From the Mailbag: Horizon LS 645E Elliptical Trainer

I had one of Our AWESOME readers ask me to take a look at the Horizon LS 645E. I had a chance to go to Sports Authority the other day and wanted to check it out (since it is Exclusive only to SA). So I go into this Mega store, feeling like I do in all these warehouse places…GRAY. Well, as I am looking at the ellipticals, I notice that most of their prices are fairly competitive.

Then I see the item in question, the Horizon LS 645E. Appears to be fairly sturdy and priced on sale at $499……Then I get on it! UGH, I don’t like the feel of it immediately! That does not always mean anything, but this elliptical is no bargin! I noticed that this ellipitcal is very light weight, and does not feel sturdy when working out at a slow pace. I cannot imagine if you were really flying on the thing! The LS 645E is also on the loud side, which is never a selling point to anyone I have ever known!

Besides the noise, I also notice that the flywheel felt light, well 14 lbs is on the lighter side (compared to a 23 to 29 lb flywheel on other brands). This is a standard size, but some just feel better, and this was not one of them!

The positives were fairly commonly found on ICON/Horizon ellipticals, like the decent sized pedals, and the 16 inch stride. That was about all I could give this one, not typical from Horizon!

So Ana, keep looking. I know you can do better in this same price range! Try Schwinn or Healthrider!

Horizon LS 645E Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 18"
Flywheel: Approximately 14lbs
Pivot Footplate: Yes
Display: LCD
Readouts: resistance, time, incline, calories, heart rate, distance and strides per minute
Programs: 9 Goal to Go (3 calorie-specific, 3 distance-specific, 3 time-specific)
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Max User Weight: 275
Price: $599

The NordicTrack Commercial 1300 Elliptical Review - An Ok Incline Elliptical for under $1000

Ohiyo!

Reader email is one of the Treadmill Sensei's favorite things here at the DOJO. I truly believe some of the best articles here on www.TreadmillSensei.com come out of questions sent in by you, my loyal readers. Today's post is no exception.

Lisa is looking for a new elliptical and has come across one from Nordic Track. Let's see what she has to say and let's see if we can help her out. Take it away, Lisa.

I love your site and I've read through every elliptical review you've written.

I know the Icon line is primarily crap just waiting to break down once it's out of the box. I did try out a 990 Audiostrider at Sears and I really liked the feel of it with the incline (the wobbly base was another matter). That one has horrible reviews in general, but I did find a Nordic Track Commercial 1300 at Costco that has the incline ramp at a probably too-good-to-be-true price. My question: Does Nordic Track's "commercial" line have any better quality than the rest of their products, or is it more of the same crap under a different name? I've seen some good reviews, but for all I know they were written by people who work for Nordic Track.

I tried the Precors because I'd like to have an incline, but they weren't as comfortable for me as the Sole ellipticals. Surprisingly, I liked the feel of the Nordic Tracks with an incline better than the feel of the Soles, but I don't trust the Nordic Track quality. The 1300 appears more sturdy than their other lines, but I'd hate to spend good money on a piece of equipment that will break down within a month.

Thanks for hosting a great site - it's nice to know there's an unbiased site for reviews. It's so hard to sort through other sites not knowing the motives of the people doing the reviews. -Lisa

Lisa:

Thanks for your note, your kind words about the website and your great question. It is always nice to hear that our site is actually helping people out in finding the best equipment for their fitness needs. In regards to your questions about Icon in general and the Nordic Track line specifically, overall their equipment falls in the middle of the pack when it comes to quality of components, durability and lifespan of the equipment. The Nordic Track line is a little better than the poorer performing Proform, Image, Weider, Gold's Gym and Reebok brands, but it still isn't all that much to write home about.

One of the misconceptions I want to address in regards to the Nordic Track line is the "commercial" quality they enjoy talking about. Unfortunately, it doesn't actually exist. You see, what makes an elliptical or treadmill commercial quality is the manufacturer's willingness to give it a commercial warranty. In other words, a warranty which supports the equipment being used in a high traffic, commercial gym -- usually 120+ hours of use a week. Equipment a manufacturer has the financial confidence to warranty in that environment is generally heavier duty and will take more of a beating (and will generally have fewer of the bells and whistles often found on residential grade equipment). If you want to see whether or not the Nordic Track "Commercial" 1300 is indeed a commercial grade elliptical, tell the retailer you're looking to purchase from that the unit will be going in to a 24-hour Fitness style gym and you want to know what the commercial warranty is.

If Icon only gives a residential warranty of 90 days for parts and labor, I can't imagine what they'd give as a commercial warranty, if they'd even offer one at all. Warranty is a great judge in a manufacturer's confidence in a product. The shorter the warranty (especially the labor warranty), the shorter the lifespan of the elliptical or treadmill.

As for the Nordic Track Commercial 1300 elliptical itself, we get a few in for servicing each month. I believe the unit is now either discontinued or in the process of being discontinued. The 1300 is a fairly solidly built elliptical and doesn't suffer from the side-to-side shakes of a lot of lesser ellipticals, such as those from Proform, Weider, Spirit or Image. That being said, the light weight flywheel and non-articulating pedals give it a fairly uncomfortable elliptical motion, especially for longer length workouts. The unit is really meant for shorter people doing shorter, lighter workouts.

The Nordic Track Commercial 1300 Elliptical (I hate typing out that long name!) isn't a bad elliptical by any means, it is a sorely average one tho. If you absolutely have to get one I would very much suggest paying for the extended warranty as well because chances are you will need it.

Now, just to be confusing, if you've tried one and you like the feel, then go for it. Getting an elliptical that "feels" right to you is the most important thing -- and the main factor in making sure you continue to workout for the long haul. Just make sure to be aware of the issues with purchasing from a more budget level manufacturer like Icon and Nordic Track. In particular, I have heard about issues with the incline motors giving out fairly quickly on a number of the Icon incline elliptical trainers.

For being a solid but average elliptical, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Nordic Track Commercial 1300 Elliptical 3 out of 5 golden buddahs.

Not overly bad but not overly good, the Nordic Track Commercial 1300 Elliptical comes away with 3 gold buddahs.

Nordic Track Commercial 1300 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 18"
Flywheel: approximately 12lbs
Display: LCD
Readouts: Time, speed, distance, resistance, pulse, RPM, carbs burned and calories burned
Programs: 18
Resistance: 16 levels
Incline: 10%
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: No
Max User Weight: 350lbs
Unit Weight: 200lbs
Price: Under $1000

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

The Horizon E900 Elliptical Review - An excellent best buy incline elliptical for under $1100

Ohiyo!

I think I've mentioned this before, but every so often a surprise shows up here at the DOJO and the Treadmill Sensei gets to check out a piece of equipment he hasn't seen or done a review on before. About a week ago the guys unloaded a decent-sized boxed which has the label of "Horizon E900 Elliptical" pasted all over it and I was very eager to take a look at the unit...not eager enough to risk my own back unloading the elliptical from the large truck, but definitely eager enough to stand around and encourage those doing the lifting to do it a little faster.

Once unloaded and unpacked, the Horizon E900 elliptical took us about 30 minutes to put together. It should take a pair of people with average mechanical skillz (I like to toss a "Z" in to the mix every now and then to show how "hip" and "cool" I can be) about an hour to assemble. I've heard of some people taking as long as two hours but that really shouldn't be the case. The instruction manual for the E900 elliptical is very well put together and incredibly easy to follow.

Once we had the unit installed it was an easy thing to realize the Horizon E900 is almost identical, if a bit slimmed down, to the Horizon E1200 Incline elliptical. The frames seem to be the same from my memory and the only major differences are in the console, the slightly smaller flywheel, a few features and the hugely reduced price of the Horizon E900. They even have the same iPod dock and stereo set up built in.

To tell the truth, as good as the Horizon E1200 performed in our tests from 2007, the Horizon E900 performed just as well. The slight difference in flywheel sizes was almost completely unnoticeable and the features are close enough where a person might mistake one machine for the other if they weren't labeled. In fact, the only very minor nitpick I had with the Horizon E900 Elliptical was the same one I had for the E1200 -- the lack of heart rate control. Thankfully, most consumers never even use this feature so it isn't missed.

If you are looking for an incline elliptical priced under $1500 or even $2000, then the Horizon E900 Incline Elliptical is worth a look. It has the solid base and frame of a light commercial elliptical, along with a fantastic feeling elliptical motion and articulating foot pedals...everything a customer could possibly want from an incline elliptical PLUS an incredibly budget price point of under $1100.

For being even better than its very solid bigger brother, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Horizon Performance E900 Incline Elliptical 4.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

A very solid 4.5 gold buddahs for the incline elliptical by Horizon, the E900.

Horizon E900 Elliptical Trainer Specifications
Stride: 19"
Articulating Footpedals: Yes
Flywheel: Approximately 14lbs
Incline: 16%
Display: LCD
Readouts: resistance, time, incline, calories, heart rate, distance and strides per minute
Programs: 14
Resistance Levels: 16
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: No
Max User Weight: 300
Unit Weight: Approximately 160lbs
Price: Under $1100

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

The Proform Epic 1200 Pro Elliptical Review - Quality Incline Elliptical Under $1000

Ohiyo!

Here at the DOJO we get a lot of emails asking about the Icon Health & Fitness lines of treadmills and ellipticals. Icon is one of the largest fitness manufacturers in the world and is best know for budget priced equipment and so-so quality. You may have seen their equipment under one of the following brands: Proform, Nordic Track, Epic, Reebok (in the US...outside of the US Reebok is made by Smooth Fitness), Image, Weider, Gold's Gym and a few others I'm probably forgetting. Overall their equipment seems to be cheaply made and for consumers looking to spend as little on equipment as possible because they won't be using it in 6 months. Icon tends to tack on a ton of special features to help take the focus off the lack of quality in construction and components, and this is reflected in their often very short term warranties. Why support a project that won't be used (or working) in a year?

Now, with all that being said, a recent arrival here at the DOJO really surprised the Treadmill Sensei with its durability and solid construction...heck, even the components it was built from were fairly decent. The product I'm talking about is the Proform Epic 1200 Pro Elliptical. Yes, it has an ungodly long name but I was impressed by the unit we brought in to the shop and was very impressed by its incline feature. An incline ramp is something not often done well and especially not at a budget price point. I don't know how they did it, or what kind of deal they had to sign with the Devil to do it, but Icon has produced a very solid incline elliptical trainer in the Proform Epic 1200 Pro.

Before I get in to the positives on the Proform Epic 1200 incline elliptical, I want to talk a bit about the problems with the machine. The only major issues we encountered with the unit were in assembley. A few of the holes in the Proform Epic 1200 were machined just off enought to be very annoying. The holes weren't so far off that assembley was impossible but they were a bitch to get the elliptical put together. What should have been a 20 minute assembley turned in to about 45 minutes of frustration. From speaking with other service techs who deal with the Proform Epic 1200 Pro, this seems to be a fairly common occurance. Estimates are at about 1 in 10 of the ellipticals have this problem.

The only other problem I had with the Proform Epic 1200 was the lack of articulating pedals. Since the unit is a rear drive elliptical, Proform went with static pedals as is most common with the design. Now, in Proform's defense they did an excellent job in providing some very comfortable pedals (Gelstride) and great pedal placement for anyone under about 6'1". Someone taller than that may want to go with a longer stride unit. Also, the large, heavy duty flywheel provides an excellent elliptical motion during your workouts. So, the lack of articulating pedals is a minor strike but the machine makes up for it with a well designed drive and elliptical motion.

And that was really it for the negatives of the unit. Mat and I worked out on this machine for 5 days at an hour a day. Being taller, he prefers a 19"-20" stride but thought the frame was very solid - Mat weighs right around 300 pounds so he was definitely pushing the weight limit. He thought it would hold up to heavy duty work outs for sure. As a smaller user, the Proform Epic 1200 Incline elliptical felt as solid as a rock...something very unusual to say about a Proform elliptical. In the past their machines tended to feel a bit more rickety. Not so with the Epic 1200 pro elliptical which is built from much heavier duty steel tubing than normally found in a budget priced elliptical.

Aside from that, the incline feature was a very nice addition to have in the Proform Epic 1200 Pro. You don't often seen an incline on budget ellipticals under $1000 and when you do they are usually poorly constructed. The Proform Epic 1200 performed very well in our tests at different inclines and even held up well to the additional weight of a larger user.

Wrapping up the features of the Proform Epic 1200 Pro Incline elliptical (I get winded just saying that name!) are an 18" stride, 18 programs, 16 levels of resistance and a very beefy 350 pound user weight. All-in-all, this was a very solid offering (and a huge surprise) from Proform. If not for the construction issues and the frustration it caused me, the Proform Epic 1200 Pro Elliptical would have received a much higher rating.

For being a great incline elliptical at a budget price under $1000, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Proform Epic 1200 Pro Elliptical and its very long name 3.5 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

The Proform Epic 1200 Pro Elliptical is a solid buy incline elliptical priced at under $799 with 3.5 gold buddahs.

Proform Epic 1200 Pro Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 18"
Flywheel: approximately 18lbs
Incline: Yes
Display: LCD
Readouts: incline, RPM, distance, resistance, pulse and calories burned
Programs: 18
Resistance Levels: 16
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: No
Max User Weight: 350lbs
Unit Weight: Approximately 160lbs
Price: Under $800

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

The Bladez 850E Elliptical Trainer Review - Best New Technology in an Elliptical

Ohiyo!

The Treadmill Sensei loves to check out new treadmills and ellipticals. It is one of my favorite things to do, both here at the DOJO and at fitness tradeshows like the Health & Fitness Business Expo and the IHRSA show. Speaking of the IHRSA show, a few of us from here at TreadmillSensei.com will be there roaming the floor this week on March 5. If you see us, feel free to say "hi!"

Back to new equipment, at the 2007 Health & Fitness show, one of the coolest new technologies we saw for elliptical trainers was the Adjustable Width Technology (AWT) from Bladez/BH Fitness. Their patented new technology allowed users to adjust the spacing between pedals to accomodate different sized users. As a feature found on no other ellipticals, I thought this was a fantastic feature and wished it had come out years ago.

A lot of people are familiar with being able to adjust the angle of an elliptical's pedals, and tons of ellipticals have that feature. However, one of the biggest issues with elliptical workouts, especially when you have mutliple users of differents sizes, is the distance between the two pedals. For some people a wider spacing is preferred, while others like their pedals tighter together. Poor spacing can cause foot numbness, as well as thigh cramps in extreme cases of bad pedal placement. Thankfully, the Bladez 850E Elliptical trainer has addressed this issue in outstanding fashion.

While we had been walked through the new Bladez 850e Elliptical back at the trade show in Denver, I didn't get a long enough time on the machine to give it a full testing. Luckily, we were able to order an 850e elliptical trainer from Amazon.com almost a month ago and have been able to put it through its paces.

Out of the box, the Bladez 850e was very similar in size and slightly heavier than the Sole E25 or the Spirit XE100/Spirit XE200/Spirit XE300 ellipticals. In fact, the looks of the machines is very is very similar in design. Even assembly was almost the same and took us around 20 minutes to complete -- figure on it taking someone with average mechanical abilities around 45 minutes...or, if you're like my wife's Uncle Chris and have no mechanical aptitude, it could take 90 minutes. I prefer the slightly heavier support tubing on the Bladez model but otherwise it is very comparable to the Sole E25 and far exceeds the comparable Spirit ellipticals.

Once Mat and I were able to get to our 10 days or so of testing, we were both highly impressed by the stability and comfort of the Bladez E850e Elliptical. To see a stride of 20" on an elliptical priced at under $700 was amazing, especially when you consider the ability to adjust pedal width to further customize your workout and your comfort. That adjustment allows the 850e to have easily one of the best elliptical feels on an elliptical priced at under $1500. It raises the bar on what an elliptical should have, how it should perform and what its price should be. If you're looking at a Spirit XE100, Spirit XE200 or Spirit XE300, then you're doing yourself an injustice by not taking a look at the Bladez 850e Elliptical as it out-performs them in just about every situation.

In addition to a 20" stride, adjustable width pedals, heavy duty 24 pound flywheel and solid, steel frame, the 850e Elliptical also has 16 levels of resistance, padded foot pedals, pulse grip heart rate monitoring, 12 fitness programs and a 300 pound user weight limit. The only things missing are wireless heart rate monitoring and heart rate control programs, but for an elliptical priced under $700 these features really aren't required or even missed.

Bladez has done a stupendous job with the design and engineering of the 850e elliptical trainer and for that the Treadmill Sensei gives it 5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

A truly remarkable machine, the Bladez 850e Elliptical gets a perfect 5 gold buddahs and may be the best new elliptical of the year.




Get more information and find the lowest price on the Bladez 850E Elliptical Trainer. Save more with NO TAX and FREE SHIPPING


Bladez 850e Elliptical Trainer Specifications
Stride: 20"
Flywheel: approximately 24 pounds
Articulating Foot Pedals: Yes
Display: LCD
Readouts: Time, Distance, Speed, RPM, Heart Rate & Calories & Program profile
Resistance Levels: 16
Programs: 12
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: No
Max User Weight: 300lbs
Unit Weight: 175lbs
Price: Under $700

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

The Esprit EL5 Elliptical by Spirit Review - A great deal at under $1100

Ohiyo!

When it comes to equipment made by Spirit Fitness out in Jonesboro, Arkansas, the Treadmill Sensei generally gets one of two questions. The first is usually from disgruntled Spirit dealers who are having problems selling this year's lower quality Spirit equipment and generally amounts to "why aren't you supporting Spirit equipment as much this year because I have a warehouse full of stuff that I can't get rid of."

The second question is from you, my loyal readers, who want to know how the "new" Esprit ellipticals are and whether or not you can trust product from Spirit Fitness with their recent drop in quality (long time readers of a certain Doctor's website probably noticed Spirit's absence from the "best buy" listings this year as opposed to last year when they were all over it - and the same went for my best buy awards).

I think I can address both of those questions with today's review of the Esprit EL-5 elliptical, which we brought in to the DOJO on a loan from a local online retailer. For those of you who don't know, the Esprit line of ellipticals is just a repainted version of the old award-winning 2006 Sole ellipticals, and the Esprit EL5 is just a repainted 2006 Sole E55, while the 2008 Spirit ellipticals are brand new designs. That, my friends, is a great example of the problems with the current line of 2008 Spirit products: their equipment shined in the past when their units were just repainted versions of the Sole treadmills and ellipticals (and received a ton of awards both online and off), but their new shorter frame ellipticals just feel stunted and ill-conceived. That doesn't even mention that most industry experts find the 2008 Spirit treadmills and ellipticals highly over-priced.

Luckily, someone at Spirit was smart enough to keep the old award-winning line at least partially alive with the Esprit line of ellipticals this year. Sure they painted them a funky "refrigerator white" color, but at least the units themselves don't have the issues and bad press associated with the 2008 Spirit ellipticals. But I digress a bit. Let's get on to the Esprit EL5 Elliptical review. We received a note from Ryan C (a regular reader here at www.TreadmillSensei.com), asking for more information on the EL-5 elliptical trainer. Let's see what he has to say...take it away, Ryan!

Do you know anything about the spirit esprit el5. I found it for $1095.00 (plus $4.99 shipping!). I heard it is a repainted version of the sole e55. How odes this item compare to the sole e25? - Ryan

Ryan:

Thanks for your note and questions. You are absolutely correct, the Spirit Esprit El-5 Elliptical is currently on sale at Amazon.com for $1095 and, at that price, the Esprit EL5 is a fantastic buy. You may see it on some slightly shady online retail sites for as much as $1397.99 but don't be conned into paying more (some of those shadier dealers may also try to get you to "convert" over from a Sole unit at a that higher price).

You are also correct in that the Esprit EL5 from Spirit is a repainted version of the older 2006 Sole E55 elliptical. It is a slight downgrade from the current 2008 Sole E55 but at a more budget friendly price. That price is the reason for the high rating on the Esprit EL5 - you are getting a very solid elliptical with a 20" stride, 20 levels of resistance, 6 preset programs, heart rate monitoring, heart rate control programs, articulating and adjustable foot pedals. The unit also offers a very smooth elliptical motion and Sole's patented 2% inward incline pedals for a much more natural feel to your workouts.

The only real downside to the Esprit units is the lesser warranty, the so-so color and lack of the higher-end Sole padding on the foot pedals. It isn't a huge downside, especially at the $1095 price point, but is something worth thinking about.

If you've been checking out the Sole E55 but can't afford the price, or if you were turned off by the stair-stepper feel of the Spirit XE200/Spirit XE300/Spirit XE400 and their outrageous prices, then the Esprit EL5 elliptical is a very nice alternative at a great price.

For being a budget alternative to the Sole E55 and for being more comfortable than standard Spirit ellipticals, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Esprit EL-5 Elliptical by Spirit a sturdy 4 out of 5 golden buddahs. Wow, a 2008 elliptical from Spirit that isn't a disappointment...who woulda thunk?

UPDATE: I don't know how long the Amazon sale will last but this rating is for the Esprit EL5 priced at just under $1100.

The Esprit EL5 Elliptical from Spirit Fitness gets 4 gold buddahs out of 5 but only if priced at under $1100. Anything more than that and I'd suggest sticking with the current 2008 Sole ellipticals instead.




Get more information on the Esprit EL5 elliptical and find the lowest price online.

Spirit Esprit EL-5 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 20"
Flywheel: Listed at 30lbs
Display: LCD
Resistance Levels: 20
Watts: 1000
Programs: 6 preset
Heart Rate Monitoring: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Articulating Pedals: Yes
Adjustable Pedals: Yes
Max User Weight: 350lbs
Unit Weight: 200lbs
Price: Under $1100

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

The 2008 Sole E95 Elliptical Review -- Another excellent update from Sole for 2008

Ohiyo!

Tonight I am continuing my ongoing reviews of the brand new 2008 Sole Fitness Ellipticals and Treadmills. Sole has done an incredible job in their upgrades, which in the ellipticals consists mainly of thicker, sturdier tubing on their supports. You have no idea how great it is to see a fitness manufacturer who has found a near perfect design and then stuck with it, without making meaningless changes. Sole continues to produce some of the best award-winning ellipticals around.

The elliptical I want to single out for today is the 2008 Sole E95 Elliptical trainer. We picked our review model up by ordering it direct from Sole Fitness. With the current trend of some of the shadier retailers who like to use bait-and-switch and other tactics to bully you in to the wrong equipment (something I talked about in-depth recently), we've found the two best places to order your Sole E95 are at Amazon.com, Sole's largest authorized distributor, or direct from the manufacturer, Sole Fitness, itself. These are the only two ways to make sure you are getting exactly what you order and the only way to guarantee that your warranty will be support. Luckily, you'll be able to get the best prices online from them as well.

Best Buy Elliptical Award runner up for Best Elliptical under $2000

The Sole E95 was one of the runner ups this year for the Treadmill Sensei's Ichi-Ban Best Buy Awards for an elliptical priced at under $2000 and, to tell the truth, it was a solid contender for the top spot. With the upgraded heavy duty tubing and slick new design, the Sole E95 has carried over all the features from last year that made it a top rated elliptical.

It's got 20 levels of magnetic resistance to allow even a hardcore user to tweak their workouts to meet their fitness needs.

It still has 10 workout programs, including heart rate control programs, as well as wireless and pusle grip heart rate monitoring options. It also still possesses Sole's patented 2% inward incline pedals. Those pedals, some of the most comfortable on the market, are also articulating and adjustable. For anyone getting on a Sole E95 Elliptical for the first time, my recommendation is to play with the pedal adjustment. What may seem like a minor tweak may wind up giving you an incredible feeling work out.

The Sole E95 strangely is listed with a 29 pound flywheel this year. I have absolutely no clue as to why Sole has changed the spec on this because, when you take it apart, it seems to be the exact same flywheel as was in the E95 Ellipticalcrosstrainer last year. A lot of manufacturer's play with their specifations on paper to mess with consumer reactions to a product and to show some sort of change has taken this place. In this case, the two flywheels are the same.

The Sole E95 Elliptical has all the features to make it a great elliptical. From the comfortable, naturally positioned and padded footpedals, to the four rear wheels which ride along rails (as opposed to the two rear wheels often found on lesser ellipticals), the Sole E95 shines.

The only reason the Sole E95 elliptial receives a ranking just short of perfect is because of the plastic guide rails on the back of the unit. This year the plastic is quite a bit more sturdy than in years past (and sturdier than what you'll find in its lesser counterpart, the Spirit XE ), but it still seems a little wrong to me. While the user manual states you shouldn't stand on the plastic guiderail shrouds on the Sole E95 Elliptical, most people will end up doing so - often accidentally. This would be ok except the plastic will crack under too much abuse. This is a minor nitpick on an otherwise great machine because the plastic shrouds do help protect the elliptical's railings from dirt and dust, but I would have like to have seen the Sole E95 elliptical trainer with a metal shroud instead of a plastic one.

For being just short of a perfect performing elliptical crosstrainer, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Sole E95 Elliptical 4.5 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

The Sole E95 receives a near perfect 4.5 gold buddahs out of 5.




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You can also order the Sole E95 from Sole Direct and save more with Free Shipping and Pay NO TAX

Sole E95 Elliptical 2008 Specifications
Stride: 20"
Flywheel: Listed at 29lbs but same as last year's 30lb flywheel
Display: LED
Programs: 10
Resistance Levels: 20
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Articulating Pedals: Yes
Adjustable Pedals: Yes
Max User weight: 400lbs
Product weight: 215lbs
Price: Under $1700

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

Reader Mailbag: The SportsArt E83, a perfect elliptical for tall users

Ohiyo!

Before I get to the reader mailbag I want to confess to something...and I'm only able to do this because I know Mrs. Sensei doesn't ever read this website. Today the Treadmill Sensei encountered something that has completely ruined his finely regimented and regulated diet (regimented and regulated by Mrs. Sensei, of course). Today the Treadmill Sensei was at Costco with Hikaru, making a quick trip to refill the lunchroom here at the DOJO with juice, soda and snacks for the other Senseis. It was there in the bakery aisle that I saw what was to be my downfall...a banana and chocolate cream pie.

When we arrived back at the DOJO, I decided to pop open the pie and have a small taste before going back to work. Sure, my wife would disapprove, but it was just going to be a tiny bite and no one would ever know. Unfortunately, one small bite led to a small piece which led to a medium sized piece which led to the Treadmill Sensei eating almost half of the pie before Hikaru burst in to my office to save me from myself.

Now, I'm feeling tired from the huge carb and sugar intake, I've got a cream stain on my shirt and all I can think of is having to kill Hikaru to get my pie back. So, if you're in Costco and see the beautiful banana and chocolate cream pie, please do yourself and your sanity a favor and walk away. Just walk away.

Ok, let's get back to today's Reader Mailbag before your Treadmill Sensei goes and runs for an hour to work off some of that delicious pie...and tries to figure out how to "Shout" the new stain out of his shirt! Today we have an email from Matt C. who is looking for a sturdy elliptical for himself and his wife, both of whom are very tall.

Take it away, Matt!

This is a great website. I really appreciate the reviews and advice.

My wife and I are both tall. She is 6 feet and I am 6' 6 and weigh about 295. I have bad joints and need a low impact type of exercise which is why I have chosen an elliptical. My problem is that I really feel like most machines I will run into the ground. The residental machines seem too weak for my frame. I know I need an adjustable stride of at least 25 inches. Can you tell me the best "sturdy" machine that is going to take my abusive workouts for the the next few years that won't give me problems that have a longer stride?. I am willing to spending between $2,000-$2900.

Thanks for your advice, Matt

Matt:

Thanks for your note. It's nice to hear from a taller reader because it lets me talk about something besides "which is better, Sole or Smooth." To start off, you could probably make due with a 20" or 21" elliptical stride and be ok. That being said, a good 25" stride will definitely feel a lot better for you. If you did decide to go down to a shorter stride, I would avoid Octane and Bodyguard ellipticals like the plague. You'd wind up bumping your knees or thighs on those machines, which don't have the best designs for taller users (I'd recommend them only for those under 6' in height).

Now, if you're looking for a very stable, sturdy and long lasting elliptical with an adjustable stride, there is really only one brand to look at: SportsArt Fitness. SportsArt puts together what I consider to be the best designed, best supported ellipticals on the market today, and probably of all time.

In particular, you want to take a look at the best buy award winning SportsArt E83 Elliptical.

2008 Ichi-Ban Best Buy Award Winner.

You can check out my full review of the SportsArt E83 Elliptical HERE. If you've got the budget for it, which you mention you did, the SportsArt E83 Elliptical is really and truly one of the finest ellipticals out there. It completely blows away lower priced ellipticals, and even higher priced units from Precor or Life Fitness can't really compete with its design or rock-solid frame. There is absolutely no better elliptical especially in the $2000-$3000 price range.

The three key points to focus on after the steel-welded frame are: the use of ball bearing joints instead of the cheaper bushings used in lower end ellipticals from Spirit or Nordic Track (for example). The use of bearings will give you a much smoother, more maintenance free, quieter and longer life elliptical.

The second point to look at is the manual adjustable stride. This may sound a bit counter-intuitive, but the manual stride adjustment is a lot more reliable than an electronic or computer controlled one. Those automatic stride adjustments are a lot more complex in their design which causes them to be far less reliable than the SportsArt E83.

The last point to think about is, and this won't affect your elliptical workout, there is a man who works at SportsArt named Scott Logan. The reason you should know that name is because he has what we here at TreadmillSensei.com consider to be one of the finest groomed beards to ever come out of the Pacific Northwest. Like I said, it doesn't affect the fantastic workout provided by the Sports Art E83, but proper grooming should be a matter of principal.

But seriously, if I had to choose a "best of the best" elliptical it would probably be the SportsArt E83 Elliptical trainer. The level of engineering and thought behind its creation are mind-blowing. You can get more information on it online HERE.

Thanks again for your note, Matt. Good luck with your elliptical quest!

Get more information on the incredible SportsArt E83 Elliptical and find the lowest price online.

SportsArt E83 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 17"-25.5" manufally adjustable
Flywheel: approximately 22lbs
Display: Dot Matrix LED
Readouts: Workout Level, Calories, Time, Stride Length, Distance, Cal/Hr, Strides/Min, Total Strides, Heart Rate, Heart Rate Target
Programs: 8
Resistance: 14 Levels
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max User Weight: 350lbs
Unit Weight: 282lbs
Grade: Residential
Price: Under $2600

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

The Sole E25 Elliptical 2008 Review - Still the best elliptical under $1000

Ohiyo!

This past month, the Treadmill Sensei has been able to track down a few of the 2008 Sole ellipticals and treadmills. The units are cosmetically a little different than models from the previous years, and some key components have been upgraded, but overall they are still essentially the same best buy award winning units from years past.

Today I want to talk about the 2008 Sole E25 Elliptical - you can read my review of the previous year's model here. For over three years now, the Sole E25 Elliptical has been one of the best performing, highest quality elliptical priced at under $1000. This year, Sole has done some nice upgrades to the machine while keeping it at the same fantastic price and allowing new elliptical shoppers a chance to purchase on of the smoothest, most natural feeling ellipticals on the market.

2008 Ichi-Ban Best Buy Award Winner.

I'm going to start with the only thing that could even remotely being considered a downside to the Sole E25 elliptical: the lack of heart rate control programs. Aside from wanting to differentiate this unit from the Sole E35, I don't really know why Sole didn't decide to make the upgrade to heart rate contol on the Sole E25 - you're talking about a fairly simply electronic component. However, 95% of elliptical owners never actually use heart rate contol during their workouts, so it is a very minor little quibble.

Assembling the 2008 Sole E25 is almost identical to models from previous years. The precision machining Sole uses means putting it together should be a snap. If you can get someone to assist you, it might take 30-45 minutes and comes with almost no frustration involved. If you're looking for more frustration in your ellipticals, I'd suggest a unit from Proform, Bodyguard or Spirit. If you want something easy and unannoying, then stick with the Sole.

Aside from the lack of heart rate control, the Sole E25 is nearly a perfect elliptical machine. This year Sole has added slightly thicker tubing to give the already stable e25 elliptical even more solidity and sturdiness. Normally you'll feel a wobbly, side-to-side shake on most budget ellipticals, such as those from Proform or Spirit, but with the addition of the heavier supports and a nearly 200 pound unit weight, the Sole E25 will hold up to the heavier workouts that go on with those of us who are trying to lose those extra pounds gained over the holidays. When you factor in the heavy flywheel - listed at 23 pounds but identical to the flywheels on the more expensive Sole ellipticals like the E35 or E55 - and Sole's patented 2% inward incline on the pedals, the solid construction of the Sole E25 provides one of the most natural feeling elliptical workouts on the market.

Sole has done an excellent job with the 2008 upgrade of the Sole E25. This year, in addition to the heavier frame, the Sole E25 now features 20 levels of resistance and 10 programs - that's up from 16 resistance levels and 6 programs on the 2006/2007 version of the E25. It's nice to see an elliptical manufacturer actually coming through with a worthwhile upgrade.

For continuing to be one of our favorite budget best buy ellipticals under $1000, the Treadmill Sensei gives the 2008 Sole E25 Elliptical 5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

As still one of the best budget ellipticals and best buy ellipticals under $1000, the Sole E25 comes through once more with 5 gold buddahs.




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2008 Sole E25 Elliptical Specifications
Stride Length: 20 inches
Flywheel: 23lbs
Articulating Foot Pedals: Yes
Resistance Levels: 20
Display: Blue LCD
Readouts: Time, Distance, Calories, Levels
Programs: 10
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: No
Fans: Yes
Max Weight Capacity: 325 lbs.
Unit weight: 190lbs
Price: Under $1000

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

The SportsArt E81 Elliptical Review - Highest quality, low price, fantastic elliptical

Ohiyo!

Today's review was actually written back in November when we received a number of SportsArt Fitness pieces in from a vendor in Arizona. The retailer was kind enough to let us borrow a few units for review since the Treadmill Sensei was having a bit of a difficult time in locating the ellipticals here locally.

SportsArt Fitness continues to be one of the leaders in quality and design for the fitness industry. It is fantastic to see SportsArt bringing that level of quality (normally found only in ellipticals priced in excess of $2500) to a more accessible price range.

If you are in the market for an elliptical in the under $2000 price range, then you're shooting yourself in the foot if you aren't taking a look at the SportsArt E81 and its little brother, the SportsArt E80. These two machines can best be described as the closest thing to a commercial elliptical feel in the price range.

As with the SportsArt E80, the E81 Elliptical was quick and easy to assemble -- the unit we reviewed came in fully assembled, but we broke it down and I handed it off to Hikaru to put back together. Hikaru is pretty skilled at assembly, which only took him about 20 minutes. For those of you with more average mechanical abilities, figure on the SportsArt E81 going together in about 45 minutes with very little to no cursing involved.

The E81 seems to have the same heavy duty, well-constructed steel frame as the SportsArt E80 elliptical. It also uses all bearings in its joints and pivot points. This is a great upgrade over lesser quality machines from places like Spirit which use much flimsier and break-down prone brass bushings. The bearings will provide a much smoother, quieter and more natural feeling workout as well as extend the life of the elliptical by years over an elliptical with bushings.

It was great to see that SportsArt has upgraded the number of resistance levels in the E81 over the old E80, which only had 10 levels of resistance. This allows SportsArt E81 owners to better fine tune their workouts and maximizing their exercise time. All-in-all, the SportsArt E81 is a fantastic upgrade to the very solid SportsArt E80 elliptical, and is easily one of the best ellipticals priced at under $2000. I'd look for this unit to be a heavy contender for the best buy elliptical award in 2008.

For being a fine example of a great commercial quality elliptical at a budget price, the Treadmill Sensei gives the SportsArt E81 Elliptical 4.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

SportsArt steps up their game with the new SportsArt E81 Elliptical.


We have found the best price for the SportsArt E81 Elliptical online. Get more information, Save More and protect your warranty by going factory direct.


SportsArt E81 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 19"
Flywheel: Approximately 22lbs
Display: LCD
Display Readouts: Level, strides per minute, time, heart rate, total strides, watts, distance and calories
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Resistance Levels: 14
Programs: 8
Unit Weight: 170lbs
Max User Weight: 350lbs
Price: Under $1800

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

The 2008 Sole E55 Elliptical Review - A small upgrade this year

Ohiyo!

Today the Treadmill Sensei is going to continue with my reviews of the 2008 Sole treadmills and ellipticals. This time around I want to talk about the outstanding Sole E55 elliptical. This unit has been around for a few years now and Sole has done an excellent job with it. This year they've updated a few things but kept it almost exactly the same as last year. As with the other 2008 Sole equipment, this was a stroke of brilliance on the part of Sole management. Heck, when you've got a best buy award winning line of equipment, why would you change it?

For all intents and purposes the Sole E35 and Sole E55 ellipticals are the same unit. The only real difference comes in the form of the console and heart rate control programs the Sole E55 has. Yes, it has a slightly different monitor, but aside from the HR Control programs it doesn't do anything beyond what the console of the Sole E35 does.

In regards to the flyhweels being listed as being of different weights for each machine...as I've mentioned in a few other spots, the flywheels actually appear to be identical and one could be used for the other. I believe this is the same flywheel that was used in all of the Sole products last year (or one very similar). Strangely enough this flywheel was listed as being 30 pounds. I think Sole is just trying to help customers differentiate product with those different flywheel weights, but in reality I'm very much of the mind that they are the same.

So really what you've got with the Sole E55 is the exact same great elliptical as the Sole E35 but with the addition of heart rate control. HR Control, if you use it, is an outstanding feature and gives that extra little "Umph" to the Sole E55 and makes the elliptical well worth the additional $150 it costs. However, if you're like most owners, it is a feature you will never actually use and that makes it a bit of a waste. In other words, if you use HRC programs then the Sole E55 and its higher price tag make perfect sense, but if you're the average joe customer then you should save that $150 and stick with the Sole E35.

For being a top rated machine but for not being enough of an upgrade, the Treadmill Sensei gives the 2008 Sole E55 Elliptical 4 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

The Sole E55 is a fantastic machine IF you make use of heart rate control programs. If you don't, then make sure to check out the 2008 Sole E35 elliptical instead and save yourself $150.




Get the absolute Lowest Price online for the Sole E55 -- Save More with Free Shipping, Pay No Tax and protect your warranty


2008 Sole E55 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 20"
Flywheel: 27 lbs
Articulating Pedals: Yes
Programs: 8
Resistance: 20 Levels
Display: LCD
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip and wireless
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max Weight Capacity: 375 lbs
Elliptical Weight: 200 lbs
Parts Warranty: 5 years
Labor Warranty: 2 years
Price: Under $1450

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

The Fuel FE44 Elliptical Review - Big Quality for a Little Price

Ohiyo!

Today's review has bummed the Treadmill Sensei out a bit. It's bound to happen, but every so often a treadmill or elliptical is release just after we post our awards and misses out being included in them. Unfortunately, in this case, it is very likely the Fuel FE44 Elliptical would have won the best buy elliptical under $1000 Award with little effort.

Word of the Fuel ellipticals and treadmills started filtering in to us here at the DOJO a month and a half or so ago. A lot of you, my loyal readers, wrote in asking about these great feeling new ellipticals found primarily at Dick's Sporting Goods and online. As I mentioned in the Fuel FE46 Elliptical Review, everyone in the industry had been hearing rumors of Dick's getting their own line of budget treadmills and ellipticals, but I hadn't heard they were going to be out for this season. And, just like it's big brother, the Fuel FE44 Elliptical shows all the signs of being one of the best ellipticals under $1000 produced in a very, very long time.

When our Fuel FE44 Elliptical arrived here at the DOJO, my first thought was "Yup, that looks almost exactly like last year's Sole or Spirit equipment." The resemblence is remarkable and, if rumors proove to be true, the Fuel equipment can actually be found in Sole's warehouse here in southern California. It looks like Dick's has turned to one of the best sources for quality equipment for help in Sole Fitness out of Utah. Excellent choice on the part of Dick's.

The best way to describe the Fuel FE44 Elliptical is as a very slightly toned down version of the Fuel FE46 or Sole E25 or Spirit XE100/XE200 Ellipticals. Without having the Sole or Spirit to compare side by side, I'd say the Fuel FE44 has the exact same flywheel as the higher priced models. It may be a touch smaller, but I'm betting they are the same except for on paper.

The only real or significant different between all the units is in the stride length. The Fuel FE44 is listed as having an 18" stride. However, we've received numerous emails from readers saying they tried a Sole E25 side by side with a Fuel FE44 at a local Dick's and found them to feel almost identical in stride and elliptical motion. From my own tests here at the DOJO I'd say the Fuel FE44 Elliptical feels like it has closer to a 19" stride and is incredibly smooth and comfortable. It has the same articulating pedal design as the Sole equipment, which gives it one of the most natural elliptical feels around.

Fuel has produced the single best elliptical you can buy for under $700 in the Fuel FE44. I'd even go as far as to say that this is the best possible value for your money in an elliptical under $1000. For the price, the Fuel FE44 delivers the best workout you can find and is the most solid, sturdy and stable ellipticals in the budget price range under $1000. Through the force of its size and market strength, Dick's has taken what should have been an elliptical priced at $999 or more and dropped it down to a mind-blowing $699. This finally gives those of us on a budget the chance to own a high end elliptical without having to break the bank...or steal from our children's college funds!

For being nearly perfect, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Fuel FE44 Elliptical 5 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

The Treadmill Sensei wishes the Fuel FE44 Elliptical had been available a few months earlier in time for the Ichi-Ban Best Buy Awards for Ellipticals because it would have blown away the competition.


Fuel FE44 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 18"
Articulating Pedals: Yes
Flyhweel: 19lbs
Display: LCD
Programs: 14
Resistance: 15 Levels
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max User Weight: 290lbs
Product Weight: 175lbs
Price: Under $700

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

The 2008 Sole E35 Elliptical Review - The Best Buy Elliptical under $1500, Bar None

Ohiyo!

The Treadmill Sensei really hates fitness manufacturers because they keep putting out new treadmills and ellipticals every year. Sheesh, can't they just take a year off so I can catch up! Don't they see that I'm freakin' swamped here!!

Seriously, though, every year fitness manufacturers release either all new equipment or ugraded, updated versions of their older equipment. Just like the auto industry, the next year's new equipment starts appearing in June or August of the previous year. So what I'm going to do here at the DOJO for the next week or so is to focus on the new 2008 models of previously released equipment. This will, I hope, help everyone see what new offerings are available on some old favorite machines.

Today I want to talk about the brand new, 2008 Sole E35 Elliptical. With its newly redesigned ellipticals, Sole Fitness continues to deliver some of the best feeling, most comfortable and most natural feeling ellipticals available for under $2000. It's easy to see why the Hilton and Omni Hotels have chosen Sole to exclusively provide equipment for their hotel chains. For the past 2 years the Sole E35 has come away with the Ichi-Ban Best Buy Award for an Elliptical under $1500 and, if Sole keeps up their quality and innovation, I expect it to continue to win in the future.

Winner of the 2007-2008 Ichi-Ban Award for Best Buy Elliptical Under $1500.

In an effort to further differentiate their product from Spirit Fitness Ellipticals, this year Sole has redesigned the Sole E35 Elliptical. They've kept the best features from the past and fine-tuned the Sole E35 to be, once again, one of the best ellipticals available on the market today.

The first thing I want to mention about the Sole E35 unit we received in here at the DOJO is just how freaking great the new design looks. Now, I know that has absolutely nothing to do with the E35's performance but it is worth mentioning. The new Sole E35 has surpassed the great look of last year's model and is now one of the spiffiest looking machines I've had the pleasure to work on.

Next, I want to mention the flywheel on the Sole E35. Flywheels have been a bit of a shell game when it comes to elliptical manufacturers. It's really hard to tell what is there under the shroud and what a manufacturer is basing their weight estimates on. This year Sole has given different flywheel weights to all of its ellipticals. However, and this is based purely on our observations here at the DOJO, the flywheels all seem to be exactly the same again this year as they were last year (and actually look to be the same flywheel drive as last year). I truly believe they only gave the Sole E35 and E55 different flywheel weights in order to allow their salespeople to "upgrade" consumers to a "better" unit for more money. The only significant difference we found in the SOle E35 and Sole E55 ellipticals was in the heart rate control programs. That's it. The two ellipticals have the same exact feel when you get on them...and it's a very nice workout feel.

The elliptical itself is slightly beefier than last year's model, weighing in at about 15-20 pounds heavier and with an increased maximum user weight capacity (375 pounds this year versus 300 last year). This comes from a slightly heavier duty shroud around the flywheel and an upgrade in the unit's tubing. Individually it doesn't amount to much, but when you add it up you've got a much more solid elliptical in the new Sole E35 and one that will handle much harder and punishing workouts.

There are a few other changes as well, some upgrades and some features have been removed. Most interesting is the lack of heart rate control programs in the Sole E35 this year. Sole must have decided that users in this price range really aren't interested in the HRC programs and so saved them for the upgraded Sole E55. I do think the heart rate control programs are one of the most misunderstood features in treadmills and ellipticals both. While it is a nice feature to have, most users really have no need for it and will never actually make use of it. If you're an athlete doing heart rate training or you've been set up with one by your doctor for medical reasons, then you'll want to check out the Sole E55. For everyone else, the Sole E35 is going to be more than enough of an elliptical for your needs.

The 2008 Sole E35 elliptical has also been upgraded to 20 levels of resistance over 16 last year, which is a nice little bit of icing on the cake.

Aside from that, the Sole E35 still has most of the same best buy award winning features as last year - adjusting and articulating foot pedals with a 2% inward incline, a fantastic 20" stride, 8 programs, pulsegrip and wireless heart rate monitoring and the great Sole warranties and customer service.

Sole has done a great job in their redesign and it's nice to see a beefier, sturdier Sole E35 elliptical this year. For being the best buy awarding winning elliptical under $1500 for yet another year, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Sole E35 Elliptical 4.5 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

Another "WOW" from Sole, the Sole E35 elliptical is a best buy elliptical with 4.5 gold buddahs out of 5.





Get the absolute Lowest Price online for the Sole E35 -- Save More with Free Shipping, Pay No Tax and protect your warranty


2008 Sole E35 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 20"
Flywheel: 25 lbs
Articulating Pedals: Yes
Programs: 8
Resistance: 20 Levels
Display: LCD
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip and wireless
Heart Rate Control: No
Max Weight Capacity: 375 lbs
Elliptical Weight: 200 lbs
Parts Warranty: 5 years
Labor Warranty: 2 years
Price: Under $1300

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

Reader Mailbag: Best deal - Sole E55 Elliptical or Sole E95 Elliptical?

Ohiyo!

Now that the holidays are over and the extended family has left, the Treadmill Sensei is ready to get back to work at being the internet's #1 source for information on treadmills and ellipticals. Interestingly enough, the Treadmill Sensei is also the internet's #1 source for unbridled machismo...or was that mo' cheese? I can never remember.

I'm sure that many of you, my loyal readers, have noticed I haven't dipped in to the reader mailbag for quite sometime. Now, this isn't from a lack of reader emails - heck, we get in around 50 reader emails a day here at the DOJO. What it comes down to is: your Treadmill Sensei has been a bit of a lazy bastard for the past couple of months. With work in the DOJO being at an all time high, treadmill and elliptical repairs have been taking up most of my time at work. Well, with the new year now upon us your Treadmill Sensei has made a resolution to answer more reader emails and to post more often in order to keep his readers more informed and better armed for when they head out to purchase their new fitness equipment.

As with most new years resolutions, we'll see how long it actually lasts...

Get the absolute lowest price for the Sole E95 elliptical online. Save more with Free Shipping, Pay No Tax and Save an Additional 3% with Coupon Code TMSENSEI . Click NOW for more information.

Our first reader email of the new year is from D.R. who has a question about the Sole E55 Elliptical versus its big brother, the Sole E95 Elliptical. Let's see what D.R. has to say. Take it away, D.R.

Hello,

I found your site through by googling ellipticals and WOW I’m impressed. Treadmillsensei is clearly the best review site on the Internet. Period. Congratualtions!

I have a quick question for you on the Sole line of ellipticals: Does the extra bulk/rigidity and fancier display of the Sole e95 justify spending the extra $200 versus the Sole e55? We would have 4 family members using the machines on a fairly regular basis, so it’s certainly no a club-style environment.

Thanks for your time and keep up the great work! God bless you, D. R.

D.R.:

Thanks for the note and for your very kind words. I don't know if we're the best review site on the internet, although my mother thinks so...not that she even knows what an elliptical is. We do try to hard to provide you, our readers, with the most up-to-date and valid facts we can put together in order to help you with your treadmill and elliptical research.

On to your questions. First off, I'm going to be doing new reviews for the 2008 Sole equipment in the next week. Sole has done an excellent job with their new upgraded line of ellipticals and has produced one of the best looking, best designed line of equipment to come out in a very long time. Their new line shows why Sole has consistantly been ranked at the top of everyone's list for best buy ellipticals for the past few years. They really do put out some very solid equipment and have a good customer service department to back it up.

In regards to the Sole E55 versus the Sole E95 and which you should buy: I hate to fall back to my patented answer to this question but, you'll be happy either way you go. However, if you're not in a commercial setting (a corporate gym, for example) then the Sole E95 may be a bit of an overkill for your needs. In fact, and the guys at Sole might kill me for saying this, I think you'd be better off going with the Sole E35 to get the best value for your dollar.

Get the absolute lowest price for the Sole E55 elliptical online. Save even more with Free Shipping, Pay No Tax and Save an Additional 3% with Coupon Code TMSENSEI . Click NOW for more information.

Let me layout my somewhat convoluted thinking for you. There really isn't much of a difference this year between the Sole E35 and E55...and, in fact, even the E95 is very similar in features. First off, the flywheels. I know the three units are listed with different flywheel weights. From what I've seen in opening the units up, they all have the exact same flywheel system...and, it's almost the same as the "30 pound" flywheel system they had last year. I believe the differing weights are just there to help differentiate the machines and are a bit of creative copywriting by Sole. It's not anything out of the ordinary for a manufacturer to tweak their specs on paper. From what I've seen, every manufacturer out there does it.

Once you get past the size of the flywheel, the only significant difference between the Sole E35 and the Sole E55 comes in the number of programs - the Sole E55 has 10 versus 8 on the Sole E35 - and in heart rate control programs - the Sole E55 has them and the Sole E35 doesn't. The only differences in the E95 are the addition of the plastic guide rail shrouds on the back and the fancier LED monitor. Truthfully, the only reason for the guiderails is to make the unit a bit more stable for heavier users (and, in my thoughts, to make it look more like a commercial elliptical for the hotels which use the Sole ellipticals) and the upgraded console has absolutely no benefit for a home user. It's a great console, it just doesn't really do anything special for home users.

So what it comes down to is: will you miss those 2 extra programs and will you even use the heart rate control programs? Most people only use 3-4 programs and end up ignoring the rest and, more importantly, never even make use of the heart rate control programs (and, keep in mind, the two programs the E35 is "missing" are the two heart rate control programs).

Any of the Sole ellipticals are going to be very good machines, but if you don't need heart rate control you're going to be able to save yourself $200 by going for the Sole E35 over the Sole E55 elliptical...and you'll save $400 with the E35 over the Sole E95 elliptical.

Get the absolute Best price for the Sole E35 elliptical online. Save even more with Free Shipping, Pay No Tax and Save an Additional 3% with Coupon Code TMSENSEI . Click NOW for more information.

Thanks again for your note, D.R., and I hope this helps you in your elliptical search. I'll be back later with more from the Reader Mailbag!

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

The Fuel FE 46 Elliptical Review - A high quality elliptical at a budget price under $900

Ohiyo!

Every day the Treadmill Sensei gets in reader email asking about a treadmill or elliptical we haven't covered yet on the site - most of the time it is about low quality Proform or Nordic Track ellipticals. However, from time to time a reader sends in a note asking about an intriguing piece of equipment and it spurs me to send out my feelers for a model to test out.

In this case, about a month and a half ago, a number of readers wrote in asking about the new line of Fuel ellipticals found at Dick's Sporting Goods stores and online. At first I was a bit surprised because I hadn't heard anything specific about the units. Everyone in the industry was aware that Dick's had been pursuing its own line of budget ellipticals and treadmills for quite sometime, but it was still a bit of a shock to see it actually launched. Luckily, Dick's has a lot of experience in what works for an elliptical -- and how to keep customer service issues from popping up with them -- and that shows in these new ellipticals.

First off, when our Fuel FE46 Elliptical arrived at the shop and we unpacked it, we all immediately suspected that it was an elliptical produced by the same manufacturing plant as the Sole, Spirit and Red Zone equipment, Dyaco out of Taiwan, or one of their sister plants. A lot of the parts looked interchangeable with the higher priced Sole, Esprit, Spirit and much-higher priced Red Zone ellipticals. The flywheel (sometimes rated as 21 pounds, sometimes as 25 pounds and sometimes as 30 pounds, depending upon what a manufacturer is trying to sell you on) on the Fuel FE46 elliptical seems to be very similar or just about identical to what you see on the Spirit XE100/XE200/XE300 or Sole E25/E35/E55 ellipticals.

Moving on to the assembley, as with any elliptical, the assembly is a bit trickier than that of a treadmill. Figuring on it taking you about 45 minutes to get together if you can have someone help you hold pieces while you attach them to the unit. If you're doing it alone, count on 90 minutes and a lot of swearing. This is pretty standard for all ellipticals.

In regards to the Fuel FE46 elliptical itself, the unit is very comparable to the Sole E25 ($995) and Spirit XE100 ($1099) ellipticals - which are all almost identical units except for strangely varying prices. If I was forced to guess, I'd have to say the Fuel FE46 is just a repainted version of the 2006 Sole E25 Elliptical. That's not a bad place to start, especially when you consider the Fuel FE 46 elliptical is priced $100 lower than the current Sole E25 and $200 lower than the nearly identical Spirit XE100. The only real differences you'll find are in the number of rails -- the FE46 is a single rail elliptical versus the dual rails on the Sole E25 -- and in the lesser warranty on the Fuel FE46. If Dick's had raised the warranty to 3 years on parts, this would have been a home run unit for them.

The Fuel FE46 elliptical is an excellent choice if you're looking for a more budget version of the Sole E25/E35 or the Spirit XE100/XE200/XE300 ellipticals and don't mind the lesser warranty. For about $899 you're getting the awesome feeling adjustable foot pedals that Sole/Spirit are known for, a solid flywheel, one of the most comfortable elliptical workout feels available for under $1300 and a well built, solid and sturdy elliptical in the Fuel FE46 Elliptical. Fuel has put together a unit that could very well be a best buy elliptical award contender for next year's Ichi-Ban Best Buy Elliptical Awards for under $1000. However, if the warranty is more important than saving money, I'd check out the Sole E25 elliptical for a slightly beefier $100 upgrade.

For being an excellent, very sturdy and comfortable elliptical with a so-so warranty, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Fuel FE46 Elliptical 4 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

The Fuel FE46 Elliptical gets a very respectible 4 gold buddahs out of 5 for being well built and well designed.

Fuel FE46 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 20"
Flywheel: 21 lbs.
Display: LCD
Programs: 15
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Resistance: 15 Levels
Max User Weight: 325 lbs.
Elliptical Weight: 190 lbs.
Articulating Pedals: Yes
Price: $899

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

The Spirit Esprit EL3 Elliptical Review - Old Elliptical, New Name, Great Value

Ohiyo!

Happy Post-Holiday Season! Now that the Christmas season is over and visiting family will soon be heading back to their own little corners of the world (most exciting is that my den won't be doubling as a second guest room for too much longer), the Treadmill Sensei can get back to work and to you, my loyal readers. I absolutely love Christmas-time, but I feel more tired the day after Christmas than almost any other time of the year. Of course, large numbers of my wife's family can have a draining effect on anyone!

One of the most confusing parts of the Treadmill Sensei's job is to delve in to the naming game a lot of manufacturers like to play. Much like the electronics industry, fitness manufacturers like to put different names or labels on units when they're sold through different outlets. If a unit is sold at Costco or Sears it may have one name, or if a unit is sold online versus offline it may have a different name. The Icon Health and Fitness companies (Proform, Reebok, Image, Weslo and so on) are masters at this game .

Another company that has been guilty of this is Spirit Fitness. As I was the first one to let the cat out of the bag last year, we all now know that Sole and Spirit treadmills and ellipticals were almost identical units pre-Summer 2007. In spite of semi-shady rankings to the contrary, their units came off of the same assembly line and used the same parts. The only difference came in the QC process done once units reached the US, in customer support and warranty support. That has changed a bit this year with both Sole and Spirit redesigning their units independently of one another.

Now, while Spirit has been getting hit pretty hard by experts everywhere over the decrease in quality of their X-series Treadmills and Ellipticals, they have done an incredibly smart thing. Spirit has put together a brand new line of equipment, made up of award-winning older units under a brand new name. The Esprit line of treadmills and ellipticals from Spirit is made up largely of last year's best buy award winning Sole Ellipticals and Treadmills. Better yet, these units are all around $200-$300 cheaper than their poor-performing Spirit X-Series cousins. The best thing Spirit could have done was the give these great units their own brand in order to keep them from the stigma of the current Spirit X-Series reputation (easily one of the poorer perfoming lines on the market right now). Besides, why pick a brand new unit with a new, untested design when you can pick up a design that has been tested and highly rated for 4+ years...AND get it for more than $200 cheaper?!

That brings us to the new Esprit EL3 Elliptical, formerly known as the 2006 Sole E35 of years past. This unit has been one of the best and most consistantly performing ellipticals on the market for 3 or 4 years and has dominated its price range. The Sole E35 has won just about every consumer and expert award on the market, and the Esprit EL3 is the exact same unit with a new paint job.

The Esprit EL3 Elliptical has the same 2% inward incline in the pedals which Sole has been known for. The 2% incline, when added to the smooth 20" stride and articulating pedals, gives the Esprit EL3 (and Sole E35) the best elliptical feel and workout available in a best buy elliptical under $1000. It is easy to see why owners love the comfort and natural stride the El3 Elliptical gives them.

I do want to talk for a moment about the Esprit EL3's flywheel...and the flywheel on the new Sole E35. They're both ranked as 25 pounds for some reason this year -- 5 pounds less than the Sole E55 or Esprit EL5. It's nonsense. They all use the same flywheel and should be rated the same. There has been no change in the size of the flywheel since last year and the Esprit EL3 has the same 30 pound ranked flywheel that last year's Sole E35 had.

With the price at under $1000, the Esprit EL3 may be one of the absolute best buy ellipticals available for under $1000. You're getting the exact same great feel, the exact same solid frame, the exact same best buy award winning elliptical as the 2006 Sole E35, but with the Esprit EL3 you're getting it for more than $200 off the comparable Spirit XE200/XE300 ellipticals. In comparison to the Esprit EL3, the Spirit XE200/XE300 ellipticals are incredibly over-priced and under featured, especially when you consider the large number of reported problems on the Spirit Ellipticals this year.

Save yourself $200+ and check out the Esprit EL3 Elliptical by Spirit. It is head and shoulders above the Spirit X "equivilent," the Spirit XE200/XE300, in design and manufacture, and blows away the competition.

For being the same great unit as the old 2006 Sole E35 elliptical, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Esprit EL3 Elliptical by Spirit 4.5 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

It was a great elliptical as the 2006 Sole E35 Elliptical and it's a great elliptical as the Esprit EL3 Elliptical, getting a best buy elliptical ranking of 4.5 gold buddahs.




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Spirit Esprit EL3 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 20"
Flywheel: 25 lbs
Programs: 8
Resistance: 16 Levels
Display: LCD
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip and wireless
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max Weight Capacity: 300 lbs
Elliptical Weight: 190 lbs
Price: Under $1200

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

The Schwinn 431 Elliptical Review - A Solid Upgrade from the Schwinn 430

Ohiyo!

The Thanksgiving holiday over I can tell you that the Treadmill Sensei is very thankfull...thankfull that all of his wife's relatives have all gone back to Arizona. Don't get me wrong, I like and enjoy the company of most of her family, but having an extra 5 people crammed in to our house, plus our 3 grown children and their families, is always as stressful as it is enjoyable. Plus, they were eating all of the turkey leftovers that I selfishly wanted to eat as sandwiches all this week for lunch!

Speaking of Thanksgiving and the holiday season, now is probably one of the times most people are thinking about getting fit...well, thinking about how much weight they've gained from the constant eating. I know the scale here at the DOJO is showing that I've gained 6 pounds and am back up to just about 170. Mrs. Sensei is going to kill me.

The downside of all that eating and weight gain is that a lot of people will be out looking for fitness equipment to try to shed those pounds, and a lot of really bad ellipticals and treadmills will be bought. A treadmill or elliptical, even a budget one, should never be a whim or impulse buy. Do you research and get the most you can for your money.

A great new addition to the Schwinn line of ellipticals from Nautilus is the Schwinn 431 elliptical. We received one of these units in here at the DOJO to do a setup for a nice elderly couple out in Corona. At first I thought there was a typo on the packing slip and assumed they had ordered a Schwinn 430 elliptical. Much to my surprise, when we unpacked the unit it did indeed turn out to be a brand new Schwinn 431 elliptical. And I have to say I was very impressed with the new unit.

At first glance, the Schwinn 431 elliptical is a much more solid and substantial unit than the Schwinn 430, which makes sense because of the $200 more it costs. The frame tubing is thicker and heavier on the SChwinn 431, giving it a much more stable feel during workouts, allowing use by much heavier users. This is a great upgrade because the stability increase helps give a more comfortable and smooth workout where users no longer have to worry about the unit shaking left or right.

The Schwinn 431 still features the same articulating footpedals of the Schwinn 430, along with the reverse motion workout ability. Now, however, Schwinn has upgraded the elliptical drive on the 431 to a 25 pound flywheel - this is the biggest, heaviest flywheel available for under $800 and the can be felt in the very smooth feeling you get when riding the machine.

Schwinn has done an excellent job with the upgrade to the Schwinn 431, which now has a staggering 20 workout programs. This elliptical is definitely a contender for one of the best buy ellipticals for under $800 and, had we reviewed it in time for the Ichi-Ban Awards would surely have been in the best buy lists.

For being a fantastic unit for a great price, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Schwinn 431 Elliptical 4.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

As a heavier duty version of the great performing Schwinn 430, the Schwinn 431 Elliptical gets 4.5 gold buddahs.


The new Schwinn 431 Elliptical can be found for the best price online at Amazon.com - save with free shipping and pay now tax. Click Here for more information.




Schwinn 431 Elliptical Trainer Specifications
Stride: 18"
Max User Weight: 300 lbs
Unit Weight: Approximately 172 lbs.
Programs: 20
Resistance Levels: 16
Display: LCD
Readouts: Time, Interval Time, RPM, Watts, Distance, Pulse, Speed, Calories, Resistance
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip
Footpads: Articulating
Reverse Direction: Yes
Price: $799

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

The Bodyguard E230X Elliptical Review - Best Buy Elliptical Under $2500

Ohiyo!

I've been writing a lot about lower priced ellipticals lately, so I thought I'd take a break and move up to some mid-range ellipticals instead. Although, when talking about the Bodyguard E230x elliptical "mid-range" probably isn't the best of descriptions. I've compared ellipticals and treadmills to everything from Lexus and BMW to Volkswagon and Pacers. I'd compare the Bodyguard E230X to my brand new Ford F250. You see, it's solid, it's heavy duty, but it's also got the most comfortable pedals on the market and it has a very smooth ride. This thing is incredible.

Let's talk a bit about Bodyguard. They are a Canadian company (something we shouldn't hold against them) and have been producing some of the finest fitness equipment on the market since the late 60s. In the past they've been best known for their amazing treadmills, but this year they've come up with a pair of incredible ellipticals as well. When we were shown the Bodyguard E230X at the Health & Fitness Expo in Denver this year I couldn't wait to sit down and do a full review on one of these bad boys.

I could go on and on about all the features that come packed into the Bodyguard E230x - the Heart Rate Training Zone, the Reverse Motion Detection System, the fantastic warranty, optional posture bar, ability to get the unit with either a 20.5" stride or an 18.5" one, the 15 programs, or any one of about 20 other great specs. But I'm not going to do that.

You see, when I got on the E230X all that matter to me was the comfort I felt during my workouts. Starting off with the pedals, the padding Bodyguard uses is incredible. It is a firm cushion that feels great during your workouts. We all know that ellipticals are nearly zero-impact workouts and cushioning isn't a requirement, but when you want comfort to help keep your feet from getting sore or from falling asleep, then the Bodyguard E230x has the best solution. Top that off with the most natural feeling pedal spacing around (at just under 2") and the sturdiest adjustable pedals around, and what you've got is not just the best buy elliptical for under $2500, but one of the best feeling ellipticals at any price. For use in the home, I would choose the E230X over just about any higher priced machine out there.

In addition to the comfortable pedals and near-perfect elliptical motion, weighing in at nearly 300 pounds, the Bodyguard E230x elliptical is one of the most solid machines around. I don't care how close you are to the machine's maximum user weight of 350 pounds, when you get on the E230x you'll feel how heavy duty the elliptical is. And, more important, you won't find any of the shakies or side-to-side rocking you often find in lesser ellipticals. Even the shroud, often made up of thinner plastic, is thick and will stand up to quite a bit of abuse.

A final, excellent bit is that the E230X elliptical comes almost fully assembled and is a breeze to put together. Bodyguard's instruction manual makes assembley a task that takes under 30 minutes and causes little to no frustration for the non-mechanically minded of us.

UPDATE: We've gotten in a number of complaints from readers in regards to this machine. Problems in specific have been related to the handgrips on the unit being incredibly uncomfortable during workouts. A number of taller readers have also had issues with the placement of the handlebars in relation to their leg position during workouts. Because of these reason, we are downgrading this unit from a best buy.

For its current number of reader problems, the Bodyguard E230x has been downgraded to 3 out of 5 Golden Buddahs by the Treadmillsensei.

Recent reader complaint emails have dropped this unit to 3 gold buddahs.



Bodyguard E230X Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 20.5" (can be shipped as 18.5" if requested)
Flywheel: approximately 30lbs
Adjustable Footpedals: Yes
Display: LED
Programs: 15
Resistance:
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max User Weight: 350lbs.
Unit Weight: 280lbs
Price: Under $2200

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

The Tunturi CF35 Elliptical Review - A Best Buy Under $2000 Runner up for 2008

Ohiyo!

One of the biggest surprises in the fitness industry this year came from Tunturi. Tunturi is one of the oldest fitness companies around and manufacturers the majority of their equipment in Europe (the company is based out of Finland). Tunturi is best known for high quality, streamlined design and uncomfortable, rear-drive ellipticals. This year the high quality and streamlined design remain the same, but Tunturi has radically changed their ellipticals for the better with the new front-drive Tunturi CF35.

Tunturi has taken their ability to produce some of the most solid, sturdy equipment on the planet and has moved that ability in to putting out one of the most solid and sturdy front drive ellipticals. The Tunturi CF35 features and incredibly steady frame and drive system that will hold up to the most heavy duty use around. If you want a hardcore, quiet workout then the CF35 elliptical is a great place to start.

Assembling the Tunturi CF35 was a breeze. The instructions are well written and easy to follow. If you've got average mechanical ability it shouldn't take more than 45 minutes to an hour. More important, there should be a minimum of swearing as the parts are well machined and go together easily.

Once we put the CF35 together and stepped up on it, I was blown away by how smooth and comfortable the feel of the elliptical was. In the past I've talked about how incredibly uncomfortable the old Tunturi ellipticals were and how longer workouts on them caused your feet to fall asleep. This is no longer the case with the Tunturi CF35 elliptical. It's got a great 19" stride, near perfect pedal spacing and a heavy duty flywheel to help keep the elliptical motion as natural and comfortable feeling as anything else out there.

It's nice to see that Tunturi has listened to its customer and put together an incredible new front drive elliptical. For being a great blend of form and function, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Tunturi CF35 Elliptical 4.5 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

An excellent elliptical and a best buy for under $2000, the Tunturi CF35 elliptical is high quality at a great price.





Find out more about the Tunturi CF35 and get the lowest price online. Save more with FREE Shipping and Pay NO TAX.

Tunturi CF35 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 19"
Flywheel: approximately 35lbs
Display: LCD
Programs: 23
Readouts: Time, RPM, Distance, Speed, Heart Rate, Energy Consumption, Constant HRC
Resistance: 16 levels
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max User Weight: 300lbs
Unit Weight: 150lbs
Warranty: Lifetime frame, 3 years parts, 1 year labor
Price: Under $1600

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

The Kettler CT2000 Elliptical Review - The 2008 Best Buy Elliptical under $500

Ohiyo!

When it comes to buying a lower budget elliptical the two key requirements - beyond programs, levels of resistance, heart rate monitoring or any of the extra features - are stability and a comfortable elliptical motion. If you give up those two things then all of the cool little bells and whistles in the world won't give you a good workout or an elliptical that will last for a long time.

For us, the budget elliptical which out-performed every other elliptical in its price range with those 2 requirements was the Ketter Verso CT2000 Elliptical. Kettler is a German fitness manufacturer known for producing some of the sturdiest ellipticals around and have a reputation for long lasting equipment. The Kettler CT2000 is a price example of one of those high quality ellipticals available for a low price.

2008 Ichi-Ban Best Buy Awards Winner.

The reason we picked the Ketter Verso CT2000 as the best buy elliptical for under $500 is because it is the single sturdiest elliptical in its price range. Kettler has done a fantastic job of designing a solid frame that will hold up to quite a bit of abuse. This is one of the few under $500 ellipticals that will outlast its warranty.

On top of that solid construction, the Kettler CT2000 also has a very nice feeling elliptical motion. The stride is a bit short, but should be perfect for any user under 5'10 or so. The rest of the features aren't anything to write home about, but would you rather have a flimsy feature-packed elliptical that will only last a couple of months or a solidly built elliptical that will allow you to continue to work out for years to come? The Kettler CT2000 is that elliptical.

For being a well-built German fitness machine, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Kettler CT2000 Elliptical 4 out of 5 golden buddahs.

The Verso CT2000 by Ketter gets 4 golden buddahs.



Kettler CT2000 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 15"
Flywheel: approximately 16lbs
Display: LCD
Readouts: Program, Speed, distance, time, calories and pulse
Programs: 6
Resistance: 6 Levels
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: No
Max User Weight: 280lbs
Unit Weight: 120lbs
Price: Under $500

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

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

Ohiyo!

I can't believe it's already been a year since the first annual best buy awards for ellipticals. Time sure flies when you're having fun! This year there are a lot of really cool new entrants in to the awards, along with some returning favorites from last year.

This year, like last year, ellipticals under $1500 are dominating the industry and it is easy to see why. This year we finally see a lot more quality in that price range as well as a lot of equipment actually worth buying as manufacturers refine their designs and pump up their quality without pumping up their prices.

As with the best buy awards last year, the ellipticals 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 show!!

Best Buy Ellipticals Under $500
Kettler CT2000: For stability and durability the German-made Kettler CT2000 simply cannot be beat in the under $500 budget price range. Click here to check out the full review.

Runner Up: At these prices, you have to be very careful or you'll wind up spending money for something that will turn in to an expensive clothes hanger. Stay away from Image, Proform or any of the Icon Health & Fitness machines or you'll just be throwing your money away. Merit is still a strong contender for great units for budget-conscious buyers and Ironman continues to produce quality at a low cost.

2. Merit 710E
3. Ironman 250e
4. Merit 720E

Best Buy Ellipticals from $501-$1000
Sole E25: For the second year in a row, the Sole E25 takes the top spot for best elliptical under $1000. The Sole E25 continues to be one of the best value ellipticals available. For the full review click HERE.

Runner Up: The Schwinn 438 makes its second appearance as a runner up Best Buy elliptical. Along with the new Horizon Incline Trainer EX76, Multisports makes its first appearance in the under $1000 market with its very sturdy Elliptix 3000 elliptical. As with last year, there is a lot of very solid competition in this price range and a lot of great ellipticals.

2. Horizon EX76
3. MultiSports ECT 3000
4. Schwinn 438

Best Buy Ellipticals from $1001-$1500
Sole E35: Another returning Best Buy from last year, the Sole E35 continues to be one of the best buy ellipticals around, especially with Sole's upgrades this year. Click here to find the full review of the award-winning Sole E35 elliptical.

Runner Up: The $1001-$1500 price range continues to be the dominant area for the serious elliptical buyer. This is where the quality jumps up a notch and that serious buyer can find a great elliptical for his money. This range looks almost exactly the same as last year with the Smooth CE2.1 and Sole E55 still holding strong. Surprisingly, SportsArt has pulled a great unit out of its hat with the SportsArt E80, a truly fantastic machine at a great price.

2. Smooth CE2.1
3. SportsArt E80
4. Sole E55

Best Buy Ellipticals from $1501-$2000
Smooth CE7.4: With the SportsArt 803 elliptical being discontinued, it left the top spot open for the number 1 Smooth elliptical, the CE7.4. Heavy duty, a great feel and long stride, the Smooth CE7.4 is the best buy elliptical choice under $2000. Click here to read the full review.

Runner Up: Returning again from last year, the Sole E95 is joined by two great new units. The awesome SportsArt E81 and the unbelievable front drive Tunturi CF35 round out the under $2000 price range with some incredibly solid new ellipticals.

2. Tunturi CF35
3. SportsArt E81
4. Sole E95

Best Buy Ellipticals from $2001-$2500
Bodyguard E230X: Coming out of nowhere, Bodyguard has taken their skill at designing top rate treadmills and brought it to ellipticals. The E230X is one of the best feeling ellipticals at any price. Click here to read the review and find out why.

Runner Up: A big change over last year, 2008 brings a whole gaggle of great ellipticals for $2001-$2005. New units from Smooth and Tunturi join the still great-performing Quantum Q210H. This price range is where home ellipticals begin to feel like those you'd find in a gym.

2. Smooth CE Plus
3. Quantum Q210H
4. Tunturi C65

Best Buy Ellipticals from $2501-$3000
SportsArt E83: This year SportsArt has hit a grandslam home run with the E83 Elliptical. With its manual adjustable stride, heavy duty frame and perfect design, the SportsArt E83 gets my pick for best elliptical of the year. Find out why by clicking Here for the full review.

Runner Up: The only unit making a return to the best buys this year is the Precor EFX 5.19, still a solid machine. However, Bodyguard and Vision both come in with some great machines as well to fill out the line-up.

2. Bodyguard E250x
3. Vision Fitness X6700HRT
4. Precor EFX 5.19

Best Buy Ellipticals from $3001-$4000
Smooth Agile DMT: The heir-apparent to the Cybex Arc-Trainer, the Smooth Agile DMT takes it one step further and brings the Arc-trainer's design in to the 21st century and beyond. It's big, it's bad and it's worth every penny. Read the full review by clicking here.

Runner Up: This is where the big boys play. Serious atheletes or those looking for the best of the best check out this price range. While Smooth took the best buy, the new front drive offering from Tunturi is a close second in quality, features and value.

2. Tunturi C85
3. Quantum Q210C
4. Life Fitness X7 Basic

Best Buy Ellipticals Over $4000
Matrix I5X: The new incline trainer from Matrix Fitness is one of the slickest elliptical units around. They've taken the award-winning Matrix E5X and added an amazing new incline feature that blows the competition away. Click here to be blown away by this new elliptical masterpiece.

Runner Up: With the Matrix I5X taking the top spot this year, the runner ups look like a carbon copy of last year's winners. I take my hat off to Matrix, Star Trac and Precor for keeping their near-perfect equipment around again this year.

2. Matrix E5Xc
3. Star Trac Pro
4. Precor 546


The Ichi-Ban Best of the Best Award for Elliptical Excellence: The SportsArt E83 Elliptical

The SportsArt E83 Elliptical is such a fantastic machine that I went out and bought one after putting our review together. This machine is absolutely fabulous and is perfect for families with members of varying heights. This is a machine that looks great and performs even better. If you've got the money for the Lexus of the elliptical world, then check out the full review.

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

The Ironman 250e Elliptical Review -- A Budget Best Buy Elliptical for under $500

Ohiyo!

One of the questions we get asked most here at the Treadmill Sensei is "which elliptical is best for under $500?" Unfortunately that question is also one of the hardest to answer. You see, that budget price range is a tough one for both ellipticals and treadmills as there really isn't really much you get for your money for under $500. Ellipticals do hold up just a bit better than treadmills do because they don't have the additional cost of a motor, but as with everything else you get what you pay for.

When you're looking at an elliptical for under $500 you've got to be prepared to sacrifice stability, features or stride length (and sometimes more than one of those). If you are looking for a solid elliptical with a lot of programs and don't mind a shorter stride, then the Ironman 250e is an excellent choice. Made by Keys Fitness, one of the largest fitness manufacturers in the country, the Ironman 250e continues the company's great track record for making budget priced ellipticals.

The Ironman 250e is solidly built, weighing in at over 115 pounds and with a 300 pound weight capacity (although I'd rate it at closer to 250 or so). It also has a larger than average flywheel for an under $500 elliptical, weighing about 12 pounds and a nice elliptical feel to it. The unit also comes with 12 programs, 16 levels of resistance and heart rate monitoring and control. The 250e has a lot of features that you just don't often find on ellipticals in its price range.

The only real downside is the 14" stride length. The Ironman 250e is great for shorter users looking for a quality workout at an insanely low price. For being a solidly built budget elliptical, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Ironman 250e 3.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

3.5 gold buddahs for the Ironman 250e Elliptical.



Ironman 250e Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 14"
Flywheel: approximately 12lbs
Display: LCD
Readouts: program profile, time, speed, pulse, calories and distance
Programs: 12
Resistance: 16 levels
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max User Weight: 300lbs
Unit Weight: 115lbs
Price: Under $500

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

The SportsArt E83 Elliptical Review - Best Buy Elliptical for Under $2600

Ohiyo!

The Treadmill Sensei has been neglecting his readers this month and I want to apologize. We're just about done with the 2008 Ichi-Ban Best Buy Awards and that has been taking up most of our time around here. I've had this SportsArt E83 elliptical review started for over a month now, but this is my first chance to sit down and get it finished. Over the last few years SportsArt has become one of the most consistant companies in the industry in terms of quality and customer service. SportsArt shines when it comes to mid and higher end ellipticals and treadmills, and that quality is particularly obvious in their E83 Elliptical this year. The E83 wins hands-down for best buy elliptical in the $2500-$3000 range and may even be the best buy elliptical under $4000.

2008 Ichi-Ban Best Buy Award Winner.

Be warned if you do order a SportsArt E83 Elliptical because this thing is solid and well-built...in other words, it is a heavy beast. Weighing in at just under 300 pounds, the E83 is one of the most sturdy ellipticals around, and definitely the most rock-solid available for the home market. And you can feel what that weight does when you get on the machine. Even a heavier or more hardcore user will be surprised at the lack of side-to-side motion in the E83. The weight and stability comes from the back and is even felt in the thicker, heavier-duty upright supports on the E83. Those uprights and the console center support combine to give users a steady base to put their weight on -- a very different experience from most rear drive ellipticals where the upright supports are thin and more than a little wobbly.

Putting together the SportsArt E83 is a bit of a task but is still doable without too much cursing even for those of average mechanical abilities. I'd say look at it taking an hour to an hour and a half. If you have problems putting together Ikea furniture then you might want to either get help or get some valium before you start. We worked with a preassembled unit but did a quick disassembly to see just how tough it would be. My recommendation is to make sure to have someone help at least when you're working on the uprights.

One of the main selling points of most SportsArt Ellipticals is their adjustable stride lengths. SportsArt has addressed the problem of users of various heights in a fantastic fashion, and the E83 has a manually adjustable stride feature.

I'm going to say something here that may go a bit against the grain. In my experience, I actually prefer the manual adjustment on the E83 over the electronic adjustments on the higher end SportsArt ellipticals. The comput controlled adjustments work great on those units but the manual adjustment on the SportsArt E83 is a lot less complex in design and will last just about forever with proper maintenance. The manual adjustable stride on the E83 elliptical ranges from 17 inches to 25.5 inches - we've seen it listed as 26 inches, but a lot of times manufacturers will round up on their measurements. Either way, it has a fantastically long and smooth stride range and will suit users of any size from 5' to 6'6" or more. This is great for the tall husband-short wife syndrome we get lots of emails about.

The welded steel frame, ball bearing joints instead of cheaper bushings, 8 programs (including the spectacular "random" setting which literally gives you a thousand different workouts), near-silent workouts, great 5-year parts warranty and an incredibly comfortable, natural feeling elliptical motion all add up to a high-quality elliptical that is truly the Lexus or Mercedes of the fitness industry.

The SportsArt E83 Elliptical shines in a price range filled with quite a bit of quality. Solidly built, expertly designed and reasonably priced, the SportsArt E83 is a nearly perfect elliptical that will outlast just about any other machine on the market today. The SportsArt E83 is in my top 5 absolute favorite ellipticals of all time and for that the Treadmill Sensei gives it 4.5 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

Easily one of the best ellipticals at any price, the SportsArt E83 scores with 4.5 gold buddahs.


Get more information on the incredible SportsArt E83 Elliptical.


SportsArt E83 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 17"-25.5" manually adjustable
Flywheel: approximately 22lbs
Display: Dot Matrix LED
Readouts: Workout Level, Calories, Time, Stride Length, Distance, Cal/Hr, Strides/Min, Total Strides, Heart Rate, Heart Rate Target
Programs: 8
Resistance: 14 Levels
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max User Weight: 350lbs
Unit Weight: 282lbs
Grade: Residential
Price: Under $2600

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

The Horizon EX76 Elliptical Review - Best Buy Elliptical with Incline under $1000

Ohiyo!

The Treadmill Sensei fears fads in just about all forms. The thought of fads brings up memories of bad perm-afros in the late 70s (I don't know why my parents let me get one because it is not a good look for a Japanese man), pet screws, parachute pants (see the above remark about not knowing why I was allowed to get them) and Billy Ray Cyrus. That brings up the latest fad in the fitness industry, home ellipticals with inclines. Up until now home incline ellipticals have been truly frightening and of exceptionally poor quality thanks to the fine folks at Icon Fitness. Thankfully, Horizon Fitness out of Wisconsin has decided to get in on the action and has produced a very solid incline elliptical in their Horizon EX76 elliptical.

Horizon is the perfect company to be producing the standard for home incline trainers because they have been at the top of the mountain for manufacturing high quality treadmills and ellipticals for those on a budget. Not only do they put our their own lines of equipment but they also make units for Schwinn in the Schwinn 438 elliptical. They've also got quite a bit of experience in the incline world as they manufacture units and components for Precor as well. As any regular reader of this website knows, Precor is one of the top end, commercial brands which has been producing incline ellipticals for more than 10 years and owns the patent on the incline ramp. Johnson Tech (Horizon's parent company) and its relationship with Precor has given it the insight to design an incredibly feature packed and solid elliptical this year in the EX76.

The first thing we noticed when unpacking our Horizon EX76 was the great new look Horizon has gone with for the 2007/2008 season. They've done away with the boxier look of the old EX75 and gone with something much slicker looking. They've also slimmed down the plastic on the front shrouds and added more weight to further stabilize the EX76. As soon as we had assembled the elliptical (which took about 30 minutes for us and would take around an hour for those of average mechanical ability), my son mounted up and immediately noticed that the EX76 felt solid even with his 250+ pounds rocking it back and forth.

The next thing we noticed was that the Horizon EX76 had a huge number of upgrades over the elliptical it replaces, the EX75. They have the same 14.5 pound flywheel and pulse grip heart rate monitoring, but the similarities end there. The biggest two new upgrades on the EX76 are the fantastic 16% incline and the adjustable stride which allows users to vary their stride length from 18" to 19," two things rarely found individually in an elliptical under $1000 and never found together. The elliptical features a very buff incline motor similar to the ones found in Horizon treadmills. It's great to have a budget elliptical now available with these two features.

Horizon has also upgraded the number of progams on the Horizon EX76 elliptical to 16 over the 10 programs last year and, along with that, upgraded the console to a commercial style LED console.

The only downgrade in the new unit seems to be the number of resistance levels dropping from 20 on the EX75 to 16 on the EX76. That is a very minor nitpick because the amount of resistance has remained the same, only the incremental adjustments have changed.

My son and I both tested the Horizon EX76 elliptical over the course of about 8 days. We found it to be one of the sturdiest ellipticals priced at under $1000 and it really held up to ellipticals in the $1300-$1500 range very well. Factoring in the great new incline and adjustable stride makes the Horizon EX76 a top rated and best buy elliptical in the $1000 range. For being a solid new addition to the Horizon line of ellipticals, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Horizon EX76 Incline Elliptical 4.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

A near perfect new machine from Horizon gets a near perfect 4.5 golden buddahs for its efforts and quality.


Get more information about this best buy elliptical with incline for under $1000 and find the lowest price online.



Horizon EX76 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: Variable - 18"-19"
Flywheel: 14.5lbs
Incline: 16%
Display: LED
Programs: 16
Resistance: 16 levels
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max User Weight: 300lbs
Unit Weight: 180lbs
Price: Under $1000

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

The Spirit XE700 Elliptical Review -- Overpriced and under featured

Ohiyo!

One method fitness manufacturers use to confuse consumers is by classifying a machine as "light commercial" or "commercial," making buyers think they are getting a heavier duty machine because of this classifications or "grade." To tell the truth there is no actual difference between a home unit and a commercial unit. Now, I don't mean that most commercial units are more expensive or build with heavier materials, what I mean is the classification itself doesn't automatically make a unit "light commercial" (for example). All the classification really means is that a manufacturer is willing to warranty a particular unit in a particular setting. Home units are generally warrantied for a few users in a home setting for 10-15 hours a week, where a light commercial unit would be warrantied for use in a non-commercial gym and 20-30 hours. What some manufacturers of home fitness equipment do is upgrade a unit's rating from home to light commercial knowing full well the majority of their customers will be placing equipment in their homes where that light commercial warranty is meaningless anyway. It is a great little bit of bait-and-switch that is hard to pin down because there are no industry standards for what can be called "light commercial" or "commercial" grade equipment.

One "light commercial" machine is the Spirit XE700 Elliptical. The XE700 is the 2007/2008 version of the Spirit XE850 and, thankfully, is still built on the same frame instead of the shorter, more stunted feeling compact frame of the rest of the Spirit XE Elliptical line. From our time on the unit at the recent Health & Fitness Expo in Denver, the XE700 seems to be the same downgraded elliptical the XE850 was last year.

Let's start with the positives. The longer frame on the Spirit XE700 is the same sturdy frame from last year with a metal guide rail shroud on the back for additional support and protection. It also features articulating foot pedals with Spirit's very nice 2% inward slant that give a very natural feel to the unit's elliptical motion and long 20" stride. Finally, it's also got the great new "Safety-Lok" software to help give parents with small children peace of mind for security.

Unfortunately, the downsides balance out those positives. While the pedals are well-positioned, Spirit has decided to remove the cushioned foot pads their lower end ellipticals feature and there is a major difference in comfort in the Spirit XE700 without that padding. The XE700 also lacks the adjustable pedals found in all of the lower end units, a very surprising oversight and one that keeps an owner from being able to further adjust the comfort of his workout. There is nothing worse than getting on an elliptical and having your feet fall asleep because the pedals are at the wrong angle for your body. Finally, the XE700 even lacks the wireless telemetry belt included on the rest of the Spirit ellipticals. A strange cost-saving measure on an already stripped-down elliptical, at least in my opinion.

Overall, the Spirit XE700 is a sturdy unit but is over-priced for the limited features and lower specs it possesses at a just under $2000 price. I'd consider this a worthwhile buy at $1399 or so but it is a definite pass at $1999. For being an average unit, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Spirit XE700 Elliptical the same average rating its predecessor received with 3 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

Still lacking bang for the buck.



Spirit XE700 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 20"
Flywheel: 30lbs
Display: LED
Readouts: Time, distance, calories / weight / speed / rpm, level, laps, heart rate / age
Programs: 6
Resistance: 40 levels
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max User Weight: 400lbs
Unit Weight: 200lbs
Price: Under $2000

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

The Horizon EX66 Elliptical Review - A solid hit for under $800

Ohiyo!

The 2007/2008 Horizon Fitness ellipticals and treadmills have arrived! Well, they actually arrived about 10 days ago on a truck but this is my first real chance to get to talk about them. Back when the Treadmill Sensei heard the new units were out a month or so ago, I decided I needed to order up a few units to check out and review. So, 2 weeks and $3000 later, we've got in a couple of their new ellipticals and treadmills to check out and review.

When we opened up the box for the Horizon EX66 elliptical I was pleasantly surprised to see a slick new design for the unit. While Horizon stuck with a slightly updated version with the EX56, they instead decided to go with a complete upgrade for the EX66 elliptical. Based on what appears to be a much heavier duty version of their Merit ellipticals, the Horizon EX66 elliptical one of the niftiest new designs I've seen on an elliptical priced at under $1000.

At about the same weight as last year, the Horizon EX66 features a lot less plastic than the old EX65 did. The shroud is now tighter and heavier than before which will give users of over 200 pounds a very stable platform to work out on. It also features the same solid 14.5 pound flywheel as before.

The upgrades on the unit are great. The Horizon EX66 now features articulating foot pedals and a very natural feeling pedal placement. Last year I felt the pedals were a bit too far apart for my taste, but now they feel very similar to what you might find in higher priced units from Spirit or Vision. Over the course of my ten workouts of 30-45 minutes, I found the Horizon EX66 elliptical to be one of the best feeling ellipticals I've seen under $1000. A definite best buy.

The other upgrades come in the form of a new easier-to-use console featuring 14 programs, 4 more than last year's model. Horizon has done a great job in its program selection and has developed a fitness package that will challenge light users and hardcore fitness buffs alike.

The only downside I found was in the 1 year parts and labor warranty. I really wish Horizon would beef those up to 2 years for the part. Now, the 1 year warranty is very competitive with everything else in the budget price range, but going up to 2 years would make the EX66 elliptical a homerun.

For a customer on a budget or looking for a best buy elliptical for under $800, the Horizon EX66 shines and gets 4.5 out of 5 golden buddahs from the Treadmill Sensei.

A great new design gets the Horizon EX66 4.5 gold buddahs.


Get more information on the best buy Horizon EX66 elliptical and find the lowest price online.



Horizon EX66 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 18"
Flywheel: 14.5 lbs
Articulating Footpedals: Yes
Display: LCD
Programs: 14
Resistance: 10 Levels
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max User Weight: 275 lbs
Unit Weight: 160lbs
Price: Under $800

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

The Horizon EX56 Elliptical - A best buy elliptical gets a nice upgrade

Ohiyo!

The Treadmill Sensei is glad the Gods of heat have heard his pleas because it finally cooled down yesterday. That makes me very happy because the electric bill here at the DOJO should go back down now that we can turn the air conditioner off. It also means that Hikaru won't be sweating nearly as much as he was, which is good for every at the repair shop.

Every year there is one consistant thing we can all be assured will take place in September. The event is as reliable as the changing of the seasons: Horizon Fitness updates and renames their equipment. This sort of thing normally annoys me a bit even if Horizon always puts out some quality treadmills and ellipticals. It annoys me because most of the time Horizon is just re-releasing the same equipment with a new paint job and some minor tweaks. This year, aside from the Horizon EX56 elliptical I'm reviewing today, it looks like they've gone with some major and very exciting changes. I look forward to being able to share those changes with you, my loyal readers, over the next week.

But first, let's talk about the new Horizon EX56 Elliptical. Not having heard anything from the folks at Horizon for 6 months or more (I guess they don't like the Sensei), I was very surprised when we received the call to do an inside delivery and set up on a Horizon EX56 Elliptical. I had to check the paperwork twice and call the company who was having us do the installation because I was convinced there was a typo. Not only was I unaware about what the new units were but I had no clue they were already out and available to the public! Like Uncle Chris teases me, I guess that's why I'm not the Elliptical Sensei!

The Horizon EX56 is the updated version of the Horizon EX55 (and the old Horizon EX22). It uses the same frame that has been perfected by Horizon over the past 3 years or so, a frame which is incredibly sturdy especially considering the under $600 price of the elliptical.

It also has the same 18" stride, 8 programs, 8 resistance levels, 14.3 pound flywheel (huge for the price) and heart rate monitoring of the previous units. The changes come in their updated articulating foot pedals, which are great to see on an under $600 elliptical. Combined with the sturdy frame and the 18" stride, the Horizon EX56 we received here at the shop felt a lot more like a $1000 elliptical than one with a budget price.

The only other major change is in the console on the EX56 elliptical. They've put on an upgraded and much more powerful console with a better look. While it has the same number of programs as the old EX55, it's got much more reliable electronics inside and should last a lot longer with little to no maintenance.

I was able to work out on the Horizon EX56 elliptical here at the shop for about 4 days -- not as long as I would have liked, but it held up very well. We didn't tell the owner, but Hikaur gave it a 3 hour work out and it held up even in spite of him being 50 pounds or more over its suggested maximum user weight...something I wouldn't suggest you doing at home. The listed 250 pound limit is probably about right for any sort of regular or heavy duty use.

This year, the Horizon EX56 elliptical continues Horizon's streak of producing best buy ellipticals under $600 and ellipticals for people wanting a great workout on a budget. For keeping the best parts and adding on some great new ones, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Horizon EX56 Elliptical 4.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

An upgraded unit gets an updated 4.5 golden buddahs.



Find out more about the 2008 Horizon EX56 Elliptical. Get the lowest price online and save with FREE shipping.



Horizon EX56 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 18"
Flywheel: 14.3lbs
Display: LCD
Programs: 8
Resistance: 8 Levels
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: No
Max User Weight: 250lbs
Unit Weight: 125lbs
Price: Under $600

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

The Stamina Silent Magnetic Elliptical - A budget elliptical with far too many names

Ohiyo!

In spite of the Treadmill Sensei's oft-repeated advice, I still get tons of emails every week from customers looking for the cheapest possible elliptical or treadmill on the market that will magically hold 300 pound users or hold up to 10 mile a day workouts. Unfortunately, there is no such elliptical out there. You will not find an incredibly solid elliptical that will stand up to hours of running a day, every day by 200 plus pound users for a price under $1000 or so.

You can, however, find some decent ellipticals that are good for light workouts by heavy users, or heavier workouts from lighter users for under $1000. For under $300, you really won't find much for someone looking for a serious workout. Manufacturers just can't make a high quality machine with the $50-$100 or so an under $300 machine costs them to produce.

Now if you are absolutely in need of an elliptical for under $300 and understand the limitations of that price range, the Stamina Silent Magnetic Resistance Elliptical is a decent choice for just under $250. Luckily incredibly long names on ellipticals don't cost a manufacturer any extra.

In general, product from Stamina fitness is well manufactured, lower end equipment. They work in a budget price range and do well with what they have to work with. The Stamina Silent Elliptical in particular is a well-crafted budget elliptical priced at about $250. What you get for the price is surprising -- you get 8 levels of resistance, 6 programs, heart rate monitoring (but not heart rate control) and a 100 pound unit weight. The Stamina Silent Magnetic Resistance Elliptical is one of the heaviest duty ellipticals under $500.

Again, even being one of the heaviest duty ellipticals for the price, the Stamina elliptical isn't going to hold up to any serious workouts. I wouldn't advise more than 30 minutes a day for 3-4 times a week, but that should be more than enough for most casual exercisers.

The only real downside to the elliptical is the 14" stride length, but even that is competitive with everything else in the price range.

For being a decent solution for a low-budget workout, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Stamina Silent Magnetic Resistance Elliptical 3 out of 5 golden buddahs. He gives it's far too long name 1 gold buddah for being so bloody annoying to have to type out.

3 gold buddahs isn't bad for a $250 elliptical. Not bad at all.



Find out more about the Stamina Silent Magnetic Resistance Crosstrainer Ellipticals...and maybe find out why it has so darn many names!




Stamina Silent Magnetic Resistance Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 14"
Flywheel: 8lbs.
Display: LCD
Readouts: time, speed, distance, calories burned, and heart rate
Programs: 6
Resistance: 8 Levels
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: No
Max User Weight: 175lbs (approximately)
Unit Weight: 100lbs
Frame Warranty: 3 years
Parts Warranty: 90 days
Price: Under $250

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

The Spirit XE300 Elliptical Review - A drop in quality and value

Ohiyo!

The biggest dissapointment for the Treadmill Sensei this year is a company which built a great reputation in the past, but has decided to cut corners and drop quality this year in hopes of being able to save costs by exploiting that reputation. The company in question is Spirit Fitness and their 2007/2008 line of treadmills and ellipticals. I think they've decided to cut costs and quality and are praying customers don't notice before buying some substandard equipment.

All I can say about Spirit's new X-Series line of ellipticals is that I am very confused. For some reason, instead of sticking with tried and true units that were perfected by Sole on their E35, E55 and E95 over the past few years, Spirit has decided the best way to break out from the shadow of Sole by creating an entire line of ellipticals based on the architecture of the shorter profile Spirit XE125 Elliptical. Unfortunately for buyers, the XE125 was recalled this past year due to manufacturing defects and some pretty major problems...and somehow Spirit has gotten the idea to use that design for all their new equipment. This has to get the award for 'single dumbest idea of the year." Instead of changing their equipment up Spirit should have instead worked on improving its customer service and quality control process because those were their biggest problems this past year.

As with the rest of their new X models, I was able to get some time on the Spirit XE300 Elliptical this past August, 2007, at the Health & Fitness Expo in Denver. What I saw was a huge disappointment. The XE300 is a perfect example of an elliptical that "looks good on paper" but doesn't perform up to its specs. I believe Spirit intended for the XE300 to be a replacement for its older Spirit XE550 elliptical, which was based on the incredible Sole E95, but they failed horribly.

What was once a long, elegant and sturdy elliptical has been replaced by a shorter profile frame with a much lighter, flimsier feel to it. Getting on to the Spirit XE300 gave me the impression of standing on a sub-$1000 elliptical. The supposed 20" stride felt more like an 18.5" stride to me, and the plastic flywheel didn't have the smooth start up and slow down of the old XE550 flywheel. Why Spirit has insisted on remaining with a plastic flywheel when metal is the industry standard at this price point is as baffling as their choice of basing the unit on that of a recalled elliptical instead of sticking with the award-winning frame of year's past. I am still unsure of how the light weight plastic flywheel can be called "30 pounds" when it probably weighs closer to 16 or so pounds in reality.

In my opinion, it looks like Spirit is trying to fool its buyers in to thinking they have a more stable unit by placing a lightweight plastic guide rail shroud on the back of the unit. It is a pity the shroud does absolutely nothing for the Spirit XE300. The plastic on it is much too thin too put any weight on, it doesn't add any sort of stability to the machine and seems to be a completely cosmetic feature to try and make the XE300 look like more of an upgrade to the Spirit XE200 elliptical which is $300 cheaper.

I was also very disappointed to see a low number of programs on the Spirit XE300...for a near $1700 price I would like to have seen 10 programs or more. On the plus side, the XE300 does have 20 levels of resistance, the very comfortable Spirit/Sole pedals and an upgraded parts warranty of 10 years. The drop in labor warranty down to 1 year is also a huge error in judgment for Spirit. Cutting your labor warranty in half shows a lack of faith in long term performance of the new Spirit equipment. Hopefully, they'll get wise and raise the warranty back up to where it should be...otherwise, expect to pay a lot for service in 18 months or so when you begin to have problems with that plastic flywheel or shroud.

Overall, the Spirit XE300 is over-priced and under-performing for a $1699 elliptical. For having too much plastic and cutting too many corners, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Spirit XE300 Elliptical 2.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

The Treadmill Sensei gives a very generous 2.5 gold buddahs to the Spirit XE300.



Spirit XE300 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 20" (feels closer to 18.5")
Flywheel: 16lbs (listed as 30lbs)
Display: LED
Readouts: Time, weight, speed, RPM, distance, calories, level, laps, heart rate, and age
Programs: 6
Resistance: 20 levels
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max User Weight: 350lbs
Unit Weight: approximately 160lbs
Price: Under $1700

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

The Lamar Ignite 841 Elliptical Review - Excellence on a budget under $700

Ohiyo!

The Treadmill Sensei has been very impressed with Lamar Fitness over the past few months. When they first popped on the fitness scene in the early 2000s they produced some fairly forgetful equipment. However, since that time they've spend the last 5-6 years slowing improving their quality, their design and their manufacturing to the point where they are no producing some of the best budget and mid range ellipticals and treadmills. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get any of their sales people to talk to me at the fitness expo in Denver this past August, 2007, so my information is limited to the units that either come through the DOJO for setup or repair, or from units we purchase to review. The Lamar Ignite 841 Elliptical is one of those I was so excited about that we went out and bought one to review a couple of months ago (along with the Ignite 821).

The Lamar Ignite 841 is essentially the same fantastic elliptical trainer as the Ignite 821 elliptical I have already reviewed. The only differences are in the 841's electronics -- Lamar has give it an upgrade to having wireless heart rate monitoring for about $100 more.

With or without the wireless heart rate integration, the Lamar Ignite 841 Elliptical is still the heaviest duty, smoothest feeling elliptical under $700 -- and, to tell the truth, is probably the single best buy elliptical under $1000. The Ignite 841 outweighs every other elliptical under $1000, coming in at about 175 pounds and with a huge 16 pound metal flywheel. When you factor in the 18" stride then you have a very smooth workout for a budget price.

A feature that I was very surprised to see on an elliptical priced at under $700 is articulating foot pedals. Most units in the budget range have static pedals which can lead to numbness in your feet during longer workouts. By adding in the articulating pedals, Lamar has gone above and beyond the call of duty in their design and manufacturer of the Ignite 841 Ellitptical.

If you're on a budget but still looking for a top rated elliptical and a best buy under $1000, then make sure to check out the Lamar Ignite 841 Elliptical as it shines in a world of low end, poorly manufactured ellipticals. In my opinion it out-performs a lot of ellipticals under $1300. This unit is amazing and under priced...get it before Lamar gets wise and tries to raise the price!

For being a truly elegant, sturdy and well-designed elliptical, the Treadmill Sensei gives the best buy Lamar Ignite 841 Elliptical 4.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

The same mechanics as the Ignite 821 but with some upgrades get the Lamar Ignite 841 4.5 gold buddahs.



Lamar Ignite 841 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 18"
Flywheel: 16lbs
Display: LCD
Readouts: time, pulse, distance, RPM, calories, speed, temperature, and watts
Programs: 10
Resistance: 16 Levels
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max User Weight: 275lbs
Unit Weight: 175lbs
Price: Under $700

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

The Spirit XE100 Elliptical Review - Another lesson in mediocrity

Ohiyo!

The Treadmill Sensei has mentioned a few times about how he attended the Health & Fitness Business Expo in Denver this past August 2007. Going to these shows helps me get on equipment that I haven't had a chance to look at back at the DOJO, and I get to test out and review a lot more treadmills and elliptical for you, my loyal readers. One of the exhibits I was able to visit and spend quite a bit of time with was the one belonging to Spirit Fitness. I was anxious to see Spirit's new X series of treadmills and ellipticals as well as their "budget line" which they call Esprit.

As I entered Spirit's booth at the Denver trade show this year, I was a little worried when I saw what was being called the Spirit XE100 Elliptical because of how many problems their Spirit XE125 had last year...to the point of it even having to be recalled back to the manufacturing plant in China due to issues with the entire line. Thankfully, based on what I saw the new unit looks to be more than just a repackaged and repainted version of that recalled unit.

Let's start with the "upgrades" on the new XE100 elliptical over the problem elliptical of last year. First off, the specs list the unit as having a 20 inch stride. As I mentioned in my review of the Spirit XE200 elliptical, if I had gotten on the unit with no prewarning of a long stride, I would have guessed the stride to be at 18.5 or so inches in length and not the 20 inches listed. This could just be an issue with the elliptical motion due to the shorter frame.

From there the number of resistance levels have been upped from 16 to 20. This is a nice upgrade to get for those of you who like to tweak your workout more -- it doesn't increase the amount of resistance on the machine, it is just increasing the increments you can tweak your workouts by.

The next upgrade seems to be the newly adjustable pedals on the Spirit XE100. Believe it or not, I really like this feature. Having the ability to further customize your workout and make it more comfortable is a great feature. Cudos to Spirit on this one.

The final "upgrade" if you can call it that is a $100 increase in pricing over the XE125. The street price on the Spirit XE100 is going to be about $1099, which is about $100 more than it should be. Spirit should have taken a cue from Sole on its E25 elliptical unit (almost identical with a 20" stride but without the problems of the XE125). At $999 it would have been a unit to take a look at, but with a price tag of basically $1100 it is most definitely a "pass" in my book.

The last thing I want to mention is the flywheel on the Spirit XE100 elliptical. This is a similar, but smaller, version of the plastic flywheels in the larger Spirit Ellipticals. I'm not exactly sure where Spirit gets its 30 pound weight for the thing but my guess is that they are weighing the entire front drive assembly instead of just the plastic flywheel. If I were to guess a weight on the XE100's flywheel I would say 10-12 pounds at the max. If I can find an exact weight I will post it here, but I can't imagine the plastic to weigh much more than that on the XE100 elliptical trainer.

To be honest, the Spirit XE100 isn't a terrible elliptical, I think it is just a bit overpriced at $1099. If it were priced at under $1000 it would be a very nice budget elliptical. I will post updates as I hear from readers who have purchased the Spirit XE100 elliptical. I would recommend my readers check out the Sole E25 Elliptical instead. It has a better price and better quality control record.

For not being a terrible elliptical, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Spirit XE100 Elliptical 2.5 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

The Spirit XE100 gets a tentative 2.5 gold buddahs.

Check out the Sole E25 Elliptical for a solid version of the XE100.

Spirit XE100 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 20"
Flywheel: 12lbs (listed as 24lbs)
Display: LCD
Programs: 13
Resistance: 20 levels
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max User Weight: 300lbs
Unit Weight: approximately 190lbs
Price: $1099

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

The SportsArt E80 Elliptical Review -- A step up in quality without the step up in price

Ohiyo!

The Treadmill Sensei has contacts and spies every where in the fitness industry. I get emails and calls from service techs working at various manufacturers, emails from other fitness writers and lots of emails from retailers and independent repair techs. One of the benefits of those contacts, aside from aiding me in benevolent world domination, is that I am able to get my hands on all sorts of equipment to try out and test. One of my minions came through for me superbly by rounding up a number of SportsArt treadmills and ellipticals from a very kind dealer out in Arizona. The only requirement was that I go out to meet the store owner in person and pick the units up. So, after a "quick" 7 hour drive out, we were able to pick up 4 SportsArt floor models for testing and review over the course of 2 weeks. The units had to be returned once we were finished and they couldn't be damaged. Thankfully, SportsArt makes their equipment solid enough to endure 2 trips in a freight truck between states.

The first piece off the truck was the SportsArt E80...ok, it may not have been the first one off of the truck but, as the lightest of the line, I wanted to review it first. I don't really know which unit came off the truck first because I made the younger Senseis unload it because I'm old and broken...and they are young and in need of getting broken.

The E80 was fully assembled so Hikaru and I did a quick breakdown of the machine. I passed assembly along to Mat to watch how someone of average mechanical ability handled putting the unit back together using the instructions. Re-Assembly went off without any major hitches and Mat had the thing back together in about 45 minutes with a little help. SportsArt did an excellent job with its instructions and putting an E80 elliptical together should be around an hour job for most people.

Once it was all back together, Hikaur, Mat and I took turns with 1 hour workouts each over the next 10 days. We all found the unit to be very solid and incredibly well constructed. In addition to a heavy duty frame, the SportsArt E80 elliptical also uses bearings in all of its joints and pivot points. Using steel bearings instead of cheaper, flimsier bushings (made of brass a lot of time) allows for much smoother and quieter workouts as well as extends the lifespan of the elliptical. Plus, you'll have a much lower maintenance rate.

The thing about the SportsArt E80 elliptical that blew us all away was its "random" workout mode. The version in the E80 literally allows for thousands of possibilities in workout variety. Why this is good is because your muscles do become used to repitition in workout and using the same program over and over because less effective over time. If you step on the SportsArt E80 and hit "Random" every time, you'll never have the same workout twice. Also, and this isn't health related, having the ability to change up your workout is a great way to avoid boredome.

The only real downside any of us could find was in the lower number of resistance levels (16 would have allowed for a bit more workout control versus the 10 the E80 comes with) and the non-articulating footpedals. While the footpedals didn't articulate with the elliptical's motion, they were still comfortable enough for 30-45 minute workouts. Just make sure to vary your foot position while you are on it.

The best way to describe the SportsArt E80 Elliptical is as the fitness equivilent to a beginner's Lexus or Mercedes. You get the finest design, components and manufacturing but you lose a few of the bells and whistles in exchange for an affordable price. You'll notice an almost immediate different in smoothness, comfort and natural motion when you get on a SportsArt trainer versus an elliptical from any other home unit out there. The difference in quality is amazing. Even without the "bells and whistles," the SportsArt E80 elliptical is a commercial quality unit for a very reasonable budget price.

While the SportsArt E80 is a very solid elliptical made up of high quality components, I would actually suggest upgrading to the E81 Elliptical for another $300. With that you get extra cushioning in your footpedals, additional programs including heart rate control options, as well as some additional feedback options. Even if you stick with it, the SportsArt E80 is an excellent introduction into the world of higher end fitness equipment.

For being SportsArt's version of a "starter Lexus," the Treadmill Sensei gives the SportsArt E80 4 out of 5 golden buddahs.

Another great quality unit from SportsArt, the SportsArt E80 Elliptical comes away with 4 gold buddahs.


Find out more about the SportsArt E80 Elliptical and get it for the lowest price online.



SportsArt E80 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 19"
Flywheel: approximately 22lbs
Display: LCD
Readouts: Workout level, strides per minute, time and calories
Programs: 5
Resistance: 10 levels
Heart Rate Monitor: No
Heart Rate Control: No
Max User Weight: 300lbs
Unit Weight: 165lbs
Price: Under $1500

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

The LifeCore LC-21 Elliptical Review - Innovative doesn't always mean Good

Ohiyo!

The Treadmill Sensei loves new and high tech gadgets. I'm a sucker for them. Here at the DOJO my office is covered in the things. Anything that is cool and unusual seems to wind up on my shelves or cluttering my desk. I especially love it when fitness manufacturers come out with some spiffy new technology or do something creative with a standard unit. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't,

The LifeCore LC21 Elliptical is a prime example of a company that went out of its way to be cutting edge and experimental, but who also failed to achieve what they had intended. The idea of using a smaller, secondary flywheel mounted on the larger flywheel in order to get a longer stride on a small unit is a good one. Unfortunately, the feel when you get on the LifeCore LC-21 just isn't quite...right. Some just feels off about it. The elliptical motion isn't as flattened or as smooth as it should be. I wouldn't compare it the feel to that of a stepper but I will say that it isn't as natural as a standard elliptical.

On the plus side, the inner workings and components of the LifeCore LC21 are of some of the highest quality at this price point. Their use of sealed bearings in all of their pivot points instead of bushings is fantastic. It also had a large number of programs at 12 and included the option to create and save your own programs.

I had my partner, Mat, try out the LC21 Elliptical to get a second opinion. He said he felt more awarkward from the way the unit's weight was distributed than from the strange elliptical motion of the pedals. He thought the very heavy weight almost directly under him interacting with the lightweight upright support in front seemed very unusal and unstable, at least for someone of his size, and that he felt like the console and handlebar were going to snap off when he used the static bars.

Lastly, neither of us liked the old school style static footpedals which can lead to numbness of feet and toes in longer workouts. As a bigger guy, Mat liked the width between the pedals, but I thought they were a bit too wide for anyone of average or shorter height.

That being said, if you are looking for a very solid elliptical with a shorter profile the LifeCore LC21 might be worth taking a look at. However, I'd suggest something like an Octane or SportsArt short profil unit instead. I'm just not sure an experimental unit is worth trying out at just under $1700.

For being creative but unfulfilling, the Treadmill Sensei gives the LifeCore LC21 Elliptical 2.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

The LC21 gets 2.5 gold buddahs out of 5 for being unique...a little too unique.


The LifeCore LC21 Elliptical is interesting but unnatural.

LifeCore LC21 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 21"
Flywheel: approximately 24lbs
Display: LCD
Programs: 12
Resistance: 16 Levels
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max User Weight: 400lbs
Unit Weight: 175lbs
Price: Under $1700

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

The Spirit XE200 Elliptical, good solid equipment at a good Price!

Ohiyo!

I was looking at a few ellipticals the other day, and I was reminded of an oldie and goody I found in Spirit. Spirit has always had good prices, but there products have improved. While their prices have stayed fairly static, and in the fitness industry this is darn near unheard of (and impossible)! In a sea of products, some old, and some new we find that certain models are always a favorite. The XE200 is one of mine!

The reason I like the XE200 is that the price point is not scary to tell, write or read about when looking to buying new equipment. At around $1200 or $1300 (depending where you shop) most people will be thrilled with the features and quality of this elliptical for many years to come! The XE200 has a great compact design, which is a feature that almost everyone appreciates!

Do not think that just because this machine is on the more compact side, that the XE200 is lacking in any other area! This thing offers a wonderful 3 position adjustable pedal position, with huge footings and a wonderful 20 inch stride length with a 2 degree inward slant that really makes this comfortable to use for anyone in your house!

The 30 LB steel fly wheel is huge compared to many more compact models and truly feels like a club model! The 30 LB steel flywheel allows for 20 resistance levels. This is so important for users of all fitness ranges! The varying resistance levels allow anyone to accomplish the task at hand, and not feel over or underwhelmed by their individual fitness level.

The XE 200 comes with all the fun stuff you would expect, like a water bottle holder, programs, a pretty screen, fan, heart rate monitor via polar telemetry strap or contact on handles and attractive appearance, but the really cool thing is that structurally, this is a well made machine that many companies in the fitness industry would slap “Commercial” in the name and add at least $1000 to the price tag!

This machine has a few features that many of you really don’t care about, but I am gonna tell you anyway just to drive home the point that the Spirit XE 200 is worth a second and third look-see!
First, this thing has a weight limit of 400 lbs! Second, the frame is made of oversized, commercial grade steel and is warranted forever!
Third, there are four guide rails covered with an aluminum sheaths for added stability and durability from the inside out. Last, but not least, the resistance mechanism is an electronically controlled magnetic brake that is covered for LIFE! This is worth a few Goggle’s!

Happy Shopping!

Spirit XE200 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 20"
Flywheel: approximately 16lbs (listed as 30)
Display: LCD
Programs: 6
Resistance: 20 Levels
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max User Weight: 350lbs
Unit Weight: approximately 190lbs
Price: Under $1400

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

The Kettler Vito XL Elliptical Review - A well-crafted let-down

Ohiyo!

In the fitness industry we all spend a lot of time talking about manufacturing in Taiwan versus China versus the US. What we tend to forget is there is still some very fine manufacturing being done over in Europe. So, to broaden all of our horizons the Treadmill Sensei wants to answer an email from the Reader Mailbag about the quality of a long standing German company called Kettler. Let's see how Kettler measures up to its Asian cousins out in the marketplace. Take it away, Don!

Sensei,

I like many other of your readers (fans) have found your reviews the best I have found, I have read that you have a Sports Art 803 at home and I am leaning that way myself. I'm 6'3" 340lbs and the wife is 5'2" 130lbs so an adjustable stride and heavy duty machine is what I need.

So here finally is my question, what do you know about Kettler machines, it says made in Germany and I am seeing 45 lbs flywheels and all ball bearing and I'm thinking?? so I ask the pro- the guy what fixes them not the guy what sells them are they as good or better as the Sports Art for the money or should I stay with the 803.

Thank You. -Don

Don:

Thanks for your note and I'm glad you are enjoying the website! It's true, I did have a SportsArt 803 at home but I recently gave it to my Sensei partner, Mat, who was in search of a solid elliptical to workout on. He's about your size but a tad bit shorter at 6'1" and he's loving the machine. He works on it every morning before he comes in to the DOJO to work out even more during the day! The 803 elliptical holds up very well to his more super-sized workouts.

In regards to Kettler, they do make some very high quality product. A quick history of Kettler for those of you who aren't familiar with the brand. As a manufacturer of sports and fitness equipment, the German-based Kettler has been around since the late 1940s and has been known for producing some very high quality equipment ever since. Their "made in Germany" slogan is one filled with pride, and rightly so because German manufacturing is still some of the best in the world. Now, although Kettler has been in the US since the 1980s, it is still lesser known brand to most buyers in spite of their higher quality production.

I wasn't sure which Kettler unit Don was interested in, so I put my feelers out and brought in a couple of units after I returned from the Fitness Trade show at the beginning of August. The first one I was able to get my grubby little hands on was the Ketter Vito XL elliptical, which can be picked up for just under $1200.

The very first thing I want to talk about is the misconception of the "45 pound flywheel" that Don mentioned. What Kettler actually does is give you the weight of the entire rear drive assembly and not just the flywheel (much like Spirit does when quoting 30 pounds for their lightweight plastic flywheels). I didn't have the time to disassemble the entire drive assembly, but by eyeballing it I'd estimate the metal flywheel to be in the 25-30 pound range. Still a very large and smooth running flywheel if not quite the 45+pounds they like to brag about.

The second thing is how freaking well the Kettler Vito XL elliptical was made. It has the single most solid frame I've seen on a home elliptical under the $1200 range. In addition to the incredibly sturdy frame, the unit also uses sealed bearings instead of cheap bushings in all of its pivot points. What that means is a much smoother motion and a quieter ride. It also means the Ketter Vito XL elliptical will last for a very long time without much additional maintenance.

Now, for being such an incredibly well-made machine a lot of you will be surprised at the rating I give the Vito XL elliptical from the fine folks at Kettler. The reason for that is because of the lack of features on the unit: it has a very small 16" stride length (very short for a $1000+ elliptical), no programs, only 10 levels of resistance control (if it were priced under $600 that would be acceptable) and the old-style non-articulating, non-adjustable foot pedals. The bummer is that while the elliptical motion of the Kettler Vito XL is great, the stride is much to short and the static pedals will be uncomfortable for any workout of 20 minutes or longer.

Speaking of the pedals, they seemed a bit too far apart for my taste as well. A taller user might like that more than someone of my 5'7"-ish height, but then that user would be turned off by the shorter stride.

If you're looking for an incredibly well made elliptical and are under 5'8" or so then I would recommend checking out the Vito XL Elliptical from Ketter, otherwise I'd suggest looking elsewhere. For being an incredibly well-made disappointment, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Kettler Vito XL Elliptical 3.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

3.5 gold buddahs out of 5 isn't all that bad...it isn't all that good either.


Find out more about the Kettler Vito XL Elliptical and get the lowest price online.



Kettler Vito XL Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 16"
Flywheel: approximately 26lbs
Display: LCD
Readouts: Time, distance, Kilojoules burned, RPM, pulse
Programs: 0
Resistance: 10 levels
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: No
Max User Weight: 280lbs
Unit Weight: approximately 145lbs
Price: Under $1200

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

The Spirit ZE120 Elliptical Review -- Solid Elliptical Under $1100

Ohiyo!

The end of the Summer and the start of Fall brings in new treadmills and ellipticals from manufacturers as they launch their new lines for the upcoming holiday season. But, before the new equipment arrives buyers still have time to check out some really cool equipment in the current line...and even save some cash at the same time..

To be perfectly honest, the Treadmill Sensei was very unsure about whether or not to review the Spirit ZE120. You see, Spirit is discontinuing the unit and it will no longer be available once current stock is sold off. The current Spirit Z Series is being replaced by their new Esprit line which is less than impressive. However, I wanted to go over the Spirit ZE120 elliptical in order to give my readers one last look at a top rated elliptical before it is gone and, hopefully, give you a chance to pick one up before they are all gone.

To start off, the Spirit ZE120 is basically just a slight upgrade of the Best Buy Award winning Sole E25 Elliptical. They share the same frame and same mechanical parts, with the only difference being the lighter color paint and more programs, including a heart rate control option. If you like the Sole E25 but want more exercise programs or want to do heart rate workouts, then the extra $100 is a small price to pay.

The Spirit ZE120 is a very solid elliptical, featuring 4 rear rails to assist in giving you a very stable workout. Spirit has also done a great job with the articulating foot pedals and their 2% incline to give the ZE120 elliptical's 20" stride one of the most natural and comfortable feels on the market. All of the Spirit and Sole ellipticals share this great feature.

The unit also comes with 13 workout programs, heart rate monitoring (pulse grip but also with a wireless option), heart rate control and 16 levels of resistance. For the price point it is an excellent buy.

Spirit has produced a very fine elliptical in the ZE120 and it will be a shame to see it vanish from stores in the next couple of months. If you want a top rated elliptical best buy for under $1100 then you'd be foolish not to check out the Spirit ZE120 elliptical. Luckily, if you miss out on the ZE120 version, the Sole E25 will still be around.

For being a well-designed elliptical in the $1000-$1100 range, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Spirit ZE120 Elliptical 4 out of 5 golden buddahs...we're sad to see you go!

4 gold buddahs out of 5 for the excellent Spirit ZE120 Elliptical.


Get more info on the Spirit ZE120. Save an additional 3% with coupon code TMSENSEI

Spirit ZE120 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 20"
Flywheel: 24lbs
Display: LCD
Programs: 13
Resistance: 16 levels
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max User Weight: 300lbs
Unit Weight: 160lbs
Cost: Under $1100

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

The Lamar Ignite 821 Elliptical Review -- The Best Elliptical Available for Under $700

Ohiyo!

Continuing in my review of budget treadmills and ellipticals under $1000, this time your Treadmill Sensei answers something from the Reader Mailbag. Today's question is from Pam up in Toronto, Canada. Let's see what she has to say...take it away, Pam!

Hi Sensei,
I love your website and your sense of humour/style! Great info for someone like me who knows little about fitness equipment.
The Ignite 821 elliptical has been recommended to me by a local fitness equipment seller (and they're willing to give me some $ for trading in my treadmill). Of course, they're recommending what they're trying to sell. I haven't been able to find any reviews of this model and I'm hoping you have some advice you can share.

Many, many thanks!! -Pam in Toronto

Pam:

Thanks for your note and your kind works. I'm glad you like the website! It is really a shame, but there is a lack of reviews for most of the Lamar Fitness treadmills and ellipticals out on the internet. As I said in some of my other Lamar reviews, they are a brand that flies a bit under the radar of most consumers but they produce some very good equipment. If you keep on reading you'll see that their budget ellipticals have a number of features you very rarely see in ellipticals under $1000.

I was able to get a Lamar Ignite 821 Elliptical in to the DOJO and review it about 3 months ago but just haven't had the time to convert my review notes over to a post and I'm glad for the excuse. THe Ignite 821 is an incredible elliptical for the under $600 price it sells for...in fact, I thought our unit had been mispriced while I was reviewing it because of how it performed. For once this is the case of a manufacturer pricing an elliptical too low!

The first thing you'll notice when checking out a Lamar Ignite 821 is how heavy the elliptical is. Weighing in at around 175 pounds the thing is a monster and outweighs pretty much everything else out there in the under $1000 range for an elliptical...heck, it out weighs a lot of ellipticals in the $1000-$1500 range as well! Going along with that weight and solidity of frame is a heavy, approximately 16 pound metal flywheel. The combination of frame, heavy flywheel and very comfortable full 18" stride give you the best elliptical workout available in a budget elliptical under $1000.

The other feature fairly unique in an elliptical in the under $700 price range is a pair of articulating pedals. If you've read my other elliptical reviews then you already know how important this feature is, especially in longer workouts. The articulating pedals allow for a more natural feel in your workout and keep your feet from falling asleep, which is a very common problem with most budget price range ellipticals. It is fantastic that Lamar had the foresight to include this feature in the already great Lamar Ignite 821 Elliptical.

On top of solidity and comfort, the Lamar Ignite I821 is also fully loaded with 6 programs, heart rate monitoring and control, 16 levels of resistance and a two-tone LCD screen. The only thing missing is wireless heart rate monitoring...but Lamar even has a solution for that -- for about $100 you can get the Ignite 841 Elliptical which is the exact same unit with the additional electronics for wireless heart rate monitoring. I'm still almost conviced that someone at Lamar made a mistake in pricing the Ignite 821 as low as they did.

In the Ignite 821 Elliptical, Lamar created a best buy elliptical under $1000 and definitely the best elliptical under $600 available on the market today. For having produced an uber-elliptical at a budget price, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Lamar Ignite 821 Elliptical 4.5 out of 5 golden buddahs for excellence.

Wow...just plain wow!


Get more information about this top rated elliptical under $600 and find it at the lowest price online.




Lamar Ignite 821 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 18"
Flywheel: approximately 16lbs
Display: LCD
Readouts: Time, Pulse, Distance, Calories used, Speed and Watts
Programs: 6
Resistance: 16
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes, Pulse grip
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max User Weight: 275lbs
Unit Weight: 175lbs
Price: Under $650

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

The Lamar Ignite I436 Elliptical Review -- Best Buy Elliptical Under $400

Ohiyo!

Probably the single most asked question the Treadmill Sensei gets here at the DOJO is "How can I look as handsome as you, O Great Sensei?" The second most asked question is "Where can I get a commercial quality elliptical for under $500?" Unfortunately, the answer to both of those questions is "you can't."

In all seriousness, if you're looking for anything that even remotely feels like a commercial quality product for under $500 (heck, even for under $1000) then you're in for some terrible disappointment. There just isn't anything out there like that. However, if you're on a budget and looking for a decent performing elliptical under $500 then Lamar Fitness may just have an possible answer for you in their Ignite 436 Elliptical (I couldn't figure out if this was called the Lamar I 436 or the Ignite 436 Elliptical...it was listed as both everywhere I looked!).

I was able to spend an hour on one of the Lamar Ignite 436 Ellipticals two days in a row at a local fitness shop and, in spite of the very low price, I was still impressed by its stability and feel. The Ignite 436 Elliptical weighs in right around 100 pounds which is very heavy for a budget elliptical, and I'd estimate its flywheel at right around 12-15 pounds which gave it a nice smooth elliptical feel. The stride was a bit short, but the unit itself is perfect for those of you who are smaller in stature (read: shorter than about 5'10") and looking to do a 30 minute or so workout 4-5 times a week. It is also an great choice for someone in an apartment or with a small area to put a piece of fitness equipment.

The Ignite 436 has a great range of 12 programs and 16 levels of magnetic resistance -- something more often found in ellipticals priced closer to the $1000 range.

All in all, if your budget is down in the under $400 range for an elliptical, you'd be silly not to check out the Ignite 436 Elliptical by Lamar. It feels better and will last longer than any Icon Fitness brand elliptical in the same price range and even out performs the lower-end Horizon and Merit units. Look for it to last for 3-5 years without many problems at all.

For being a great low budget elliptical, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Lamar Ignite I436 Elliptical (and it's long name) 4 out of 5 golden buddahs.

Another excellent Lamar Fitness elliptical with 4 gold buddahs out of 5.



Lamar Ignite 436 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 15"
Flywheel: approximately 12lbs
Display: LCD
Readouts: Time, pulse, calories, distance, speed, RPMs and watts
Programs: 12
Resistance: 16 Levels
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max User Weight: 250lbs
Unit Weight: 95lbs
Price: Under $400

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

The Lamar A 4400 Elliptical Review -- Great Elliptical under $1500

Ohiyo!

Last week your Treadmill Sensei and master of the fitness world took a look at the A 4200 Elliptical from the little known Lamar Fitness. The unit was a great buy at under $1300 and the only thing it was really missing with wireless heart rate monitoring and heart rate control programs. Luckily, in their infinite wisdom, the fine folks at Lamar have released the Lamar Advantage 4400 Elliptical which is an upgrade from the Lamar 4200 Elliptical.

After I reviewed the Lamar 4200 and saw that the A4400 Elliptical was the step up I decided to go out to get one for us to review here at the DOJO. What we found in the Lamar A4400 Elliptical was the exact same machine as the Lamar A4200 but with some electronics upgrades. What that means is you get the same incredibly well built and solid frame, the same very comfortable 19.5" stride with perfectly positioned pedals for most workouts, the same heavy flywheel and smooth elliptical motion and the same great 5 year parts warranty.

Now, because the Lamar A4400 Elliptical had the same frame and mechanical parts as the Lamar A4200 elliptical, we only reviewed the 4400 Elliptical over the course of 4 days. However, even after 4 days and about 8 hours of working out, we did find that the Lamar A 4400 elliptical was an excellent choice for those of you looking for a best buy or top rated elliptical under $1500 and that it will deliver as close to the feel of a commercial elliptical as you can get in the price range.

What that also means is that Lamar has produced one of the best front drive ellipticals under $1500. The only thing that keeps it from getting a perfect score is the 1 year labor warranty -- at a more generous 2 years it would have gotten a 5 out of 5 from the Sensei. If you're let down by the lightweight plastic flywheel of a Spirit elliptical or the choppy feeling of a Nordic Track, then give the Lamar A 4400 elliptical a shot...like Kevin Lamar, it might just score a touchdown with you.

For being a solid upgrade to a solid elliptical, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Lamar Advantage 4400 Elliptical 4.5 out of 5 Buddahs.

Wow, 4.5 golden buddahs for the Lamar 4400 Elliptical...I wonder if Lamar's football career would even rank that high?



Lamar Advantage 4400 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 19.5"
Flywheel: approximately 25lbs
Display: LCD
Readouts: speed, time, distance, pules, RPM, watts, calories and level
Programs: 11
Resistance: 16 levels
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max User Weight: 300lbs
Unit Weight: approximately 250lbs
Price: Under $1500

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

The Lamar 4200 Elliptical Review -- Top Rated Elliptical Under $1500

Ohiyo!

The Treadmill Sensei constantly gets emails from his readers asking "why haven't you review such-and-such elliptical" or "such-and-such" fitness brand. Truth be told, we're not like some other review sites who just type up a review based on what everyone else online is saying about the equipment. We literally get on every single piece of equipment we review and workout on it. What that means is that we're limited to the amount of reviews we can get done at any point and hope our quality hold out over the quantity of the other sites and what their prescriptions for good equipment are. But I do hate when I'm not able to answer reader requests about information on brands or units I haven't been able to cover.

So, in order to fix that little issue we ordered a few different treadmills and ellipticals from manufacturers I haven't had a chance to review yet. Those units have been filtering in to the DOJO over the past 8 weeks or so and I've got a new one for you, my loyal readers. Today's offering is the Lamar 4200 Elliptical, sometimes called the Advantage 4200.

A quick background on Lamar Fitness: the company was founded in 2004 by Kevin Lamar, former NFL football player and executive at Nautilus for almost 20 years. They distribute their equipment under both the Lamar and Universal brand names. Lamar is known for putting out some very innovative equipment, but their quality was down for a few years before a recent turn around. Now they are quietly producing some top notch treadmills and ellipticals, including the Lamar 4200 Elliptical.

The Lamar 4200 we received here at the had a little bit of freight damage to the box and I was worried it was going to be damaged, but we lucked out and the only problems were with the box itself. Assembly on the 4200 elliptical was pretty straight forward and standard for an elliptical. I'd estimate it will take most people 45 minutes to an hour to put together if you've got someone to help. If you're doing it alone or aren't the most mechanical of people, it might take as long as an hour and a half.

The first thing you'll notice when getting on to the Lamar Advantage 4200 Elliptical (that's a mouthful of a name!) is how heavy it is and how solid it feels. This sucker weighs in somewhere around 250 pounds which is outstanding for a home grade front drive elliptical. And, almost all of that weight is up front in the drive assembly and flywheel. The way Lamar has designed the front end of the 4200 elliptical gives a very fluid motion to the elliptical movement of the pedals. Between that and the 19.5 inch stride, Lamar gives you a fantastic and comfortable feeling in your workout.

I very much enjoyed the 8 days I spent on the Lamar 4200 Elliptical we ordered. It was incredibly sturdy and held up to some pretty hard core workouts by both myself and Mat here in the DOJO. To balance out my longer 45+ minute workouts I had Mat do some very short, very fast and very rough workouts of about 5 minutes to see how much torture the Lamar 4200 could endure...and it passed with flying colors. The unit is built to last...and the company's 5 year parts warranty shows how much faith they have in it. I do wish the labor warranty was 2 years instead of one, but that is a minor issue.

The only other problem I had was that I missed having heart rate control programs. Lamar added that feature in the upgrade Lamar 4400 Elliptical for a couple of hundred dollars more, but it would have been nice in the Advantage 4200 elliptical as well.

If you're looking for a great workout in the under $1500 range, then check out the Lamar 4200 Elliptical -- it may not have the brand recognition of Proform, Spirit or Bowflex, but it has the quality and design excellence to beat them. For being really spiffy, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Lamar A 4200 Elliptical 4 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

Who would have thought an ex-football player would know how to make a darn good elliptical?



Lamar Advantage 4200 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 19.5"
Flywheel: approximately 25lbs
Display: LCD
Readouts: speed, time, distance, pules, RPM, watts, calories and level
Programs: 11
Resistance: 16 levels
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: No
Max User Weight: 300lbs
Unit Weight: approximately 250lbs
Price: Under $1300

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

The LifeCore LC985Z Elliptical Review -- As Exciting as a Sleeping Pill

Ohiyo!

At the Denver Fitness Expo earlier this month, the Treadmill Sensei saw a lot of treadmills and ellipticals he hasn't gotten a chance to check out yet. Being at the show helps me to figure out what machines I absolutely need to check out before we post our Ichi-Ban Best Buy Awards later this year. What we'll be doing over the next 2 months here at the DOJO is begging, borrowing and buying as many possible units as we can get to review. I'm hoping to have another 200 reviews done by the end of October! Of course, people say I'm crazy so we'll see what happens.

That brings us to the LifeCore LC 985Z Elliptical, a fairly by-the-book old school rear drive elliptical that we purchased about a month ago and has been sitting right outside of my office just waiting to be put together. And, starting with putting it together, the Lifecore LC985z was a very easy elliptical to assemble. Unlike a lot of ellipticals, the LC985z should take less than 30 minutes to put together.

That's where the excitement ends on the Lifecore LC985z. From that point on it gets a little boring.

The real shame about the LC985z elliptical is that it has a lot going for it -- 12 programs, heart rate monitoring and control, a decent sized flywheel and a pretty good warranty of 5 years on the parts. Unfortunately, the negatives are as great as the positives. The parts warranty is long but the labor warranty (just as important) comes in at a meager 1 year coverage. The unit itself is well made, but at under 100 pounds and with an approximately 15 pound flywheel, it just isn't sturdy enough to hold up to other ellipticals at the just under $1000 price point. And that doesn't even mention the very disappointing 17.5" stride.

Actually, since we did mention the short stride on the LifeCore LC985z Elliptical I'd also like to mention that the elliptical motion of the machine makes it feel even shorter than that. When you are looking at ellipticals you want an elliptical motion that is more stretched out than shaped like a circle. In my testing the elliptical motion of the LC985z elliptical was more "D" shaped than elliptical and what that gives is a more unnatural and uncomfortable ride, especially when you take in to account the awful, non-articulating pedals of the LifeCore ellipticals in general. After doing 5 days of 45+ minute workouts on the LifeCore 985z elliptical, I don't think my feel will ever wake up and stop tingling!

I just didn't like the feel of the machine very much and, unless you're an old Tunturi C6 owner and enjoy discomfort, neither will most people who check one out.

The LifeCore LC985z Elliptical isn't a terrible machine and, in fact, has some nice features. They just aren't enough to keep the LC985z from being a very average elliptical. For being average, the Treadmill Sensei gives the LifeCore LC985z Elliptical an average 2.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

Another sturdy but unexciting unit from Lifecore, the LC985z Elliptical gets 2.5 gold buddahs out of 5.



LifeCore LC-985z Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 17.5"
Flywheel: 15lbs
Programs: 12
Resistance Levels: 16 Levels
Display: LED
Readouts: Date, Time, Pulse and Temp
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max User Weight: 300lbs
Unit weight: 93lbs
Price: Under $1000

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

The Lifecore LC1000z Elliptical Review - An average elliptical at under $1500

Ohiyo!

Now that that the Health & Fitness Expo in Denver is over the Treadmill Sensei can get back to reviewing treadmills and ellipticals.

Here at the DOJO we interact with a lot of retailers -- some from here in the SOuthern California area and some from all over the country -- and what I've learned is that every retailer has his or her own favorite brand of equipment. Some love equipment because of quality but for most the love affair comes from how much margin (or profit) they get from a brand. So I'm always getting request from dealers to review whatever brand they are wanting to push in their store. I generally don't have the time to jump on every request, but one local area retailer asked if I could do some more Lifecore Fitness reviews and even offered to loan the DOJO a Lifecore LC1000z elliptical to help out. Since the Treadmill Sensei is a bit lazy and tracking down some of the equipment is a difficult process, I told the retailer to bring down the elliptical and I would check it out. Unfortunately, I don't think the review was exactly what he was hoping for so he asked that I not mention the name of his store this time around.

Let's check out the Lifecore LC1000z elliptical review!

Upon receiving the boxed Lifecore LC1000z elliptical from the hopefull retailer, the guys at the DOJO and I tore into it like a pack of rabit beavers. Box bits and packing material flew everywhere! One thing I immediately appreciated was that the assembly instructions for the LC1000z were put together very well, were easily to read and made assembly a snap. Look for assembly to take you around 30-45 minutes and to cause very little frustration.

Like all Lifecore ellipticals, the LC1000z elliptical is based on the older-style rear drive architecture similar to the old school Tunturi ellipticals. What this means is non-articulating footpads that may cause foot numbness over the course of longer workouts and a less than stable front end. In the Lifecore LC1000z's defense, it does have a very solid base and its upfront front strut isn't as flimsy as on most rear drive ellipticals. Unfortunately, weighing in at under 140 pounds keeps it from being the most sturdy of ellipticals.

Unfortunately during my 6 days of testing the LC1000z elliptical, everything about it screamed "average" to me. There was nothing overly outstanding or (on the other side) terrible about it. The elliptical motion of the machine was decent but the stride felt a little stunted to me. I almost felt like I was taking "stutter steps" instead of being allowed a full stride. The pedals were adjustable, but only forward and back instead of, more importantly, at an angle. I also felt the pedal spacing was a bit wide for me but larger users may feel different -- although, larger users might want to try a sturdier machine for their workouts.

For every positive I found about the machine I found an equal negative. Even the high number of programs (14 on the LC1000z) gave me the impression of "been there, done that," and nothing stood out. The Lifecore LC1000z isn't a bad machine at all, but it feels like it should have come out in the mid 1990s when its technology and design were still new and exciting. Now, it feels a bit like a relic of the past trapped in a high tech future. I also felt like it was a bit over-priced at $1499. For the features of the LC1000z elliptical, I felt Lifecore should have priced it closer to $1199 or $1299.

For being shiny but boring, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Lifecore LC1000z Elliptical 2.5 out of 5 golden buddahs but would have loved this machine in 1994.

Although a bit boring and over-priced, the ease of assembly and decent construction allows the Lifecore LC1000z elliptical to rise to being average.



Lifecore LC1000z Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 18"
Flywheel: approximately 18lbs
Display: LCD
Programs: 14
Resistance Levels: 16 levels
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max User Weight: 400lbs
Unit Weight: 137lbs
Price: Under $1500

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

The Multisports 6600 Elliptical Review - Best Rear Drive Under $1500

Ohiyo!

Readers here on the website are always sending me nots at the DOJO asking about which is better: front drive ellipticals or rear drive ellipticals. What I always say is "they are the same and have the same basic mechanics." The only reason there are different styles of ellipticals is because of design patents. However, my preference on lower end, non-commercial ellipticals has almost always leaned towards front drive units, not because of any mechanics in the pedal or flywheel dynamics but because the cheaper rear drive units always feel a bit too light and flimsy up front to me. During an elliptical workout you through all of your weight forward and the rear drive units generally aren't solid enough to support the necessities of an elliptical workout....for higher end and commercial ellipticals, this isn't as true. The Precor and Life Fitness rear drive machines, for example, are incredibly sturdy.

The other reason I prefer front drive units is because the footpedals tend to be a bit wider on rear drive ellipticals and the flywheels are usually lighter. What this means for most rear drive units is a slightly less comfortable feeling during longer workouts.

Recently, a local reader who knew of my front drive preference decided to loan me his MultiSports ECT-6600 Elliptical in an effort to change my opinion. Never one to back down from a challenge, and as someone who is always happy to admit when he's wrong, I decided to take the ECT6600 elliptical for a test drive and see how it held up to our extensive workout and review process. I was surprised at what I found.

Starting with assembly, the MultiSports 6600 elliptical we received in had already been assembled by its owner. However, checking through his instruction booklet and looking over the machine itself, assembly should be a breeze for most people. Figure an hour or so, perhaps a bit less if you have some help.

The first thing I noticed (and something I continued to notice over the next 15 hours of testing) was how rock solid the MultiSports ECT6600 elliptical was. Multisports uses commercial quality 11 gauge steel in the construction of its frames, and that fact showed through very nicely while I was working out. The main support post, a flimsy bar for most sub $2000 ellipticals, was stable and unmoving no matter how hard I was pedaling the ECT6600. The entire unit held up well to some rather intense workouts that bordered on all-out running on my part.

The next thing that was evident was the positioning of the foot pedals. While the Multisports ECT-6600 Elliptical has the same static, non-articulating footpedals found on most rear drive ellipticals, they solved quite a bit of the comfort issue by placing them closer together. The majority of rear drive ellipticals have a wider stance which feels very unnatural (Tunturi, I'm talking to you!), but the less than 5" distance between the pedals on the ECT6600 elliptical felt incredibly comfortable. With the addition of some articulating pedals, Multisports would have itself one of the best feeling ellipticals in the $1000-$1500 range

All-in-all, with a ton of extra features including 12 programs, a fantastic 21" stride, heart rate monitoring and control, the MultiSports ECT6600 Elliptical stands out as the single best buy in rear drive ellipticals under $2000 or so. For paying attention to comfort and design, the Treadmill Sensei gives the MultiSports ECT 6600 Elliptical 4 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

The Multisports ECT 6600 Elliptical gets 4 gold buddahs out of 5 as an excellent rear drive elliptical option.


Get more information on the Multisports 6600 Elliptical and find the best price anywhere online.



Multisports 6600 Elliptical Specifications
Stride Length: 21"
Flywheel: 18lbs
Programs: 12
Resistance Levels: 12 Levels
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Display: LED
Readouts: Speed, average speed, distance, heart rate, calories, time, scan, level, RPM, and watts

Grade: Home
Product Size: 54"L x 23"W x 56"H
Max User Weight: 300 lbs
Unit Weight: 186 lbs
Price: Under $1500

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

The MultiSports ECT-3000 Elliptical Review -- Sturdiest Elliptical Under $700

Ohiyo!

A common complaint the Treadmill Sensei receives here at the DOJO is from readers who are used to working out on ellipticals at their local gyms and who quickly discover that they can't get that same feel in ellipticals under $700. They also complain about how flimsy and shaky most budget ellipticals feel. Unfortunately, there just aren't any commercial feeling ellipticals around in that sort of budget price range, especially with the number of features a commercial quality elliptical will have. I'd love to be able to tell you otherwise but I'd just be lying.

Now, before you run off pouting, the Treadmill Sensei is a kind and merciful reviewer and will let you on a little secret of the elliptical industry. This secret won't get you all the bells and whistles of a Precor or Life Fitness elliptical, and won't get you one of their 20"-21" strides. What the secret will get you, however, is the single sturdiest and most solid elliptical manufactured under about $1000 in price. That secret comes in the form of an often overlooked elliptical manufacturer from Texas by the name of MultiSports fitness. The unit I'm talking about is the MultiSports ECT-3000 Elliptical which is priced at under $700.

MultiSports has been around the fitness industry for a very long time and has made their reputation in producing some of the most durable, long lasting equipment on the market. In terms of durability and product life I'd rank them up there with Tunturi, Precor and Life Fitness. MultiSports uses 11 gauge steel in their welded frames. For a sub-$1000 unit, the Multisports ECT-3000 Elliptical will stand up to even the heaviest of workouts.

The ECT-3000 elliptical doesn't come with a whole lot of bells and whistles. It only has manual programs, pulse grip heart rate monitoring, no heart rate control and only 8 levels of resistance. The unit may be stripped down in features but it performs where it counts: in solidity of frame, smoothness of elliptical motion and with a comfortable stride. The Multisports ECT3000 is an elliptical for someone looking to do more intense workouts without having to pay $1000 or more. You won't feel the "bouncies" on this machine.

The only downside to this machine is the lack of crosstraining handles. It makes up for this missing feature with very long static handles which are easy to use and comfortable to hold on to.

We don't get many of the Multisports ECT3000 Ellipticals in here at the DOJO. When they do come in, the service is generally because the owner didn't take care of the elliptical and not because of any failure of the ECT-3000 itself. The unit I worked out on for this review came in from a customer who hadn't lube his ECT3000 in the year he'd owned it, causing the wheels to make some horrible sounds on the rails while he used it. Some quick clean up and lubrication and he was good to go again. These machines are solid and will last a long time if properly cared for. I'd recommend the ECT3000 for anyone looking for performance over bells and whistles.

For being a budget elliptical that doesn't skimp on quality components, the Treadmill Sensei gives the MultiSports ECT-3000 Elliptical 4.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

An excellent low-priced elliptical entry from MultiSports, the ECT3000 gets 4.5 golden buddahs out of 5.


Get more information on the MultiSports 3000 Elliptical and find the lowest price online.




MultiSports Elliptix 3000 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 18"
Flywheel: 11lbs.
Display: LCD
Readouts: Calories burned, Speed, Time, Distance, RPM, Pulse
Programs: Manual
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: No
Resistance Levels: 8
Max User Weight: 250lbs
Unit Weight: 115lbs
Cost: Under $700

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

The Proform 160 Elliptical Review - Low Quailty and Over Priced

Ohiyo!

The Treadmill Sensei absolutely loves Proform Fitness -- and Icon Fitness brands in general. Not because of their quality, which we all know is generally terrible, and not because of their customer service, which is even worse. The reason the Treadmill Sensei loves Proform is because their equipment and its problems is so much fun to test out and review -- I think some of my best written reviews are on Proform equipment. I always know there will issues with their treadmills and ellipticals, and the fun part is waiting for the failures to pop up. We were working out on a Proform treadmill a few months ago for a review and its deck cracked in half! Now, in spite of what Mrs. Sensei says about my waistline, the Treadmill Sensei is not a big guy at all -- around 5'7.5" and 170 pounds. For a treadmill to crack with me doing a walking workout on it is insane.

The Proform elliptical I purchased recently to review is no different. The Proform 160 Elliptical (also known as the XP 160 elliptical in some places) was a below average machine with some very "interesting" problems. The only really positive thing I can say about it is that it shipped and arrived very quickly once we placed the order. If nothing else, Proform ships their units very fast.

The Proform 160 elliptical arrived in a small to medium sized box (for an elliptical) and weighed in at somewhere around 135 pounds. I'm guessing at the exact weight because we couldn't find the precise weight listed anywhere on the unit we received. Assembly on the unit was fairly standard for us, but the instruction booklet wasn't the best and could be more than a little confusing for the average consumer. Figure on it taking about 90 minutes to assemble the Proform 160.

As a front drive elliptical, the Proform 160 will feel a bit more solid than a rear drive unit in the under $600 range. I'm not saying that it is an overly solid or sturdy unit, but the front drive ellipticals tend to perform a lot better in the low end than rear drive ones. The 160 elliptical's flywheel is a bit on the small size...again, we were unable to find an actual weight listed anywhere for the unit's flywheel, but I'd estimate it at 10-12 pounds in size at the most. The smaller, lighter flywheel makes the Proform 160 elliptical feel a bit bouncier than a larger or heavier one would, but the 18" stride on the unit isn't the worst I've felt on a low-end elliptical. I'd rank it at about average.

A few problems I did notice on the machine were that the front shroud and crank designs are aren't the best thought at. The 160 elliptical has a lot of problems during workouts at RPMs of 55-60 or higher. At these higher RPMs you'll start to notice a rather lound sound coming from the front of the machine. This is from the lower-quality plastic pieces becoming bent and rubbing against crank arms and gears. In fact, on our machine, the crank cover became so warped it was rubbing against the arm and producing a rather nasty plastic dust inside the machine. In general, the Proform 160 Elliptical is one of the noisiest lower end ellipticals I've encountered in a long time.

The last problem I want to mention, and it isn't as bad as the mechanical ones above, has to do with the elliptical's console and fans. First off, batteries go in to the underside of the console and are a bit touchy to get placed in properly. Speaking of the batteries, for some reason the Proform 160 elliptical's console is a battery hog and went through 1 set during my 2 week long workout. The other problem with the console is the fans: they just don't work all that well. Well, they work well once you get them started -- they don't seem to want to start up on their own and required a "kick start" each time I wanted to use them. I think it has to do with the power issue in the console.

Overall, the Proform is a very poor performing machine and really isn't worth the under $600 price it current goes for. It has a lot of problems I'd expect to see in a sub $400 unit and there are much better choices from companies like Horizon, Schwinn and Merit. For being another Proform let down, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Proform 160 Elliptical 2 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

Another low quality unit gets Profom 2 gold buddahs out of 5 for their XP 160 Elliptical.



Proform 160 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 18"
Flywheel: 12lbs (approx)
Programs: 10
Resistance Levels: 10
Display: LCD
Readouts: Distance, resistance, time, speed, pulse, RPM, carbs burned and calories burned
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max User Weight: 200lbs
Unit Weight: 135lbs

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

The Spirit XE550 Elliptical Review -- Smooth like butter

Ohiyo!

One of the main things the Treadmill Sensei hates about bad ellipticals is their foot pads/pedals. The worst thing that can happen to you is your feet falling asleep during your workout. I hate that more than anything. The sad part of the problem is that it doesn't have to be happening anymore. Elliptical manufacturers know about the problem and they know about how to fix it.

One company which has gone out of its way to address the problem of numb feet, and uncomfortable workouts in general, is Spirit Fitness. This is especially true in their XE550 Elliptical. You see, I am convinced the the engineers and designers at Spirit have a bit of a foot fetish. Not only did they give the Spirit XE550 Elliptical some of the best articulating food pads around, but they placed them closer together and gave them a 2% tilt to make them feel as close to natural as possible. The XE550 takes the elliptical comfort one step further by adding on an adjustable feature, allowing every different user to set the pedal angle to what feels best to them. Very few other ellipticals, at any price range, come close to the incredible feeling you can get from working out on an XE550 elliptical.

Moving out past the pedals, Spirit has taken the frame from their XE350 and extended out, adding on plastic rail coverings for the back of the unit. The extended length flattens out the elliptical path of the XE550's 20" stride and makes it move like butter. Or, for those of you who are watching your cholesterol, like "I can't believe it's not butter."

We work on a few Spirit XE550 Ellipticals every week here at the DOJO and I have to say it is one of my all time favorite machines to service or install. They are solid and sturdy, they don't give you that awful bouncy feel of lesser ellipticals (Proform, I'm talking to you). If you can afford the price tag of just under $1700 then I wholeheartedly recomment the Spirit XE550. I like it so much I helped one of the girls in the DOJO's front office get one for her workout room at home.

Just so I can't be accused of being completely in love with the XE550, I do have a tiny nitpick. The plastic shroud on the back of the machine isn't durable enough to stand on. It looks solid, and is well made, but the plastic will not hold up to someone attempting to stand on it. I'd love to see the plastic replaced by metal, but that is a minor complaint in an incredible machine.

If you're looking for a decent feeling workout in the $1700 range then try out the smooth and comfortable Spirit XE550 Elliptical...the Treadmill Sensei gives the thing 4.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

UPDATE: The Spirit XE550 is now discontinued and out of stock. Check out the upgrade 2008 Sole E95 for a new alternative.

It has Spirit, yes it does! The Spirit XE550 is an excellent buy for under $1700 and gets 4.5 gold buddahs out of 5.


Find out more about the Spirit XE550 Elliptical. Save an additional 3% with coupon code TMSENSEI.


Spirit XE550 Elliptical Specifications
Stride Length: 20"
Flywheel: 30lbs
Programs: 10
Resistance Levels: 20
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Display: LED
Readouts: Time, weight, speed, RPM, distance, calories, level, laps, heart rate, and age
Max User Weight: 400lbs
Product Weight: 203lbs

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

The Ironman 530e Elliptical Review - Decent for those on a budget under $800

Ohiyo!

About three weeks ago the DOJO received a shipment of 4 Ironman 530e Ellipticals bound for a local fire station. I was a bit surprised to see those units going to a non-residence because they are most definitely home units. Because the Treadmill Sensei worries about people too much, I called over to the fireman who ordered the units -- he was the head of the station and his name was Ronald, so I'm going to call him Captain Ron. I love that movie and I don't care what anyone says. Anyway, once I had informed Captain Ron that they were going to be receiving home grade units and not commercial or light commercial ones, he went back to his office to find out why they had been ordered.

The answer that came back was very interesting. The machines had been recommended by a number of the firemen who worked at the station because they owned them at home and thought they held up very well to their workouts. This intrigued me because I knew the Ironman 530e elliptical had a shorter stride of 17.5" and Captain Ron mentioned all of the guys there were in excess of 6' tall. I couldn't imagine that the workout would be very comfortable to them, so I asked Captain Ron if I could borrow one of the 530e ellipticals for two weeks to do a review. After getting me to agree to do a free installation of the units once I was done, Captain Ron gave me the go ahead.

In additional to my normal review process, the things I was most interested in testing were the stability of the Ironman 530e Elliptical and the comfort of its stride for a taller person because the 4 units we had in the DOJO were going to be used fairly extensively by 200 pound, 6' tall firemen. If the units didn't hold up to us here in the shop then the Ironman 530e ellipticals definitely wouldn't hold up to them.

An interesting aside: if you're a single lady in the Burbank, California area then you should go and check out the firemen there. When I stopped by one of the firehouses there I was amazed to see a group of guys that looked like big, buff models who stepped right out of a photoshoot for a calendar! It was incredible. So, ladies, the firemen of Burbank are hunks and I'd recommend calling in for them to get your cat out of the tree sometime...you won't be disappointed.

Back to the review!

Being just over 5'8" I knew that I couldn't be the one to test the ellipticals, even with a recent 7 pound weight gain that I'm in hot water about with Mrs. Sensei. I knew that I'd have to recruit both Hikaru and my son-in-law. Since I'm Hikaru's boss I knew he'd be no trouble to get to "volunteer." And, since Mrs. Sensei and I watch my beloved grandson every Thursday night so my daughter and son-law-law (who didn't name their child after me) can have some "alone time," I knew he'd jump at the chance. Well, I knew my daughter would make him jump at the chance.

These two big guys, both over 6' and hefty in proportion, worked out for 30-45 minutes for 10 days over a two week period on the Ironman 530e Ellipticals, paying particular attention to the feel of the stride and the durablity of the machine. Amazingly enough, both 530e ellipticals they used stood up to the heavy duty testing. Hikaru mentioned that it was one of the sturdiest ellipticals he'd been on under the $1300 price point and that he didn't mind the shorter stride because of the elongated elliptical motion the Ironman 530e possesses. For the laymen out there, an elongated elliptical stride is preferrable to a rounder or "D" shaped stride because it feels much more natural and has less of a bobbing motion or feel to it. If you've ever been on a bad elliptical then you know exactly what I mean about the bounciness of its workout.

Raymond (the son-in-law) thought it was a bit short for him at 6'3". He did have a very interesting comment tho. He said that at his height it felt like a very smooth stepper and that might be why the firemen liked it. He also thought the wheels felt a bit less solid than the ones on the BladeZ elliptical he has at home. That's not a bad thing because his unit costs around $1000 more than the $770 Ironman 530E Elliptical.

I worked out on one of the Ironman 530e Ellipticals for the last 2 days of testing in order to get a feel for the machine myself, and to show the two young punks that the "old man" could keep up with them. At my height, the 17.5" stride felt surprisingly smooth and the pedal positioning was very very naturdal. Ironman did a great job with the design. I do wish it had articulating foot pedals, but at $770 it out performed most of the Schwinn and Spirit units that were under $1000.

As a budget elliptical priced at under $800, the Ironman 530e Elliptical is an excellent option. For being such a great budget buy, the Treadmill Sensei gives the 530e Elliptical 4 out of 5 golden buddahs.

The Ironman 530e is a great elliptical buy priced under $1000.


Get more information and find the lowest price online for the Ironman 530e Elliptical.



Ironman 530e Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 17.5"
Flywheel: approximately 18lbs
Programs: 12
Resistance Levels: 16
Display: LCD
Readouts: Time, speed, distance, watts, RPM, calories, heart rate and calories
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max User Weight: 300lbs
Unit Weight: 180lbs

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

The IronMan CDT Elliptical Review (aka CardioZone Center D) - Ironman in name and Performance

Ohiyo!

There are times when the Treadmill Sensei wishes that his son would come to his senses, give up art and take after his old man...perhaps one day even take over the DOJO. Unfortunately, on days like today such dreams of the Sensei are crushed. You see, I heard my beloved son yelling for a tool from one of the repair bays near my office. I couldn't quite make out what he was saying so I poked my head out the door and asked if I could be of service (excited that he was even asking for a tool). To my dismay, the now adult child who sprang from my loins (my son), was calling out for "one of those starry headed screwdriving things." I just shook my head and passed him one of the starry headed screwdriving things I had in my toolbelt. Needless to say, the boy takes after his mother. I believe the only hope for the DOJO lies in my first grandchild, in spite of him not being named after me.

Today we have an email from a reader asking about a CardioZone Center D Elliptical. Let's see what he has to say. Take it away, Rolly!

Sensei,

I'm looking into getting an elliptical since it would be great for my off days of running and I hate running anyway, but need to for the military. The elliptical will help my knees hold up longer.

I was originally looking at the sole and spirit, but came across this (CardioZone) Center D (Elliptical). I guess Keys makes it, but on their site, they only have 2 higher-end models. Cardiozone has this one and was curious if you knew anything about it. Thanks. -Rolly

Rolly:

Thanks for the note! I am indeed familiar with the Ironman CDT Elliptical, which you've seen online as the "CardioZone Center D." CardioZone is a fitness brand own by the fine people at Fitness Blowout. The CardioZone line doesn't actually exist in the most part and is just rebranded equipment from other manufacturers, Keys/Ironman making up the majority of their product and what appears to be BH Fitness units making up a good chunk of their treadmills. The CardioZone units are the same as the Ironman/Keys units, but tend to be a bit overpriced and sometimes over-spec'd. The CardioZone versions also have their MSRP double or triple what it really should be.

The Ironman CDT Elliptical is one of the better "center drive" style ellipticals out there and I think it performs slightly better than the New Balance 9000 because of the CDT's heavier weight. The additional weight gives the CDT elliptical a huge amount of stability and sturdiness for even the heaviest duty work outs. This is a huge advantage when you factor in the incredibly natural pedal positioning on the Ironman CDT. Ironman has done an excellent job in the design of this unit and it gives one of the most comfortable workouts under $2000.

Going along with the stability and pedal placement, the Ironman CDT also has a fantastic feeling 21" stride. Even at my shorter height of 5'8" the Ironman CDT elliptical I reviewed and worked out on for 2 weeks here at the DOJO felt great. This unit will work for anyone from about 5'6" up to 6'5" or more. Even the static center handles are well placed and won't get in the way of taller users (Octane take note!).

Rounding out the features on the CDT are 18 programs, 16 levels of resistance, heart rate monitoring and heart rate control. The lack of an adjustable stride on this elliptial isn't missed due to the well-designed feel of its workouts. If you want a solid, natural feeling elliptical workout and you haven't checked out the center-drive Ironman CDT Elliptical, then you're really missing out.

The only real downside that I've seen on this unit is the console. It really isn't the most user friendly or intuitive and the instruction manual isn't much help. It might take a bit longer to get the hang of the more advanced features but the workout makes the additional effort worthwhile.

The rather confusing display on the Ironman CDT Elliptical (also known as the CardioZone Center D elliptical).

For being another solid performer from Ironman for under $1600, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Ironman CDT Elliptical 4.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

The Ironman CDT Elliptical is one of the best mid-range center-drive ellipticals around.


Find out more about the Ironman CDT Elliptical Now.




Ironman CDT Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 21"
Flywheel: n/a
Programs: 18
Resistance Levels: 16
Display: LCD
Readouts: Time, speed, distance, calories used, watt level, and pulse
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max User Weight: 300lbs
Unit Weight: 240lbs

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

The Horizon E1200 Elliptical Review -- An Incline Elliptical Under $1500

Ohiyo!

We don't get a huge amount of traffic over on the Treadmill Sensei forums but we do get some. In order to try and support that budding community, the Treadmill Sensei tries to respond on there as often as I can. In fact, I'm usually on there once or twice a week at least and if you have a question that is one of the best places to get an answer to it.

Anyway, about a month ago on the forums, I was challenged to do a review on a new Horizon Fitness elliptical, the Horizon E1200 Elliptical. A loyal reader had seen one at a local Dick's store and asked my opinion on it. Since we do not have Dick's stores here in Southern California, and since the unit seems to only be available from Dick's, I grabbed my credit card back from Mrs. Sensei and ordered one online. About 2 weeks later I received my brand new Horizon E1200 at the DOJO and assigned my now short-haired son to put the thing together. He grumbled a bit because he isn't the most mechanically inclined person in the world -- which actually makes him an excellent choice to find out how easy the E1200 incline ellipticals are to assemble. I told him if he did a good job I would buy him an ice cream. To that he informed me he wasn't 12 years old any more...but he'd still take the ice cream.

Judging by my son's cursing, I will estimate that the standard assembly of a Horizon E1200 elliptical will take around an hour for someone with moderate mechanical abilities. I'd give it a slightly harder than average rating for assembly -- figure 3 out of 5 for complexity. Which isn't bad at all. Most ellipticals take 45 to 90 minutes to get together and ready to go. Horizon's instruction booklet did an acceptable job in illustrating the process.

Once it was all together, Hikaru and my son were both very excited about the IPod port on the top of the Horizon E1200's console. From what I saw you can control your IPod through the E1200's console controls. It's a very neat little feature but doesn't enhance the elliptical's performance at all. It is a nice step up from just having speakers on an elliptical.

The IPod docking station on the E1200 Elliptical.

The main exciting features on the Horizon E1200 elliptical are the Precor-style adjustable incline ramp, the incredibly comfortable 19" stride (if all Horizon models had a 19" stride they would be dominating the lower end market for sure) and the pivoting/adjustable foot pedals. It's not often you see those features in an elliptical under $2500. Horizon has done an excellent job in their design and implementation with the E1200 elliptical.

The E1200's frame is solid and sturdy, and its flywhell is large, providing a smooth elliptical motion to its workouts. Horizon has taken the standard front-wheel design of the Spirit ellipticals to a new level of comfort, stability and excellence. With a 19" stride, 16 programs, 16 levels of resistance, a 16% maximum incline and articulating footpads, Horizon has set the bar higher than any other manufacturer in its price range.

My two quibbles with the unit come mainly in the form of its lack of heart rate control. I would have also liked to have seen a 24lb flywheel on the unit to take it to an unbeatable level. However, the addition of the adjustable foot pedals and incline ramp more than makes up for my nitpicking. The Horizon E1200 elliptical is an incredible value at just under $1500.

While I was doubtful at first, the Treadmill Sensei was impressed by the Horizon E1200 Elliptical with incline and gives it 4 out of 5 golden buddahs.

For bringing the patented Precor Ramp to home users, the Horizon Performance E1200 Ellipticals comes away with 4 gold buddahs out of 5.


Find out more about the Horizon E1200 Elliptical.

Horizon Performance E1200 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 19"
Flywheel: 17lbs
Max Incline: 16%
Programs: 16
Display: LED
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip
Heart Rate Control: No
Resistance Levels: 16 levels
Articulating Footpads: Yes
Max User Weight: 300lbs
Unit Weight: Approximately 150lbs

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

The Smooth CE 3.2 Elliptical Review -- Exciting 2008 Upgrade

Ohiyo!

I've already reviewed a version of the Smooth CE3.2 Elliptical with my CE2.1 Elliptical review. The Smooth CE3.2 is an upgraded version of the CE2.1, with a slightly higher end LED console, wireless heart rate monitoring, the addition of 9 user profiles and a longer parts warranty.

The Smooth CE3.2 has a very solid, smooth and comfortable elliptical feel to it, and is one of the better designed rear drive ellipticals. The 18" stride, articulating foot pedals and great pedal placement give the CE3.2 the same natural motion the CE2.1 elliptical has.

While I do like the feel of the Smooth CE3.2 elliptical and the additional features it has, I'd recommend the Smooth CE2.1 over the CE3.2. For the money, I feel the CE2.1 is a better value at under $1300. The upgraded console and wireless heart rate monitor are great for those looking for to refine their workouts, but for most people the pulse grip heart rate monitor should be more than enough.

For being a very decent addition to the Smooth line, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Smooth CE 3.2 Elliptical 4 out of 5 golden buddahs.

The Smooth CE3.2 gets 4 gold buddahs out of 5.


Compare the Smooth CE3.2 Elliptical.



Smooth CE3.2 Elliptical Specifications
Stide: 18"

Articulating Foot Pedals: Yes
Flywheel: 18lbs
Max Weight Capacity: 300 lbs.
Resistance Levels: 16
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes

Heart Rate Control: Yes
Programs: 9
Display Type: LED

Readout: profiles, speed, time, distance, heart rate, calories, resistance level
Grade: Residential

Price: Under $1700

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

The Spirit ZE110 Elliptical -- A Rugged Contender Under $700

Ohiyo!

Yes, I know it seems like the Treadmill Sensei has been on a run of elliptical reviews lately, but it's what we have coming through the shop right now! Ellipticals seem to be coming through at a rate of 3 to 1 versus ellipticals. So, for today you can call me the Elliptical Sensei (and this will teach Uncle Chris to mock me for not knowing about the Proform 20.0 Elliptical...not the Elliptical Sensei? I'll show you, Uncle Chris...I'll show you!)! But, never fear, I'll be back tomorrow with a treadmill review.

I've reviewed a lot of Spirit Fitness equipment this past year because it was one of the most popular units to come through out shop here in Southern California. This was a huge change from years past when Spirit deliveries were few and far between. Heck, Hikaru still teases me about renaming our shop the "Spirit DOJO." One of the Spirit units I was surprised not to have seen more of was the rugged little ZE110 Elliptical. I say "surprised" because this machine holds up fairly well to ellipticals from the marketplace juggernauts Horizon and Schwinn. While this unit was priced at an outrageous $899 earlier in the season, Spirit dropped it down to the much more competitive $699 it is currently priced -- at $899 it is an average elliptical, but at $699 it becomes a solid unit that performs well against other models in the same range.

The ZE110 itself is a slightly downgraded version of the Spirit ZE120, with the main differences being a shorter 18" stride, a single rail for each wheel, a slightly lesser console and lesser warranty. However, for being $400 less than its bigger brother, the Spirit ZE110 is an above average by for sure.

With a solid 135 pound frame, comfortable 18" stride, articulating footpedals and a 24lb flywheel (although, I'd estimate it at being closer to 18 or 20 pounds, but that's just an old service tech nitpicking), the Spirit ZE110 will give you a ride more often seen in the higher priced Schwinn 438 or Horizon EX75. Factoring in the 13 programs and 16 levels of resistance gives you a great choice in the under $700 range.

Now, I've seen mention online of loud squeaks coming out of the ZE110 and ZE120 machines (and Spirit ellipticals in general). This actually isn't as big of a problem as it might initially seem. What this is caused by is either slightly bent wheel shrouds or non-lubricated rails. Unbending the wheel casings and properly cleaning and lubricating your rails should quite that noise down to almost nothing. Normally Spirit ellipticals are very quiet machines.

The only real downsides to the machine are the single rails for the wheels to run on. Double rails would have given the unit an even smoother ride. That and I really wish the Spirit ZE110 had been given Spirit's standard warranties of 5 years for parts and 2 years for labor. However, 3 years and 1 year for a budget elliptical isn't bad.

If you're looking for an elliptical priced just under $700 and want an alternative to Schwinn, Horizon or Proform, then check out the Spirit ZE110 because it is great for light to medium workouts. For being a slick little machine, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Spirit ZE110 elliptical 3.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

UPDATE: The Spirit ZE110 has been discontinued by the manufacturer and is no longer available.

The Spirit ZE110 gets a very solid 3.5 gold buddahs out of 5.


The Spirit ZE110 Elliptical has been discontinued and is now completely unavailable.

Spirit ZE110 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 18"
Flywheel: 24lbs
Display: LCD
Programs: 13
Resistance: 16 Levels
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip and wireless
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max User Weight: 300lbs
Elliptical Weight: Approximately 135 lbs

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

The Tunturi C20 Elliptical Review -- Another average unit from Tunturi

Ohiyo!

The Treadmill Sensei just realized he hadn't done a review for one of the oldest manufacturers on the block in a very long time. The manufacturer in question is Tunturi from Europe. While Tunturi treadmills have done well in my reviews, their ellipticals have fallen a bit short because of their older design style and pedals which tend to be uncomfortable during longer workouts -- I think I described the Tunturi C60 as "built like a tank and about as comfortable as one." Unfortunately, the Tunturi C20 isn't a whole lot more comfortable, but it is a lot of machine for under $600.

The Tunturi C20 is the lightest unit in the Tunturi line, but the unit itself is based on the same design and engineering as their other units. It features a very solid rear flywheel -- in fact, one of the few home grade rear drive units which is still sturdy enough to stand up to a solid workout -- and pedals mounted to the elliptical struts on the bottom of the machine. This is where my major complaint about the Tunturi ellipticals lies -- the pedals are a bit unforgiving, are mounted a bit too wide apart for a natural feel and being mounted to the struts tends to cause a user's feet to fall asleep during 30+ minute workouts. When you factor in the shorter 17" stride then you've got an elliptical machine only suited for short people or short workouts. These machines perform best for workouts lasting less than 20 minutes in length. Any longer than that and you will experience a lack of circulation in your feet and legs caused by the slightly unnatural design.

Aside from the pedal and stride issues, the Tunturi C20 Elliptical is one of the most solid ellipticals under $1000 and far exceeds any other unit in its $599 price range for stability. Add in the 30 lb flywheel and you'll find the C20 has a very nice elliptical motion.

Every other feature meets or exceeds other units in the budget class, such as 12 programs, heart rate monitoring and control, the 110 pound machine weight, 300 pound user capacity and great 3 year parts and 1 year labor warranties. If only Tunturi could move in to the new century and rework its pedal designs -- articulating footpads are a must in any elliptical.

If you're on a budget and need an exceptionally sturdy elliptical for your shorter workouts, then the Tunturi C20 may be right up your alley. For being solid but stuck in the past, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Tunturi C20 Elliptical 3 out of 5 golden buddahs.

Another average unit from Tunturi.


Tunturi C20 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 17"
Flywheel: 30lbs
Programs: 12
Resistance: 8 Levels
Display: LCD
Readouts: Time, step rate, distance, energy consumption, heart rate, training target zone %, distance, room temperature, and calender date
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max User Weight: 300lbs
Elliptical Weight: 110lbs

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

The Sole E35 Elliptical Review -- Elliptical Best Buy Under $1500

Ohiyo!

Do you know what the best part of the Treadmill Sensei's job is? No, it's not dating super models. It's getting to play with a lot of really cool equipment. But, being able to date super models would be great too...although, I doubt Mrs. Sensei would approve!

A lot of the cooler equipment I get to mess around and test comes out of Sole Fitness in Utah. Well, their equipment actually comes out of Taiwan, but Sole is in Utah. And one of the better units to come out of their stable is the Sole E35 Elliptical.

The Sole E35 is easily one of the best ellipticals in the $1001-$1500 range and was the winner of the Ichi-Ban Best Buy Award in that price range for 2006-2007 here on the Treadmill Sensei. It is a great elliptical at price just under $1300.

Winner of the Ichi-Ban Best Buy Award for an elliptical between $1001-$1500

As someone who works on Sole equipment week in and week out, I can tell you that the Sole E35 elliptical is one of the sturdiest units you'll find under $1300. Weighing in at about 190 lbs and with a 30 lb flywheel, a workout on the E35 is smooth, comfortable and rock solid. This unit shares the same basic frame as the Sole E55 and I think is a slightly better value (although both machines are fantastic) at about $200 less in price. The units are so impressive that Sole inked a deal with Hilton Hotels to provide the units at a majority of the hotel chain's locations.

With ellipticals you'll notice that I talk a lot about the comfort of the work out and the shape of the elliptical motion. A lot of companies are producing slightly cheaper machines which are not only a little less stable but also have a "D" shaped pedal motion as opposed to the true elliptical shape and feel of the E35 Elliptical. Sole has done a marvelous job in finding and perfecting one of the best feeling elliptical motions on the market.

The only two problems that I have with the Sole E35 are very minor. The first is the number of programs. Now, most people only use 2-3 programs regularly, but I would have liked to have seen 10-12 programs on a top rated machine like this one.

The second problem is where the Sole E35 ellipticals are sold. If you're looking to find one offline to try out your only real options are Dick's Sporting Goods and the Hilton Hotels. I feel that if it were more widely sold that it would be the biggest selling brands on the market. If you're a bit wary about buying a Sole E35 sight unseen, I'd suggest asking for a 30 day money back guarantee to try out the units because you won't be disappointed. Most retailers will give it to you on units they have confidence in, such as those by Sole.

For being a top rated elliptical for under $1500, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Sole E35 Elliptical 4.5 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

The Sole E35 is an Ichi-Ban Best Buy Winner and 4.5 gold buddahs out of 5.




Get the absolute Lowest Price online for the Sole E35 -- Save More with Free Shipping, Pay No Tax and protect your warranty


Sole E35 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 20"
Flywheel: 30 lbs
Programs: 8
Resistance: 16 Levels
Display: LCD
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip and wireless
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max Weight Capacity: 300 lbs
Elliptical Weight: 190 lbs
Grade: Light Commercial

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

The Lifecore LC-990 Elliptical Review -- Above Average at $1100

Ohiyo!

The readers on here really surprise the Treadmill Sensei sometimes, and not in a bad way at all. I recently had a reader in the area ask if he could bring by the elliptical he just purchased for me to review. The request was a bit unusual and even tho the week was more than a little hectic, I told the reader to bring it down and I'd give it the full review as soon as I could. However, I mentioned that I had no idea how long it would take me to get around to it and that the review process would take 1-2 weeks beyond that. The reader (a pleasant man by the name of Greg W.) was so in love with this machine and wanted to share it with my readers that he agreed to give up his Lifecore LC990 Elliptical for God only knew how long...and, knowing me, if was probably going to take a while.

Surprisingly, it only took me 2 weeks to clear up enough time to do the review, so Greg was able to reclaim his Lifecore LC990 after about 3 weeks. Greg said he missed his work out but that having me review his machine was worth it, and that he just knew I'd absolutely love it.

Well, Greg wasn't completely right. I didn't absolutely love the LC990 elliptical, but it wasn't a bad machine by any means and was a bit better than average.

The Lifecore LC990 is a very solid rear-drive elliptical very much in the mold of the older style Tunturi machines. I tend to be a bit hard on those style of rear-drive ellipticals for a couple of reasons:

First, they tend to be a bit less sturdy up front, especially for a larger user. When you work out on an elliptical you are generally throwing all of your weight forward and on a machine like the Lifecore LC990, there isn't quite enough there to balance you out. So what you get is a slightly wobbly feel to it. That feeling wasn't as bad on the LC990, but it was still there. If this unit was a bit heavier duty it might have recovered from that, but 150 lbs just wasn't enough.

Second, the stride length just isn't what it should be at thie $1100 price point of the Lifecore LC990. 17.5 inches was fine for the 5'5" Greg, but for average sized users it is going to feel a bit short and stunted.

Everyting else on the machine performed well during my week long of 1-hour work outs. I'm not a big guy by any means, but I rode the Lifecore LC990 hard and put it away wet...and it kept up with me the entire time. The flywheel is a decent sized and ran very smooth. It also had a solid number of programs and resistance levels -- I prefer the 16 levels on this machine to the 20 you'll see on others. The reason for that is because when you're actually working with 20 levels it seems a little more like micromanaging than I like to deal with during a workout.

All-in-all, the Lifecore LC990 was a decent performing machine with a couple of major problems. For being better than a Tunturi, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Lifecore LC-990 Elliptical 3.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

The LC990 Elliptical by LifeCore Fitness gets 3.5 gold buddahs out of 5.


Compare the LifeCore LC-990 Elliptical.




Lifecore LC990 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 17.5"
Flywheel: 17lbs
Programs: 12
Resistance: 16 levels
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Display: LCD
Readouts: Distance, speed, calories, time, heart rate, watts and RPM
Max User Weight: 350lbs
Elliptical Weight: 150lbs

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

The Horizon CSE4.6 Elliptical Review -- A downgrade at a higher price?

Ohiyo!

Sometimes fitness manufacturers completely confuse the Treadmill Sensei. It seems like more and more, some manufacturers are making decisions on product design with little or no regard to logic. You'll see manufacturers completely drop their top selling model, or paint them weird colors, or lie about specs, or try to sell the exact same model under different names and at different prices. It's enough to give me a Bowflex-sized headache while I'm working at the DOJO.

Sad to say, but one of my favorite manufacturers has been guilty of doing this. Horizon Fitness, maker of some of the best ellipticals under $1000, has expanded its product line this past year...expanded it a bit beyond reason by renaming and slightly retooling units, giving them a different name and "tweaking" the specs a little for different retail outlets. And, unfortunately, some "review" sites who have never actually touched or worked with the equipment they supposedly review fall for this ploy.

One of the units in question, the Horizon CSE4.6 Elliptical, came in to the DOJO last week. This unit is just a Horizon EX75 frame with a new console and handgrips stuck on to it. The bummer is that the new console has fewer features than the Horizon EX75 while being priced about $100 more.

The Horizon CSE 4.6 itself is very solid and works really well for an elliptical priced under $1000...however, I am downgrading the unit from the 4 golden buddahs of the Horizon EX75 because of it's $100 more expensive price. Why Horizon thinks they can charge more money for a slightly downgraded elliptical is beyond me.

For being a bit of a let down, but still an ok unit, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Horizon CSE4.6 Elliptical 3.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

I wish Horizon would get back to producing just a few solid ellipticals instead of just retooling units over and over again.




Horizon CSE 4.6 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 18"
Flywheel: 17.6lbs (I believe it is actually the same flywheel 14.5lb as the EX75)
Display: LED
Resistance Levels: 20
Programs: 8
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip and wireless
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max User Weight: 300lbs
Unit Weight: 150lbs

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

The Proform 20.0 Elliptical Review -- Interactive Fitness

Ohiyo!

One of the cooler new trends the Treadmill Sensei really enjoys is what people are calling "interactive fitness." Now, I could have sworn all fitness was interactive or it wouldn't work, but marketing people love their buzz words. What they mean by "interactive fitness" is usually a piece of fitness equipment which hooks up to a video game. There have been quite a few "interactive fitness" items on the market for a while now, such as the Game Bike and DDR Dance Pads, but what I've always wanted was a Game Elliptical which hooked up to my computer to play MechWarrior/Giant Robot type games. Now that would be awesome!

Well, an interesting thing happened to me recently while my wife and I were over at her Uncle Chris' house (you may remember my Uncle Chris story from my Proform 1500 Treadmill Review) for his wife's birthday. I was rambling on and on about how cool a MechWarrior Elliptical would be and that I wished some brilliant manufacturer would create one when Uncle Chris mentioned that he saw a game elliptical on sale at a specialty fitness shop he visited while in Las Vegas. Needless to say I replied that there was no way such a thing would exist without my knowing it because I am the Treadmill Sensei and I know all and see all.

Right?

Uncle Chris promptly went in to his home office and came back a few minutes later with a print out from Proform's website showing off their 20.0 Elliptical. To rub things in further he highlighted a portion of the print out detailing the two video games built in to the Proform 20.0 Elliptical. Then, to rub salt in to my wounded ego even further by suggesting I didn't know about the game elliptical because I wasn't the "elliptical sensei."

I hate it when Uncle Chris is right.

In order to save face, and with visions of battling giant robots in my head, I hopped online and ordered myself a Proform 20.0 Elliptical. What arrived wasn't what I expected, but was something cool for kids nonetheless. I'm going to review the elliptical side of the 20.0 Elliptical first and then follow up with the interactive fitness stuff second.

The unit itself is a very lightweight elliptical. No unit weight, flywheel weight or maximum user capacity were listed in the thin booklet which came with the Proform 20.0, but I estimate the maximum user weight to be no more than 175 pounds. I think my own svelte 170 pound body was testing the limits of its frame. The lightweight flywheel, which I'd guess was 10-14 pounds tops, doesn't produce the greatest elliptical motion for workouts. It is more of the "D" shape most lower end ellipticals produce.

With 9 programs and about 8 levels of resistance, the Proform 20.0 elliptical really isn't meant to be a heavy duty workout machine, or even a machine to do a light, regular workout. What it is meant for is as a way to get your kids interested in fitness by tricking them in to enjoying it. While there weren't giant robots or MechWarrior battles, the Proform 20.0 did have a couple of simple, fairly addictive video games which are tied to the user's workout. Proform even placed the controls at the top of the elliptical handlebars to make them more accessible to game players.

Even though the Proform 20.0 Elliptical isn't the sturdiest of machines I do recommend it for parents who want their kids to get some exercise while playing their video games. My one wish is that someone would produce one of these machines for big kids (like me) and let us hook it up to a good mech/giant robot combat game. I'd never get off a MechWarrior Elliptical!

For being a decent machine for kids, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Proform 20.0 Elliptical 3 out of 5 golden buddahs.

3 gold buddahs out of 5 for the Proform 20.0 Elliptical


Compare the Proform 20.0 Elliptical


Proform 20.0 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 18"
Flywheel: Approximately 12 lbs
Max User Weight: Approximately 175 lbs
Unit Weight: Approximately 110 lbs
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Levels of Resistance: 8
Display: LCD
Programs: 9
Price: $799

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

The Quantum Q210H Elliptical Review -- Excellence in Execution Under $2500

Ohiyo!

Regular readers of this site know that tomorrow is the Treadmill Sensei's 1-year anniversary. That's right, I have been sharing my fitness wisdom with you, my loyal readers, for 365 days now. In celebration of that anniversary, I'll be giving away a Quantum Q 210H Elliptical to one lucky newsletter subscriber. In the spirit of full disclosure, the folks at Quantum Fitness sent this unit in for a review, knowing full well that I would be extra hard on the unit as well as let my readers know where it came from. Since we do not sell equipment here at the DOJO, I have decided to give away any equipment which a manufacturer sends in for review (that means good and bad equipment)...it was either that or hauling a test unit out to the treadmill graveyard out back!

Anyway, when the Quantum Q210H elliptical arrived the first thing we all noticed was how big it was! The second thing we noticed, while trying to get it off the freight truck, was how heavy the thing is! That's not a bad thing at all, but if you're ordering a Q210H for your house, make sure to either get inside delivery or have a few really strong friends on hand to help move it in to your home. Luckily, Hikaru and the other guys are young and strong so I had them do all the heavy lifting. Me? I'm old and smart -- I supervised.

Tearing in to the box I quickly saw that the unit comes almost completely assembled. Putting a Quantum Q 210H elliptical is going to be fairly easy for even the least mechanically inclined buyer. I'd say it took me less than 10 minutes to get up and running. I would then set out to work out a minimum of 1 hour a day on the Quantum elliptical for the next 10 days, and "recruited" Hikaru to do at least 30 minutes on it a day for the same period in order to see how the elliptical dealt with a larger user. Needless to say, he wasn't happy about being volunteered.

The features which stood out the most on the Quantum Q210H elliptical were:

Sturdiness: these machines are solid as a brickhouse. Even Hikaru, at over 275 lbs., noticed how well built the Q210H elliptical was. He's used to some commercial ellipticals rocking when he used them, but the Quantum had none of the swaying of a lighter machine. This is a machine you could almost do a full running workout on with little or no trouble.

Smoothness: It's hard to believe Quantum was able to get as smooth a 21" stride out of such a small footprint. That smooth ride comes not only from the elegant stride but also from footpedal spacing. The slightly closer pedal placement allows for a much more natural feeling during a work out program. For a comfortable stride, the Q210H elliptical surpasses just about anything else in its price range of under $2500 and even some of the big boys from Precor and Life Fitness.

Compactness: At 43.5" x 31.75" x 65", the Quantum Q210H is perfect for anyone with space issues. This unit is ideal for corporate/business gyms, apartment complexes and hotels. It's also great for someone with a workout area in their condo. I think those customers in particular will be blown away by how quiet the ellipticals run.

Bearings: Not something a regular consumer would notice, but Quantum uses bearings for its joints instead of bushings. I could get in to a fairly technical description of one versus the other but I won't. The important thing to know is that bearings will last longer without needing to be replaced and require less maintenance. It is something a lot of manufacturers pass up on because of the added expense, and it is nice to see Quantum go the extra mile.

This is a feature-loaded machine with a 21" stride, 20 levels of resistance, 12 programs and removable workout arms. Great stuff.

Now, the downsides to the Quantum Q210H aren't huge but are definitely worth mentioning. First off, someone not used to working out with a center-drive style machine might find the workout to be a bit cramped or confining. What I mean by this is, you step in to the elliptical and are surrounded on 3 sides. If you're claustrophobic you might want to try a different machine.

Second, because of the design, some of the maintenance is going to be a bit difficult for the average owner to perform. In particular, lubrication will probably take 30-45 minutes to take care of instead of the 1-2 minutes on a standard front-drive elliptical.

Third, and this is the big one for me, the console and programs aren't the most user friendly. It isn't a major problem but there is definitely a learning curve when it comes to the system as it isn't the most intuitive to use.

All in all, the Quantum Q210H is a great machine and an excellent alternative to someone looking at Precor or Life Fitness grade equipment. The Treadmill Sensei gives the Quantum Q210H Elliptical 4.5 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

Another fine product from Quantum Fitness, the Q210H Elliptical gets
4.5 gold buddahs out of 5.


Compare and get more information on the Quantum Q 210H Elliptical


Quantum Q210H Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 21"
Flywheel: n/a
Drive: Center Drive Style
Resistance Levels: 20
Display: Dot Matrix
Readouts: Resistance, heart rate, percent of maximum heart rate, heart rate target zone, time, distance (miles), strides per minute, calories, calories per minute, watts
Max User Weight: 400 lbs
Elliptical Weight: 300 lbs
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip and wireless
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Programs: 12
Pedal Spacing: 1.75"
Upper Arms: Removable

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

The Reebok RL545 Elliptical - Not good, not good at all

Ohiyo!

I would like everyone to know that the Treadmill Sensei is a gentleman and a humanitarian. You see, for some reason I've received 10 or 15 requests for me to review and rate a low end elliptical from Icon Fitness over the past month or so. I can't figure out why but the Reebok RL545 Elliptical has received more requests as of late than any other single piece of equipment. I'm guessing it's because of a huge price drop for the elliptical on Amazon.

Unfortunately, I had never actually seen one of these ellipticals before and I very much doubt one would ever come in to my shop, althought I was surprised recently with the appearance of a Motus treadmill so anything is possible. But, I decided to go the distance for you guys: I love my readers so much I sent Hikaru out to purchase a Reebok RL545 from a local chain store just so I could try it out. After 2 days of searching he decided to pick one up from Amazon instead and, 10 days later the RL545 arrived.

We unboxed the surprisingly heavy-for-the-price unit and wentto work setting it up. Once it was together, I decided to workout on it myself because Hikaru's rather copious frame would have snapped the elliptical as if it were an origami crane.

Here's the short version of my review: Don't buy it. Save your money, go to the store and buy yourself something pretty instead. A Kate Spade handbag or LAMB purse will do more for your appearance and health than the Reebok RL545 elliptical. If I were a superhero and had an arch enemy (say, an evil Treadmill Professor of some kind), I would not wish this elliptical on him.

I dread doing a longer review for fear of somehow unintentionally encouraging some poor, dimwitted fool to go out and purchase one. I just couldn't have that crime on my conscience. Sadly, as a treadmill and elliptical reviewer, it is my job to bear the burden of spreading the truth on bad fitness equipment. So....here we go!

The first thing I want to talk about is the problems we had putting the Reebok RL545 together. Now, I realize not every unit will have this same problem, but the fact that we had it on a random machine is not a good sign. You see a number of the bolt holes were either drilled to the wrong size or we were sent incorrect bolts. A number of them were too large for the holes and other seemed to be too long for the space they were intended. This is a major, major problem.

From there we noticed how flimsy and thin the plastic parts of the machine, in particular on the pedas and shroud...and that's not even mentioning how the machine groaned under even my light weight (I currently weigh in at a comfortable 175 pounds...although Mrs. Sensei thinks I should be 160 pounds). The bushings for the crosstraining bars loosened over the course of my 45 minute workout in spite of initial tightening. And,even though I don't have a laser level at the shop to confirm, I believe the lower bars bent under my weight.

There is really nothing in the Reebok RL545 elliptical that is worth mentioning...well, except for the receipt Hikaru remembered to keep that lets us return it for our money back.

For living down to the Icon Fitness reputation, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Reebok RL 545 Elliptical a magnificant 1 out of 5 golden buddahs.

We're returning our Reebok RL545 and buying the complete 7 season boxed set of the Friends TV show instead. My hope for Ross and Rachel getting together in the end far exceeds the hope I had for the RL545 not sucking.


Shop Reebok Treadmills at Amazon.com



Reebok RL 545 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 18"
Reverse Motion: Yes
Resistance Levels: 10
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Display: LCD
Programs: 8
Readouts: Resistance Readout, time, calories burned, calories/minute, heart rate, distance
Max User Weight: 250 lbs
Weight: 180 lbs
Price: $479.99

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

The Spirit XE350 Elliptical Review -- Another solid Spirit under $1500

Ohiyo!

Working in a service/repair facility like the DOJO, the Treadmill Sensei gets to see a lot of treadmills and ellipticals. I'm also able to get a good sense of what equipment is popular among customers, at least here in Southern California. This past season, perhaps the hottest model on the market was the Spirit XE350 and its counterpart, the Sole E55. From what I've seen and heard, retailers have had a problem even keep these units in their stores.

The reason for this is because Dyaco, the manufacturer of Sole and Spirit treadmills/ellipticals, has stumbled upon a great combination of features, price and aesthetics. With the Spirit XE350 you get some fantastic specs and a great price all in a great looking package (hopefully, they won't do something silly for their upcoming line like paint the things white). This past year we had a huge number of the XE350 ellipticals come through the DOJO and I was able to get a lot of hands on work out experience with them (would that be feets on?). Let me give a quick run through of what I've found.

First off, the 16 pound plastic flywheel on all of the upper end Spirit models gives an ok feel to your workouts, nothing spectacular but decent. I really would have like to have seen a heavier metal flywheel and gotten a true weight for it instead of the fake 30 pounds Spirit gives for the XE350. We have heard from a number of readers about problems with the plastic flywheel, but the unit we review felt solid. Add that to the 20" stride and you have a fairly comfortable feel.

Once you have the smooth, solid workout down, everything else on the unit is gravy: 20 levels of resistance is nice (although, truthfully, 16 is the perfect number), heart rate monitoring and control, 10 work out programs and Spirit's famous 2% incline pedals. When you drop those bonuses on an already great machine, then you've got a top-ranked elliptical in the $1000-$1500 price range.

Like I warned with the Sole E55, make sure to keep the elliptical's rails well lubricated and dust free. It'll save you a lot of problems down the line. I'd also suggest checking out the Sole E55 Elliptical for an alternative color choice...it's not a big deal, but it's nice to make sure the equipment goes with your room decor.

For being a well-put together elliptical, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Spirit XE350 Elliptical 3.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

UPDATE: The Spirit XE350 is now discontinued and out of stock. Try the upgraded for 2008 Sole E55 for a better priced alternative.

The Spirit XE350 gets 3.5 gold buddahs out of 5 for being a better than average elliptical for under $1500.


Find out more about the Spirit XE350. Save an additional 3% with coupon code TMSENSEI.


Spirit XE350 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 20"
Max User Weight: 350 lbs.
Unit Weight: 195 lbs
Resistance: 20 Levels
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip and wireless
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Programs: 10
Display: LCD
Readouts: Time, distance, calories, weight, speed, RPM, level, laps, heart rate
Articulating Footpads: Yes
Flywheel: 30 lbs.
Price: $1399

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

The Schwinn 430 Elliptical Review -- Surprising excellence under $600

Ohiyo!

One of the problems with the way your Treadmill Sensei does reviews is that I just don't have the time to search out every single elliptical or treadmill out there. And, unlike some other review sites that like to prescribe equipment to you, I don't want to write up a mass of reviews on equipment I've never seen before. It's not fair to you, my readers, and it's not fair to the manufacturers. Unfortunately, that means I miss some equipment and some equipment doesn't get reviewed fast enough to make it in to my Best Buy Awards. One such piece is the one I want to talk about today -- the Schwinn 430 Elliptical. I'm a bit bummed that I didn't have a chance to review this unit for the Ichi-Ban Best Buy Awards last year because it may very well have been a top contender. I'd expect it to do very well in this year's Awards.

As a side note, the 430 elliptical I'm basing my review on was actually brought in by Hikaru to work on this passed week. Hikaru is doing a lot of extra work at the DOJO and has been out looking for additional repair jobs every single day. I don't like to admit it to him, but he's a good kid and is on his way to becoming a very fine Sensei in his own right.

The 430 Elliptical is a unit which Nautilus started producing a little over a year ago as their entry in to the budget fitness arena. Interestingly enough, when it comes down to a unit versus unit comparison of the Schwinn 430 and it's higher priced brother, the Schwinn 418, the 430 comes out on top. This little unit packs a lot of value for a $599 elliptical.

The 430 elliptical is solid, weighing in somewhere at around 150 pounds and with a flywheel in the 14 pound weight (unfortunately, I could find no official specs on the weight of the unit or the flywheel, so these are my estimates based on one of my daily 45 minute workouts). The 430 is exceptionally smooth for a lower cost elliptical and compares well to a lot of units up in the $999 range.

With 16 levels of resistance, 8 programs, very comfortable articulating foodpads (an excellent and rare feature in a lower end elliptical), heart rate monitoring and control, the Schwinn 430 is an excellent choice for someone looking for a high quality elliptical on a low budget.

After having worked out on a unit here at the DOJO a couple of times this week, I will say that you need to keep the rails well-lubricated. I'd suggest lubricating at least once every 30 hours of working out or there abouts. Aside from the lubrication, I also wish Nautilus would have given the Schwinn 430 a more competitive warranty. 90 days for labor just doesn't cut it. Adding on an extended warranty would be a worthwhile thing for most buyers.

For light workouts the Schwinn 430 is a hard unit to beat...and, for being a great little elliptical, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Schwinn 430 elliptical 4 out of 5 golden buddahs.

At $599 the Schwinn 430 is a slick little elliptical.


Compare the Schwinn 430 elliptical and get more information.




Schwinn 430 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 18"
Max User Weight: 275 lbs
Unit Weight: Approximately 150 lbs.
Programs: 8
Resistance Levels: 16
Display: LCD
Readouts: Speed, Time, Distance, RPM, Watts, Pulse, Calorie, Interval Time, Resistance level Course Profile
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip
Footpads: Articulating
Reverse Direction: Yes
Price: $599

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

The SportsArt 803 Elliptical Review -- Best Buy Award Winner under $2000

Ohiyo!

I can't believe it's been over 6 months since I posted the Ichi-Ban Best Buy Awards for 2006-2007...and I still haven't finished doing my extended reviews for the winners of those awards. Doh! The Treadmill Sensei is a lazy bum. I promise to have the reviews done in advance of the best buy awards later on this year.

Today I want to talk about the 2006-2007 Ichi-Ban Elliptical Best Buy Award winner for $1501-$2000, the SportsArt 803 Elliptical. One of the reasons the Treadmill Sensei is excited about this review is because the SportsArt 803 is the elliptical which I work out on at home. That's right, after I a unit came in to the shop last summer and I show how darn sleek it look and how smooth the stride was, I had Mrs. Sensei get me one for my last birthday. And, before you ask, no I won't tell you how old I am.

Before I talk about one of the prides of my home workout room, I want to talk a bit about the company which produced such a fine piece of equipment, SportsArt Fitness. SportsArt Industrial has been around for over 20 years now and has had a reputation for excellence and quality for much of that time. In the past they've mainly supplied equipment to mid-range health clubs and corporate style gyms, as well as had a fairly strong presence overseas. They had a rough couple of years recently in regards to quality, but are now back on track with some of the best equipment around. If they had work their price point down a bit more on the consumer models, I think they'll dominate the $1200-$2200 home market with their quality and customer service.

Plus, and this has nothing to do wi