The NordicTrack X9i Incline Trainer: The King of All Incline Trainers

People say a monster truck is a car on steroids. Well, if machines truly can be on steroids, then the NordicTrack X9i Incline Trainer is a treadmill on steroids. When it comes to the incline trainer family of treadmills, the X9i is king.

First of all, an incline trainer that can get up to 40% incline is going to burn five times the calories of a treadmill at 0% incline. That makes incline trainers beasts compared to treadmills already. But in the world of incline trainers, the X9i stands above the rest.

The first cool feature I enjoy is that it also has a decline. Not only can you simulate walking up a big hill, you can simulate going downhill as well. It may only be -6% but it sure makes things interesting.

And this leads into the second feature I enjoy which is now standard on all NordicTrack treadmills, and that is iFit Live. If you aren’t familiar with iFit, it basically syncs with Google Earth to allow you to run any trail in the world. You can look at your screen and see a sandy beach in Africa. If you see a hill coming, the treadmill literally inclines as you reach it. If you see downhill, it changes to a decline. It is very cool technology and makes running on a treadmill much more exciting to me at least.

The X9i comes with a 10″ color touch screen with browser. All the rage now is in browsers on your treadmills. I will admit, the browsers aren’t my favorite. They are cool, but they are hard to use, and my X9i has a hard time maintaining its wireless internet connection. It is fun however to watch some YouTube videos on my treadmill without having to position a TV nearby.

This may seem weird but the fan on the X9i seems to work really well to me. If you increase the speed it actually gets more powerful as well. My treadmill is in a room with windows, but none of them actually can open. It can be a bit stuffy. I know many people have similar workout rooms. Having a good working fan is really paramount to my comfort while working out, so while I realize most treadmills have this, I’m glad they do.

The X9i comes with a treadbelt that is 20″ by 62″ which is unique. Most are slightly wider and shorter. Being a bit taller myself I prefer having this longer treadbelt. But for individuals who aren’t taller but are, uh, wider, you may find the 20″ width slightly uncomfortable.

Now this incline trainer says it has a 350 pound weight capacity. It also has a 3.0 CHP motor which is pretty strong. However, I get the impression you don’t want to test its limits. When I put the incline to 20-30% or so and put up the speed to a light jog I feel it jostle a little bit. I haven’t dared try any running speed at 40% mostly because I think I will hurt myself, not break the treadmill. But it should be noted, things get a but bumpy as you increase the incline if you maintain a jogging or running speed. Best bet? Only run or jog if you keep the incline below 15% or so. Once you get above that, I would keep it at 3 mph or less. But believe you me, once you walk at just 2 mph at 40% you won’t have any desire to get near 3 mph or more. You’ll get all you can handle already.

But you don’t have to take my word for it that the X9i is a great machine. Go check out The Treadmill Doctor here and see what he has to say. Never a man of many words, he simply says “The X9i is easily the most versatile treadmill ever built!” His ratings say it all as well, seeing as how of all the treadmills out there the X9i was his second runner up in the Best New Treadmill category.

If there is any downside to this machine it would be the choppy, bumpy feel you get when you go too fast at too high an incline and the price. But hey, no need to go to fast at those steep inclines and when it comes to incline trainers they are all expensive. Plus I’m not sure it is physically possible to create an incline trainer that doesn’t jostle a little. I’ve tried out quite a few and have yet to find one that feels really solid.

I may not be able to help with the stability, but I can sure help you out when it comes to the price! Use the coupon link below to save $120 on the NordicTrack X9i. How you ask? Simply click the link and you will be redirected to NordicTrack.com. Once there, simply click “Buy Now” and in your shopping cart you will automatically see a nice $120 discount. You’re welcome!

Click Here To Get $120 Off The NordicTrack X9i Incline Trainer!