2009 VIP
PattyTherre
The heart of , NY
Face Off: Lateral Thigh Trainer vs. Rock n Roll Stepper!
3 star rating

fun loving, health conscious, an at home exerciser, a daily exerciser, the owner of dozens of exercise gadgets, hate exercise but do it anyway
Pros

    both affordable, both will give a workout, both are compact, no or little assembly, instructional DVDs are good

Cons
    unstable, boring, hard on the knees

FEB
28
2009
 
 
 

As Seen On TV Brenda DyGraf's Lateral Thigh Trainer vs. Tony Little's Rock n Roll Stepper — 

Before I begin, I want to say I am not a fan of EITHER Brenda DyGraf's Lateral Thigh Trainer or Tony Little's Rock n Roll Stepper. They hurt my knees and can be hard to stay on when training. Having said that, both of these steppers are very popular and many people like the idea of getting a skating-like workout rather than using a traditional stepper. If you're going to get one or the other, I have both and can tell you which I highly suggest you buy. If you have bad knees, I don't suggest either stepper.

You can go with this or you can go with that....

Brenda DyGraf's Lateral Thigh Trainer

This stepper is backed by fitness guru Brenda DyGraf who I like a lot. She's enthusiastic, friendly, and super in shape. I trust her to put her name on quality products which is why I bought the Lateral Thigh Trainer.

The Pros:

No Complicated Assembly - Very little assembly is required. I think I only had to install the timer/computer and was good to go.

Sturdy - This stepper is made of metal and is heavy but very sturdy. I don't feel it rocking or hear it creaking when I use it. The footpads are large and ribbed for stability.

Compact - Although this stepper isn't tiny, it does fit easily in just about any area. You will need some room on either side since you step to the side. It can be stored fairly quickly.

Adjusts to Fit Your Fitness Level - This stepper can be adjusted from beginner level to advanced. You can step really fast on it or give your thighs (and your knees!) a mega workout by turning up the resistance. Another plus is that it comes with a stretch band with handles to do upper body work while stepping.

Price: The price for the Lateral Thigh Trainer has come way down from when I bought mine. If you look around, you can find it for around $40.00 all the way up to over $100.00. Go for the cheapest price. There is just one Lateral Thigh Trainer so you will get the same thing no matter how much you pay.

Fairly Stable - Once you get the hang of using the stepper, you won't be feeling like you'll fall off of it. It requires some balance but nothing out of the ordinary.

Overall Workout - This stepper DOES give a person a good workout. However, as I mentioned, it's hard on the knees. When you set the resistance to high, the knees really take a hit. You can get a good cardio workout with the resistance low or a hardcore leg burning one with the resistance high. Using the included cable to work the arms while stepping helps tone the upper body as well. The DVDs are really energetic and fun.

Tony Little's Rock n Roll Stepper

Tony Little, the crazed, hyper fitness guru backs this one. I have a hard time dealing with his over the top antics and screaming but he seems to know what he's talking about if he would slow down and stop jumping around long enough.

The Pros

No Assembly Required - It is basically ready to go right out of the box.
 
Lightweight - Unlike the heavy Lateral Thigh Trainer, the Rock n Roll Stepper is easy to pick up and move around.

Price - The price isn't bad at around $70.00 for this stepper. I don't think it's worth it but compared to other steppers and such, it's not a huge investment.

Overall Workout - You can get a workout from this stepper. Once you learn how to balance on it, you can really get going and build up a sweat. After that, you can challenge yourself and use light weights while stepping. I wouldn't suggest that until you are 100% stable just stepping on this gadget though. There are a variety of different exercises you can do on this stepper as shown on the frantic DVD. It's fun, if a bit frenzied.

So Which Is the Better Investment?

Tony Little's Rock n Roll Stepper tends to travel across the room when in use. You will get on it, start stepping and find yourself across the room before you know it. Even on a mat, carpet, or the enclosed piece of rubber mat, it tends to travel. It's annoying if nothing else.

Tony Little's Rock N Roll Stepper is also fairly shoddily made. It squeaks. It creaks, it feels cheap. Although mine has not broken or anything, I definitely do not feel supported and stable on it. I feel like I'm going to fall over at any moment and crash to the ground. The computerized dashboard is often inaccurate but that is how it is on many cheaper gadgets such as this. There is no resistance levels on this stepper meaning you can only step in "easy" mode and try to make it tougher with hand weights and other inventions.

Brenda DyGraf's Lateral Thigh Trainer can be even more tough on the knees than the Rock n Roll Stepper because of the resistance levels. If you set it at high, your knees will scream the next day. Well, mine did. Some may not have the knee issues I had with these steppers but do know that the stepping is like a skating motion but more intense. After a while, the knees just can't handle being contorted in such a way.

The winner is...

Brenda DyGraf's Lateral Thigh Trainer wins by a mile. While I personally don't use mine anymore due to the knee issues and the fact  that I was bored silly using it, if I had to suggest one of these two to you, which I am, it would be the Lateral Thigh Trainer. It's sturdier, has a variety of resistance, stays put when you workout, and it is made better. This doesn't mean I LIKE the stepper but it is better all around in my opinion that the Rock n Roll Stepper.

I personally recommend Brenda DyGraf's Air Climber over either of these steppers. It doesn't give you a lateral movement but it is a darn good stepper that has a variety of resistance levels, lots of upper body exercises, and a great set of DVDs that work every muscle from chest to calf. It also only 13 pounds so it's not going to break your back when you move it from place to place.

Thanks for reading and please use caution when starting out on ANY stepper but more so when using a lateral type stepper such as the above. You could easily fall or pull a muscle if you don't start out slowly and build up. If your knees ache, stop. I had to have knee surgery because I didn't listen to my body when I had pain in my knees. You don't want to go that route if you don't have to!

Thanks for reading!
Patty



I_thumb_down As Seen On TV Brenda DyGraf's Lateral Thigh Trainer vs. Tony Little's Rock n Roll Stepper is not recommended by PattyTherre

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I_comment_shdw24 Comments about PattyTherre’s Review

 


LadyMagic wrote on Apr 10, 2009 at 9:52AM

I learn so much from your reviews. Thanks Patty.

PattyTherre wrote on Mar 4, 2009 at 9:28PM

In response to LisaCarey's comment from Mar 2, 2009 at 11:35AM:

Now and then there is a good TV product but it seems to pretty rare!

PattyTherre wrote on Mar 4, 2009 at 8:09PM

In response to WhatsNew's comment from Mar 4, 2009 at 8:25AM:

Yes, you really have to have some good hip action like with rollerblading. I actually didn't mind the LTT half as much as the Rock n Roll stepper thing. THAT was a scary little gadget.

WhatsNew wrote on Mar 4, 2009 at 8:25AM

The trick with the Lateral Thigh Trainer is you need to rotate your hips to keep your to keep your knees in proper alignment.

LisaCarey wrote on Mar 2, 2009 at 11:35AM

I always doubt as seen on tv -- but every once in awhile you do hit a good one too bad this wasn't one of them

MikeMaroon wrote on Mar 1, 2009 at 3:53PM

Most of that crap they sell on TV like that is pretty useless, unfortunately. I always ask myself, "If it's that great, why is it not available in a store??"

LaurieM wrote on Mar 1, 2009 at 11:26AM

I really like the way you set this comparison up. Very easy to read and understand.

Susie-34668 wrote on Mar 1, 2009 at 9:04AM

I have the Brookstone $100 stepper, it is sturdy, but not worth the money, I paid for it.

Katrena wrote on Mar 1, 2009 at 6:36AM

Great comparison review! People would do well to read this before buying either product.


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