even 3 inches below the belly button. This is a more "modern" position for a waistband, of course, compared to coming up to the true waist, but I prefer "athletic" base layers to cover my entire body neck to ankle, to enable the base layer shirts to be securely tucked inside the base layer pants, and to feel really secure when I''m moving around -but this waistband was so low on me, and so wide and stretchy that it felt like it was about to slide down to my hips at any moment because the elastic wasn''t very tight.

Not only from the practical side was this low waistband a problem, but MAN, the whole cut of the upper part of these leggings seemed to be designed to make my tummy area look as flabby and unattractive as possible! I tried my old leggings on when I took these off -just to check that it wasn''t bad lighting or post-Thanksgiving excess weight that was to blame for how these made me look, but my older Icebreaker Bodyfit 200 leggings looked a lot better on me than these leggings did.

I had to return them. I have decided to wait until next year''s production, to see if they alter the cut of the waist area.

1c. Bodyfit 260 leggings

Current suggested retail price of around ninety (discounted price around seventy-five).

2012 Bodyfit 260 leggings

Size small.

Fit relatively well snug, but acceptably so.

Waistband came up to 2 inches below the belly button. They had the same issues as the 2012 Bodyfit 200 leggings did waistband too low, too loose, too wide, and quite unattractive in the belly region!

I also had to return these. I hope next year''s will be cut higher on the waist.

2. EVERYDAY range

2a. Skin 200 leggings (discontinued 2006) the Skin range was probably similar to Everyday.

2005 Skin 200 leggings

Size extra-small, yet are the largest I own I could gain 15 pounds and they would still feel okay. But they fit me nicely when I''m at any weight 10 pounds less or more than my present size they are simply the coziest and softest that I own.

Waistband comes to about 1 inch higher than belly button, feels secure.

2b. Everyday 200 leggings

Current suggested retail price of around sixty (discounted price of around forty-five).

2012 Everyday 200 leggings

Two weeks ago, I bought them in size small which were too big, so I exchanged them for an extra-small. Even the extra-smalls had extra material in places on the legs, which is unusual because my legs are not toothpicks (this kind of legging is not supposed to be baggy, so the cut of these must have been off).

Worse, the upper part of the extra-small leggings was cut strangely the waistband was in a deep V, so that the middle was 3 inches below my belly-button (which is way too low for me), but the sides rose up 3 inches higher than that (it wasn''t a curve, it was a visible V). Yet the waistband elastic wasn''t tight enough, so the tall sides wanted to sag down and bunch up around my hips -strange. (And that was not the way the smalls I tried on the week before had fit my waist area! In fact, I think the smalls of last week fit me better generally than the extra-smalls of this week.) I don''t have the energy to go through the rigamarole of ordering a different pair of extra-smalls, but maybe I just got a bad apple.

I had to return the extra-smalls.

I was very disappointed because they were the 7th Icebreaker product I''ve tried in the last 2 weeks. This Icebreaker shopping quest has taken up a fair bit of my time lately, but I have nothing new to show for it. I''ve given up trying to get anything now and will wait a year and see how their 2013 production fits me.

3. OTHER ranges

Their other legging types are more expensive than the Everyday and Bodyfit, and seem to be geared towards high-tech athletic use, or constructed to be worn on their own as pants/trousers. Some have Lycra in them. Check out Icebreaker''s site for more info.

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OTHER TIPS

The other main retailers of this kind of product sometimes offer free shipping on their Amazon listings of an item but don''t offer free shipping on the exact same item when sold through their own site (even when the price of the item itself is the same on both sites), so it can save you money if you pay attention to that.

The best selection BY FAR is available from the manufacturer''s site, but the prices there are generally higher. However, they have discounts from time to time, such as their "Black Friday" sale when they offer 30% all items that are black in color.

Amazon sometimes calls the Icebreaker Bodyfit range "BF" and sometimes "Bodyfit", so if you are searching here for Icebreaker''s Bodyfit range, do a separate search under each of the two search terms to get the most accurate results.

In terms of merino wool socks, I prefer Smartwool socks over Icebreaker''s. Sierratradingpost is one retailer which often carries a large selection of them at good prices. Those socks last a really long time. I wear them almost year-round because the lightweight ones breathe really well even when it''s warm out.

The Smartwool women''s small size is the only sock I can find that truly fits my feet (which aren''t even that small, all things considered!) without bunching up inside my shoes.

If you have a smaller foot (size 7 or less) and are female, note that the Smartwool unisex socks in the small size are bigger than the smalls made just for women, even though that company''s size guide says that they both are meant to fit the same range of women''s shoe sizes.

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Body Champ BRM3600 Cardio Dual Trainer

I''m 5''11" This has a very short stride length that to me felt like shuffling my feet back and forth and I did not get a good workout. (I''ve since bought a $400 Gold''s Gym one that gets my HR to 140+ like at the gym, but this one I got about 90). Also, while main pieces are made of steel, the joints are poor, it wobbled and one piece broke on assembly when assembling, the seat pole did not fit into base, and upon trying to apply mild pressure to get it in, the interior plastic meant to hold the seat pole broke loose, went into the base and now prevents the seat from sliding any lower than the highest position. During very first use, the screw holding on the left arm (which I''m a guy and tightened well) fell off. I screwed it in again, this time about as hard as I could turn it, it was loose already during next use. I''m about 200 lbs and without question this thing also wobbles and has a wobbly feel. So to me the short stride length, weak joints and overall poor workout make this a no go. I was going to throw it out but I gave it to a friend who is 5''5" and she is ok with the stride length. Not that she says it is great, but she''s using it and it''s ok. So I''ve amended my review to 2 stars and I guess if you can''t afford $400 and are 5''5" or less you can get some kind of workout but I still would not recommend it. The $400 Gold''s Gym one gives a great workout and is so much more sturdy and quiet with no wobble it is far superior. I''d just highly recommend spending the extra money for that.

This machine is just a waste of precious money!!! Workout quality is very poor on this machine , strides are ridiculously short, and on mine, the arm kept coming loose with each pull that i had to stop frequently to tighten the knob/screw. I just had to return it before it caused me any more problems. I was really disappointed, Save your money!!

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It is a very good value for the money. Pretty easy to put together. My only issue is that the seat doesn''t seem to lock into one position well. It rotates a bit. Even the very first setting is pretty difficult. You''ll get quite a work out.

Two worthwhile notes 1) Sometimes nuts and bolts are attached to a piece. If you can''t find a piece, check there. 2) If it is wobbly on carpet, get a thick piece of plywood to lay it on. A workout mat will cover the plywood.

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This machine is so great. It''s a bike and elliptical all-in-one. You get a gym quality workout at home. It is a reasonable size that doesn''t take up too much room and it is extremely sturdy. I was pleasantly surprised and I am very happy with this purchase. It is so much fun that I look forward to my workout. I like the versatility of going from the bike to the elliptical. It keeps the workout interesting. Would recommend this to anyone.

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I am enjoying this exercise equipment my energy level and endurance have improved and I have lost some weight. The equipment requires some assembling which does not take long. The finish looks rich buy not the best fit for a 5"3 person but durable.

Save 30% off

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adidas Women''s Climacool II 2-Pack No Show Sock

Not much to say; these socks provide plenty of cushion and support. They look and feel great. I love wearing them just by themselves... no shoes. I wear a size 10.5 and these socks still fit my feet. The socks are a little thick (i.e. cushion) so they don''t breathe as well as some of my other thinner socks. But they are comfy and supportive so I love wearing them.

I run regularly and I''m always looking for socks that are: inexpensive, don''t fall down into my shoes, and don''t cause blisters/chafing. These socks have not failed me in any of these respects. The reason they do not get 5 stars is because I also bought Adidas No Show Women''s Climalite II socks and like those a little better. These socks are thinner and slightly cooler, but I like that the Climalite II has more padding for longer/harder runs.

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I got six pairs of this sock from TJs and they are my favorite tennis socks now. The elastic opening provides just the right traction to stay on. The three Adidas classic stipes at the bottom of the foot add cushion and some compression. Overall, the construct of the sock make you feel that sock is pressed comfortably onto your foot in all areas especially from the bottom. When first putting on your shoes, there might be a little big of the edge showing than expected (depending on the shoes you wear I wear the Nike Air Max Breathe Free II); but as you move in sports, the sock will adjust nice to become no-show but definitely will NOT slip down like some self-proclaimed non-slip tennis socks. I really love them and will keep wearing them for all my games.

Read Best Reviews of adidas Women''s Climacool II 2-Pack No Show Sock Here

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Nike 269602 Core Compression Sleevelees Top - Black

Great design, used for football condition during summer camp. Wore this under mesh tank top good ventilation and cool down faster.

Nike pro is one of the products that I prefer from Nike.

Very good product, nice to wear and comfortable. I recommend to purchase this shirt.

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Best Fitness BFMG20 Sportsmans Gym

This home gym is small and compact. Designed really for general fitness and strength training, not for huge body-building. It needs assembly but that only took me about 4hrs by myself. The only thing I would say is don''t follow the pulley installation instructions. Place the cable and pulley on the machine in order of feeding the cable, then tighten the pulley bolts to the machine.

This machine does just what you need as a home-fitness gym. It is compact and both my wife and I find it great to maintain tone without wanting huge bulk. It has 150lb in stacked weight which is fine for your general fitness needs. If you want larger weights then I would buy some free-weights but if you want a decent, well put together home gym that works arms, legs & chest then you can''t go wrong with this machine.

The Best Fitness "BFMG20 Sportmans Gym" is a very good, highly versatile piece of home exercise equipment. My wife bought me this for our home gym (aka the basement) and picked it specifically because of the relatively low height of the unit (79"), which just barely fits under the low ceiling. This unit does pretty much everything we want it to do exercise wise, but even though the assembly instructions have apparently been updated since some of the earlier reviews there are still quite a few errors and omissions (I will list the mistakes below so you don''t have guess like we did). Here are my observations:

Pros -

+ Compact; relatively small size allows the unit to be placed almost anywhere

+ Versatile; allows for Bench Press, Pectoral Fly, Lat Pulldown, Tricep Pressdown, Leg Extension, seated rowing, curls, and more

Cons -

Bent Frame; shipped from the factory with a bent frame (not damaged in shipping since the box was in good shape), fortunately it was in a place where a few minutes with a steel bar and hammer could straighten it out

REALLY Bad Instructions; these are not the worst I have ever seen, but they are up there. Here are the steps that were incorrect in mine:

* STEP 1, Section F Foot Caps were pre-installed (spent a good bit of time looking for them)

* STEP 2, Section A Should be TWO 33 (M10x70 Carriage Bolts)

* STEP 2, Section B Convex End Caps were pre-installed

* STEP 2, Section C Make sure the THREADED end of the Chrome Guide Rods are installed up (we had to partially disassemble the unit to correct this a few steps later)

* STEP 2, Section F Should be TWO 33 (M10x70 Carriage Bolts)

* STEP 3, Section B Convex End Caps were pre-installed

* STEP 3, Section D Decal was pre-installed

* STEP 3, Section F Left and Right PVC Sleeves were pre-installed

Omissions:

* Lat Bar; connects to the top cable end using the included Snap Link (9)

* Lower\Rowing Bar; connects to the bottom cable using the included chain (10) and two Snap Links (9)

Misc -

* Assembly took my son and I roughly 3.5 hours

* Having two sets of ratchet wrenches really helped speed the assembly along

* When in doubt, look at the "exploded diagram" on the page opposite the assembly instructions

* Make sure to only finger tighten the nuts until the end of STEP 4

* Lube all the moving parts with WD40 right away

* My order was through "The Fitness Factory" and it shipped via UPS Freight, which delivered it palletized (3 boxes) on a full size tractor trailer (almost a problem on our tiny street)

The assembly hassles aside, this more than meets my needs and expectations in a home gym.

Recommended!

CFH

Buy Best Fitness BFMG20 Sportsmans Gym Now

This is a great machine for those of us who don''t want to become too sedentary in the winter months. I am an outside guy but in the winter I spend a lot of time inside. Usually by Spring I am pretty much "stove-up". Hopefully, this will keep me from getting too far out of shape. I have owned it about 2 months and use it about every other night. I have come up with about 10 exercises that take me about an hour and a half to do. I take it easy. I believe if I pushed myself too much it would cause me to exercise reluctantly and eventually lose interest. I am not trying to be a Joe Weider here ya know. If I do get muscles popping out all over that would be okay too. I feel great after a work-out. And that''s what it''s all about. It should be an enjoyable experience. I usually listen to music while working out. A little Dire Straits, or Who, or anything that will get you "pumped-up".

The reason for the 4 star is the instructions. As was mentioned in another post, you do not want to follow the instructions on the pulleys. You''ll just wind up taking them all off again to get the cable ran. Also, there are end caps that are supposed to go over the nuts. These caps only fit about 1/4th of the nuts on mine because the bolts come through too far. There was a little bottle that came with mine that said "poison" on it. I don''t have a clue as to what was in the bottle because the cap came off during shipping and it was empty when I received it. One last thing, they should tell you in the beginning that you need silicone spray for the guides. The guides on mine were dirty or gritty or something and the weights would get stuck. This could have been dangerous because they would all of a sudden fall after being stuck. After using the spray they work great.

Everything is fine now and I consider this a good purchase. Bring out the charge card and get you one for Christmas. They are cheaper now than when I bought mine. So now you got a deal. Merry Christmas.

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Product is OK after some adjustments. The rating is not for product which would get a three star rating but for combo product and service from seller.

Unit is made more for a smaller person range of movement for exercises is limited but still ok.

However, the unit was shipped with wrong weights and a lat bar that does not fit with the hardware sent. I received proper weights after threatening through Amazon but I have not received the lat bar....over two months. Time to threaten again

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I have been using this gym for about three days now and so far i am very pleased. This is a great gym for someone just starting out. the cables are quiet , the only sound i really hear is from the plates moving up and down. Took about four hours to put together with only two tools and the directions are great. Just lay out all the hardware (bolts, washers ect.) before you start , it makes things easier. Make sure your phone number is correct when ordering since a delivery service will contact you for a date of delivery.

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Jillian Michaels Collection by K-SWISS Women''s Perfect Legging

These really are the perfect legging. When I first pulled them on, my first thought was that they felt like a second skin. They''re the perfect length and fit for me, and they look great also! Additionally, they stay up really well when I work out, which I love. I hate being distracted by having to constantly pull them up, as I have with other leggings. Best workout pants I own for sure! I must add that I am 5''1" so if you''re tall they might not fit as well.

These really are the perfect leggings for short people. It was so nice to find a line geared towards us so I no longer have to hem or do without. They also fit exactly as they should.

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Perfect!!! Fit is fantastic butt looks peachy peachy. I will do more exercise just so I can wear these leggings. Mine don''t fall from hips,

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I found that the pants slid down an embarrassing amount when running. I will continue to use them as they are great for layering in this cold weather, bit I won''t wear alone. The bubblegum punk color I order is a GREAT color!

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The fit is good and the pants look as reflected in the photos, however, the crotch of the pants falls very easily like panty hose, They do not grip the butt as they should. Maybe I selected a size too big, but typically I get that size in other yoga pants.

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Pearl Izumi Men''s Select Long Tight

Great tights. Look nice, feel great, and built with good quality. I wear them to run in when it is in the 30s and 40s. Cycling in the mid 40s to 50s. I am glad I ordered one size up XL. I generally wear a large, but decided to go with XL after reading other reviews. I am also glad I ordered the long version perfect length for me. I weigh 170 with 36 inch waist and 34 inch inseam. PI sets the bar on quality and comfort!

I got these for cycling, but I wasn''t that impressed. There''s no padding or anything, they''re just basic tights. I didn''t think they offered any advantage over the North Face tights I already had, so I returned them.

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If you are 6 ft 2 inches and slender, these will work! Most are too big in the waist but not these. If you wear 30 X 34 pants, get these!

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Altus Athletic 5-Foot Latex Stretch Bands

They are not what they are suppose to be. They are only 4 feet long. They still show 5 feet long. Had to return them. They are not long enough to do anything with.

These stretch bands are resilent and perform well. Not flimsy at all and the colors are subdued. Much better than other bands I have used.

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These stretch bands work great.... but expect to smell like latex for the rest of your workout!!

Also the bands do tend to fold over and form a narrow band, which can be painful depending on where it contacts

your body.

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I love these bands to help strectch or to elevate my workout. They were a great price and exactly what I was searching for!

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For making a big sling shot to lob enormous gobs of pumpkin pulp or similar materials, you couldn''t ask for more.

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Champion Mens Jersey Short

OK, gotta set the record straight on a couple of things. I really like Champion''s "Jersey" shorts. They''re thin, light weight cotton, and comfortable to work out in when I don''t want synthetic.

two things:

1) if you want thicker material, and pockets, get the "rugby" shorts.

1) only the solid colors (black/navy) are 100% cotton. The grey and granite heather colors are mixed cotton polyester.

if you''re not sure, check it out on champion''s website first.

Personally, I prefer these lighter weight "jersey" shorts. I own both, and the thicker "rugby" shorts are good for walking and relaxing, but thick enough to be too hot for serious workouts.

I received an email from txshirts stated that I should direct all inquiries to csr@txshirts.com. I did this on two occasions and received no reply. Customer service finally contacted me only to ask why I had left negative feedback on Amazon. They stated they never received any email from me.

Their gym shorts were not as described. The description said "covered elastic waistband". Instead, I received an "uncovered" elastic waistband that digs into my skin and leaves indentations on my skin.

Their response? I should pay for return shipping in order to get my money back.

But who should pay for return shipping when an item is falsely advertised???

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These shorts were awful! They have no pockets and the waistband hurts because there is no cloth around the elastic. And they looked so bad I wouldn''t even wear them to the gym. I wouldn''t recommend them to anyone (they are a waste of your 7 bucks)

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I purchased 1 Large Granite Heather short.

Size seems a bit smaller than large

Exposed elastic waistband

No Pockets

Thin material

Odd fitting

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Just received these shorts & first thing I noticed was the lightweight fabric & then upon looking at the tag discovered they are 60% cotton & 40% polyester.....very deceiving for folks who can only wear natural fibers....Made in Honduras. My husband says they are ok for the price but I was expecting 100% cotton.

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Proform Trailrunner 4.0 Treadmill

This well built midrange treadmill may be called the Trailrunner 4.0, and it may run Android 2.2, but the Internet portion feels like version 0.95 beta. In other words, it''s a good midrange treadmill with a not-ready-for-prime-time tablet attached to it. I got the Proform as a Gold Box buy for what a comparable treadmill would cost without the Android add-on. The Sole F80 Sole F80 Treadmill (2011 Model) is a probably a better choice if it''s less money. Certainly don''t pay more for the iFit Live features at this point.

PEDIGREE Proform is owned by ICON Health, a larger corporation, like GM, which brands a nearly identical treadmill under different brand names. This one is also sold under the NordicTrack brand name, and maybe others. Proform is probably the Chevy, and NordicTrack is probably the Buick :) I''ve used their equipment in gyms without issue. The idea of this model is to have an Internet connected treadmill with custom workouts and google map charted jogging paths.

SHIPPING Fair arrived 2 weeks after I ordered, and 7 days after Amazon estimated it would. The delivery men will drop it off past the threshold of your front door. I hope you have a strong back, a strong dolly, and perhaps some other moving tools...as with all well built treadmills, this one''s a 400 lb beast. Inside, the treadmill and its parts arrived well packed, well protected, and in good condition. You''ll need a big garbage can, and probably a box knife, to break down the packaging to fit in the trash.

ASSEMBLY Fair Getting the box off was a huge pain, though I think it would be for any treadmill by mail. The lower part of the treadmill is fully assembled; most of the work involves getting the control deck attached. Make sure you have two strong-backed people, a screwdriver, and a medium sized adjustable wrench. You will have to lift the 400lb treadmill at least three times during assembly. All the parts fit together pretty well, with pretty small tolerances. Kudos to Proform for good quality control on the mechanical parts. WARNING: If you live alone, are prone to hernias, or have ANY sort of muscle or joint problems, PAY FOR ASSEMBLY. You can''t order assembly via Amazon, but the treadmill packaging does contain an offer to call in some people. Even if you''re strong, there''s a decidedly unsafe part of the process that involves installing the support strut while the gigantic treadmill is held free-hand over your head. Proform, if you''re reading this, please consider pre-installing this strut at the factory. This last step is an accident waiting to happen, though I''m not sure if any other folding treadmill would be different.

BASIC OPERATION very good When you plug in the machine, it takes about 30 seconds to boot the Android operating system.

It plays a very well produced infomercial on how wonderful your new treadmill is. Plugging in the magnetic safety key shuts it up. (don''t lose it, or you won''t be able to use the treadmill)

BUILD QUALITY very good

Build quality is well above average, and certainly competitive for its price range. The unit does not flex or vibrate very easily. It feels solid under your feet, but the thud-thud sound of your shoes isn''t muted like it is on the $3,000 Precor machines. But for a folding treadmill in this price class, it''s darned good.

The motor is reasonably quiet, and the 3.8hp rating is higher than most at this price. Treadmill belt has good traction. The belt has slightly rough edges, which don''t affect performance, but also don''t compare well against more expensive machines. Rollers are larger than average, which should increase longevity. There''s adjustable cushioning. My gimpy knees did fine on a light 30 minute run.

Large one touch buttons for speed and incline allow quick adjustments. Inexplicably, they do not work unless you are already running. On other treadmill models, such as Horizon, AFG, and even lower end proform models, these same buttons work at any time; you can hit the 5mph button from a stop and immediately start running.

The big 10" touchscreen is great for basic operation: Tap go, and a very nice display lets you run in manual mode. The touchscreen controls work great in the basic running modes, where the buttons are large and easy to read. The information displays are top notch, though I wish they had a way to cycle through screens automatically. The display is big, bright and easy to read. If you are 5''10 like me, viewing angles are great. If you are 5''2" like my wife, the screen washes out. Proform obviously opted for a cheaper TN panel, rather than the wider angle IPS panel on the iPAD and other nicer tablets.

Unlike most Android phones and tablets, the screen does not appear to cycle off to save power. The off switch is inconveniently located at the bottom front of the treadmill. (for safety reasons, I don''t think ANY treadmill has a convenient power switch)

Sound quality of the built in speakers is fair, fitting somewhere between a good laptop and a bad boombox. You''re not going to rock the house with these, but more than acceptable while jogging. There is an easy to use 3.5mm "aux-in" and an included cable to plug in any mp3 player. The stickers say "iPod compatible", but this aux-in is not as well integrated as other treadmills which include the proprietary Apple dock connector and integrated music controls. (I bet that incurs a hefty Apple licensing fee, which is why it isn''t here) Besides, Apple changes their docking plugs every year, anyway.

ADVANCED OPERATION Poor Frustrating, especially since the problems are easy to fix.

Speaking of Apple, I hate their corporate culture, and I refuse to buy their products. However, they didn''t sell a zillion iPads and iPhones making bad product. A two year old can figure out an iPad, and millions of non-tech people happily consume iPhones. You don''t need manuals to run most Apple products to most of their potential. I should also say that I''m an Android fanatic, and that had a part in my choosing this treadmill. I have the original Motorola Droid, and I have it customized and hacked to it''s utmost. So I''m no stranger to electronics.

There''s no way on earth a non-technical user would ever figure this machine out. Basic menus are too basic, and configuration is difficult to find. There''s no initial setup wizard. The product manual could be written better; it seems to expect you to jump to page 27 for this, then remember to come back to page 4 for that. Again, from a product design perspective, well designed products should not require the manual for at least 80% of their functionality...and most other treadmills succeed in this regard. Setting up wireless was relatively simple...once I found it...and once I managed to get my fricking password typed in.

This exposes you to the single greatest failure of the product: the lousy resistive touchscreen. Typing is aggravatingly inaccurate, even with the treadmill at 0mph. The letters are gigantic compared to a phone, but nowhere near as precise. You either press one letter lightly and get the next letter over, or you can push hard and get the correct letter twice. The delete button works about one fourth of the time. Unlike what the paid shill reviewers have said, pushing hard or soft doesn''t improve the accuracy. It took me an eternity to enter a 14 character wireless password. Registering for the iLive account (which requires entering a 16 digit alphanumeric code) was even more frustrating. Do yourself a favor and register the iFit account on the website using your desktop or laptop. Pick a short username and password, because you still have to put it into the treadmill at least once.

Proform''s manual says to calibrate the touchscreen. I did manage to find the two separate calibrator programs. The first is relatively easy to find in the configuration menu. The second is on the Android desktop in the app drawer to the right. No way a non-techie person would find these. The improvement was marginal; it''s still far worse than any phone or tablet I''ve used so far. Leagues away from the standard that non-technical people have come to expect from the capacitive touchscreens in iPhones, iPads, and pretty much all recent smartphones. You can make it tolerable by using a pencil eraser instead of your finger. For your safety, I would only use the eraser head of an unsharpened pencil, and even then, only when the treadmill is parked.

BROWSER Poor

Even after I updated the firmware (which has warnings about known bugs) and calibrated the touchscreen (both of which are tricky to find), the browsing experience is simply does not live up to Proform''s video hype.

As previously mentioned, the resistive touchscreen is pitifully poor. Entering web addresses is frustrating and inaccurate. Multi-touch pinch to zoom is not supported, meaning that this could be a lower cost resistive touchscreen. Half the time when you are trying to scroll, it clicks links instead. The stock Android browser isn''t as fast as your modern 1GHz smartphone or tablet. There is no apparent way to create your own custom bookmarks, though the Android browser does auto-remember your history. Android fanatics, you''ll probably recognize the browser as the stock 2.2 browser. Because Icon cheaped out and put in a resistive touchscren, pinch to zoom doesn''t work, nor does scrolling about a fourth of the time. Just frustrating, especially since spending $20-50 more for a quality capacitive touchscreen overlay is all it would take to make this a much better product. Shame on you, Icon Health, especially since this product debuted with a $3,000 MSRP, and sells for $1700 street. If this wasn''t attached to the treadmill, this would be equivalent to the chintzy $150 tablet at KMart.

You can make everything better with a touchscreen stylus, (or the aforementioned pencil eraser) but I have some safety concerns about using anything but your fingers on a moving treadmill.

You can access the browser from almost any screen, but realistically, it''s only marginally safe to use it at the minimum speed of 1 mph. Don''t even try to use this finicky beast while walking fast, let alone jogging or running. Youtube and Dailymotion are pre-bookmarked, but it''s not really practical to watch videos while exercising. Video quality is the Android default 320p, which is to say grainy and barely watchable. If you''re always on wifi, shouldn''t you make it default to at least 480p quality?

Facebook is bookmarked. Even if you manage to get your password in correctly, you still will have a hard time simply scrolling up and down the touch version of the facebook site. Nothing to do with Facebook, everything to do with the lousy touchscreen. Good luck posting unless the treadmill is parked. If you are so hard up on internet devices, that you need this treadmill for Facebook, buy a cheaper treadmill and a Nook Color for $250. You''ll be much happier.

Yahoo music is included, but as soon as you switch back to the treadmill display, the music cuts off.

Android''s stock launcher screen is hidden from normal view, though you can find it under "Anroid Desktop" in the configuration menus. There is no way to install Android apps, as Android Market is missing. I haven''t tried the developer''s sidedoor (ADB) to install apps, but frankly, playing Angry Birds while jogging probably isn''t a good idea, anyway.

CUSTOM WORKOUTS WITH GOOGLE MAPS Fair

This is the feature that really got my attention in the promo videos. Set up your run on google maps, and it will provide incline and street view photographs as you go.

When you try to download an iFit workout, it just sits at 0% forever, or says "no workouts available." Turns out you have to set them up on the web browser (do yourself a solid and set it up on your laptop), then download those workouts from the treadmill. (suggestion to Proform: when you create your custom workouts, and it should "push" to the treadmill automatically) Creating a custom map route isn''t difficult on the desktop, once you figure it out. Don''t even try to set up anything on the treadmill browser; the drunken touchscreen is too frustrating.

This is NOT an intuitive process. You have to log in to the iFit Live website (preferably on your laptop) and create your route there. There are some interesting pre-set routes there. Drawing a custom route isn''t too hard, just click on point A, point B (and more if necessary) to make your route. Once you''ve added them to your schedule (kind of like a Netflix queue), you have to go back to the treadmill, click on iFit Live, and click to download them to the treadmill. Of note, you MUST run the first route on your schedule no matter what; you cannot choose from your routes on the treadmill. The workaround is to arrange the order on the website before you go on the treadmill to download them. Proform, this could be improved without making the product more expensive.

Just as promised, you can look at a google map or better, yet, streetview photographs as you''re running. The photographs refresh about every 5-10 seconds. Image quality could be better, and you can''t pan and scan around. (not that you probably should while running). It''s better than staring at red LED dots, but it''s not nearly as crystal clear as Streetview appears on your PC or Mac.

CUSTOM WORKOUT PLANS Fair

You can download these from the iFit website. Just like the Google maps routes, you queue them up on the website, then walk over to the treadmill and download them. Also like the map routes, you can only run the first one in the queue. As an added bonus, the voice of Jillian Michaels narrates along every minute or so. (volume buttons are easy to reach if you aren''t a Biggest Loser fan). She seems to be more peppy than angry, but may that''s because I weigh less than the treadmill''s 350lb maximum capacity. What''s also unclear is how much iFitLive will cost after the one year membership is over, and what features disappear if you decide not to renew it.

HEART RATE MONITOR Fair

Don''t bother; it''s so erratic, I didn''t bother checking it against my Polar strap. Moist hands do help with these contact sensors. It does not have a wireless sensor for heart rate monitors. (that''s in the $2,000 treadmill club) There aren''t any heart rate control programs on the treadmill, anyway. To be fair, most contact sensors don''t work well for me, either...heart rate straps are still the most accurate way. (outside of EKGs)

OVERALL RATING Good, but just barely

Decent treadmill overall if it goes on sale. Otherwise, consider comparable models for less money without the Android browser, and buy yourself a nook color or iPad with the difference. Or if you''re feeling lucky, use it with a touchscreen stylus.

Build quality: 4 stars

Basic Workouts: 4 stars

iFit Live: 2 stars

Google Maps: 2 stars

Browser: 1 star

Overall: 3 stars, but just barely. EDIT: Now 2 stars, read below.

SUGGESTIONS FOR ICON HEALTH/ PROFORM:

Spend some extra dimes on a capacitive touchscreen, and give it a panel with wider viewing angles for short people.

Make the workouts selectable from the machine.

Make the product easier to use.

Clearly label the advanced menu icons in the lower right.

Put the support strut in at the factory.

Make the product less expensive, as is the treadmill is probably a decent value for $1300, and a winner at $1100. It''s a fair deal at $1700, and a "Biggest Loser" at the original $3000 MSRP.

ADDENDUM 02-19-2011:

TECH SUPPORT:

I appear to be one of the lucky ones, as my machine pretty much worked out of the box, with a little tweaking. So I didn''t have to call tech support. I really doubt that Pro-Form is set up to support the Android part of the product, and I doubt iFit is set up to support a treadmill. I don''t have any confidence in tech support from ANYONE I''ve purchased a consumer product from, and given they couldn''t design it right, I doubt that they can support it right, either.

GETTING STARTED:

A couple of tips if you decide to get this, which will make the treadmill work a bit better.

When you first get it, tap the little button in the lower right, and then tap the wireless network setup.

After you get wifi working (hopefully), click the little button in the lower right twice to get into the hardware config menu.

Run the firmware update. It took me a couple of tries for it to connect successfully, could be a slow server.

Reboot Android. (or just turn the whole machine off and on)

Run the screen calibrator, using a rubber eraser head of a pencil

Go to the Android Desktop, tap the menu on the very right edge of the screen. When the programs pop out, pick the Screen Calibrator and run that one, too.

Calibrate the incline.

Does this sound user friendly? NO!

TREADMILL STALLING BUG:

Very often, you hit Start to run a program, and the treadmill motor doesn''t start. Actually, it almost NEVER starts, not with the programs, and not on the manual mode. You have to hit the big red STOP button, then tap RESUME on the screen, and THEN starts to go. The quick set incline and speed buttons will not work unless the motor is running. The first time it happened, I shrugged it off. But now that it happens every time, I''m starting to get pissed. Not quite enough to take it apart and return it, but getting really close.

YAHOO MUSIC:

It''s an entertaining diversion, but as mentioned before, once you enter the browser (I do it with my feet parked on the sides), you cannot return to the the treadmill software without cutting off the music. Thankfully, the speed and incline buttons still work in the web browser mode. Also, the buttons to change stations don''t work reliably. It seems like they tried to implement flash on the music site, and Android can''t really do flash with a bottom-of-the-barrel-CPU. Heck, you can''t scroll up and down without the music cutting and stalling. I think you''re better off starting Pandora on your smartphone and plugging it into the aux-in jack (which does work as it should), or an mp3 player.

POWER SWITCH:

After using it every time for a week, it''s starting to get annoying. The switch feels really cheap and flimsy, and I''m afraid that it won''t last. I''m probably going to go pick up a surge protector with its own on off floor switch.

REVISED OVERALL RATING: 2 Stars....I''m sorry, but I''m starting to feel I overpaid for this. The treadmill is good, but I really wish I had listened to everyone else and bought a Sole or Horizon machine instead. My wife still likes it; she just hits the basic presets and starts running. As soon as you use it beyond the most basic treadmill functionality, you''ll start to get frustrated. As I said, it''s a four star treadmill bolted to a one star control panel.

I would be reluctant to recommend this product to anyone without serious computer know how...and nerdy people don''t always have the strong backs required to assemble it. If you can get it for around $1,000, and only use the basic presets, you''ll be happy. You can do that easily...by buying a different treadmill.

Yes, I see all the one-star reviews. Therefore, I plan to update this post frequently. While the ProForm may be running flawlessly today, it may flatline tomorrow. So, know that I am here to be objective and to help anyone thinking about buying this product (see my other reviews and know that I am a very frank reviewer). As of today, here is my experience (down to the delivery!):

-Delivery: A nightmare. The treadmill was shipped via Home Delivery. They were late for their first delivery (scheduled for "sometime between 7:00AM and 11:00 AM") and thus missed us (we both teach at a university and cannot skip a class because of a late delivery). Now, I informed them that they we teach and could not wait after 11:00AM, I guess they thought we were not serious. When I called to reschedule, the delivery company was rude and redirected me to a Home Direct representative. When the Home Direct rep called the delivery people, they hung up on her twice. Good god. They rescheduled for days later (this time between 1:00PM and 5:00PM ... they showed up around 5:45PM and we had to cancel our dinner reservations). The delivery men were incensed that the treadmill was for a second floor work-out room ... and though they got it upstairs (with the assistance of my significant other), they plopped it in the hallway: all 350 pounds of it. Needless to say, moving it was an epic chore. Maybe your experience will be better, but I would rank it as equal to dealing with the "cable company." And, though you would think that ordering this expensive machine would earn one some "white glove treatment," the fact of the matter is they they regarded us with disdain (as though we were causing them undue aggravation). Exhausting.

-Assembly: While it has very few pieces to assemble, the sheer strength required is daunting. This thing is a bear!!!! Though it took us no more than ninety-minutes to put it together, they were a hard-fought ninety. My earnest opinion is that ProForm made this as easy as possible for the customer (by having as few pieces as humanly possible). It is a massive, massive machine and it requires some physical effort to assemble it. (Read: this is a two-person job -AT LEAST!!) The good news? There was not one single "glitch" or error ... the treadmill was brought online and fully functional on the first try. Simple as that. Nice, right? (Follow all directions to the letter and you should experience similarly positive results.)

-Operations: The belt is wide. This is very much welcome in comparison to some of the narrower belts we have experienced -it''s a bit more luxurious. The ProForm experience is very smooth and it absorbs shock well. My better-half was at a full-run for a sustained period had no issues with shock. Likewise, we were both surprised at how quiet the motor is! We have all used "loud" treadmills in the gym, but this one is much more quiet than ever expected. (When I am in the hallway with the door closed, I cannot even hear it! Ditto for when I am downstairs beneath it.) It has up to a 15% incline (6% is as high as I have ventured thus far ... and that alone was smooth and challenging). It runs up to twelve m.p.h. (I have only taken it to seven ... that was also very smooth and challenging). Now, I am having a little difficulty getting a consistent reading with the heart monitor. Currently, it is jumping all over! I have a feeling with a little more practice and reading, I will understand what I''m doing wrong. (I will update this once I figure out if it is my fault or an innate inconsistency with the machine. Right now, I assume it is my fault). Additionally, the touch-screen seems a little hinky right now (nothing like the sensitivity or the accuracy of the iPod Touch.) It seems I have to touch a little below each character ... I''m going to see if I can adjust the alignment a bit. (I will report back with my results). Even still, it does work!

-iPod feature: It would have been optimal to have a little dock on the front (maybe where the book-rest is), but that it exists at all is pretty neat. Basically, you plug the iPod into the side of the console and set it in the cup-holder area (There are two cup-holders, so it''s not taking up the only designated space for one''s water-bottle. No worries there!). It plays through the console-speakers (which are "nice-enough").

-iFit feature: The treadmill comes with a free, one-year subscription to iFit. In the stack of paperwork, you will find an iFit flier -don''t toss it! It has your membership code on it. It am still tinkering with all the exciting aspects of this option, but here''s what I''ve accomplished so far. It was raining today, so I plotted my usual route on iFit.com. Then, I went over to the treadmill. It was there! And, with Google Earth, I could literally see what I usually see out for my daily run ... the tree-lined roads, the dry-cleaner, the bagel-shoppe, everything! One can see it from an aerial-view or from a first-person perspective. Very cool. Additionally, one can choose what regimen works best for one''s goals. There is 1.) weight loss, 2.) get fit, 3.) power walking. and 4.) performance. The work-outs are progressive and customized to the needs you select. Oh, did I mention that you can choose Jillian Michaels as your trainer?! (Love her!) I have completed two of the work-outs so far ... they are exactly challenging enough! Both had great, effective cool-downs! (There will be more to come as I experiment with this feature!)

Thus far, the Pro-Form is an amazing machine -and, now I cannot picture my life without it. One can make these work-outs intense and the machine can handle it! The web-features and the iFit program are an absolute boon. Thus far, my experience has been wholly positive (especially as I move farther from the delivery fiasco). I will report back here often I discover new features, make adjustments, or experience problems. Good luck in your search for the perfect treadmill (though, this may very well be exactly that!!)

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I''ve been using this treadmill for about six weeks now and these are the things you should know when deciding whether to buy this treadmill.

DELIVERY:

It took approximately three weeks to arrive after I ordered it from Amazon.

When it was delivered it was literally strapped to a huge pallet. It was so big they couldn''t get it in the house. It''s possible the delivery guys just didn''t WANT to get it in the house, but I was in agreement because I didn''t really want the dirty pallet inside anyways. So I had them put it in the middle of my garage and we unpacked it and assembled it there. This wasn''t a big deal for me because I live in a house, but if I were in an apartment it would have presented a bigger problem.

ASSEMBLY:

My husband didn''t have any trouble assembling it. He did it by himself and didn''t require any help from me except to support a couple pieces while he screwed them in.

It required a trip to the dump when he was done because there was so much excess packaging with the wood pallet etc. This meant another week or two of my garage being inaccessible because he didn''t go right away. That was a pain, but not the treadmill''s fault.

Even though this thing is gigantic and very heavy, we were able to get it in the house using the wheels on the bottom. It was big and awkward but not unmanageable. We did have to flip through the manual to figure out how we were supposed to move it, but the instructions were in there.

STARTUP:

Just getting it turned on was a major undertaking. The little red key, which is vital to the treadmill''s function, was tucked in the plastic bag with the manual and I didn''t find it right away. Silly me, thinking I could turn it on and use the treadmill without reading the manual first.

Wrong.

Reading the manual for this thing is an absolute must because the menus are confusing and frequently feel like a dead end. I didn''t read all the pamphlets that came with the treadmill until I couldn''t figure out how to work the darn thing. After reading them I realized I was doing several things wrong and was worried I had broken it already. You shouldn''t have to worry about breaking a heavy piece of machinery like that just from using it without downloading the latest firmware.

This thing is the opposite of intuitive. I had to read every page of the manual before I could even navigate, and I consider myself to be fairly technologically savvy. I design blogs, I can run a dSLR camera, and I love my computer and smart phone. It should not have been so difficult to navigate around the Android interface. Even after six weeks of using this thing it still feels really clunky and awkward to navigate.

SURGE PROTECTOR NOT INCLUDED:

You have to buy your own surge protector, since it doesn''t come with one, to ground the treadmill or it will blow out your circuit. Ask me, and my defrosted subzero freezer, how I know. If it is so vital to the treadmill''s function, this piece should have been included, especially when you are paying so much for the machine.

OPERATION:

Once I finally got my wireless connected, used my laptop to set up my iFit account (no way was I going to use the touch screen to do it, that would have taken forever) and got the firmware updated, all of which took a couple of hours over the course of two days, I finally got to try the treadmill.

The built-in integration with iFit.com is very, VERY cool (when it works). I love having access to pre-progammed workouts from Jillian Michaels and Elizabeth Hasselbeck, and the ability to adjust them to be harder or easier. I like that it takes you through progressive workouts with a different routine every day. The workouts are designed to give you interval training and they seem to be well thought out. This is the biggest selling point of the treadmill for me.

Unfortunately, this program seems to be extremely glitchy and there have been several mornings I got up, got dressed in my running shoes, psyched myself up for a great workout and got on only to stand there for 15+ minutes trying in vain to get it to download the iFit workout. My wireless signal was good and the green iFit light was lit on the treadmill, so there is no logical reason for it not to have worked. It just froze forever on the download screen and never went anywhere. Several times this has happened to me, and when it does there seems to be nothing I can do about it except give up and try again the next day. The next day, again for no explicable reason, iFit will (sometimes) suddenly work again.

Considering that this is the feature I am most interested in using, it''s extremely frustrating that it is so unreliable.

There have also been times where the program did download completely, but when the program started the belt on the treadmill didn''t move at all. Pausing the program and then pressing resume seemed to "wake it up" but it was just another reminder that this thing has a mind of its own.

The built-in programs on the treadmill are challenging and there are quite a few of them that can be used without a wireless connection, which is good because you can''t count on iFit for your workout.

The ''built in web browser'' is pretty sad and virtually unusable when you''re going more than 2.2 MPH. Even after calibrating the touchscreen I have a hard time typing anything into it. It doesn''t support any websites with video, so you can forget about watching Netflix or Hulu, which was something I looked forward to doing. This was the one feature that I was sure would set it apart from my old boring non-web-browser treadmill. I guess you could scroll through Facebook or a news website, but it''s pretty tedious and hard to do while running, or even walking fast. I eventually went back to doing what I do on all the plain jane treadmills at the gym: reading a book or watching netflix on my iPhone. I don''t count on the treadmill to entertain me at all.

BODY:

This is a solid machine. Nice and wide and runs fairly quietly. I have it in a room directly above my son''s room and I never wake him up when I use it. My old Norditrack treadmill had to be moved to the basement because it shook the whole house when we had it upstairs. This one doesn''t do that.

The buttons to change the incline, speed, and volume are all big and easy to find.

It''s sturdy, and although very heavy it can be moved by one person.

It has a much steeper maximum incline (15%) and a higher maximum speed than my old Norditrack treadmill or the ones I use at the gym. I doubt that I will ever need it to go 12 MPH, but it can.

I wish there was a fan built in. This is a feature on my cheaper treadmill that I really enjoy.

The book shelf works great and will keep my book held firmly in place or provides a nice ledge for my Kindle or iPhone to sit on.

OVERALL IMPRESSION:

My biggest complaint with this treadmill is that it is unreliable. Sometimes it connects with iFit no problem, and other days it gets ''stuck'' searching for the connection and never gets there. There is absolutely nothing you can do to shock the treadmill into behaving. The wireless either works or it doesn''t. If the touchscreen freezes or just decides to stop working, there isn''t a whole heck of a lot you can do about it.

I still don''t know how to turn the darn thing off because the instructions in the manual are a little unclear. They seem to want me to completely unplug it from the power source, but then it seems to forget all my information and it takes twice as long to get going in the morning.

I was given one of these treadmills in exchange for an honest review, and as much as I wanted to love it, I just don''t. I use it and I like it, but mostly because it was free. I think if I had paid big bucks for it I would have been sorely disappointed in how glitchy it is, and I would most likely be trying to get my money back. If you''re wanting a good sturdy treadmill that you can control manually, there are cheaper ones out there that will do that. If you''re looking to use iFit workouts, you do get a free year of it with the purchase of this machine, but it''s unreliable and frustrating when it doesn''t work. If you''re looking for a treadmill that can surf the internet and let you watch movies while you''re on it, keep looking. This one isn''t quite there.

So I guess my overall impression is that there are a few things I like but the overall experience has been frustrating and tedious. I wouldn''t recommend this treadmill to a friend.

UPDATE*****

I''ve now been using this treadmill for almost a year and I thought I''d give an update.

After switching internet companies and getting a new wireless router, the reliability did improve. I can usually connect to iFit without problem, although it does still occasionally refuse to download my workout and no amount of pleading will persuade it. On those days it''s best to just shut it off and walk away, hoping for better luck the next day.

Aside from that, my biggest complaint with this treadmill is that it does not allow you to program any custom routines. I would love to input the walk/jog sequences for Couch to 5K and then use my iPhone to watch Netflix, but I''m unable to do that. The relationship between Proform and iFit has pretty much guaranteed that you will have to buy a membership with iFit in order to not get bored with your routines. I find that extremely annoying.

One year later, I still give it two stars.

Read Best Reviews of Proform Trailrunner 4.0 Treadmill Here

Even though I love gadgets and computers, I find it ridiculous and frustrating that nowadays everything, from TVs to refridgerators to pacemakers, runs some sort of computer operating system, from Linux to Windows CE to others. This has resulted in TVs and DVD players, for example, being increasingly difficult to use and beign increasingly non-responsive to user input. This treadmill is another example.

The hardware of this Proform (made by the same company that makes pretty all the consumer treadmills in the U.S., under many different brands) is solid. It''s really heavy. I hired two strong guys to help me and it was still a royal pain for the three of us strong people to assemble it. This is a treadmill, unlike the inexpensive ones sold at sporting goods stores, that will withstand a lot of abuse and use and whatnot.

Unfortunately, this treadmill relies on an operating system, specifically the Android system based on Linux. I''m feeling my blood pressure rising as I type this, because Android has made this treadmill impossible to use. It crashes frequently, it would not boot up sometimes, and, most baneful of all, it''s really, really, really slow. I''d press a button and get no response after 5 seconds. I''d never be sure if it registered my press or not. The Google map feature is a complete joke. It requires a very strong 802.11g/n WiFi signal, which I do have, and it updates the street view every 5-10 seconds, which you can see is ridiculously low for a refresh rate. I''d often see a (fuzzy) picture of the beginning of a street block and the next update shows me the end of the block. Most of the pictures -I''ve "run" in different cities arond the country -are fuzzy and very low resolution.

Problems with the Android system makes this treadmill a pain to use, even after I stopped using the street view feature long ago. I now just use it as a basic treadmill. As a matter of fact, I''m afraid to use the rest of the Android system. Video streaming never worked for me, at all. You cannot install 3rd-party apps. It just seems that touching anything beyond the workout controls can crash the system. The LCD touchscreen is also not very bright and it appears to be of the older, cheaper resistive type, not the more natural capacitive type, so it often does not register a swipe or flick, or even a tap.

Late last year I saw a similar model for sale at my local Costco warehouse, for less than half of the street price here. It may be a good buy at that price, provided you stay away from using any of the tablet features. Just use it for workouts. I installed a Vizio TV hooked up to a Toshiba wifi Blu-ray player in front of the treadmill (got both for under 250 at Costco), and I can now exercise without worrying about things not working.

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After seeing this on Amazon''s deal of the day, I purchased it. We had been looking at the Sole treadsmills, but, when this was $700.00 cheaper it felt like a no-brainer. Wow was I wrong. After assembly it took forever to just turn on, at least 15 minutes after I tried turning it on. Then I went to imput the i-fit code and it would not work. So I did a quick 10 minute walk to check it out I thought it was ok. The next morning I tried to do a real workout but it would not turn on period. I was on hold with Proforms service forever, then the tech told me to check to see if it was plugged in, are you kidding. They had no idea what was wrong. I did however get that workout taking it back apart and repacking it. You get what you pay for I quess. I thought $1300 would get me a working treadmill, but I was wrong. Great Amazon service though, one phone call and instantly got a return. Thanks Amazon, shame on Proform. Stay away.

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Mens Quick Drying Stretch Yoga Performance Reflective Pant by Gary Majdell Sport

wish it had more color options as i prefer black, navy and charcoal. the blue is ok but a bit too bright. also would have liked a total of three pockets, two front pockets and one other to hold cell phone. have been buying and wearing workout shorts with three pockets and wanted a long pants for yoga.

update: when i purchased it only had red and royal blue. now i see black and navy available. :-(

I like the yoga pants, but I think the crotch area is a little to big and the legs are a little long. I normally wear medium, I''m 5''-10" at 165lbs, I think I might should have ordered a small, but they are great yoga pants.

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ProSource Microfiber Yoga Towel Non Skid 68" x 24"

For the price, it gets the job done. I found that my hands would slide just a little bit in certain poses, but then again, I''m sopping wet with sweat. I would recommend especially if you don''t want to spend the $20+ that others are.

Can''t beat this price. The towel works just fine for hot yoga and is so much better than the old bath towels I was using before. The only real downside is that each towel has "Prosource" embroidered in large white letters along one end.

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Great value for a super great price! I am 100% satisfied with this product, and would definitely recommend purchasing it. It is good quality, and the company shipped it expeditiously. Great transaction!

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fits my mat, catches sweat, washes nicely. I has a bit of a sticky dry feeling against your fingers, but I think that is the nature of the fabric.

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lightweight and folds small. Great for sitting and laying postures. A lot better than a traveling yoga mat. Does not do well for standing postures without a mat.

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Gold''s Gym Flat Abs Fast DVD Workout

This workout DVD is the best. It gives you what you want and the good thing is that the exercises are not hard and f you forgave no equipment is fine you could still do your exercise. I love it.

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ASICS Men''s Microfiber Short

These are great shorts, not too short or revealing. The material is top quality. Drawstring good, form fitting liner is comfy (though I still wear underwear since the material is rather thin but you don''t have to). The best thing is that they sit in a comfortable above the knee position allowing free movement. I just wish the actual legs were thinner (I have the small), I feel like I am wearing a skirt sometimes!

Update:

I''ve been using the two pairs I bought for almost a year. Glad to see they are still holding up well. There is still that little extra room in the lower leg (almost like they slightly fan out). I understand the concept, but the extra material does kind of flow out a bit. I have a pair of Adidas Supernova that are more snug but stretchy so they actually fit a little better. The drawstrings began tugging around after repeated washing, one side ended up with over a foot of cord while the other had just a couple of inches. Tugging on either didn''t seem to help. What I ended up doing was holding the waistband on the side with the long drawstring and pulling very strongly at the short side. It bunched the waistband up to almost nothing, but then I could adjust them back to some semblance of order. Other than that they have been very good and I will be buying another pair for this summer.

Yes, these shorts have a more relaxed fit than the New Balance Tempo, for example, but for me that is perfect. I have a 31-32" waist, but each of my thighs is about 25" at the widest point. I owned the 5" Tempos and even the size large (which was too big on the waist) constricted my range of motion. The Asics size medium is perfect because it fits on the waist and isn''t too constricting in the thigh.

I can totally see how these would be "billowy" if you have skinny legs. If you have big thighs relative to your waist, I guarantee you will love how these shorts fit!

For me, these shorts are ideal for any type of training I am doing, and also are very comfortable to just wear around when it''s hot outside. I normally avoid polyester because of breathability problems, but these shorts especially the lining are so lightweight that it''s not a problem at all. They are more breathable than wearing light cotton underwear under light polyester shorts.

Another great feature of these shorts is that you can just shower in them and hang them up to dry. In a few hours at most, they will be dry. No point wasting a ton of water washing underwear and shorts in the washer all the time.

Overall, after trying just about every popular option, these are my favorite shorts. Period. I stole my first pair from my dad and they are just now starting to get noticeably worn, about 3 years of heavy use later (and I don''t know how long he used them before me). Time to order some more!

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I searched for inexpensive shorts with the hope to have a comfortable, no chaffing, reduced sweat running experience. I was using $5 cotton shorts so anything would be better. But these shorts have proven to be wonderful in all three areas. I am training for my first marathon and have worn these every run including my fist 20 miler. Absolute comfort. For me the perfect shorts.

Read Best Reviews of ASICS Men''s Microfiber Short Here

First of all, At first when you look at the photo of this short it shows it''s straight but it''s actually baggy(It is more Obvious in black color). If you take a closer look at the photo, you''ll see the man in the picture actually holding the leg area in the background so this short will look more attractive to the buyers. (I know i need to look at at measurement but i also need to look at photo to see how it''s going to look). That''s why he is holding his hand in the back of his leg(to hold the short to make it looks more slim). Second the quality is not as good as "new balance 5-inch short" When you wear New balance, it''s feel as if you have no short on. It''s very soft and nice and unlike this one, it has 3 pockets. I do not recommend this Short to anyone.. If this short is comfy, so is my pijama. Look for New balance 5-Inch Tempo Short, It is much better. You won''t be disappointed.

Update Aug, 2010: It looks like, they changed the photo.

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These shorts are cut generously, which is good for me because I am stocky. They are comfortable and do not pinch or bind anywhere. They were shipped promptly and arrived in the advertised condition.

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