This morning, I did some of the dvd that came with the bungee Fitness Trampoline (Jumpsport 370). Music was decent but not loud enough for me. The instructor was very good! Various levels of intensity and positioning options are given throughout. Chaptering was excellent.
The Basic workout had a nice cardio warmup but the following stretch was very long and not done during the time I like to stretch at the end of a workout but luckily the dvd is nicely chaptered. So I skipped to the Cardio which was nice but too short. Core mat and Strength tabletop were short (and sweet) and very comfortable on the petals.
The Cardio of the second workout was intense and much longer. The instructor likes syncopation so each move is done in a variety of rhythms. The Core was very tough and most moves felt more effective done on the rebounder mat rather than the floor. Pooped before the Strength but saw a few moves I really liked. I did hold my Fitstix for some of the cardio :)
Also did the first African routine from Exercise TV's Crunch Global Rhythms which had some good moves on the rebounder.
Now more about the rebounder, itself: The mat is only 25 inches in diameter but considering that the feet can overlap onto the petals (or skirt) much more safely than onto springs, it feels roomier than my 27 inch mat spring models. I had removed the springs cover from all of my previous rebounders because I felt like my foot could get caught underneath it. The rebounder easily stands on its side for a barre and doesn't budge or tilt when flat, even with all of your weight on or near the frame. Also the shape of the legs accommodates a resistance band or cord better than the straight legs of other rebounders. The petals definitely make mat and tabletop moves more comfortable for me plus more effective adding in an extra balancing challenge.
It is a bit noisier than expected because of the petals which pop up when I go down into the center of the mat! The petals do feel odd on my barefeet and pop up enough to make contact with my bare ankles so if I wanted to use the edges more, would probably wear shoes and socks so less aware of these sensations.
I did try the next tension level to see if the petals would move less but switched right back to the softest level and will get used to the petals cuz really prefer the softest bounce. I believe bouncing barefooted on the UR initiated my feet problems and I never could bounce into the mat without my hips complaining. My hips didn't get at all aggravated with all of the bouncing last night and this morning. Neither did my bare feet so am very happy with the purchase. Yes, I will miss the extra space of my YogFlex but the cushioned bounce is worth the sacrifice and I can always don shoes and socks to use the whole circumference (37 inches) more comfortably.
I would suggest if someone wants less noise, to get the cheaper model with the skirt, assuming the skirt is quieter than the shifting petals and give up the extra lifetime of the cords and extra tension settings which probably aren't necessary. The cords would then have the same lifetime as the Bellicon's anyway. Overall, if paying full price, I would have been quite content with the skirt model.
Remember too, once the legs are on, they stay on and if you do not have a place to keep the rebounder without folding or easily twisting off the legs, you may have to go the Bellicon route for a bungee rebounder.
So if you want more room for barefooted bouncing, less noise and easily removable legs, the Bellicon is the way to go if you can afford it. However, the Bellicon is more designed for a mind-body kind of experience and may not adapt as well to UR or more athletic type workouts if that is your preference. Then the Fitness Trampoline and its adjustable tension may have an advantage.
For me, it was all about getting a bungee bounce because my feet and hips were not enjoying active bouncing. Previously, I did more of a healthbounce pulsing style. Now I can really bounce into the mat and do the bouncier moves with no jolts to the joints. The bouncier moves are more fun, produce more sweat, and use muscles differently for crosstraining.
ETA: I just did a spark using the Basic warm up cardio, Basic cardio and the second set from Crunch Global Rhythms while wearing shoes and socks on the Fitness Trampoline and felt oblivious to the petals :) Felt very secure throughout it, well balanced and comfortable but sweated like crazy!
