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By Toby, September 1, 2010 6:00 pm

Using an elliptical trainer in the comfort and convenience of your own house can be a huge advantage over having to go to the gym. Not only does it make it easier to workout, it saves you money by avoiding the cost of fuel driving to the gym.

With that being said choosing the best elliptical trainer for home use isn’t as easy as it looks, sure you could buy one of the high end fitness club ones, but truth be told that may not be the best for your house.

Most fitness club quality elliptical trainers are simply overkill, they take up a ton of space(which is ok in a club but not at home) and they are made for nearly continuous use. Most mid range elliptical trainers are compact ellipticals and a of very good quality that can be used daily without fear of breaking down.

There are three elliptical trainer brands that I recommend for daily home use.

1) Schwinn Elliptical Trainers
2) Nordictrack Ellipticals
3) Proform Elliptical Trainers

I would highly recommend going to a local fitness store and trying out each of these brands to see which one you like best.

Each of the above have their benefits and drawbacks but for a mid level elliptical you cannot go wrong with any of these.

If you have a little more money to spend and enough room to store a little bit larger machine you could do one notch higher with an Octane elliptical trainer.

When taking price, storage size and quality into account Proform ellipticals are very reasonable and should be looked at first.

If space is at a premium, say you live in a small apartment but still would like to workout at home consider purchasing a folding elliptical trainer that will compact enough to stand in a corner or inside a closet.

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By Toby, July 8, 2010 2:32 pm

Consumer reports provides purchase advice and product reviews of many products including elliptical trainers. They have a buying advice guide that provides a ton of information similar to what we provide here, types of elliptical trainers, features, brands and shopping tips.

Consumer reports reviews are expected to be independent and non profit reviews, but sometimes you have to wonder if some companies have not slipped them some money to give a more favorable review to certain products over others.  Personally I think Consumer Reports is a good place to start with your elliptical review search, but you should also read other independent reviews, preferably by individuals who have owned and used the elliptical trainer for a decent amount of time.

The main advice Consumer Reports gives is to know your price range, stick to a budget, consider your space requirements and workout intensity.  After you define all of these targets you will need to review the various brands and find one that fits this criteria.

Purchasing from a well known company, and eliminating their lower end models should make sure you get a quality elliptical trainer that lasts you years to come.   Lower end elliptical trainers simply do not provide the quality workmanship as the mid range/high end elliptical do. For someone who is on a budget a mid range elliptical model is usually more than sufficient.

Some of the recommended/higher end elliptical trainers to consider:

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By Toby, June 25, 2010 2:48 am

The Schwinn 420 is a great elliptical trainer for anyone looking for a piece of fitness equipment to work out with at their home, produced by a company with a well respected name like Schwinn.

The Schwinn 420 provides a true total body workout, by combining motions that successfully provide upper and lower body workouts.

Click here for more information about the Schwinn 420 Elliptical Trainer

Working out with any elliptical trainer with any type of regular use will increase heart and lung capacity and allow for more stamina and endurance in your every day life. No more getting tired while walking up the stairs to work or chasing after your kids.

Within its price range the Schwinn 420 offers features that are second to none. Including 16 computer monitored resistance levels and 12 programs that all you to vary your workout each day so you do not become bored with the daily workout plans.

Changing between resistance levels is hassle free with its quick change resistance settings.  This machine also features an 18 inch stride which is a decent stride length that is fairly comfortable for people of all heights(short, average or tall).  Schwinn has put endless amounts of effort into research to ensure the user is comfortable allowing you to workout longer at a higher intensity.  This simply ensures that you are able to maximize your workout time without having to stop with sore joints or legs.

One of the biggest complaints about home elliptical machines is balance issues, many manufacturers skimp on the material used to produce these elliptical machines(to save money), Schwinn has bulked up their machine and added oversized stabilizers and weights to ensure the machine is balanced and does not rock around during your workout.

Click here to read more Schwinn 420 elliptical reviews

The Schwinn 420 elliptical has has some features that are not super important but really nice to have, this includes a water bottle holder and magazine rack.

Generally, commercial elliptical trainers are not meant to be moved around easily, manufacturers forget that homeowners need to be able to move the unit since home elliptical trainers are not at a gym, but need to be moved because they are in our house.

Schwinn 420 Elliptical Trainer

Ideal for the home gym for fitness enthusiasts of any skill level, the Schwinn 420 provides an effective cardiovascular workout by combining upper and…

Rating: 4.5 / 5.0

If you are looking for a more compact elliptical trainer, which will even fit under your desk at the office check out the Stamina Inmotion E1000 Elliptical Trainer.

Other Highly Recommended Elliptical Trainers:

	Schwinn 430 Elliptical… The Schwinn 430 offers eight computer-controlled…
	Schwinn 460 Variable… The Schwinn® 460 elliptical helps you burn…
	Schwinn 431 Elliptical… With its comfortable and compact design,…
	Nautilus E514 Elliptical… The Nautilus® E514 elliptical is engineered…

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By Toby, June 16, 2010 7:24 am

Becoming familiar with consumer reviews are important before purchasing an elliptical trainer. Consumer reviews provide important details about various elliptical trainers on the market today which will help you determine which elliptical machine is best for your needs.

For example, if you are looking for a space saving or compact elliptical machine, something like the Stamina Inmotion E1000 elliptical trainer might be right for you, it fits right under your desk or easily slips into a corner of your room.

If you have some extra money to spend and want a gym quality workout then something like the Octane Elliptical Trainer might be best for you. While somewhat costly they are highly respected in the industry and will provide years of worry free workouts.

Without reading various articles and consumer reviews you would not be in a position to make a solid judgment of which elliptical machine would be worth investigating further as such costing you both time and money by possibly researching or purchase the wrong elliptical machine.

Some people may be unsure about what they need to meet their fitness requirements, they may not even be sure if they need an elliptical machine or a treadmill.

What important information should you look for when reading consumer reviews online?

I would first recommend you look at the date of the review, for instance if the review is a couple years old it may not apply, quality standards and materials could have change even for the same model elliptical trainer.

Next I would check that the person has actually used the elliptical machine more than a few days, many reviews on popular sites have reviews from consumers who have owned the machine for a week and only used it once. How can they give a fair an honest review?

Lastly, I would recommend you read reviews from a few different websites/sources, some webmasters are not honest with reviews so if you check with a few different sources you are more likely to notice common comments or trends which makes it more accurate.  Consumer reports is also a good place to read up on the various machines and they are well respected for their reviews and opinions.

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By Toby, June 9, 2010 9:38 pm

One of the biggest problems many people who want to work out at home is lack of space, nobody wants to have fitness equipment where you have to dedicate a full room in your house or apartment to store them.

Elliptical trainers provide some of the best workouts possible, but they are also space hogs, while in recent years they have become slightly smaller, even collapsing or folding to store, the Stamina Inmotion elliptical has taken ease of storage to a new level.

This elliptical fits easy into a closet, it does not have the arms or front console that standard ellipticals have.

Awesome Cardio Workout

The Stamina Inmotion E1000 is perfect for those of you who want a solid cardio workout without having to take up a lot of space.

Seeing the size of this “mini” elliptical many people are worried about losing certain important features. Some important features still available are the foot pedal direction, this elliptical offers forward and backward direction just as the standard size ones do, it also features an electronic monitor that will track your total strides per workout, calories burned and even strides per minute.

This elliptical still provides a complete workout avoiding the need for you to go jogging and risk hurting your ankles, knees and hips.

Durability

The Stamina Inmotion E1000 is comes with sturdy steel construction, non-slip pedals for safety and monitors the details of your workout.

Ease Of Use

Simply open the box and get started on your workout, the only adjustment you need to make is balancing properly the first time you use it because there are no front rails to grab onto to balance yourself.

For the best price on the Stamina Inmotion Elliptical check out our store below, for optimal customer satisfaction and ease of ordering all orders are processed and shipped by Amazon

Stamina 55-1610 InMotion E1000 Elliptical Trainer

Get an effective, low-impact workout with the innovative and uniquely compact Stamina InMotion E1000 Elliptical. This perfectly sized workout companion…

Rating: 4.0 / 5.0

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By Toby, May 21, 2010 7:23 pm

Probably the second most frequent question I get is which machine burns more calories.  I briefly touched upon this in the article treadmill vs elliptical trainer, but I wanted to dedicate a full article to it.

What burns more calories treadmill or elliptical? While there is an argument for either one, I believe the points below will help clarify:

Treadmills:

As you probably know treadmills have varying speeds, so if you are walking on a treadmill you are going to burn less calories than if you are running on a treadmill.  Other factors also come into place such as your level of fitness, your age and even your weight.

Walking the calorie burn is calculated by taking .30 x your weight and running is .60 x your weight. So as you can see for the most part running will burn more calories than walking.

Elliptical Trainers:

Elliptical trainers are obviously different than treadmills, they have less impact on your joints which for most people means that you can workout longer without hurting your body.  These longer workouts can help you burn much more calories.  The key here is not everyone can workout longer.

Buying the right machine and reading elliptical reviews to make sure an elliptical trainer is right for you is important.

A half hour workout on an elliptical trainer burns approximately 450 calories.

Final Say:

As you can tell there is no one answer which is best. Ultimately you have to make the decision because no matter which one you buy if you do not use it you will not burn any calories. So the question is which machine will you use more frequently and is more convenient for you to use over the long term.

If you have certain joint issues an elliptical trainer might be better for you, while if you have balance issues a treadmill might be best.

These are all things you have to consider before making your buying decision.

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By Toby, May 19, 2010 11:36 pm

Anyone shopping for an elliptical trainer knows that you can find prices anywhere from a couple hundred dollars to approaching $10,000 depending upon the brand of elliptical trainer you are looking for.  Most companies also produce low, mid range and high end models that target different segments of the elliptical market.

Most of the high end elliptical trainers are for fitness clubs or individuals who have the extra money to spend on a club style elliptical trainer.  For the average person who does not have the extra money to spend on an elliptical machine that could cost as much as a small car they usually settle with a mid range or lower end elliptical.  This is just fine, especially if you are new to working out.  Sadly, the vast majority of people who first start working out to not keep up with it after the first few weeks.  When you are new to it, it is best to buy a lower end machine and upgrade once you see it is something you will continue with after the first year.

Another thing to consider is are you going to by a new or slightly used machine?  While buying a new one would be nice, often you can get a used one for nearly half the price. This is great since you can usually go from being able to afford a lower end new one to a slightly used mid range one for about the same price.

Start your search on the internet, you can look on Ebay or Craigslist to search out reasonable prices on used machines. Amazon even has a section where you can find people selling used models. Prior to buying any machine it is recommended that you read elliptical reviews online.  Also keep in mind if you buy something used online you are responsible for the shipping costs, therefore it is ideal to buy something that is somewhat close to you.

Shopping local is a good idea as well, not only do you save on shipping costs but the money stays within your local economy.  Craigslist usually has a local site for your region you can start their but don’t forget to check out your local newspaper classified ad section. Cheap elliptical trainers are usually plentiful their.  Lastly, consider looking on public display boards, you often find these in the entrance ways of local stores where people can post things for sale, business cards etc.. People will often put their used fitness equipment ad on their to sell it.

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By Toby, March 15, 2010 11:46 pm

Octane Fitness brand elliptical trainers are recognized as the industry leader in elliptical trainers. They allow for a pro style workout at home. Even though many people are really happy about owning a Octane elliptical trainer you still should review all of the elliptical reviews online to make sure it is the right machine for you.

Currently Octane Fitness offers three different elliptical trainers in their product line, plus one seated elliptical trainer:

Q47 Series

Is known for revolutionary low impact fitness training with comfort smart stride technology. This machine offers stride lengths from 18-26″ which increase in 1/2″ increments. This will help accurately simulate walking, jogging or running. The machine also features hand grips that can be adjusted on the fly as well as 1.8″ peddle spacing for optimal comfort.

The Octane Q47 also features a low step up height that makes it easy for smaller people to get on and off the machine and also makes this machine ideal for rooms with low ceiling clearance.

Octane fitness has really tried to make all of their elliptical trainers top of the line in design for both ergonomics and durability.

The Q47 Series comes in two different models the Q47ci and Q47c, there is roughly a $500 difference between the two, the Q47c has a few less options and programs than the Q47ci which can be reviewed at Octane Fitness’ website.

Q37 Series

Is very similar to the Q47, it has many of the same features but is more compact which is great if you are purchasing this for home use. There are two different models in the Q37 line, both are a good value. The Q37ci and the Q37c, like the Q47 there is about a $500 price difference between the two models. The more expensive Q37ci has additional electronic features such as wireless heart rate and My Quick Stats it also has additional workout boosters.

Q35c

The Q35c is the lowest price of the above Octane elliptical machines. This was the original elliptical from Octane, but has been greatly improved over the years. This machine also features xMode and ArmBlaster.

Octane Q35c Reviews

There are not that many reviews online for the Octane Q35c elliptical machine.  Overall it is one of the lower end Octane machines, but it is a lot better than most low end elliptical trainers. It has a 300 pound weight rating and has lifetime guarantee on the frame, 5 years for parts and a year for labor.

Where Can You Purchase Octane Elliptical Trainers?

You can check at a local fitness equipment store in your local area. If you are looking online you can purchase both used and new octane elliptical trainers on eBay, Amazon.com, AtHomeFitness.com and FitnessSales.com

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By Toby, March 1, 2010 2:13 am

If the belt has broke on your elliptical trainer the first step I would take is to find your owners manual. This should have a parts list that will give you the part number and description of the part you need. Sometimes elliptical replacement parts can be hard to find. I would recommend looking inside your manual to see if they give a parts hotline number. You can call this number and more than likely order the part over the phone.

If you do not have a number for the company, you can try searching online. Some companies do not sell replacement parts directly to the consumer, you have to go through a fitness equipment repair shop. Repair shops are few and far between, so if you do not live in a large city you may have to go outside your local area to find one.

Another option is searching online. If you search for elliptical repair parts you should be able to find a decent selection for most brand elliptical trainers.

Some really low end ellipticals simply do not have any replacement parts, that is part of the reason you should buy a slightly higher end elliptical trainer.

The costs of these repair parts can be fairly significant because the companies know there are limited places to obtain them.

Once you track down the belt for your elliptical trainer you need to order it and have it shipped to you. In most cases if time is limited you can have it overnighted.

Once your receive the belt take the side foot platform off and then the side panel. Remove the old belt and compare it with the new one to make sure it is similar. The old one might be slightly large as they wear out and stretch over time.

Gently place the new belt on the spindle and attach the other side to a pulley looking part.  It may take a little struggle because it will fit really tight.  Once it is on replace the side panel and foot platform.

Remember to always check for specific related to your brand elliptical trainer, each one is slightly different.

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By Toby, January 26, 2010 1:34 am

Ironman elliptical trainers are some of the most durable elliptical trainers on the market today. They are well respected by individuals who own them as well as fitness professionals who swear by them.

Currently IronmanFitness produces five different elliptical models, the 1811, 1815, 1840, 1850 and 1860.  Each model offers a different combinations of benefits and features for a very affordable price.

Ironman 1811 Elliptical Trainer

The complete value machine the 1811 offers a compact design and high end electronics for an affordable price. This machine is great for home owners because of its compact nature it does not require a whole room.

The compactness is available because it offers a front drive design that takes up a very small footprint but allows for a smooth and very fluient use.

Do not let it’s compact size fool you, it offers thicker than normal frame, industrial strength belt drive system and frictionless magnetic resistance.

Features:

16″ Stride

LCD Electronics

Textured Foot Pedals

8 Resistance Levels

250 Weight Limit