The Home Buyers Guide To Choosing An Elliptical Trainer

Even in the depths of the DOJO do I hear your cries: "But,Treadmill Sensei, long ago you told us how to properly choose ahome treadmill, but when will you share with us your wisdom onpicking an elliptical trainer?" Wonder no more as the Treadmill Sensei has heard your pleas andanswer them with his most learned of words. I bring you the: The Treadmill Sensei's Home Buyers Guide to Choosing anElliptical Trainer Over the past few years Elliptical trainers have taken thefitness industry by storm. What was once a fad relegated tolate night infomercials is now perhaps the single most dominantpiece of equipment at the majority of gyms and personal trainingcenters. Let's start with the guide by taking a look at the differencesbetween a treadmill and an elliptical trainer. The mostimmediate thing you're going to notice is that the ellipticalis almost entirely impact free. This means you will no longerbe subjected to the lower joint pain most associated withrunning. Even a treadmill with great shock absorbtion and anorthopedic belt, while better than running on pavement, willstill abuse your knees and ankles. On the flip side, a treadmill is much better for targetedtraining for joggers and runners. You can't really trainproperly for a marathon on an elliptical. As close as the feelof an elliptical is to walking or running, it's still not asgood as actually running. Now, let's take a look at the "pain" of running. Recent studieshave shown people to work out hard and longer on ellipticalsbecause the perceived amount of effort seems to be much less.The more "comfortable" a work out, the longer and hard someonewill go. This is one of the main reasons a lot of seniors andolder exercisers have taken to the elliptical so readily. Another glaring difference is the crosstraining arms mostellipticals have (with a few exceptions such as the majority ofthe Precor elliptical units). With the addition of thecrosstraining bars, the elliptical allows you an additionalaspect in your work out -- strength training. Almost allfitness experts agree that all proper workouts need a strengthtraining aspect and the elliptical packages it with the cardiotraining quite nicely. Let's talk about what to look for in an elliptical trainer.First, which is better, a front wheel or rear wheel elliptical.Truth be told, they both work exactly the same. Anyone who tellsyou differently is just trying to see you a bill of goods. Theygive you the exact same workout. The only real difference is ifyou're a larger person or if you're on a lighter weight (or lesssturdy) machine. In this case, the front drives will definitelyfeel quite a bit sturdier. This is because when you work out onan elliptical, you are throwing all of your weight forward.Having the drive and heavy flywheel up front will help tobalance you out. Larger flywheels are better as they tend tolast longer and give more sturdiness to a machine. Most elliptical trainers have magnetic brakes and you don'twant to mess with anything else. The old friction based brakestended to wear out too quickly, so stay away from any dinosaurmachines that still use them. Stride is one of the most important features on an ellipticalbecause they have the most to do with comfort. Longer stridesare better on ellipticals -- unless, of course, you're ashorter person, but for most people strides of 18" or longerare best. Personally, I've find 20-21 inch strides to be thebest for anyone up to about 6'4". Anything shorter than 18"will be uncomfortable for most people. Footpads: make sure the unit you are looking at hasarticulating footpads. The reason for this is becauseelliptical traininers with static footpads (such as the Tunturiunits) can cause your feet to start to go numb on longer workouts. This is from the lack of circulation caused by the staticpedals. Looks for footpads that flex with your feet. You'llthank the sensei for it. Things like programs, heart rate control and personal fans arenice, but the above points are the main things to keep an eyeon. Also, try out the feel of the way you mount an elliptical.There are two varieties of mounting -- side mount machines(such as the Precor 546 or Star Trac Rear Drive) and rear mountmachines (such as the Matrix E5x or Horizon EX44). Some peoplehave a bit of difficulty on mounting from the side and shouldlook at rear drive options. As with the position of theflywheel, rear-mount versus side-mount ellipticals work exactlythe same way. The best way to pick out an elliptical is to head out to eithera gym or local sports retailer and give them a try. Be warned,tho, once you work out on a commercial grade elliptical, it'shard to transition over to a residential grade one. The top ofthe line commercial ellipticals are by Star Trac, Matrix,Precor and Life Fitness. The top residential grade ellipticalsinclude Horizon, New Balance and Endurance. Fitnex and Spirit /Sole are great mid range brands that do an exellent job ofgiving commercial quality work outs for not much more than aresidential price. That's it for the Sensei. -The Treadmill SenseiAbout The Author: The Treadmill Sensei is your source forreviews and information on treadmills and ellipticals. TheTreadmill Sensei has nearly 20 years of experience in building,restoring, repairing and maintaining fitness equipment. Let hiswisdom guide you. http://www.treadmillsensei.com