AboutTodd Bublitz, RCEP Expertise I can answer questions on Cholesterol & Lipids, Cardiac Rehabilitation, and preventive cardiology. I can also explain the risk factors for cardiovascular disease and most cardiac diagnostic tests and procedures.
Experience I have 17 years experience in cardiovascular disease prevention, rehabilitation and education. Researcher in cardiovascular exercise, cardiac function and cardiac testing. I developed and maintain Lipid-Clinic.com
Also run Nuclear Cardiology Research Organizations National Lipid Association
American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation
Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association
American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
Question I read a response to someone's question that you gave about the ROM Machine and I found your answer to be inadequate and lacking useful information. If you did a thorough investigation of the ROM Machine then where are the results to prove you found no legitimacy? Did you try it thoroughly for an appropriate amount of time, or did you just blow it off because it seemed ridiculous? I'd like to see skeptical "Experts" like yourself actually put the ROM Machine to the test. If the machine really does work after all of that then it really works. Why hasn't there been testing done by health experts, are they scared that they might be wrong about the machine?
Answer Aaron,
I gave my professional opinion and you can ignore it if you wish.
I did recently try the ROM machine, using each of the exercises for short and long bouts of exercise. My test reinforced my opinion that the ROM is not worth the $14,615 price tag. The machine does give a good workout, however, I believe that the ROM holds no significant benefit over other multifunction (total body, or cross trainer) machines. The ROM most mimics the exercise from a rowing machine (exercise one) and a stair stepper (exercise two). I would say that the ROM is comparable to rowing machines, cross-country ski machines, the SCIFIT Total Body machine (www.scifit.com), the NuStep Recumbent Cross Trainer (www.nustep.com), elliptical machines like the Schwinn Elliptical and the Schwinn Airdyne Bikes (www.nautilusinc.com). I have used all of the other machines I mentioned and they all cost less than $2000. In fact, you could buy ALL of the machines I just mentioned for the cost of one ROM. If you worked your hardest for just 4 minutes on any of these other machines, you would get a comparable workout to the ROM. Remember, the professor that studied the ROM compared 4 minutes of exercise on the ROM to no exercise at all - and ANY exercise is better than nothing. Dr. Robert Girandola of the University of Southern California said of the machine, "I would never recommend the ROM for just 4 minutes, as compared to a 30 min aerobic workout...and also the cost of the device is much too high to justify." This is the same researcher that the ROM company uses in its sales pitch.
Of course, there is no way that 4 minutes of ANY workout will give you the benefits of 30-60 minutes of sustained moderate intensity exercise. That is a scientific FACT. The principle is simple; the more muscles you use and the higher the intensity, the higher your exertion, heart rate and calories burned. This can be done on any machine that works both arms and legs. This makes the ROM almost identical to a rowing machine - but then the ROM does have a "stair stepper" exercise that can be done in addition.
So, I have personally used the machine and talked with the researcher that studied the machine. I have used a dozen other similar machines so I am able to make a head-to-head comparison. I would love to see the ROM put to the test with other similar machines. I have no doubt that there would be little difference. There are people who have personal preferences; some like bikes, some like rowers, etc. Aside from knowing that you bought the most expensive piece of exercise equipment available, I don't know any reason why a person would buy a ROM.
Regards,
Todd
Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist, ACSM
Certified Exercise Specialist, ACSM
American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) - www.acsm.org
P.S. I will not longer take questions or comments about the ROM machine.
