Hi,

I was wondering if anyone could recommend an elliptical trainer? I plan on going to test some out this week but it would be helpful if I knew which ones were recommended and which I should stay away from!

Thanks!

Hi This topic has come up a few times recently, even I posted asking for advice We haven't had much of a response yet, though. Maybe ellipticals aren't as popular as we thought?

My own research has led me to believe that I can't get a good elliptical for under $1,000, so I'm putting my purchase off until I can spare it. I started to buy a Proform or Nordictrack brand, but was put off by a lot of bad reviews of their brands. Apparently they have gone downhill over the years. Most reviews I've read state that they needed repairs after 3 months, and/or had problems with customer service. However, their highest end models might be worth considering. Consumer Reports also put down inexpensive ellipticals (including Proform), saying they quickly became wobbly and loud. I would also avoid the infomercial ellipticals.

Most good models run over $2,000. However, www.smoothfitness.com has a model for 899 that looks good, and they seem to have a good reputation. I'm considering buying one of theirs.

Thank you for your response...During my weeks of lurking, I actually read your journal entry regarding ellipticals and felt bad that you were having to repeat yourself! It is appreciated!

I've kind of determined that I'll have to spend the extra money as well....and I agree, I have read better things about the smoothfitness.com Elliptical's than anything else!

Good Luck to you and your search for a quality machine!

I got a Diamondback 700 from Dick's for around $1200. I wanted to get a good one rather than a crappy one that needed to be replaced every month. I purchased it back in March, basically use it every day because it cost so much (perfect guilt!), and this morning when I hopped on the scale I had gone from 200 to 172.5 since March. This is the plug in model. Diamondback had a higher model (I think 1100) that made it's own power that Dick's put on sale for the same price as the 700 a few months later, but they are essentially the same. I am 6'5", but I would recommend that you get a model with the longest stride length possible. A chest heart monitor is a must. The Diamondback came with it. I set mine to 177bpm and just go for an hour, it controls the intensity based on how hard my heart is working. If you are athletic, I would look for one that can get pretty high in the intensity, when I hop on mine, after a few minutes I am at the hardest level. (So I just have to go faster then!)

It was the best thing I have purchased for myself. When my Mom came over to visit she liked it too. You'll start out slow, but in no time you'll be a pro. Then you can get creative and go backwards and forwards, and work your arms a little more. I used to use one in college, so I could only compare mine to the gym quality ones (which I thought about getting, but they took up too much space and had to be shipped by pallet.) This is one of the few things that is as good as the gym piece. At the gym there was always a line so I couldn't use it for more than 30 minutes, and I usually had to wait for one to open up. I'm not sure if it is like that in commercial (public) gyms. But the advantage is I can hop on for an hour before I go to bed and not worry about travel time.

I would advise against getting a cheaper model. They don't have the range of motion, and 99% of them aren't elliptical machines, they are 'round' machines. They're like some weird kind of bike.

Let me know if you have any other questions. I have usually watched what I ate, but between exercising in college and now, I'm down about 40 pounds thanks to the elliptical. It's not instant results (I'm sure the Rocky Road every so often isn't helping!), and sometimes I want to get off it (minutes 35 to 25 can test your will power!) but when my time is up, I always am glad I did it and can go for a few more minutes. In fact, recently when I get finished I go running for a little, it's that low impact.

When you say plug in, do you mean only on the controls? One thing I like about the elliptical is that if the power goes out, it won't effect the equipment. I was on my treadmill last summer speedwalking and we had a power surge (seems to be common in my area of town) and it felt like my back snapped in two! The treadmill stopped on a dime, but I was still moving. Now I won't even get on it if we have dark clouds. Whiplashophobia!

The plug in kind will go out if the power goes out. A quick solution to the treadmill problem is one of the battery backup units for computers. The cheapest one you can find will do the trick, so if the power goes out you won't lose the information about your workout. I picked up a few at Best Buy around the holidays last year for about $5 each after a rebate.


An elliptical is different than a treadmill though. A treadmill gets harder to move when the power goes out, and elliptical is the opposite, it gets easier, so you wouldn't have to worry about anything happening if it lost power (or your workout completed.) It is more like a stair climber in that regard.

Basically the power part controls the tension on the flywheel and the LED display. You generate tons of watts of energy on those things, so it takes some juice to provide resistance (or hold the spring in place to provide it!)

http://www.diamondbackfitness.com/depts.asp?deptid=1 is a link to the one I got. I did a lot of research before buying, and found that to be the best for what I wanted. Make sure you try one out in the store before buying, and don't be afraid to give it an honest workout in the store. I got some weird looks in Sears, but more people in passing said, "that's a good idea, if I'd have done that I wouldn't have the paperweight of a __________ in my garage."

Thanks! I had never thought of the battery backup. My console is on battery so I'd still retain that info, but I'd like to know the treadmill wasn't going to stop on a dime and send me into a concrete wall! (the lovely decor of my basement) Good info about the elliptical, thanks. Maybe I can sweet talk Santa into one.

hmmm, I have a cheap elliptical (weslo) prolly only cost a few hundred (it was a gift) and it works great and I have had it since xmas and between me and bf it gets plenty of use and hasn't broken. Maybe I was just lucky?

I have an Orbitrek Platinum and I love it. It gives me a great workout and I've had mine for over two years with no problems. I paid $200 for it. I wouldn't recommend the older models of the Orbitrek though. They did have some issues but the Platinum seems to be well made and durable.

I bought an Alliance A7e from www.fitnessblowout.com. I paid about $1300 for it with shipping and insurance. I have been using it 5 days a week for almost a month and it works awesome. It has a 19" stride length, which is about an inch under the Precor I used to use at my old gym. I never thought I would get used to the arm rowers, because I had never used them before. However, I use them ALL the time now! It's great. It's also a plug in, but it works great. Good luck in your search, I know the price and having it at home makes me exercise more than ever, lol