Anyone own an elliptical trainer?

Good ones are pretty expensive. I've seen several review sites online but some of them appear to be bogus. Before I lay out major money I thought I would ask cpfers for their input, since you guys know something about nearly everything.

So if you know anything on the subject please reply. I've used Precors at the gym and tried a few other brands briefly in stores, but that's about it.

Thanks,
Gary

I've had a Precor EFX 5.23 for about a year now.

I was not interested in a model with handlebars. They do not provide anything close to an upper body workout IMO, so if you want a "total body workout" then do weight training. Also, at the time that I was researching elliptical trainers, no model with handlebars allowed variable inclination (pitch, to simulate going uphill). All of the handlebar models simulated increasing inclincation by increasing the resistance. I wanted variable incline in order to work different muscle groups.

Because I wanted variable incline and did not want handlebars, that eliminated Life Fitness. Having said that, the Life Fitness models did have some excellent features, such as variable stride length. I also liked the programming interface better than Precor and Cybex. If you want handlebars, and don't mind not having true variable inclination, check out the Life Fitness models.

The decisive factor between Precor and Cybex came down to comfort. For me, using the Precor felt more natural. The stride pattern of the Cybex Arc Trainer isn't terrible, but I found it uncomfortable to work out for longer than an hour on it.

I did not check out the models in the medium price range, because I wanted a top of the line frame. I am rather heavy (6 feet, 225 lbs) and the ProForm and NordicTrack models I tried in retail stores tended to flex and rattle when I used them on high resistance.

I read good reviews of the Octane Q35 and Q45, but there are no dealers in my area for local sales or service.

I've had a few service calls for my Precor, including two sets of cracked wheels. My wife and I use it a *lot* (about 90 minutes a day each). The wheel design has been changed, and the new wheels are a definite improvement. Precor provides one year of free service calls and a 10 year warranty on parts.

Epinions is an adequate place to start researching models. I believe Consumer Reports usually reviews exercise equipment in their January issues, to coincide with the numerous persons making New Year's resolutions. There is no subsitute for actually getting on a machine and working out, however. A model might look really good on paper, but might be uncomfortable for your individual stride. Most local dealers will not mind you showing up in workout clothes and trying a model out.

It would be a good idea to purchase from a local dealer. You might be able to get a better price online or from a warehouse dealer at a remote location, but service after the sale is critical. If something goes wrong, it helps to have somebody local to hold accountable for service calls.

I wouldn't recommend purchasing refurbished or remanufactured models, unless you happen to live close to the vendor offering the equipment for sale. Some ellipticals will inevitably turn out to be lemons, like any other mechanical device.

http://www.epinions.com/sprt-All-Exercise_Equipment-Elliptical_Trainers

http://www.precor.com/cons/efx/

http://us.home.lifefitness.com/content.cfm/ellipticalcross-trainers

http://www.octanefitness.com/products/elliptical_shop_guide.cfm

http://www.ecybex.com/products/CV/ArcTrainer/arctrainer.aspx

A friend of mine gave one to me and it's practically brand new! He bought it and only used it for about a week and since then, it's been sitting. He was about to chuck it and asked if I wanted it.

Don't know the brand, but it has an onboard computer keypad about the size of an Alienware Area-51m. Does have handles that move like cross country skiing. So I have to give it a try.

Now how am I going to pick that thing up and bring it home. . .

I can't offer any advice on what models to buy but I only recently used one... Actually, from April to August of last year. I broke my wrist (on April 1st... APRIL FOOLS!) and as part of the work conditioning I had to do, the elliptical was part of the therapy.

I'm overweight, but am generally in better than average cardio shape from walking and working outdoors doing concrete work. I've done the treadmill thing and the bike thing. My ex-wife had been doing the elliptical thing for a while and had told he how much of a workout it was... It was unbelievable!

The one I used had a Reebok name on it, but it was pretty advanced... Had like 7 or 8 'levels' or patterns or whatever and had the bars to 'ski' along with. Accoding to the people at the therapy place I went to, 10 minutes on the elliptical was equal to 30 minutes on the treadmill and I believe it. Being an all or nothing guy, my first time on it, I set it to the hardest resistance and was supposed to do it for 10 minutes. I almost couldn't finish it. I did it for about 8:30 and had to set it down to the easy level to finish though I did it for 12 minutes to make it right in my head. I was going Mon, Wed, Fri and by the third day, I could do it for 10-15 minutes on the highest level and after about three weeks, I could do it for 15 minutes on the highest level, then an hour of weights, then back to 15 minutes on the highest level.

Without a doubt, for folks wanting a cardio workout that's relatively low impact (joint-wise, anyway) the elleptical MUST be the only way to go. After that 4 months, I felt like I was ready to run a marathon!

Anyway... now back to you regularly-scheduled thread...

Thanks for the posts! Hookd on Photons, your information was extremely helpful. I have only seen the incline adjustment on the Precors and Nordictrack's top of the line. I tried the Nordictrack out at Sears and the one I used had already developed a bad squeak of some kind. I did not think it would be robust enough for extended use although I did like the incline feature.

It is nearly impossible for me to purchase locally unless I buy the unit from Sears. I live in a part of Kentucky that is not well served by dealers of these machines. For that reason I've been looking at online dealers. Maybe I should stick to the gym's machines and let them worry about the maintenance.

I'm not pulling the trigger on anything just yet. I'll look at the links posted here and continue my research. I'm not opposed to the handlebars that move. You have the option to use them or not and it could add variety to the workout.

Again, thanks for all the help.

Gary

I am also starting to look for an elliptical to purchase.. So far my only experience is on the YMCA ones, which I would guess would cost in the $2000 and up range, but boy are they smooth.. From my observations - If you test out the under $700-800 ones at Walmart, ****s, Sears they have a very jerky motion. Starting the in $900 and up range they are leaps and bounds smoother than the lower cost machines..

good luck

Brian

I don't own one because I don't have the three grand for it, but I really like the Precors. The 5.21i and 5.23 are the two that I'd like to get. I've used their commercial grade elipticals and they are about as close to running as you can get without actually hitting the pavement.

I bought one for the reason it would give a better nonimpact ride than the normal cross trainers I use and other exercise bikes Ive purchased from kmart and broke. Anyway I too was shopping and other price or avaliability was an issue. I ended upbuying one from kmart for less than 200 bucks. It was big and heavy in a small box. THey loaded it, uses a wheelchair to wheel it inside. Was rather easy to assemble.

It does give a good harder workout and best I can do is ten minutes before I have to stop to catch my breath. Bad part is, its hard on my knees and causes pain in them and for me to not use it as often.

Just join a gym.

Get to use all the equipment.

MUCH better scenery also.

A recent publishing by Consumere Reports, list the Precor EFX 5.19 and Life Fitness X3 X3i as the number one and two rated ellipitical trainers but they are expensive at $2600 and $2400, respectively. The Schwinn 418 was rated a Consumer Reports best buy at $1100.