I Still Like "BodyFlex"
The "BodyFlex" exercise routine marketers just plain got greedy. And it's a shame, too, because they have a product that I think genuinely works.
When I bought the BodyFlex videos & isometrics bar a long while ago, they weren't making any outrageous claims. They were simply telling the facts: increased oxygen into your body is good! Add resistance for muscle building and you'll have a sure-fire way to fight flab. I had been practicing pranayama for some time, and it seemed like a natural thing to combine both structured breathing and physical exercise. Plus, isometrics just feels soooooooooo good. (As does deep breathing!)
I was immediately thrilled with the BodyFlex program and loved the isometric "gym bar". It's a little wonder. And I liked the sensbility of it all--no hype, no pressure, just a lot of positive reinforcement and good vibes. Greer Childers, the spokeswoman, has a very gentle way about her. Her little words of encouragement are quite nice, despite the fact that she looks exactly like Barbie, right down to the unnatural proportions. She's still huffing and puffing away whilst doing the exercises with you and that's kinda neat.
Plus, you do the entire routine sitting in a chair, but at the end your heart is pumping, you're feeling the burn, and you're definitely aerobic--no doubts about it. It's cardio in its own oxygenated way.
Then the marketers decided to try the tactic of "lose 7-14 inches in 7 days without dieting", which is ludicrous. Of course, the FTC sued. I don't think the BodyFlex program is still being produced, which is a pity. If they hadn't tried the gimmick, they'd still be selling the product--and at not an inconsiderable profit (but people would be feeling good about it instead of feeling cheated).
FWIW, I did not lose 7-14 inches in 7 days, but I did lose a combined total of 25 inches (from all measured points) in the first month, just doing BodyFlex by itself. I still do the routine and still like it very much. It, alone, is not enough to cause substantial weight loss, despite my initial dramatic results (they were not sustainable). It takes proper nutrition & diet, lots of water, and I find that if I do yoga after the BodyFlex routine the results are much more permanent. It's always a combination of things.
Nowadays it's hard to weed out the genuine treasures from the hyped-up junk. Every company seems to be trying to one-up the competition with increasingly incredulous claims. The FTC must have several full-time employees doing nothing but sueing fitness companies. But I consider "BodyFlex" to be a gem. YMMV, of course, because exercise is nothing if not utterly subjective!
I do not think I would have purchased "BodyFlex" had the claim of 7-14 inches in the first week been front and centre when I bought it. I don't recall that phrase being bandied about on the web site or infomercial. I wonder when the parent company decided to jump on the hype bandwagon? At any rate, there is no magic bullet for weight loss, and every time we try a gimmick & fail, we just run the risk of feeling worse about ourselves ("why does this work for them, but not for me?").
I try to steer clear of any product that raises the "too good to be true" red flags. But if you like breathing exercises and you like stretching & resistance training, look for a BodyFlex kit on eBay. You'll want the instructional videos and the "gym bar" (sometimes referred to as "BodyFlex Plus"). Just don't expect to lose 7-14 inches in 7 days--I'm not sure that's possible unless you're dead!
When I bought the BodyFlex videos & isometrics bar a long while ago, they weren't making any outrageous claims. They were simply telling the facts: increased oxygen into your body is good! Add resistance for muscle building and you'll have a sure-fire way to fight flab. I had been practicing pranayama for some time, and it seemed like a natural thing to combine both structured breathing and physical exercise. Plus, isometrics just feels soooooooooo good. (As does deep breathing!)
I was immediately thrilled with the BodyFlex program and loved the isometric "gym bar". It's a little wonder. And I liked the sensbility of it all--no hype, no pressure, just a lot of positive reinforcement and good vibes. Greer Childers, the spokeswoman, has a very gentle way about her. Her little words of encouragement are quite nice, despite the fact that she looks exactly like Barbie, right down to the unnatural proportions. She's still huffing and puffing away whilst doing the exercises with you and that's kinda neat.
Plus, you do the entire routine sitting in a chair, but at the end your heart is pumping, you're feeling the burn, and you're definitely aerobic--no doubts about it. It's cardio in its own oxygenated way.
Then the marketers decided to try the tactic of "lose 7-14 inches in 7 days without dieting", which is ludicrous. Of course, the FTC sued. I don't think the BodyFlex program is still being produced, which is a pity. If they hadn't tried the gimmick, they'd still be selling the product--and at not an inconsiderable profit (but people would be feeling good about it instead of feeling cheated).
FWIW, I did not lose 7-14 inches in 7 days, but I did lose a combined total of 25 inches (from all measured points) in the first month, just doing BodyFlex by itself. I still do the routine and still like it very much. It, alone, is not enough to cause substantial weight loss, despite my initial dramatic results (they were not sustainable). It takes proper nutrition & diet, lots of water, and I find that if I do yoga after the BodyFlex routine the results are much more permanent. It's always a combination of things.
Nowadays it's hard to weed out the genuine treasures from the hyped-up junk. Every company seems to be trying to one-up the competition with increasingly incredulous claims. The FTC must have several full-time employees doing nothing but sueing fitness companies. But I consider "BodyFlex" to be a gem. YMMV, of course, because exercise is nothing if not utterly subjective!
I do not think I would have purchased "BodyFlex" had the claim of 7-14 inches in the first week been front and centre when I bought it. I don't recall that phrase being bandied about on the web site or infomercial. I wonder when the parent company decided to jump on the hype bandwagon? At any rate, there is no magic bullet for weight loss, and every time we try a gimmick & fail, we just run the risk of feeling worse about ourselves ("why does this work for them, but not for me?").
I try to steer clear of any product that raises the "too good to be true" red flags. But if you like breathing exercises and you like stretching & resistance training, look for a BodyFlex kit on eBay. You'll want the instructional videos and the "gym bar" (sometimes referred to as "BodyFlex Plus"). Just don't expect to lose 7-14 inches in 7 days--I'm not sure that's possible unless you're dead!
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