The Second Annual Treadmill Sensei 2007-2008 Ichi-Ban "Best Buy Awards" for Treadmills

Ohiyo!

It is that time again.

Welcome once again to the Treadmill Sensei's Ichi-Ban Best Buy Treadmill Awards. For those of you keeping track, these are our second annual awards for treadmill best buys.

For those of you who are wondering, the phrase "Ichi-Ban" is Japanese for "Number One" or "The Best" and that's what we'll be discussing -- the Best Buys for Treadmills (the elliptical best buy awards can be found here) in the 2007 through 2008 buying season.

Like we saw in the first annual awards, most of the action in the treadmill industry seems to be in the under $800 range and between $1000 and $2000. This year there are a lot of really good units, with Sole still being dominant under $2000. This year, though, Sole has some suprise competition from an unexpected source in Bodycraft. The Bodycraft treadmills are just plain great machines and I can't wait to see what they come up with next. In the higher price ranges, SportsArt, Bodyguard and Landice all have some very exciting equipment.

As with the best buy awards last year, the treadmills are picked with no real scientific technique. All reviews and ratings are based on our group's 20+ years of experience as sales people and service/repair techs for fitness equipment. Our opinions and thoughts come from having worked on most of the machines out there and on our actually getting on the machines we review. When an elliptical comes in to the shop for either installation or repair, we run pretty extensive tests on the machines to make sure they are up to snuff (generally 5-10 hours per unit). This includes running fairly hardcore routines on the machines, going through all of their programs and so on. After our testing any machine that is going out to be installed for a customer, or which has had repairs done, has been run through the ringer to make sure everything is working.

Reviews are not made with manufacturer input. We don't get free equipment from manufacturers. We aren't bought off by bribes and we don't sell advertising to manufacturers.

More detailed reviews of all of the Ichi-Ban winners will be posted throughout the upcoming week.

Now, on with the awards!!

Best Buy Treadmill Under $500
Merit 720t: In the ultra low end of the treadmill spectrum, the Merit 720T is far and away the best buy treadmill under $500. There is little else in this price range worth looking at. Check out the full review.

Runner Up: There really isn't a whole lot of quality to be found in the under $500 price range because of the cost of components that go in to quality treadmills. It is just tough to build a good treadmill for under $500 and most units people buy wind up turning in to expensive clothes racks.

Best Buy Treadmill From $501-$799
Horizon T81: When it comes to budget treadmills for under $1000, you can't go wrong with the Horizon brand. Taking over for the excellent Horizon T71, the new Horizon T81 treadmill is sturdy, well-built and great for those on a budget. Check out the T81 review here.

Runner Up: We've added a new price range this year because of the lack of quality treadmills for under $500 and because of the huge number of great treadmills right at $1000. In this range, Johnson's Merit and Horizon treadmills completely blow the competition away. The HealthTrainer HT502T also makes a return appearance from last year's Best Buys.

2. Merit 730t
3. Horizon T82
4. HealthTrainer HT502T

Best Buy Treadmill From $800-$1000
Bodycraft TR1120: From out of nowhere, Bodycraft takes the best buy treadmill under $1000 award. The TR1120 is the single best, single sturdiest and single most reliable treadmill available for under $1000 this year. It out-performs a lot of treadmills priced at $1500. Take a look at why the Bodycraft TR1120 gets top spot for under $1000 HERE.

Runner Up: This price range is absolutely packed at its higher end. There are a large number of great treadmills available for $999 and that is where all the action is. Although the Sole F63 has dropped a slot over last year, it is still a great buy. The Smooth 5.25 also returns at the #3 spot. This year the amazing Lifespan TR1000HRC comes in at the #4 spot, edging Horizon out of the best buys in this range.

2. Sole F63
3. Smooth 5.25
4. Lifespan TR1000-HRC

Best Buy Treadmill From $1000-$1500
Sole F80: Improved over last year with a bigger motor and more solid frame, the new Sole F80 hits a homerun for Sole this year, taking the best buy award for treadmills under $1500. Check out the new and improved Sole F80 treadmill here.

Runner Up: Getting in to the range of where those looking for a treadmill a little closer to what they find in a gym, the $1000-$1500 is packed with creamy goodness. The contenders for this price range almost exactly mirror the $800-$1000 winners. Bodycraft, Lifespan and Smooth set the bar, but in this price point Sole takes it one step further. Watch out for Icon fitness brand units in this price range -- they have the gloss but underneath their fancy looks and loaded features are still the same poorly constructed units of the past.

2. Bodycraft TR1140
3. Lifespan TR2000
4. Smooth 6.25

Best Buy Treadmill From $1500-$2000
Bodycraft TR1180: For a company that wasn't on the radar last year, Bodycraft has pulled out the stops with its comfortable tank, the TR1180. This is a gym quality unit for a home price. Read the entire review here.

Runner Up: Probably the hardest contested price range this year, the $1500-$2000 spots are filled with some of the best treadmills on the market. You can't go wrong with any of these picks.

2. Smooth 7.1HR PRO
3. Sole F85
4. Bodyguard T240
5. BladeZ 710ME

Best Buy Treadmill From $2000-$2500
Smooth 9.25X: Smooth's big boy takes top honors in the under $2500 awards. This treadmill is solid, well built and feature packed. A pleasure to review and a great treadmill to own. Get the full review to find out more.

Runner Up: This price range is a tough one because the units don't offer as much as a $3000 unit and really aren't that much better than the under $2000 units. I'd suggest taking a look at units in those two price ranges to see if you can get a better deal. However, if this what you want to pay, check out units from Bodyguard, SportsArt and Smooth. You can't go wrong.

2. Bodyguard T240P
3. SportsArt TR21F
4. Evo 3I

Best Buy Treadmill From $2500-$3000
SportsArt TR31: SportsArt takes its first best buy award with the TR31. This unit is where SportsArt's design and engineering really start to shine. The full review tells the story of why the TR31 gets the trophy this year.

Runner Up: Tunturi makes its first appearance with the new T60F, and Bodyguard and Lifespan both do well with their units as well. Like the $2000-$2500 price range, you may find a better deal by dropping down to the under $2000 range or by going up a bit to a $3000+ unit.
2. Bodyguard T280P
3. Lifespan Pro 5
4. Tunturi T60F

Best Buy Treadmill From $3000-$4000
SportsArt TR33: The Sportsart TR33 is the best treadmill available at any price. With its manual shock adjustment, excellent program selection and SportsArt's continued dedication to quality and class, the SportsArt TR33 is my pick for Treadmill of the year. Check out the full review now!

Runner Up: Bodyguard and Landice both have some excellent offerings in the $3000-$4000 price range. This is where top atheletes find the treadmills to train on. I believe the best performing treadmills available at any price are in this range. Quantum's new Q3.2EX rounds out the list quite nicely.

2. Bodyguard T460x
3. Landice L7 Pro Sport
4. Quantum Q3.2EX

Best Buy Treadmill From $4000 and Over
Landice L7 Cardio: For 30+ years, Landice has been the cream of the crop for high end treadmills and this year is no different. The Landice L7 Cardio trainer treadmill is the perfect combination of performance, design and cost. Check out the full review for more information.

Runner Up: You can't go wrong with any of the treadmills in this class. Star Trac and Matrix produce some of the best equipment on the market and have stuck to the same designs from last year. All excellent machines for those with the money to buy them.

2. Star Trac Pro
3. Matrix T3X
4. Star Trac Elite

The Treadmill Sensei Ichi-Ban Best of the Best Award:

This year we have a tie for the best of the best treadmill award. The two outstanding units this year are the BodyCraft TR1120 -- an incredible unit that is under-priced at $999 -- and the absolutely perfect SportsArt TR33 for $3799. SportsArt put together one of the best treadmills we've ever seen with the TR33 and we look forward to watching this unit over the years to come.

Thanks it for this year's Ichi-Ban Awards. I hope you enjoyed them and we'll see you next year. Until then, take care and have a great workout!!

-The Treadmill Sensei
http://www.treadmillsensei.com

Why Ellipticals Make Your Feel Fall Asleep

Ohiyo!

Elliptical trainers have been around in the fitness industry for just a bit less time than the Treadmill Sensei has. They first popped back up in the early 1990s (me? the late 1980s) and have taken off like no other piece of equipment before it. While there has been a wide acceptance, and even love, of the elliptical trainer (or the crosstrainer), there has been one nagging question which has plagued people working out on them since the very beginning. Let's check out the note below from "Christine" to see what that question is.

Take it away, Christine!

Sensei,
Your website is fantastic, and enjoyable, too!

I was almost ready to place an order tonight when I read your comment about getting foot pedals that won't make your feet numb. I recall that being a real problem for me in the gym, causing me to cut my workouts short. However, none of the specs provided on any of the models I have looked at under $1000 say anything about the footpedals. Can you point me toward some models that have non-numbing foot pedals for $1000 or under? I was most interested in the Ironman Evo1 or any of the elipticals in your best buy section.

Thanks for your website - it is pretty much the ONLY place for reliable information! -Christine

Christine:

Thanks for your note and I'm glad you were able to get some help from the website. As I mentioned above, having your feet go numb during a longer elliptical workout has been a problem since ellipticals first appeared in gyms. If your workout went longer to 30 minutes you'd generally start to feel a strange tingling in your feet, and if you continued beyond 45 minutes then your feet and toes would go completely number or "asleep." It was and is a pain for a lot of people and it causes a lot of people to cut their workouts short or to even quit working out on the machines all together.

The problem stems from an inherant flaw in the way a lot of ellipticals are built. The pedals on a lot of ellipticals are set at an unnatural angle to the way we walk and keep your feet completely flat on them during a workout. And what happens when your feet are set unmoving, and with constant pressure on them while you stand? That's right, they fall asleep! Think about it like standing still in a line for 45 minutes -- that constant pressure on your feet will cause you to get the very familiar "pins and needles" sensation known as paresthesia, which comes from prolongued pressure on your nerves (my wife's Uncle Chris causes this sensation to appear in my head when I'm around him too much).

The funny thing is that what helps your knees and joints on an elliptical (keeping your feet planted) is what causes the elliptical's biggest problem!

Unfortunately, a lot of elliptical manufacturers are still producing units using some very outdated designs which will still cause your feet to fall asleep while working out on them. Luckily, tho, a number of units are produced which should reduce this effect. Units which have "articulating footpads" are ellipticals which are specifically addressing this problem. As are units which place pedals closer together and/or place them at a slight inward incline.

There are a number of things you can do to further reduce the chances of your feet falling asleep during a workout.

• Wear comfortable, well padded shoes. This is just basic common sense for any workout and applies to elliptical training as well. Keep your shoes laced up a bit looser than normal. The tighter the shoe the more chance your feet will take a nap during your workout due to lessened circulation.
• Change the positioning of your feet during the workout. Make sure to move them around on the pedal a bit and wiggle your toes. Believe it or not, this will help and will keep the circulation up on your feet.
• Keep your workouts shorter and do multiple "sets." Instead of doing a 1-hour workout, try two 30-minute ones instead. Truthfully, multiple workouts over the course of the day are more effective for weight loss and in keeping you metabolism up for a longer period.
• Try breaking up your workout with a short period going in reverse. Even if your elliptical won't track the workout, changing the direction of your workout for a few minutes will work a different set of muscles and the change will help keep your feet from falling asleep by altering where the pressure is falling on them: from the ball to the heel.
• If your elliptical has an incline option, use it and vary the settings. Changing the degree of your elliptical's workout arc will help by keeping constant pressure off of one area of your feet.

If your feet keep falling asleep during your workouts, don't dispair and don't stop working out...there are things you can do to help yourself, even if you're stuck on an old Tunturi Elliptical. The most important thing is to keep working out and to get healthy.

-The Treadmill Sensei
http://www.treadmillsensei.com

Reader Reviews

Ohiyo!

The Treadmill Sensei gets a lot of email everyday, and far too much of it goes unanswered. So, starting today I am going to be posting some of the reader comments here on the website. If you've got something to say - positive or negative - then it can end up here for every to read. In fact, if you've got your own review of a piece of equipment you've purchased, then send it in and I'll post it too! Check back every day for new comments and reader reviews.

Enjoy!

READER REVIEWS AND COMMENTS

7/16/07
I really love your humor and personality that shows through on your web site, and have suggested that my hubby read some of your entries just because they are kind of funny. You've been a great help - thanks! -Christine

Hello Sensei,
I'll be buying a treadmill sometime over the next few months: Your website has been a HUGE help in figuring out what I need to buy in a machine. -Kat

First of all, great website. It is a must read for any less than professional shoppers. Very easy to understand and very much appreciated. The only other thing I can find are user reviews and those are usually less than helpful. -Rob

Hi Sensei,
First of all, I just wanted to say that your website is absolutely wonderful! Great information that I feel is completely trustworthy and brutally honest :) -Ted

Sensei,
Thanks so much for your efforts on behalf of those who are looking for sound fitness equipment!! It is a great thing to find someone who is knowledgeable and that can be trusted!! -Bob

7/3/07
Hi Treadmill Sensei,
Your website was so helpful!! I just placed an order for the F63 from Sole. Thanks! -Theresa

Osu Sensei!
Your site has been a great source of information while I am researching which elliptical to purchase. - Bob

Hello Sensei,
Love your site and treadmill advice. When the time came to buy a treadmill for my wife and myself, it was extremely helpful. -Jacob

Dear Sensei,
Your site is wealth of information and I love your witty humor! Thanks to you I am moving toward achieving elliptical enlightenment! -Nicole

Hi!
I just found and love your web site…best info I’ve found on the web, Thanks! -Steve R.

Hello Sensei,
I found your site the other day because the wife and I are looking for a good piece of health equipment for you house. I really like your view as a mechanic on the products. It really seems to allow you to see the guts of the machines and let us buyers know what to watch out for...Thank You! -Jeff T.

Treadmill Sensei,
I've been looking for sound advice on elliptical trainers, and your blog is a revelation. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. -David V.

I was looking for some reviews on the sole ellipticals and stumbled across your website. Needless to say I was very entertained AND received some great information.
Regards, Cary L.

Dear Sensei:
What a terrific discovery your website has been as I search for the ideal home elliptical machine for me and my wife. You've been a great resource. -Mark C.

-The Treadmill Sensei
http://www.treadmillsensei.com/

A trip to the Sports Authority -- Why Buying Online is Better

Ohiyo!

I want to tell a little story right now but check back later today for the new review. As I've mentioned before, sometimes the Treadmill Sensei leaves the protection of the DOJO and visits local fitness retailers. Generally I just show up unannounced and don't tell the store manager or sales people that I am the Treadmill Sensei...not that most of them would even know what a Treadmill Sensei was, which is unfortunate because a lot of the sales they make were researched on this site.

One of the things I like to do is go in to what we call "big box" stores (large chain stores) to play with their employees a bit. If you've ever been in to a chain store then you've seen how poorly trained and uninterested their "sales people" tend to be. The sad thing is, even some of the smaller stores tend to have uncaring or untrained sales reps on their floor -- as was shown in my recent SportsArt review where the salesman who was helping me was unsure about a number of features on the treadmill I was looking at. Anyway, while in these chain stores you will here some very funny stuff.

Which brings me to what happened this past week while at a local Sports Authority. I went in looking for a fold up poker table and noticed 4 Sports Authority employees standing near the fitness section of the store. I also noticed 5 or 6 customers wandering nearby them who were not being serviced. As I watched, I saw the customers repeatedly try to get the attention of the employees, to no avail. Upon further observance, I realized that the store manager and someone who was obviously of higher rank than him (maybe a regional manager) were having the other two staff members cleaning some of the equipment which had gotten dusty or dirty. They were all very intent on their tasks. Surprisingly enough, none of the staff, not the sales people, not the manager and not the regional manager, seemed to think that assisting customers was more important than polishing a couple of low-priced recumbent bikes.

Being the troublemaker I am, I decided to head over and see what it would take to get someone's attention. It ended up taking nearly 10 minutes for the staff to finish their cleaning and walk over to ask if I needed help. In the meantime, I was jumping up and down on treadmills, banging on consoles and even opening up the motor shrouds of a couple of the floor treadmills. The only thing I didn't do was grab two other ignored customers and do a treadmill dance. Eventually a teenaged staff member walked over and asked if I had any questions about the treadmill I was on (a Proform 650E Treadmill).

The Treadmill Sensei...hard at work

That's when the fun began. I asked her if it was a good treadmill. She replied that it was because it had continuous duty. That comment surprised me because I didn't think anyone on the staff would even know what that meant, so I probed further and asked what that was. She then let me know continuous duty was something they programmed in to make treadmills better and only higher end treadmills had it...like the Proform I was standing on.

I had to bite my lip to keep from chuckling.

The very nice young lady then proceeded to walk me through the features of the Proform 650e. I say "walk through" but what I really mean is "she read the little info sticker on the treadmill's console." Seein that it wasn't mentioned on the info label, I asked the girl about the treadmill's incline. What emerged from her lips is something that will remain with me until the day I die. You see, she scrunched up her face a bit and say, "Oh, no...you don't want that. It will make your workout too hard."

At that point I had to excuse myself in order to keep from laughing in this poor girl's face. That was easily one of the funniest things I'd ever heard and is a prime example of why shopping on the internet is the way to go. Get your research done online or you'll wind up not buying a treadmill that "will make your workout too hard."

So what did I learn from my trip to Sports Authority?

• Cleaning equipment is more important than selling it.


• Continus Duty is a good program.


• Incline is bad.

I love chain fitness stores!

-The Treadmill Sensei
http://www.treadmillsensei.com

Online Equipment Assistant and Chooser

Ohiyo!

Just a quick note to announce a new feature here on treadmillsensei.com. I just put up an online assistant program for those of you who are looking for a treadmill or elliptical but have no idea which one or where to start.

I call them my Online Chooser's and you can now find the links at the top of every page. Direct links can be found below:

Treadmill Online Chooser

Elliptical Online Chooser

Check them out if you need help...and always feel free to email me with any questions!

-The Treadmill Sensei
http://www.treadmillsensei.com

Read Mailbag: Tips to Burn More Calories

Ohiyo!

Your Treadmill Sensei gets tons of questions asking about fitness or health advice. I try not to answer those questions because they really are something people should be asking their doctors or other health professionals. While I have been in the fitness industry for over 20 years now that does not qualify me (or anyone else doing fitness reviews) to give you medical advice.

That being said, I can give technical advice and my OPINION on things. If you want to know what I THINK about something and are prepared to take those THOUGHTS with a grain of salt, then I'll babble all day...especially if you're asking technical questions. I workout every day myself and can tell you about my own experiences.

Today we have a note from Linda. She is having problems with her elliptical's heart rate monitoring system and its "Calories Burned" readings. Let's see if we can help her out. Take it away, Linda!

Hello,

I recently purchased an elliptical machine and am troubled by the number of Kcals I am burning...prior to the elliptical I had a treadmill and a 30 minute walk at 4 mph burned about 200 cal and covered a distance of about 2 miles.

On the elliptical, in 30 minutes I burn 65 Kcal, 10-12 mph (about 70 watts), level 5, cover 5 miles. Now something isn't quite right cuz I'm sweating profusely at 30 minutes and I had to have burned more than 65 cal. I could walk 5 miles at a leisurely pace and burn more than 65 calories.

Age 48 Wt 165

I know these machines aren't all that accurate but this is ridiculous...Is there a formula to convert Kcal to cal.

Appreciate your thoughts. -Linda

Linda:

Thanks for your note. From not being able to take a look at the machine, it seems like the pulse grip heart rate monitor on it either isn't reading correctly or isn't calibrated correctly. The quickest fix would be to use a heart rate chest strap instead. The chest straps or HR monitor watches are much more accurate. The units should burn a similar amount of Calories during similar workouts. The main advantage of an elliptical is going to be the low to no impact workouts.

A KCal and a Calorie are actually 2 names for the same thing in this respect - KCal is an abbreviation for Calories like we're talking about (basically "food calories").

I'd suggest giving the manufacturer's tech support a call and seeing if they can either recalibrate it for you or get you a new unit. If you like the machine and don't want to worry about the less-than-accurate results, pick up a good heart rate monitor.

While we're talking about Calories burned during an elliptical workout, I thought I'd go in to a bit more detail on it. First off, the 750-1000 burned Calories per hour some manufacturers claim isn't true for 99% of people working out on the machines. More than likely, that is just the top amount they encountered during months or years of testing. In general you'd be looking at 450 to 500 Calories per hour, which still isn't bad at all.

Truthfully, for a well-built man (say 170 lbs like your Treadmill Sensei...ok, maybe I'm not well-built, but I am around 170 lbs now) to lose 1000 Calories in an hour of running, he'd have to be able to maintain around 8 miles an hour for the entire time.

A few tips for getting the most Calorie burn:

• Vary your work out: Use you elliptical's resistance or incline levels to increase the intensity of your workout and push yourself to burn more Calories. This sort of workout can increase your metabolism for up to a full day after your workout.


• Workout forward and backwards: Changing the direction of your workout changes the muscle groups being worked out and will increase your Calorie burn. Also, try changing your positioning on the elliptical itself to work different muscles.


• Use hand weights while you work out: (anywhere from 2-15 pounds, depending on your conditioning) Yes, I know the upper body arms are they, but they won't do anywhere near as much for you as a pair of hand weights will. Strength training is required to maximize your cardio workouts.


• Multiple Sessions: A great way to maintain your Calorie burn is to do a few shorter (at least 15 minutes) workouts during the day. Once in the morning and once in the afternoon or evening is best. That way you keep your metabolism on increased burn mode for the entire day.


• Most Important: Only YOU know what is right for YOU. If it doesn't feel right to you, in spite of what the experts say, try something else. You have to enjoy what you're doing in order to keep doing it. If you want it to last then make sure it doesn't hurt!

I hope this helps, Linda! Thanks again for your note and stay fit!

-The Treadmill Sensei
http://www.treadmillsensei.com

Treadmill / Elliptical Delivery Explained

Ohiyo!

Two posts in one night?! The Treadmill Sensei is on a roll! I received a great follow-up note from a DOJO student by the name of Lisa in Mission Viejo. As part of her note asking about the New Balance 1800 treadmill she also had some questions and concerns about the delivery side of her purchase. Questions I'm sure a lot of you have. Let's see if I can shed a bit of light on them. Take it away, Lisa!

(I'm editing Lisa's note down to just the portion referencing her freight problem - check out my New Balance 1800 review for the rest of her message)

Here's my (very silly) question. Just how hard is it to get one of these treadmills inside a house? Does it take more than two people and do they have to be very strong? I only ask because the only shipping offered is curb-side. I just found out that that means it will be dropped on my driveway and I have to get it inside somehow. I really don't want to permanently injure myself or any of the neighbors I will have to bribe if I buy one of these online. I even called the freight company that New Balance uses and asked if I paid extra if they would bring it inside. They said no. If there is even one step into the house, forget it. The gentleman I talked to thanked me for calling and asking though. Apparently, a lot of people think that the driver will bring it inside and they get a lot of angry phone calls. -Lisa

Lisa:

Thanks for the note and the great question! I know that the thought of buying a treadmill or elliptical online can be a bit daunting...especially when faced with the prospect of a 300 pound box showing up on your doorstep. Most delivery services for treadmill or elliptical purchases are going to be what is called "curbside." What this means is the driver will pull the unit off his truck and leave it right out in front of your house or apartment. If you sweet talk him a bit, the driver will probably take the box in to your garage if it is off the street.

Most internet retailers will offer an "inside delivery" option and some will offer an "inside delivery with set-up" option for an extra fee (if you're paying more than $250 for set up and delivery then you're getting ripped off!). These options are generally NOT performed by the trucking company. Most of the time a service tech (like yours truly) will be on hand to bring the unit inside and set it up, or we'll have the treadmill or elliptical delivered to our repair shop and then deliver it ourselves. The trucking companies generally do not do that -- although some, such as ABF Trucking, will handle the entire job.

About taking the units in yourself...ellipticals are generally no problem. If you have a dolly or hand truck then you're golden (unless you're talking about a Star Trac Pro or Elite elliptical, then you're screwed!). One person can generally handle an average size elliptical. Treadmills tend to be a bit heavier and larger than their elliptical cousins. You need a heavy duty hand truck/dolly and 2 people to do the move safely. I'd suggest having the dolly on hand when the driver arrives and having him place the treadmill on it properly.

As for paying for set up once you have the units inside. I'd say don't waste your money on a treadmill set up because they are generally very easy to put together. Ellipticals are a bit tougher and can take 1-2 hours to put together for an average person.

Here's a Treadmill Sensei tip for you: if you want a treadmill (or elliptical) brought inside and set up, and the retailer you're buying from doesn't offer it (or if the price is a bit out of your budget), then call around to local fitness shops and see if one of them has a tech who will do it. A lot of times you can get a local repair/service guy to come out, bring the unit in and set it up for under $100.

I hope I've helped. Take care and stay fit!

-The Treadmill Sensei
http://www.treadmillsensei.com

Reader Mailbag - Where to try out treadmills

Ohiyo!

The Treadmill Sensei is loving the new site! I was very excited to get out of the old one and in to something a lot more user friendly and easier to navigate. If anyone sees any problems on the website, definitely email me here at the DOJO and I'll get on fixing it. Also, if there is anything you'd like to see on the site let me know and I'll see what I can do to make the reader experience better.

Today we have a question from a reader in Southern California (stomping grounds of the Treadmill Sensei) who is having problems finding places to try equipment out. Let's see if we can help her out. Take it away, Lisa!

Hello,

I enjoy reading your website. It is very funny and informative. However, it seems that a lot of the treadmills that are highly rated (in your site and others) cannot be tested by the consumer before purchase. Specifically, Sole, Smooth, and Spirit brands. I live in Mission Viejo, CA and have only found one "brick and mortar" store chain that carries a Spirit treadmill. (And they only have one fold-up model and one non-folding one.) Do you have any recommendations for how the average consumer can try out some of these treadmills? I'm not a serious runner who needs an expensive machine. I just want one that is quiet, durable, and preferably priced under $1,000. So far, my research doesn't come up with many options. I was excited to see the Spirit in person, and it is one of the quietest that I've tried, but I would like to be able to compare it to the other two brands because the prices vary so much. Also, you recently wrote that you are seeing some problems with the quality of the Spirit XT200 ( the only model available in the store), so I'm worried about spending a lot for something that might not hold up very well. I'm more afraid of purchasing a treadmill over the internet, sight unseen, that weighs a ton and can't be returned easily if it doesn't work well.

Thank you for your time and any advice you may have.

Sincerely, Lisa

Lisa:

Thanks for your note and I'm definitely glad you're enjoying the website. I want to apologize for taking so long to get back to you, but I get in around 150 emails a week and I tend to run a little slow on answering. Unfortunately, I don't really like to recommend one retailer over another for questions like this. I can say that the Spirit Fitness website has a dealer locator section that might help you. Sole mainly sells direct and through Dick's Sporting goods, so they don't have a dealer list, but you should be able to call them for a dealer in your area. Between the two companies, they have thousands of dealers across the US.

Unfortunately, Smooth is an internet only company -- and, in fact, Smooth will only sell their main line of equipment direct to customers. While they do make some excellent equipment, the internet-only attitude makes it impossible for customers to see a unit before they buy it.

What I'd suggest if you can't locate a unit to test out, and manufacturers will completely hate me for saying this, but negotiate a 30-day risk free trial with the equipment. Most reputable dealers who are confident in the equipment will have no problems shipping a unit out for you to try. Don't be conned in to having to pay the shipping on a unit you've never tried before because you'll get stuck for as much as $600 or more to return the unit. You want free shipping to and from if you are unsatisfied and you should be able to get it from most dealers if you're buying something site unseen.

Right now is probably one of the best times to buy treadmills and ellipticals because it is the slow selling season for the fitness industry. Because the weather is nice outside most consumers are just not buying treadmills or ellipticals during the summer and retailers are generally hurting for sales. That makes it a great time to buy because you can pressure a dealer for lower prices, even on normally MAP (minimum advertised price) companies like Spirit, Landice or SportsArt. Play a little hardball during the summer and you can come away with $100 or more off a list price. So there's a huge piece of advice that I'll probably add to my treadmill buyer's guide -- buy during the summer to save money.

For under $1000, the units you'd want to try out are the Sole F63 or Spirit Z88. They are actually the same unit. I'd also look at treadmills from New Balance and Horizon which have some great pricing right now if you check out my reviews for them.

The issues with the XT200 seem to have come at the end of the busy season, which runs October through April. I would recommend avoiding the Spirit XT200 treadmill until the replacement unit comes out at the end of the year. In general, though, Sole, Smooth and Spirit are all very good brands.

Thanks again for your email and fee free to zap me if you have any other questions. Take care.

-The Treadmill Sensei
http://www.treadmillsensei.com

Reader Mailbag -- What Does Horsepower Really Mean?

Ohiyo!

Once more the Treadmill Sensei has returned from the depths of the DOJO to answer your treadmill and elliptical questions. Mrs. Sensei and I had a relaxing weekend where we did absolutely nothing constructive at all. We hung out at home, we went to Claimjumper (one of the greatest restaurants in the universe -- the "I Declair" is easily the most perfect dessert ever created), and we watched the grandchild who was not named after me but should have been...but I'm not bitter.

Taking a weekend off from the fitness industry was great but then Monday rolls around and I still have a couple of hundred emails to answer as the Treadmill Sensei. Back to work!

A question I get asked quite often is about treadmill motors and about horsepower. I received this note from "Shane" a while ago, but it sums up the question pretty well. Let's see what Shane has to say. Take it away, Shane!

Hello,

I am so excited to have found you and your website via yahoo answers. I am in the process of shopping for a treadmill.

First I'd like to thank you for saving me from purchasing a Proform...by the way, I laughed so hard at the review (the one about your wife's uncle and his purchase from Cosco's) LMAO!!!! Of course I was going to head down to my local sears and buy the same one. Who knew???? I am very keen on doing research first before making large purchases especially something as important as a treadmill!!!

Your sight is fantastic, I was wondering if you could help me with one aspect:

I've been reading about the CHP vs. the HP I'm reading that a 2.0 CHP is better than a 2.0 HP. Is this true and how so? Thanks! - Shane

Shane:

Thanks for the note and I'm glad you enjoy reading the site. I have a lot of fun writing it as well. My wife calls it my "therapy." She likes it because it keeps me from talking about treadmills and ellipticals when I get home from work...now it's all out of my system by the time I leave the DOJO.

From all the letters I get about it, I can tell that this whole horsepower things is a little confusing to treadmill buyers in general. If it helps, it's all confusing to me too. Let me see if I can help clarify things a bit.

Horsepower is a bit of an ambiguous power rating in the fitness industry and there are no real standards to how a manufacturer has to rate its motors. According to the dictionary, one (1) horsepower is a unit which produces 746 watts of power. That's all fine and dandy, but when you put a 150 pound person on a treadmill with a 3 horsepower machine which produces 2238 watts at its peak, you find the actual horsepower and watt output of the motor drops dramatically. That is where you have the two familiar horsepower ratings in treadmills: peak horsepower (PHP or THP) and continuous horsepower (CHP).

For simplicity's sake, peak horsepower is what the motor can produce without anyone on it and continuous horsepower is what a motor produces when it is being used at capacity (meaning, with the heaviest weight it is rated for). When you're looking for a horsepower rating on a treadmill you want to make sure you are getting the continuous duty rating.

To make things more confusing, a lot of manufacturers will increase the RPMs on a their treadmills to "gear up" a smaller motor and have it produce more wattage. In the short run a smaller motor running at higher RPMs might work the same for you as a larger motor running at low RPMs, but in the long run the smaller motor will run hotter, have more problems and break down quite a bit faster.

It's all a little more complicated than that (to determine HP you need to know the voltage, amps and efficiency of the motor), but the bottom line is to make sure the HP rating you see on a treadmill is a continuous duty rating. A peak rating (PHP or THP) doesn't do you any good at all -- how powerful a treadmill is when you're not on it is meaningless.

So say it with me "I want a big motor, running at low RPMs and I want to know its continuous duty rating." It may all sound confusing but it is the difference between a treadmill with a motor that will burn out in 6 months and one that will last 5-10 years or longer.

-The Treadmill Sensei
http://www.treadmillsensei.com

Treads and Climbers -- This Sensei Bows to No One

Ohiyo!

Yes, I know I promised to post a review on the Star Trac Elite treadmills we received in at the DOJO earlier this week and I will get to it later on today. Before that, though, I wanted to write a bit about a couple of emails I've received recently.

A manufacturer isn't happy with the Treadmill Sensei.

Over the past week or so I've had a manufacturer's rep who was very upset that I gave their "best treadmill on the market" an average rating. This rep went so far as to imply that I had no idea what I was talking about and that my story about almost being injured on one of their units was wrong -- what he said was to the effect of "you were probably at someone else's booth and tried their faulty machines." Finally, he asked that I remove or rewrite my review so it was more favorable to his company and brand.

This is a guy sticking a bit too close to the company line. If you're a manufacturer, before you write me, make sure to read my FAQ section. All of my reviews are based on hands on experience with the treadmills and ellipticals I review, and I will report on my past experiences with the equipment. If I'm saying a machine isn't the highest of quality, you can be assured there are numerous other bad reviews for it online...and you can be assured the manufacturer knows about the problems even if they won't admit it to the public.

In this particular manufacturer's case, the specific event I mentioned was at the 2006 IHRSA fitness trade show out in Las Vegas. It took place a few months before I started this website in March 2006 and a couple of the guys from the DOJO and I were roaming the convention to try out new equipment. It was one of the things that led me to becoming the Treadmill Sensei.

One of the first booths we encountered was the manufacturer's and we decided to give their units a bit of a test drive. We lined up on the 4 units in the front row and started to workout. What we quickly found was their hybrid treadmill-elliptical machine (you know which machine I'm talking about) was one of the most uncomfortable units any of us had ever been on. When you first start you feel like you're going to pitch forward and the motion of the twin treadmill-elliptical tracks going up and down is very very unnatural. The think I noticed was that, in spite of this equipment being at a high profile trade show, that the buttons weren't working properly. I hit the "accelerate" button once and the unit lurched up to its top speed almost immediately, which sent me shooting off the back of the unit. I could have been hurt if not for my cat-like reflexes (ok, in reality, Hikaru caught me and kept me from falling). We tried to shut the machine down but the console was fairly unresponsive.

Interestingly enough, one of the other Senseis, Mike, encountered the same problem on the machine he was using. The speed controls just didn't work properly. Fortunately, Mike is about 15 years younger than me and in great shape so he was able to catch himself and keep up with the sudden increase of speed. This was a bit unsettling because manufacturers generally bring their best equipment to these conventions to show off to press and potential buyers. What this made me assume was that those malfunctioning units WERE the BEST units from the aforementioned Bowing and Flexing company.

We informed one of the sales reps about the non-working machines (and even mocked the company a bit because of it) and the offending pair of machines were quickly turned off. They were back on during the next day of the show but I was too scared to try the unit again.

I bet you're wondering what the point of this rambling post is, aren't you? If you're a manufacturer and you don't like my reviews, then make better equipment. If you're a company that is well known for producing poor product or having bad customer service then don't email and complain to me about a bad review. If your quality is bad in my opinion then I'm going to be letting the public know about it.

I don't mind a manufacturer, retailer or customer disagreeing with my reviews because everyone has their own opinion (and manufacturers have their own agendas). That's totally cool. Don't, however, harass me about changing a review once it has been posted. It's not going to happen. The reviews are my honest opinion of treadmills and ellipticals I come in to contact with. If I have an opinion I'm going to express it. And, if nothing else, you don't ask Ebert & Roper to change a movie review just because you don't like it.

I'm not here to make manufacturers happy, I'm here to keep my readers well informed.

That's it for right now. I'll be back with that Star Trac Elite Treadmill review later in the day.

Take care!

-The Treadmill Sensei
http://www.treadmillsensei.com

Treadmills and Ellipticals - online buying vs offline buying

Ohiyo!

As the Treadmill Sensei and knower of all things fitness related, a lot of readers email me here at the DOJO and ask, "Oh, great Sensei, where should I purchase my new treadmill or elliptical? Should I buy it at a local store or online? Which is better?"

While I don't really like recommending specific stores or websites to purchase from, I can break down the pros and cons of placing an internet order versus going in to a local store and buying the unit from a brick and mortar location. I'm not going to get in to "how to choose" in this post because I've already done that in my "Treadmill Buyer's Guide" and "Elliptical Buyer's Guide" articles. Check them out if you haven't already done so.

The single best way to start researching a treadmill, and the easiest, is to load up your favorite search engine and start poking around. The internet has more information on it than any sales rep at a brick and mortar store...more than any 10 sales reps combined into a super sales rep. Start with review sites like this one (the Treadmill Sensei, www.treadmillsensei.com). Take a look at multiple sites because a lot of them out there have personal agendas in regards to which treadmill or elliptical they are "prescribing." I'd suggest checking with at least 3 sources.

Once you've got a decent handle on a few ellipticals or treadmills that meet your needs, I suggest trying to find a local store to go and try them out. This is a large purchase for most people and it is for a piece of equipment that you're going to spend a lot of time sweating on. Make sure the unit feels good to you.

Once you're completely convinced you've found the perfect treadmill for yourself or the perfect elliptical for your den, get back online and start doing some price comparison. There are a lot of places online that will give you some fantastic prices on equipment. You'll also generally get free shipping and won't have to pay sales tax. Shopping online can save you hundreds dollars on the "hidden costs" that will pop up when purchasing at a local fitness store.

Let's go over some of the pros and cons for online stores versus local shops.

Local Stores -- The Pros:

• The best thing about a local store is that you'll be able to try out the actual equipment you've been researching online. You can do a run on a treadmill or take a quick workout on that elliptical you've had your eyes on.


• The other positive is that you'll be able to walk out the door with the equipment right there. You see it, you like it, you buy it and you take it home. Instant gratification is a wonderful thing.

Local Stores -- The Cons:

• You may get instant gratification, but more than likely it'll cost you. Even if the actual cost of the elliptical or treadmill is good at a local shop, don't forget you're going to be hit with taxes which can add up to a hundred dollars or more on a lot of the treadmills and ellipticals. You might save that $25 or $50 on the price of your dream treadmill but that gets eaten up by $80 in sales taxes!


• From there, you'd better have a big truck or SUV to cart that unit home because once you buy it you'll have to deliver it yourself! Or, for anywhere from $50-$200, that local store can deliver it for you.


• Now, the biggest Con about brick and mortar stores in product knowledge. Unfortunately, in my experience, most brick and mortar sales cashiers have very little actual product knowledge. In fact, if you go to your local seller of sporting goods/fitness equipment you'll find it very hard to even get someone to help you! Most of the reps you'll encounter are going to be young kids who get paid a minimum wage for a minimum amount of work...which is a shame because that will be a turnoff for most people interested in actually buying a treadmill or elliptical.


• The last major problem you'll find at a local store is: pushy salesmen. There's nothing I hate worse than a sales person who treats me like an idiot and pushes hard on whatever product will get them the best commission. I dislike the "used car" style sales people you'll find at a lot of fitness specialty stores. There is a big company here in the LA area that is known for their hard-selling salesmen who bully customers in to some truly bad equipment. If a salesmen gets pushy with you just walk out and don't go back. There are lots of other places to buy a treadmill or elliptical where you won't have to put up with that sort of attitude.

Internet Stores -- The Pros:

• You'll find the widest selection of product around. The big fitness sites will have hundred or thousands of products available for you to take a look at and compare.


• With that extensive product selection you'll also find a lot more product knowledge. If you've got a question or problem, you can generally call up or email an online rep and find them to be incredibly well-informed on everything they carry.
  You will also find better pricing, free delivery in most cases and most of the time you won't have to pay taxes. When you add it all up you'll find yourself saving a lot of time and money when ordering online.

Internet Stores -- The Cons:

• No instant gratification -- you will be waiting around 2-3 weeks to receive your order. Most of the units will be shipped out via a freight company which take 7-10 business days to travel across the country.


• The big con for internet stores is that you don't get to touch or test out their equipment. You're having to deal with facts and opinions. Luckily, there are tons of sites out there and you'll be able to get a good idea of what is a well-built machine and which ones are duds (Icon Fitness).

All-in-all, buying online is a lot easier and less painful. The brick and mortar shops have their place (say, for buying a floor model at a ridiculously low price), but for buying a new treadmill or elliptical I'd say check out online stores for a great deal and larger selection.

That's it for today. Take care!

-The Treadmill Sensei
http://www.treadmillsensei.com

Reader Mailbag: Elliptical Lube and Maintenance Question

Ohiyo!

Today the Treadmill Sensei is posting from his room at Ceasar's Palace here in Las Vegas. Sure Mrs Sensei and I took the weekend off to go and have some fun, but she's sleeping and what she doesn't know won't hurt me!

Last night I received an email from a reader who just purchased a Spirit ZE120 and had a question about a little white tube she found in the packaging of the elliptical. Take it away, Carol!

Hey Sensei,

Thanks for your advice on the ZE120. It was a great deal, and seems like a great machine. I was wondering if you could answer another question. When assembling the machine, we were given a tube of lube, but not told where to use it? Do you know which parts should have the lube applied to them? Thanks again for your help! -Carol V

Carol:

Thanks for the note. About which parts need lube...that sounds like a personal question! Sorry, I couldn't resist. The little white tube of lube (why Spirit decided to put a completely plain white tube in a lot in completely plain white packing material is beyond me -- lots of people accidentally throw their tubes away!) is used to lubricate the shiny elliptical rails on the Spirit ZE120. What it does is reduce the friction between the rails and the wheels which the elliptical runs on.

Lubrication on the Spirit ZE120 and its brothers (the ZE110, XE125, XE150 and XE350) is pretty simple. Squirt a little lube on your finger and then run it along the rails. Then, use the Spirit ZE120 for a minute or so and you'll notice the difference -- the machine will be a lot quieter and run a lot smoother. It will also help elongate the life of your elliptical.

Thanks again for your note, Carol, and good luck with your lube!

-The Treadmill Sensei
http://www.treadmillsensei.com

Article Index

Treadmill Sensei Article Index:

• Ici Ban Best Buy Awards for 2006-2007 - Ellipticals
• Ichi Ban Best Buy Awards for 2006-2007 - Treadmills
• The Home Buyers Guide to Choosing a Treadmill
• The Home Buyers Guide to Choosing an Elliptical Trainer
• Buying Online vs Offline
• Retailer response to "Buying Online vs Offline"
• The Lifetime Warranty Scam -- What does a Lifetime Warranty Really Mean?
• Remanufactured Treadmills, Ellipticals and Fitness Equipment -- Why and How to Buy It Without Getting Ripped Off!
• Treadmill Maintenance -- 11 Tips for the care of your treadmill
• The Landice Treadmill Mystery Solved -- Which unit is right for you
• How to replace your treadmill belt
• Care and Cleaning of your treadmill motor
• The fitness name game -- what you're really buying
• Reviews -- How does the Treadmill Sensei rate treadmills and Ellipticals?
• Adjusting your treadmill speed settings
• Top 5 Treadmills Under $1000 for Sept 2006
• The Proform Treadmill Problem
• The Sensei Bows to No One!
• On the Road: Pictures from IHRSA 2007
• What does horsepower mean?
• Treadmill / Elliptical Delivery Explained
• Tips to burn more Calories during a workout
• Treadmill Online Chooser
• Elliptical Online Chooser
• Why An Elliptical Makes Your Feet Fall Asleep

-The Treadmill Sensei
http://www.treadmillsensei.com

The Lifetime Warranty Scam

Ohiyo!

One of the things, as a service tech, I get asked a lot about is "what is a lifetime warranty." I'd say I get asked about this a few times a week -- more now that this site is getting 1000+ unique visitors a day. Unfortunately, there isn't a good answer to this question.

The Lifetime Warranty tends to be a bit of a shell game with most companies. They put "lifetime warranty" on a product and either assume a consumer won't take the time to read the fine print or don't even take the time themselves to write it. With some companies, such as Craftsman tools, lifetime means lifetime. If you have a problem with a Craftsman hammer in 15 years they will replace it with no questions asked.

Sadly, most other companies do not take to heart this old school attitude of honoring your word. They may define "lifetime warranty" as a time period as long as the equipment lasts -- in other words, once the product "dies" it's lifetime is over. This happens quite a bit with electronics and computer manufacturers. Another game of theirs is to set an arbitrary length of time for the life of a product -- 3 years for computer RAM is pretty standard. Once you go beyond that length of time, you are out of the warranty coverage.

With fitness equipment, unless otherwise stated, a lifetime warranty generally means "7 years beyound the end of production cycle of the equipment." For example, if you purchased a Horizon T54 (whose production ended in 2005), your lifetime frame warranty would only be valid through 2012.

When you look at that example you'll see that a lifetime warranty isn't quite as good as you initially thought and isn't as goog as a 10 year warranty. The manufacturer is figuring most buyers will only use their equipment for a couple of years before discarding it...that thinking is kind of sad considering that a lot of this equipment should have a lifetime of 10 years or more. Here at the DOJO we do a lot of service on old Precor units from the 1980s which are still running fine. Same goes for Life Fitness and Star Trac.

There are a few vendors out on the net which use a "free upgraded lifetime warranty" as a selling point but really all they are selling you is a bill of goods -- they're selling you the perceived value of a lifetime warranty and not really anything worthwhile. In fact, if they're offering you a lifetime warranty "upgrade" on a unit with a 20 year warranty then you're actually being downgraded!

My warning to you, the consumer, is to be very careful when it comes to buying a piece of equipment based on a lifetime warranty. It may not be as good a deal as you'd expect. I'd ask for a 20 year warranty instead of the lifetime just to mess around with the vendor!

Whatever you do, make sure to read the fine print AND get clarification on the lifetime warranty if it isn't provided for you. Don't get caught by the Lifetime Warranty Scam.

-The Treadmill Sensei
http://www.treadmillsensei.com

The First Annual Treadmill Sensei 2006-2007 Ichi-Ban "Best Buy Awards" for Ellipticals

Ohiyo!

Welcome to the second part of the Treadmill Sensei 2006-2007 Ichi-ban "Best Buy Awards." This time I'll go over my choices for "best buy" ellipticals. The interesting thing about ellipticals vs treadmills is that there are some decent choices in the under $500 range. This is because ellipticals, unlike their treadmill cousins, do not have the added expense of motors, and this allows a little more quality on the lower end of things.

As with the treadmill "best buy" awards, the ellipticals are picked with no real scientific technique. All rev