The Gold's Gym Crosstrainer 510 elliptical is an elliptical trainer marketed toward home fitness seekers on a budget. As of November 2010, the Crosstrainer 510 is available for around $500. The machine comes with features such as a built-in cooling fan, seven different workout programs, MP3 speakers and a talking trainer that motivates you when you are lagging in your workout. One often overlooked feature in elliptical trainers, however, is the stride length of the pedals.
Size
The Gold's Gym Crosstrainer 510 is a front-driven elliptical with a stride length of 18 inches. This means that the flywheel is placed in the front of the machine rather than in the rear like most high-end elliptical. The stride length describes the distance your foot travels from the foremost position to the rearmost position of the stroke.
Significance
According to personal trainer Brett Spottke in his elliptical trainer buyer's guide, stride length plays an important role in the quality of workout you receive from an elliptical trainer. He advises that you never use an elliptical trainer with a stride length less than 18 inches, putting the Gold's Gym elliptical at the cutoff mark. If the stride length is shorter than 18 inches, the movement of the machine may become choppy at higher rates of speed. This is because elliptical machines imitate your body's natural running movements, and your body requires a longer stride as you begin to run faster.
Considerations
Your height can greatly affect your ability to use the Gold's Gym Crosstrainer 510. If you have long legs, an 18-inch stride length may be insufficient for you. Upper-end elliptical trainers have a stride length greater than 20 inches. If you workout at a slow to moderate pace on the machine, you still may be able to use it effectively. However, if you are a heavier user or want to really exert yourself, the machine may become unstable and even rock from side to side because of the shorter stride length.
Adjustability
Some elliptical trainers have an adjustable stride length that allows you to change the machine to fit your body type. This is useful because you can easily change the machine to fit your workout needs and thus reduce the stress you put on your joints. Unfortunately, the Gold's Gym Crosstrainer 510 does not come with this feature, nor can the crank arms be changed to upgrade the stride length of the machine.
Maintenance
To help with the fluid motion of the stride on your elliptical, the Gold's Gym owner's manual recommends greasing the bearings on the flywheel and pedals. It may also be necessary to occasionally tighten the drive belt. This should be done slowly by turning the idler screw a half turn at a time.
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