Elliptical machines have become increasingly popular pieces of fitness equipment since the turn of the century. According to MayoClinic.com, they create less strain on the body than a treadmill, and research by the Harvard Medical School indicates an elliptical trainer can help you burn as much as 400 calories in 30 minutes. Choosing between the large number of machines on the market is a matter of understanding how they work and what your fitness needs are.
Function
Elliptical trainers come with either a front-, center- or rear-drive system. According to EllipticalTrainers.com, rear-drive systems provide the smoothest pedal stroke and require a shorter stride length than front or center driven machines to raise your heart rate to an appropriate level for cardiovascular training. Rear-drive systems are popular in club-quality machines, such as those from Precor, Life Fitness and Nautilus. Front-drive systems, such as those from Octane, are increasing in popularity, but require more maintenance overall.
Features
When deciding between elliptical machines, workout and comfort features should be taken into consideration. According to ExerciseEquipmentExpert.com, the display console is the heart of an elliptical machine and can keep you motivated to workout. The elliptical machine you use should have several built-in workout programs that cover both your aerobic and strength training needs. More expensive elliptical trainers may have a heart rate monitor, magazine rack, cooling fan or MP3 player adaptability to make your workout as comfortable as possible.
Price
The term elliptical trainer covers a wide range of products, from two simple pedals mounted on a flywheel for $150 to the nearly $8,000 Precor AMT100i, which is completely unrestricted from a fixed glide path. Many companies offer financing plans on their higher end models. Lower priced models tend to have a poor pedal motion, which can make working out an unpleasant experience.
Resistance
Resistance varies in elliptical trainers and the type you choose can affect how smooth your experience with the machine is. Lower priced models typically use manually adjustable magnetic brakes. This type of resistance can make for slow changes between resistance settings and increases the noise level of the machine. More expensive models use eddy current resistance, which only require millimeters of movement in the brake magnets to ratchet up the intensity.
Size
Depending on how large your home gym is, size may be a factor. Rear-drive elliptical machines are the largest of these machines, sometimes measuring more than 6 feet in length, depending on the stride length. Center-driven machines are the smallest and front-drive machines are between the two.
Member Comments