Jan17

Livestrong LS9.9T Treadmill Review

Posted at 6:17 PM • One Comment

Treadmill Review: Livestrong LS9.T Treadmill
Treadmill Rating: 3.5 out of five for a high top speed and powerful motor
Price: $999.99

Hello Readers,

A few months ago in late 2009 Livestrong Fitness announced a brand-new fitness equipment product line. Livestrong Fitness was to capitalize on the brand name made famous by cancer survivor and Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. Livestrong fitness decided to partner with Johnson Tech, the same company that manufactures Horizon Fitness equipment and Matrix Fitness equipment. I must admit, I’m a huge fan of most of the fitness equipment that comes out of the factories at Johnson Tech. Over the last month I’ve made about three, maybe four trips to Dick’s Sporting Goods to try out Livestrong’s treadmills and elliptical trainers. There were a few surprises along the way both pleasant and unpleasant and I am ready to share those with you!

Features
I suppose I should start with the most unique and important feature of the Livestrong LS9.9T Treadmill. The Livestrong LS9.9T Treadmill comes with Livestrong’s signature LiveTrack Fitness Journal. The LiveTrack Fitness Journal allows up to two people to save workout statistics like distance traveled, time, and calories burned. One of the things I liked the best about the LiveTrack Fitness journal is that I could view my five personal best scores from all of my previous workouts. With the touch of a button you can find out what your best mile was, your best 5K running time was, longest workout in terms of time or distance, and the most calories burned in a single workout session. On a sidenote, he LiveTrack fitness Journal would benefit from internet connectivity where users could automatically publish the results of their fitness routines to their blog, facebook, or twitter account. Internet compatibility would be great for those of us who are plugged in!

Some of the more typical features of the Livestrong LS9.9T Treadmill are an iPod/MP3 player. I keep telling myself that I need to take my iPod down to the store to test out the speakers. I’m sorry to say I have not. I will definitely try out the speakers next time I make a trip to Dick’s Sporting Goods and let you all know how the speakers sound. (Youtube video maybe?!!!) The Livestrong LS9.9T Treadmill also has a built-in fan for those of you who like to stay cool during your workouts. The Livestrong LS9.9T Treadmill has dedicated speed and incline controls with a slight twist; unlike many other competing treadmills out there the user has to press incline or speed first then press the desired incline level or speed. I like the idea of one touch and go. It’s really inconvenient to be forced press two buttons to control speed and incline especially when so many other treadmill and elliptical trainer manufacturers out there find a way to integrate two sets of dedicated speed and incline control buttons AND make it look nice.

The Livestrong LS9.9T Treadmill also has an ample amount programs. I found the Pacer fitness program to be unique and helpful. The Pacer program allows users to select a distance and a time to reach it in. The treadmill automatically calculates the speed required to get the user to keep a specific pace to reach the goal on time. The Livestrong LS9.9T Treadmill also has heart rate control which allows users to select a target heart rate and have a computer adjust speed and incline to keep the user within that heart rate. This is an important feature for people who plan on using a treadmill to lose weight!

When I tried out the Livestrong LS9.9T Treadmill I thought the feel was pretty average for the thousand dollar price tag. There was no shaking and an average amount of noise coming from the motor. All in all, I was satisfied with the feel and comfort of the Livestrong LS9.9T Treadmill but not blown away by it. There are better treadmills out there in terms of comfort, but not too many more.

Specifications
One thing I want to note and praise Livestrong Fitness for is the motor they put on the Livestrong LS9.9T Treadmill. The motor is really the high point of the Livestrong LS9.9T Treadmill and allows the Livestrong LS9.9T Treadmill to attain a maximum speed of 12 mph. The 12 mile-per-hour top speed is uncommon for the thousand dollar price range and even more uncommon is a 2.75 continuous duty horsepower motor powerful enough to handle a 12 mile-per-hour top speed. One thing I can tell is that Livestrong Fitness is making a strenuous effort to be a leader in fitness equipment.

Specifications Livestrong LS7.9T Treadmill  Horizon T101 Treadmill Smooth 5.65 Treadmill
Horsepower: 2.75 CHP 2.25 CHP 2.5 CHP
Running Area: 20" x 55" 20" x 55" 20" x 55"
Incline: 12% 10% 15%
Top Speed: 12 MPH 10 MPH 10 MPH
Programs: 12 9 14
Parts Warranty: 3 year 1 year 3 year
Labor Warranty: 1 year 1 year 2 year
Price: $999.99 $599 $999
Rating: 3.5 / 5 4.5 / 5 5 / 5
Read Our Review: Read Review Read Review Read Review
Buy From Amazon.com: Unavailable Buy Now Unavailable
Buy Direct From Manufacturer: Buy Now Buy Now Buy Now

Final Analysis
In the end, the most important thing I factor into my treadmill reviews is comfort. The Livestrong LS9.9T Treadmill is comfortable but not as comfortable as many other treadmills in the thousand dollar price range. There are lots of really cool features on the Livestrong LS9.9T Treadmill like the LiveTrack Fitness Journal which allows users to track their progress as they develop a regular cardiovascular routine. It would be nice to see similar features on more treadmills and I definitely commend Livestrong Fitness for putting forth an effort to innovate. Overall, the Livestrong LS9.9T Treadmill has earned a solid 3.5 out of 5. I urge you to go out and try this treadmill yourself, you might have a different opinion than I do and I encourage you to share it in my comments section. I do screen my comments but the only comments I filter out are spam and comments that are impolite. Feel free to disagree with me!

Dec30

Phoenix 98007 Treadmill Review R...

Posted at 5:55 PM • No Comments

Hello Readers,

Treadmill Review: Phoenix 98007 Treadmill
Treadmill Rating: 0/5 for being one of the worst treadmills ever!
Price: $599

Even when I think a treadmill is bad I can usually find a virtue or two, something positive to say about the treadmill. This is not the case with the Phoenix 98007 Treadmill. The Phoenix 98007 Treadmill is perhaps one of the worst treadmills I’ve ever come across in my entire fitness equipment industry career. There’s so much wrong with this treadmill I don’t even know where to begin. I suppose I can begin with horsepower.

One of my pet peeves is when a treadmill manufacturer lists the peak horsepower rating as opposed to the continuous duty horsepower rating. More companies used to do this and I’m glad to say that a lot of companies are backing away from this practice. Peak horse power is really a bloated number because it measures the greatest amount power a motor can output for any length of time, even if it’s just a second. Continuous duty horsepower ratings are what a treadmill motor will normally output under normal conditions, therefore it is a more reliable assessment of a treadmill motor. The Phoenix 98007 Treadmill lists its peak horsepower rating at 2.5 PHP or peak horsepower. If the Phoenix 98007 Treadmill had a true 2.5 continuous duty horsepower motor it would probably have a much greater top speed, probably 10 mph or more.

The running area is a claustrophobic 36″ x 14.5″. Most treadmills have a 50″ x 18″ running area at the very least. Even some of the poorer treadmill brands out there even meet that standard for the most part. There also three terrible excuses for fitness programs. I would like to see at least eight and definitely more for treadmill that retails for about 600 bucks. Finally, you have a one-year frame warranty. That’s it. If something goes wrong you are stuck and up the river. It would be in your absolute best interests to avoid the Phoenix 98007 Treadmill at all costs!

Pretty much what you can expect if you buy this treadmill.

Better Alternatives
Horizon Fitness T101 Treadmill

Dec30

Nautilus T514 Treadmill Review R...

Posted at 2:37 PM • One Comment

Hello Readers,
Treadmill Review: Nautilus T514 Treadmill
Treadmill Rating: 1/5 for being incredibly hard on my back!
Price: $999

My little black book says it’s time to review the Nautilus T514 Treadmill. I tried the Nautilus T514 Treadmill out at Sports Authority this week and I only have one thing written down for this treadmill, “terrible!”. What makes the Nautilus T514 Treadmills such a terrible treadmill? I’ll explain that in my review.

How the Nautilus T514 Treadmill Feels
I’ve tried out many treadmills during my fitness equipment career and I can tell you with an absolute certainty I’ve never felt a more uncomfortable treadmill in my entire career! The Nautilus T514 Treadmill feels like running on solid rock! In fact, the Nautilus T514 Treadmill is so solid I would not be surprised if they started strapping these things to the sides of Humvees in Iraq or Afghanistan for shields. They really are that tough. Half the point of a treadmill is to be able to exercise on an ergonomic surface area that absorbs the impact of running on a track or pavement. To be perfectly honest I would much rather run on cement than run on the Nautilus T514 Treadmill. It really is that bad. I don’t know what else to say, this is a terrible treadmill.

Nautilus T514 Treadmill Specifications and Features
On paper the Nautilus T514 Treadmill looks a lot like one of my favorite treadmills for less than $1000, the Horizon T101 Treadmill. It has a powerful 2.75 continuous duty horsepower motor which can accommodate large users as heavy as 350 pounds. It also has a rather large 20″ x 55″ running area which matches or exceeds the running area of a lot of other treadmills in this price range.

The Nautilus T514 Treadmill does have something right, programs and special features. You get a lot of programs, 19 to be exact and there are plenty of special features to make this treadmill competitive with just about everything out there including fans and for heart rate control programs.

What really kills this deal, aside from the terrible rocksolid deck, is the warranty. You get a six-month labor warranty and after that you’re just out of luck. To give a treadmill in the $1000 price range a good review I have to see at least a one-year parts and labor warranty. A one year parts and labor warranty tells me the manufacturer cares about their equipment and more importantly they’re willing to fix things at their own cost if they’ve screwed up. Nautilus is not willing to make that commitment which is why I’m unable to commit to rating the Nautilus T514 Treadmill no greater than 1/5 for the Nautilus T514 Treadmill.

Better Alternatives
Smooth 5.65 –
Read User Reviews
Horizon T103 Treadmill – Read Amazon Reviews or Buy Direct From Horizon Fitness
Sole F63 Treadmill – Buy Direct From Sole Fitness
 or Read Amazon User Reviews

Dec30

Horizon T103 Treadmill – Grea...

Posted at 12:32 PM • No Comments

Hello Readers,

Treadmill Review: Horizon T103 Treadmill
Treadmill Rating: 4/5 innovative programs, powerful motor
Price: $999
Click Now To Get the Horizon T103 for $200 Off Retail!

Okay, this is it for the Horizon treadmills for a little while. Now I’m going to be covering the Horizon T103 Treadmill. I have mentioned many times that I’m a huge fan of the Horizon Fitness company because of their commitment to customer service and the quality treadmills that come out of their factory. This is going to be my last Horizon Fitness treadmill review for a while as I focus on other brands that I’ve been getting more questions about lately. Let’s start the review.

Bad treadmill manufacturers will give you the exact same unit but change coloring and the console to make it seem like you’re getting something better. This is not the case with Horizon treadmills. Each Horizon treadmill is more powerful than last and the Horizon T103 Treadmill has a more powerful motor than the Horizon T102. There are no smoke and mirrors here, just good engineering and great prices. The Horizon T103 Treadmill has a 2.75 continuous duty horsepower motor and this is about as powerful as a residential treadmill user could possibly ask for. In fact, if you go over 3.0 continuous duty horsepower you’re buying too much treadmill. The more powerful the motor, the easier it will be for a motor to handle multiple users and regular or prolonged use. The more often and intense your workouts are the more stress you put on your motor, the faster your motor gives out. More horsepower means your the motor will not work as hard!

The Horizon T103 Treadmill has a running area of 20″ x 55″. Okay, this is pretty much average or maybe slightly above the average treadmill in this price range. Horizon Fitness can’t win them all, nor can any other fitness equipment company. You can find treadmills for the same amount money with equivalent running area or greater. However, we will probably never find on a treadmill for less than thousand dollars is a two-year parts and one-year labor warranty. The parts warranty is about twice as long as anything you’ll find in this price range and we here at ProTreadmillReviews.com love treadmills long warranties. It tells us that the manufacture is so confident in their treadmills that they’re willing to back it up with their own money. Having skin in the game is the best way to ensure that you are doing the most possible to deliver quality treadmill.

There also 14 fitness programs, I would like to see a couple more but still this is more than average. One fitness program I really like is the 30 day goal tracking program. It’s a great way to track your progress and encourage yourself to do more and more every time you step on your treadmill. Horizon Fitness has been at this treadmill manufacturing business for quite some time and they almost always show improvement over last year’s model in fitness program innovation.

I think it has been obvious from the very start that I highly recommend the Horizon T103 Treadmill. I’ve a good history working with Horizon Fitness and in the off chance something does go bad on your treadmill Horizon Fitness has some the best customer support in the entire fitness equipment industry. I know because I used to sell fitness equipment and handle customer service issues and get on the phone with many of Horizon Fitness’customer support agents. They are great to work with and I highly recommend the Horizon T103 Treadmill.

Dec30

Horizon Fitness T102 Treadmill Revi...

Posted at 12:16 PM • No Comments

Hello Readers,

Treadmill Review: Horizon T102 Treadmill
Treadmill Rating: 4/5 for exceptional quality and great features
Price: $799
Buy The Horizon T102 Treadmill Directly From Horizon Fitness

I remember the first treadmill who specs I had remembered for my first treadmill selling gig. It was the Horizon T61 Treadmill and I was only going to be out for about a month before was discontinued. I did not realize how great a treadmill manufacturer horizon fitness really was until I was about six months into my first fitness industry job. By that time I had worked with vendors who did not care about their customers and would let warranty issues fall by the wayside, I’d seen treadmills literally fall off of giant diesel trucks and be completely ruined on more than one occasion, and more importantly at personally seen how well the staff at Horizon Fitness responds to customer service issues. Horizon Fitness is a company that knows and understands that without its customers it would not be in business. Horizon Fitness goes a step above and beyond in every step of the treadmill manufacturing and selling process from design right down to getting you that box a replacement parts shipped to your home as soon as possible in case something does go wrong. This year, for the first time I am not surprised to see a Horizon Fitness treadmill be a cut above most of its competition. This is what I have come to expect and this is what the Carpathian delivers.

The Carpathian has a 20″ x 55″ running area. This is a greater running area than most other treadmills offer for the $800 price range. Larger running areas allow people to feel more comfortable and less cramped which makes for a much more comfortable and pleasant treadmill experience. If you feel claustrophobic on a treadmill is a good chance you are not going to use it which is why I recommend treadmill consumers purchase a treadmill with his larger running area as their budget will allow, which is one of the reasons why I highly recommend the Carpathian.

The Carpathian is great for runners because it has a 12 mph top speed which is more than I can say for some lesser treadmills that offer a 10 or 11 mile-per-hour top speed and costs about $500 more. Yes, there are those treadmills out there and I have no idea how they can stay in business. The people who are supporting those companies have probably done no research and did exactly what the treadmill salesman wanted them to do, and bought a crummy treadmill. It’s one thing to have a high top speed and it is something else to have a motor that can handle that top speed. I’m glad to say the Carpathian has a high top speed and a motor capable of enduring the extra stress that comes with running at higher speeds. The Carpathian has a 2.5 continuous duty horsepower motor and is even powerful enough to support people as heavy as 325 pounds.

Much like the Carpathians little brother the Horizon T101 Treadmill, the Carpathian has a one year parts and labor warranty. You can spot the terrible treadmill just by the warranty alone. They treadmill costs $599 or more it had better have a one year parts and labor warranty. There no exceptions to this rule and if you come across a website or sales person trying to sell you a treadmill with a 90 day parts and labor warranty and your treadmill has four digits in the price run for the hills! You’re dealing with someone who does not know what they are talking about or does not care enough about their customers to sell the fitness equipment that does not carry a high risk of an expensive repair 91 days after you take your treadmill.

If you read my site and you’ll find several stories of positive experiences I’ve had with Horizon Fitness during my career in the fitness industry. This is a very well-run company and their equipment is an excellent balance of price and quality. There only a couple other treadmill manufacturers that are on par with Horizon Fitness in the under $1000 price range and those are Sole Fitness and Smooth Fitness. If you do not buy the Carpathian which I highly recommend, please check out something by one of those two companies. These really are the best treadmills you can find for less than $1000!

Dec30

Horizon Fitness T101 Treadmill Revi...

Posted at 11:53 AM • One Comment

Hello Readers,

Treadmill Review: Horizon T101 Treadmill
Treadmill Rating: 4/5 for great features, powerful motor, and a great warranty
Price: $599
Buy From Amazon.com
Buy The Horizon Fitness T101 Direct From Horizon Fitness, Save Money

It seems Horizon Fitness has finally released updated versions of their treadmills and elliptical trainers. I’ll be making a concerted effort to test out and review their new fitness equipment in the coming weeks. For now I leave you with a review of the Horizon T101 Treadmill. This is pretty much just a rehash of the Horizon T91 Treadmill and the Horizon T91 Treadmill is just a rehash of the Horizon T81 Treadmill. I’m sure you get the point by now, let’s get into the review.

The Horizon T101 Treadmill has a very wide running area considering price. The running area is 20″ x 55″ which makes this one of the largest running areas for less than 600 bucks available. If you or a larger person and want to do some walking or light jogging the Horizon T101 Treadmill is a great treadmill to consider. The Horizon T101 Treadmill is also equipped with a 2.25 hp motor which is more power than the average treadmill that retails for $599 or less. Greater horsepower means your treadmill can support heavier, larger people without having to work as hard. If you’re motor is not working too hard it is going to last much longer. Horizon Fitness lists the maximum user weight at 275 pounds, which once again is above average for this price range.

I always like it when a treadmill or elliptical console has dedicated buttons for speed, incline, and resistance. The Horizon T101 Treadmill has a button for each speed and incline level they can reach which means it is very easy to go from the top speed of 10 mph so much lower speed of say two or 3 mph. You will not have to hold down a button to slow down when you’re going top speed on your treadmill. Just press one button and get back to concentrating on your stride.

One thing a lot of treadmill manufacturers seem to neglect when they design some of the lower end treadmills is programs. Most treadmills that retail for less than 600 bucks come with an anemic list of programs that are pathetic at best. The Horizon T101 Treadmill comes with nine different fitness programs which is slightly above the average for this price range about a programs. It just goes to show you that Horizon Fitness really tries to go the extra mile for their customers and deliver the most they possibly can for as little money as possible.

Finally, Horizon Fitness did not skimp on the warranty for the Horizon T101 Treadmill. You get a full one year parts and labor warranty which is a lot more coverage than you get with other brands like Proform and NordicTrack. If you’re looking to do some light jogging and walking and the Horizon T101 Treadmill is one of the best options out there. It is relatively cheap at $600 delivered to your home and has an excellent assortment of features, and comes out of one of the best treadmill factories in the world. I’ve trusted Horizon Fitness for many years now and use more products than I could possibly remember and nearly every experience I’ve had with a Horizon Fitness treadmill or elliptical trainer has been positive. I strongly recommend the Horizon T101 Treadmill!

Dec29

Reebok R 5.80 Treadmill Review R...

Posted at 10:26 PM • No Comments

Treadmill Review: Reebok R 5.80 Treadmill
Treadmill Rating: 1/5 for a terrible warranty
Price: $799

Hello Readers,
It looks like a long day of treadmill reviews for me. Looks like I just pulled the Reebok R 5.80 Treadmill card. Reebok fitness equipment is manufactured under Icon Fitness, a brand I’ve come to love to hate. It’s not that I have an irrational hatred towards an entire company, rather, I have a hatred for their typical business practices. For the most part, you get a one-year parts and labor warranty on any piece of fitness equipment that retails for $599 or more. Unfortunately, Icon Fitness and consequently Reebok has chosen not to follow this industry standard. I’ll talk about warranty and a whole lot more about why don’t like the Reebok R 5.80 Treadmill in my treadmill review.

I think I said at least 1000 times on my treadmill blog that 99% of Icon Fitness is treadmills and elliptical trainers would be some of the better buys if they had a better warranty and either a better feel for better shock support system. Icon Fitness as well as this Reebok treadmill have things like programs, speed, and other special features perfect. In this respect Icon Fitness is an industry leader. Take for example the excellent iFit system. One of the key things to a successful fitness routine is progression. You must keep getting better and better and keep challenging your body to get a physically fit mind and body. No matter how many programs a treadmill has you will get tired and bored of using the same old programs over and over again. It is practically a scientific fact. The iFit system allows users to purchase new fitness programs designed by some the world’s top weight-loss trainers and aerobic trainers including Jillian Michaels from the Biggest Loser. It would be great if more treadmill manufacturers and elliptical trainer manufacturers could emulate or copy the iFit program feature.

Despite all the really cool features like iPod compatibility and built-in speakers I can’t give the Reebok R 5.80 Treadmill a good review. There is one huge flaw with the Reebok R 5.80 Treadmill and it is the warranty. The warranty is what trips up a lot of Icon Fitness products like the Reebok R 5.80 Treadmill. I simply can’t recommend the treadmill with a 25 year motor warranty. A good treadmill that cost more than 600 bucks absolutely needs at a minimum a one year parts and labor warranty. Most, and by most I mean practically all treadmill manufacturers offer a one-year parts and labor warranty for all their treadmills priced above $599. In fact, I can come up with a single treadmill that cost more than $599 that is not backed by one year parts and labor warranty. It still boggles my mind why Icon Fitness has not met or exceeded this industry standard. I bet a lot of it has to do with lack of education and poor buying decisions made by people who do not have time or do not care to look and compare treadmills. If you buy the Reebok R 5.80 Treadmill and it breaks down a couple months later there is a terrible chance you’ll be liable for a very expensive repair. Granted, your treadmill probably will not break down, but if it does you’re in for a world of hurt.

I suppose the only way I can get Icon Fitness to change and become a better treadmill manufacture is by helping educating people about short warrantees on Icon Fitness treadmills and elliptical trainers. You have been warned.

I don’t want to leave you saying to yourself “what do I by now?” Don’t worry, I got you covered. I strongly recommend anything by Smooth Fitness like the
Smooth Fitness 5.65 Treadmill or comparably priced Horizon Fitness T102 Treadmill

Dec29

HealthRider H90E Elliptical Review...

Posted at 9:37 PM • 2 Comments

Hello Readers,
Elliptical Trainer Review: HealthRider H90E Elliptical
Elliptical Trainer Rating: 3/5 for great features and an okay feel
Price: $999
Click For HealthRider Elliptical Deals

Well, it’s time to take out my little black book full of elliptical trainer notes and write a review of the HealthRider H90E Elliptical. If I recall correctly, I tried the HealthRider H90E Elliptical out at a Sports Authority about a week ago. To keep things fresh in my mind I take video and pictures of the elliptical trainers and treadmills I test out and write about a page of notes. My review of the HealthRider H90E Elliptical is based on personal experience and the notes I’ve written about the HealthRider H90E Elliptical. Alright, let’s get to the review.

How the HealthRider H90E Elliptical Feels
The HealthRider H90E Elliptical retails for about 1000 bucks so I was expecting quite a bit, well, at least I was hoping for quite a bit.  After running on the HealthRider H90E Elliptical for about seven minutes I felt like I was running on sand. Actually, I felt like I was running on sand right away, but after several minutes things just got worse. A good elliptical trainer in the thousand dollar price range feels sort of like you’re walking on air, good elliptical trainers that retail for about $1500 or more really feel like you’re walking on air. I don’t want to badmouth this elliptical trainer too much, it is definitely better than a lot of the elliptical trainers out there and the motion is very smooth. But, you can do better! One last note, the HealthRider H90E Elliptical was a tad shaky. Perhaps it was due to human error and if you set up the HealthRider H90E Elliptical correctly it will go away, I really couldn’t tell. Just a little note.

Oh, good thing I take notes because I almost forgot about this. The foot pedals have little bumps on them made of a very pleasant feeling material, it’s probably a plastic. I don’t know what it is about the little bumps but it definitely feels very comfortable on my feet and it would be an excellent asset if I running long distances on them elliptical trainer.

Features
Just like nearly every other Icon Fitness product, (Icon Fitness is the parent company of Healthrider.) The HealthRider H90E Elliptical has an incredible amount of fitness programs and interactivity features. You get a total of 20 fitness programs and Icon Fitness has even developed a feature called iFit which allows you to purchase fitness programs developed by professional and well known fitness trainers like Jillian Michaels of Biggest Loser fame.

Another feature that seems to be growing in popularity in the fitness industry is adjustable ramps. Elliptical trainers with adjustable ramps can adjust the angle they peddle simulating hills. I particularly don’t like this feature because it really just feels like I’m running on the side of a wall, a lot of people like it and it’s an excellent way to add another layer of difficulty to a boring workout.

Final Rating
it seems the HealthRider H90E Elliptical has followed in the footsteps of many Icon Fitness elliptical trainers that have come before it. It has an amazing set of features that you can’t get anywhere else for a relatively small price. Unfortunately, the HealthRider H90E Elliptical has a feel that is easily outmatched by much better elliptical trainers that retail for the same amount money. My philosophy when it comes to rating fitness equipment is “comfort first”. I could probably rattle off a list of names of people who have bought treadmills and elliptical trainers that do not feel comfortable to them and consequently found themselves owning a very expensive coat rack. Trust me, if you’re elliptical trainer is not comfortable you will not use it and you will not lose weight or become a better runner. If you put comfort above all else like I have in my reviews, you’ll please yourself to reach your fitness goals! If you plan on losing weight do not buy the HealthRider H90E Elliptical!
Better Alternative: Sole E35 Elliptical
Sole E35 Elliptical YOU SAVE $999 plus FREE Shipping!

Dec29

HealthRider H140E Elliptical Traine...

Posted at 5:30 PM • No Comments

Hello Readers,
Elliptical Trainer Review: HealthRider H140E Club Series Elliptical Trainer
Elliptical Trainer Rating: 3/5 for smooth motion and great features, but lacking articulating footpads.
Price: $1299
Click For HealthRider Elliptical Trainer Deals

<My Personal Experience with the HealthRider H140E Elliptical Trainer
Just as I promised I tried several pieces of fitness equipment over my Christmas vacation. Now that things have settled down and I have played Call of Duty more than I care to admit there is nothing distracting me from writing elliptical trainer reviews today. In fact I think I even have plenty of time to put in an hour or so on the elliptical trainer I use at 24 Hour Fitness. The first elliptical trainer on my list is the HealthRider H140E Elliptical Trainer. I tried this elliptical trainer out at a Sports Authority and I am very conflicted with this elliptical trainer. Let me explain why.

Next time you take a walk look down at your feet for a few steps and notice that they probably go from a flat 90° angle to a wide-angle. Most elliptical trainer designers recognize this and include an articulating footpad feature with their elliptical trainers to allow your feet to go from a 90° angle to a wide-angle when running or walking on an elliptical trainer. People who use elliptical trainers without articulating footpads often complain that their feet fall asleep and their ankles hurt after prolonged use of an elliptical trainer. That’s because their feet are staying flat.

This is where I start to feel very conflicted. The actual motion of this elliptical trainer is incredible! If you ever try this elliptical trainer out you’ll notice the front houses a large flywheel that delivers smooth feel once you start pedaling the HealthRider H140E Elliptical Trainer. And smooth roller wheels in the rear make for a very pleasant elliptical trainer experience. In fact, I would much rather use the HealthRider H140E Elliptical Trainer than some of the professional grade elliptical trainers I’ve used in gyms and hotels.

The incredible feel of this elliptical trainer are all for nothing because the HealthRider H140E is not equipped with articulating footpads. I suffered from crunching ankles while using this elliptical and I have no doubt my feet would have fallen asleep had I used it for more than ten minutes. I’m sure there’s a way somebody could overcome or even find a stationary footpad advantageous; but for the vast majority of people stationary footpads were going to be a huge problem! It really is a shame to have one of best elliptical trainer feels and the lack something as simple as an articulating footpad that would make this one of the best elliptical trainers out there.

Features and Specifications
The HealthRider H140E Elliptical Trainer has a 20 inch stride length, large foot pedals, and arms that seem fit for a giant. The HealthRider H140E Elliptical Trainer really does feel like it is designed for tall and larger sized people to use. Healthrider even lists the HealthRider H140E Elliptical Trainer as having a user weight capacity of 350 pounds and I wouldn’t be surprised if that was a conservative estimate.

The HealthRider H140E Elliptical Trainer as 15 built-in fitness programs which is a few more than I would expect for this price range. Users are able to select a goal and have the computer automatically program a routine to achieve that goal. Users can target anything from weight loss to aerobic objectives and achieve them faster with professionally designed fitness routines. If 15 built-in fitness programs are not enough the HealthRider H140E Elliptical Trainer is compatible with the iFit fitness programs. IFit programs contained professionally designed workouts by some of the biggest names in the personal training industry including Jillian Michaels from Biggest Loser. These programs are designed to help you acquire the best results you can possibly get in as little time as possible.

Here are my last two notes about the features and specifications of the HealthRider H140E Elliptical Trainer before you get to my final analysis. The warranty of the HealthRider H140E Elliptical Trainer includes one year of parts and labor coverage which is pretty much the industry standard for this price range. The HealthRider H140E Elliptical Trainer also comes equipped with 12 resistance levels, I would like to see a few more at least 15, but 12 puts the HealthRider H140E Elliptical Trainer in the average range for the $1300 price.

Final Recommendation
the HealthRider H140E Elliptical Trainer as one of the better feels that elliptical trainer that I felt for less than $1500. This is definitely one of the smooth or elliptical trainers out there and I really would like to highly recommend the HealthRider H140E Elliptical Trainer except for one huge drawback glorying me in the face. The HealthRider H140E Elliptical Trainer does not have articulating footpads and I can make the HealthRider H140E Elliptical Trainer a deal killer for a lot of people because stationary footpads put more pressure on your ankles and is not feels natural is a well-designed articulating footpad. Just as I thought Icon Fitness, the parent company of Healthrider was about to hit one out of the park the ball crosses the foul line. The articulating footpad issue can be fixed or a quickly if Icon Fitness decides to update the HealthRider H140E Elliptical Trainer I will be glad to try it out again and change my review.

There are quite a few other elliptical trainers out there. I highly recommend the Sole E35 Elliptical.
It is the same price as the HealthRider H140E Elliptical Trainer and more importantly it has articulating footpads which makes you feel like you’re running on air. You can also buy it fromAmazon.com by clicking here.

Dec26

An Open Letter to Proform

Posted at 7:29 PM • No Comments

An Open Letter to Icon Fitness

Hello,
My name is John Bravo and I run ProTreadmillReviews.com. I have tried out more Proform treadmills than I could count on my hands and toes. Most of my experiences with Proform products have been negative. In my personal experience your treadmills are uncomfortable, have a terrible warranty, and offer far less features and extras than many of your competitors offer on comparably priced treadmills.

I know a company as large as Proform is bound to have problems here and there. Perhaps all my negative experiences can be explained by coincidence and bad luck. If my terrible experiences are nothing more than just a series of unfortunate events I challenge you to prove it. You name the best treadmill in your entire line of fitness equipment and I will thoroughly test and inspect it.

After I’ve completed my testing process I will write and post a review of the treadmill that you consider to be the crowning jewel in your line of treadmills. I will be fair, honest, and put all bias aside. I am eagerly looking forward to your response. The only thing you have to lose is a bad reputation!

Sincerely,
John Bravo

http://protreadmillreviews.com