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" (Published in the August 2004 issue) More: Learn how to do the Perfect Push Up. Everyone wants a great body, but not everyone wants to spew the sweat to get one. Isn&amp;#039;t there an easy way out, a shortcut? Sure--if you believe the claims made about the infomercial fitness machines that you see on late-night TV. They&amp;#039;re the next best thing to &amp;quot;sleep your way to a perfect physique.&amp;quot; Or are they? To find out, we had Lou &amp;quot;The Hulk&amp;quot; Ferrigno put five popular models to the test. We asked the 6-ft. 5-in., 275-pound former Mr. Universe to give these machines a workout--without reducing them to a pile of rubble in the process, please. Ferrigno, who trains fitness trainers these days, was happy to oblige. As it turned out, all five machines were able to take Ferrigno&amp;#039;s workouts with no problems. Nothing buckled or broke. However, there was no way to determine how well the machines would hold up, even for a person of average build, over the long haul. Keep in mind that no infomercial fitness machine will begin to compare to the quality and construction of a commercial unit that you&amp;#039;d find in a gym. None of the machines build the muscle bulk you get from free weights (barbells and dumbbells). Generally, you can expect some degree of body toning and conditioning but not a beach bully&amp;#039;s build. And remember, no machine will produce noticeable results if you don&amp;#039;t stick to a regular workout routine and stay on a proper diet. Things to look for in a fitness machine are stability, range of motion (you want full extension of your arms and legs) and comfort. As different machines target different muscle groups, look for the one that best matches your fitness goals. BOWFLEX XTREME 2 This one&amp;#039;s the best of the bunch with 23 different exercises that work just about every muscle group. The resistance, up to 210 pounds (an upgrade to 410 pounds is available), comes from bending composite &amp;quot;power&amp;quot; rods using a cable/pulley system, and provides strength training for both the upper and lower body. The resistance is nonlinear (meaning it&amp;#039;s greater at the end of the pull), which is a negative. But, it&amp;#039;s sufficient for building light to moderate mass and provides excellent toning.  border=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot; cellspacing=&amp;quot;2&amp;quot; cellpadding=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&amp;amp;gt;BOWFLEX XTREME 2PRICE: $1399 + $149 S&amp;amp;amp;HEVALUATION: Smooth, but with a springy feel and progressive resistance.CLAIMS: Work your total body, lose weight, build muscle.REALITY: Claims, with the exception of weight loss (diet would be a factor), appear to be credible. 888-346-7068 www.bowflex.comTOTAL GYM 1500 This machine ranked No. 2 on the Ferrigno fit parade. You pull yourself up an incline on a sliding bench using cables and pulleys. Increasing the incline angle increases the effort. The 1500 is basically a strength trainer, but many repetitions can stimulate the heart for aerobic benefits. There are 60 different exercises for good toning and stretching. It&amp;#039;s great for sports conditioning, but you have to spend time learning all the moves.  border=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot; cellspacing=&amp;quot;2&amp;quot; cellpadding=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&amp;amp;gt;TOTAL GYM 1500PRICE: $294.99EVALUATION: Good, smooth overall resistance action.CLAIMS: Better than a gym full of equipment.REALITY: The claims are a bit inflated, as the Total Gym doesn&amp;#039;t duplicate weight-bearing aerobic equipment. 800-541-4900 www.fitnessquest.comTONY LITTLE GAZELLE FREESTYLE ELITE Ferrigno&amp;#039;s third-best infomercial machine is a real swinger. This aerobic device simulates cross-country skiing as you stride, stiff-legged, back and forth. While there&amp;#039;s virtually no impact, the machine puts a lot of pressure on the hips. To get a good upper-body workout, you&amp;#039;d have to be in the same kind of shape as Tony Little to stretch as he does in the video.  border=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot; cellspacing=&amp;quot;2&amp;quot; cellpadding=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&amp;amp;gt;TONY LITTLE GAZELLE FREESTYLE ELITEPRICE: $449.70EVALUATION: Very smooth action. Very stable.CLAIMS: More fun. Seventeen cardio and total body sculpting moves.REALITY: The cardio benefit claim is credible, but the total body sculpting claim isn&amp;#039;t. 800-348-5890 www.fitnessquest.comTREADCLIMBER TC5000 Ferrigno&amp;#039;s No. 4 spot goes to a combo treadmill and stair climber that will give you a good cardio workout. But, because the machine is compact and has two fairly narrow moving belts, you really have to pay attention to where you&amp;#039;re stepping, as there is a real danger of slipping off the belts.  border=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot; cellspacing=&amp;quot;2&amp;quot; cellpadding=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&amp;amp;gt;TREADCLIMBER TC5000PRICE: $2199 + $199 S&amp;amp;amp;HEVALUATION: With my size 15EE shoes, I really have to be careful.CLAIMS: Burn calories and fat twice as fast.REALITY: Claims of shaping and losing weight in half the time are ambiguous. 800-436-8292 www.treadclimber.comBODY BY JAKE TOTAL BODY TRAINER Jake shakes out to last place on Ferrigno&amp;#039;s list. This strength-trainer machine relies on heavy rubber bands for resistance and offers seven core exercises, six of which are for the upper body. The resistance is sufficient only for mild toning and increases at the end of the travel, so the hardest work comes when your muscles are near their limit of extension. There&amp;#039;s no back support, and Ferrigno said that doing chest presses made him feel like he would fall backward. This would be a problem for someone with a weak back. Chest presses, like push-ups, will build the upper body if there is sufficient resistance. That doesn&amp;#039;t happen here. The exposed pins that secure the rubber bands scratched Ferrigno&amp;#039;s leg, which didn&amp;#039;t help the machine&amp;#039;s rating.  border=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot; cellspacing=&amp;quot;2&amp;quot; cellpadding=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&amp;amp;gt;BODY BY JAKE TOTAL BODY TRAINERPRICE: $199.80 + $29.95 S&amp;amp;amp;HEVALUATION: I just want to get off this machine.CLAIMS: Reshape your body from head to toe, be sexier, in 30 days.REALITY: The claim of reshaping your entire body doesn&amp;#039;t hold up without diet and aerobic exercise. Will you look sexier? Hey, Jake ain&amp;#039;t gonna fix your face. 800-423-8113 www.bodybyjake.com "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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