This is a cheap and tiny rendition of Suzanne Somers original “thigh master” and it is NOT going to help me maintain the strength and shape of my arms and shoulders that were built by the original thigh master! It took me years to wear out the original one and I fear it will take mere minutes to snap this one! Very small with so little resistance a child could use this with ease! I have zero expectation for any satisfaction and it’s too troublesome to return it! UGH! Don’t waste your money!!!

I use this product to strengthen my thigh muscles. It's so easy to use, I can use it watching TV.

I remember a product similar to this when it came out, and this is not that. That one was massive, in your face, and kind of a pain to use. This is more compact (I can just slide it under my bed), and can be used more easily. This isn't going to give you rock hard thighs, this is going to help do the toning, and maintain things, but you'll need actual weights if you're after rocks of steel. I'm not, so this is doing exactly what I want, I can use this at my desk, or I can have a small gym session in the middle of the day. I do like this though, this works a set of muscles that I likely wouldn't be able to exercise well without going to a gym, and I don't live near a gym. Good addition to your own personal gym, but compact enough to put away.

This is the same basic design as the old Thighmasters, which I had at one point years (decades) ago, and I probably used two or three times. The design really is a one-trick pony. Yeah, you can squeeze it together to exercise your arms, and you can awkwardly press it into the floor to work your outer thighs. But there’s really nothing you can do that you wouldn’t be better off using resistance bands for.I knew all this before I got this, so why did I get it? Well, first off, that purple color! Gorgeous! My old Thighmaster had blue foam and a red hinge, which was okay, but it just didn’t call out to me. Can pretty equipment actually make you more inclined to use it? My guess would be yes.From what I recall, this is way smaller than Thighmasters used to be. I don’t see the measurements on their website (they still sell them), but I’m guessing my old one was maybe 15-17 inches long. This one is only 11 inches. So that makes it much less obtrusive if you leave it lying out somewhere, which makes you more likely to give it a permanent home somewhere sitting, say, by (or on) the living room couch or on your bedside table or wherever you plan to use it. And if you leave it out where you’ll see it every day, you’re more likely to use it than if you have it stored out of sight. Just don’t let it become “background scenery” that you eventually stop noticing.As I’ve been sitting here using this while typing, I’ve been reminded of why I wasn’t thrilled with my original Thighmaster: It hurts. Maybe I’m just sensitive (I am), but after a few repetitions, this thing starts *bruising*. That’s where resistance bands would also be better. BUT, a lot of people (maybe most) won’t have a problem with this like I do. And if you do, you can hold the handles with your hands, letting them and your arms spread the force out over a bigger area on your legs, making it more comfortable. I was going to say let your legs do the work and don’t let your arms join in, but I realized that your legs are WAY stronger than your arms. Compressing the spring in that position without using your legs is a legit arm exercise! I can also feel it working my upper back.The quality of this piece is okay. The padding, though not sufficient for my needs, seems pretty standard and of acceptable quality. The spring compresses noiselessly. It’s fairly easy to compress, but not so easy as to be pointless (especially if you don’t already do resistance exercises). It’s very lightweight and would be easy to pack. And it won’t hurt if you drop it on your foot. There are no sharp edges, so it won’t scratch the piece of furniture you leave it on. And it’ll make quite the conversation piece. (“OMG! Is that a Thighmaster??”)The takeaway here is that a mediocre, one-trick-pony (okay, maybe two or three tricks) piece of equipment that you actually USE is better than a great piece of versatile equipment that you stash away and forget about. Leave this out where you can grab it and do a few sets while doing something else every day, and it could definitely contribute to your muscle tone.Glad I got it.

I haven't been around one of these, "Thigh Toners" for a while. I recall when many, many households had a device such as this due to infomercials on television. The firs thing that struck me when this Thigh Toner Gaiam arrived was that it seemed smaller than I recall the older toners being. It could just be time passing, but I'm pretty sure the older ones from years ago were a bit larger. Still, this device is usable for a variety of exercises.Within the box you get the Thigh Toner, a Set-up Guide, and an Exercise Guide. There isn't much to using this Thigh Toner. It has a fixed resistance, you can't adjust it to be easier or tougher. It's an interesting device that works well for changing the pace of workouts here and there. I wouldn't rely on this as a big part of an exercise routine, though, since it is very limited and can only target certain muscles. A set of Resistance Loop Bands will give you a much wider variety of exercises than this Thigh Toner device. Still, it's nice to have other devices around to keep things fresh, change the pace a bit, and this Thigh Toner can do that, especially if you recall them from their height of popularity many years ago. This device works well, and the price is fair, just don't expect too much from it.

I remember Suzanne Sommer's Thigh Master. Didn't have one, but I wasn't exercising much in those days. Now is different. I mentioned to my trainer that I had ordered this, and she's excited to put it to use. She said bands work well, but can't work the same muscles this can. The instruction booklet that comes with this shows several different exercises that can be done, including ones for the arms. I like Gaiam workout products. This will be a nice addition to my home gym.

My wife is very happy with this. It provides a good amount of resistance without being overwhelming and causing problems. At this price point, it is much cheaper than the original price.5 stars!