After my ten-year old treadmill broke down, I deliberated long and hard about what equipment I should purchase to replace it. I wanted something that would work my muffin top and thighs. The treadmill bored me, though, and to be honest I wasn’t using it enough. I’ve had the MaxiClimber for about three months and use it four times per week for 20 minutes each. I work out with the Rosalie Brown You Tube videos. I don’t recommend just hopping on and going for as long as you can. You will just burn out quickly and lose out on the high intensity interval training that the videos provide. I’m a petite 59 year old woman who just needed something that I would consistently use, and this seems to do the trick. I usually burn 225-265 calories in 20 minutes versus about 150 on the treadmill for the same period of time. I haven’t weighed myself, but I am toning up my legs and rear, and the muffin top and back fat are diminishing. My clothes fit better, and I am now more comfortable tucking in my shirts. The cellulite cottage cheese areas on my thighs are disappearing. I’m sure my cardio fitness is improving also. I found the machine easy to assemble (just remember to really tighten the bolts), and there have been no failing parts. It’s also very quiet. I suspect a small person may be better suited for this machine, as it doesn’t seem flimsy to me. I wouldn’t recommend that my six foot, 217 pound husband use it, however. All in all, I think it was a smart purchase and provides good value for the price. As with most exercise machines, you get what you put into it. For me, I find that the MaxiClimber has been easy to incorporate into my life, and the results are motivating enough to continue using it.