Hi Barbara, I've had similar concerns about position and feeling it in the butt. I'm taller, 5'6", but 1st of all, I keep the foot plate angled at the middle position. I've played around with the other adjustment and at one point tried bringing the foot plate in closer to the seat, but it did not feel quite right. When I'm sitting on the seat with my feet on the plate, it's not real tight, like you're crunched up in a ball, but ... picture a clock, with your butt in the middle of the dial, your back angled at about 10 o'clock, and the top of your knees at about 2 o'clock (I hope this makes sense) - that's my positioning. ANYWAY, about the butt thing ... I've tried lots of different techniques and I have to say I don't feel any of them in my butt like I do on the top of my thighs or the inner thighs (with your feet like a frog), BUT strangely enough, as I walk around during the day, my butt feels much more toned. If this is gain without pain, I'll take it! It did take about 4 weeks or so, at about 4-5x per week to start feeling something in the butt, but it's definitely tighter. I can't get over how well this machine works! Nothing I've ever done has toned my legs this thoroughly and quickly and (a long time ago) I did a lot of weight training. I do play around with a couple of sets of short, low reps and I like to do the frog position, feet & knees angled out, with both my feet flat and then a few sets with my toes up. Re the tailbone, I prefer to keep myself a little higher on the back board - I have a long history of lower back spasms, so I try real hard to keep my back flat and not arching, and keeping myself higher on the back board helps. Hope this helps a little - good luck!

I bought this second hand fully assembled a few years ago. I recently started using it on a regular basis about a month ago.I like it but can't figure out how the thing's suposed to "fold away for easy storage" as it says in the informecial on Youtube. I've emailed the manufacuter but haven't gotten a response. Anyone have this or know how it folds? I've been storing it in a hall closet but am getting tired of moving stuff in&out of the closet to get the machine out. I'd appreciate any&all help on this.

The dinner was served tonight, but it was half-hearted on all side - SWMBO and my son are still sick, dear daughter might be sinking, and I have the start of something. Current symptoms are a wincing headache, achy joints, and a draggy feeling. Crap, I have to go on a trip Tuesday. Back to the food - the duck breast turned out tasty, I couldn't get the gastrique-or-whatever-we're-calling-it to look pretty so I left it off for the pics (I didn't process it smooth enough for a squeeze bottle, lesson learned). The veg is pretty charred after re-heating but tasted fine. I'm taking a Tylenol PM and going to bed. Thank you all for helping me with this "meal". Oh, P.S. I've decided it could be fun for those of us who cook with music to mention what we were listening to when we made whatever we're talking about. Tonight: Lana Del Rey, Isaac Hayes. This post was edited by johnliu on Sun, Feb 10, 13 at 21:48

Guess what happened? I went over to a friend's house the other day to help her hang a mirror and I noticed that she had the old, Time Life series, "Foods of the World" cookbooks. My mother had those books when I was a kid, and I started thumbing through a few of them, reminiscing. I found the pictorial instructions on how to shape the flower buns that I first learned from! I know the text can't be read, so I'll type it up: 1. For each roll, pair two sliced rounds of dough, standing one on the other. 2. Push down firmly on each pair with a chopstick or blunt edge of a knife to press the rounds together. 3. Pinch both ends of the rounds together and pull them slightly away from one another. 4. Draw the ends of the rounds backward around the main part of the roll until they meet behind it. 5. Pinch the ends firmly together with your thumb and forefinger to secure them and keep the roll in shape. 6. Stand the roll pinched side down. It will look like a flower with teh oiled layers separated into petals. That cookbook series was probably one of the main factors in firing me with a desire to explore, try, and learn to cook the foods of other cultures. The recipes were fairly authentic, a good variety was provided in every book, and they were filled with details about the countries, the peoples, and the cultures. Also plenty of color pictures of the food, the people and the scenery.