Archive for 'Exercise & Fitness'

Escalator on steroids
I do not own one of these but I so would if I could justify the living space it would take up and the cost. I use it at the local gym every night and it has so much calorie burning power. The downside is you can't just mentally turn off during the workout, you have to know your steps and pace or toes get squashed...

These stairmaster machines are super tall also, would require more than an 8' ceiling because you'd hit your head no doubt. LOVE LOVE LOVE this machine!

Great machine but very expensive
I can't conceive of spending this much money on a cardio machine for home use, but I use this product at the gym and love it. In addition to manual settings, it has several pre-programmed regimens. For each regimen, you can choose an amount of time and a difficulty level from 1 to 20. The interface is user-friendly and flexible, and has all the displays one would expect - calories, distance (in miles and floors), steps per minute, etc.

If you're considering purchasing this machine for your individual use or for your family, my recommendation would be to join a gym that has it, as it is really too expensive to justify a purchase for an individual. I go to 24-Hour and all their locations have these.

Best elliptical for low ceilings!
My criteria for selecting an elliptical was simple - it had to go in my basement, where the ceiling's pretty low. At the sporting goods store, I noticed that this model had its footrests closest to the floor, so that's why I picked it (they're maybe 6" above the floor at their lowest - about the same as our treadmill). I'm very happy with this elliptical - the motion is quiet, smooth and steady, and the machine has a nice sturdy feeling. I have only two *very* minor complaints - the fan is kind of wimpy, and the little holder for a TV remote is a bit shallow (I'm always afraid that the remote will fall out, though it hasn't yet).

P.S. I don't have any comments on assembly - someone did that for me.

Excellent Elliptical for the money
Ok, It might be a little premature to do this review, few days after the purchase. But I can definitely tell the quality of the product by all those components and screws. It really didn't look like it was made in China. It should be top quality control. I just fell in love with the machine. Very quiet, except for one issue I'll discuss below. Nice size. Fits in my little bedroom, so I can get up and watch tv and workout. Could wait to assemble it as soon as I picked it up from the store. And one thing -- Some said in reviews that it needs two people to assemble it. Not required. I'm a guy (170 lbs , not a avid exerciser or anything), who can put it together without much issue at all or any support within 2 - 2 1/2 hours.

I could have given it 5 stars, except for couple things I noticed. The rollers don't evenly distribute the weight on the track and I keep hearing a squeaky noise on on side. Then I noticed that one of the two rollers on each side, is not rotating properly. This is due to the weight not being distributed evenly. So it rubs very very slightly against the track (not even friction to make it turn, but make it squeak ). Hopefully it will go away, if I fiddle with the leveling screws at the bottom.

Secondly, the heart monitor isn't very intuitive. Even if you're at 150 heart beat, if you hold the monitor, it will start again from 72 and keeps increasing, which is kind of lame. Even the cheapo elliptical I had for 0 or something from big5 used to have the heart monitor which immediately picks up closer to current heart rate within 5-10 secs. So they need a better technology here.

BTW, The fan is not very helpful at all. Actually before I bought this, the fan was one of the buying points, even though it's absolutely doesn't help me, as I have a fan right in front of me in my apartment bedroom. The fan is noisier than the elliptical. And for all that noise, it doesn't produce much wind. They should incorporate a fan that's atleast twice the size and with speed control.

Next, the balancing screws should have a wider plastic rotating platform under. Otherwise if you increase the height for the balance , it will pretty much leave a permanent scar on the carpet or even the mat (if you use one).

Overall great purchase. I almost went for the schwinn elliptical strider. Then due to some bad reviews on it's technology by some customers, I decided to stick with what I know and used to. I paid 4 + taxes for it.

Still pleased after two years!
I bought my Schwinn 431 in January 2008, and I just wanted to let you all know that I have never regretted my purchase. I researched ellipticals for months until I finally settled on this one. I have only had one problem with elliptical but it was my husband's fault. My husband moved the elliptical without unplugging it from the wall and somehow broke the part that the power plug inserts into. I called the company, which was very friendly and understanding, and they sent me a new part at no charge. Unfortunately they sent the power plug insert for the wrong model (twice), but on the third time they got it right and I was back on my elliptical.

So it's been two years since I've had it and I still absolutely love it. It has so many programs that I can never get bored, and it helped me lose all my baby weight just in time for my husband to come home from Iraq. I recommend it to any one who is interested in a well made, versatile elliptical for under 00.

Schwin Ellipitical

Received in a timely fashion. Took about 2.5 hours to put together. Works like a charm! My wife and are both using it. Stride is adequate. I've had several knee surgeries and this is much easier on my knees and joints than actually walking for exercise. We could only do about 5 minutes in the beginning. Gradually working up to 20 minutes and hopefully 30! It is quiet and somewhat compact. We have it set up in front of the t.v. for diversion. We have a treadmill too. I like this better. I would definitely recommend. Thanks!

3+ years of use
After my Gold's Gym upright exercise bike just conked out on me after 3 months of use I purchased this elliptical. This machine is great. After 3 years of use and 2 moves it still works perfectly fine. I would purchase this elliptical over and over again.

Good up to a certain speed
Although the arm workout is definitely diminished since the arms are not attached to the drive, I was generally happy with the machine for the first three weeks. However, when I started to push myself harder (above 50 RPMs) the ride got a bit rough and the machine noisier. Rubber wheels are attached to the bottom of the pedals and they roll back and forth inside a groove, so there's quite a bit of friction going on (unlike a rear-drive eliptical wheel that just spins). Due to the rougher ride at higher speeds, I felt I couldn't really push myself as hard as I wanted to.

What a horrible machine!
The machine arrived with a broken knob on the top of the right handle. It wasn't a mission critical piece of the machine, so we kept it as is, but within 90 days of usage the pedals began making a horrible banging noise. Upon inspection, there is what appears to be little rubber shavings dropping down from the heavy center console where something is now grinding horribly.

(a piece that comes pre-assembled & bolted closed -- meaning it's not something I failed to properly assemble)

Schwinn/Nautilus customer service while certainly polite, are utterly useless. There is no service plan other than to let them listen to the noise it makes over the phone, and then try to guess what they need to send you -- so that you can try to fix!

For 1000.00 dollars I now have a clothes hanger that weighs several hundred pounds. Avoid this company at all costs.

Great machine
The Schwinn 460 is a great machine.
It came boxed up nicely in one big and heavy box. Make sure the delivery firm drops it off in the room you want to use it, the box is heavy. Well packaged and all hardware with clear instructions included. I assembled it myself in two hours, taking my time and using my own tools. The computer unit came with a cracked cover, I have reported this to Schwinn Customer Service but have yet to hear from them. The computer is fully functional, and the machine runs smooth and quiet. There is even an adjustable variable speed fan you can direct to your face. Love the equipment. I did not go to the store and test the machine, I bought it based on what I read. I looked at the Bowflex Treadclimber at first, but the steep price and reported failures and poor reliability made me look further. I have no regrets I ended up buying this Schinn 460.
4 Stars instead of five because:
The highest resistance level could have been somewhat higher for me.
The power plug is in the front of the machine, while I rather had seen this being in the back (that's where my pwr supply is).
The customer Service has yet to follow up on me
Made in China :(

Schwinn 460 Variable Stride Elliptical
I had been considering the Schwinn 460 Variable Stride elliptical for a long time, but was nervous purchasing it without trying it first. So far I'm very happy with it. There were some cosmetic problems (some deep scratches on the handle bars). I contacted customer service and immediately reached a human being, who offered to send replacement parts. I received them within 10 days. The unit is solid and looks well built. The packaging was impressive. All the little nuts and bolts were shrink wrapped on a sheet so you can't miss anything.
As far as the variable stride, it only took a few minutes to adjust to it. There's a stride that I'm comfortable with, and I automatically use that stride without having to think about it. But it's nice to go longer or shorter once in a while to break things up. Years ago I purchased an inexpensive ellipse from a department store, and I found the stride too short for me (I'm 5'3") and it was uncomfortable to use. I love the ellipticals at the gym (which are way too expensive for me) and the Schwinn is a good compromise. I'm glad I got the variable stride.

Closest thing to the gym without a 00 pricetag
This is a good buy for the price. Can I tell the difference between the Schwinn 460 and the 00 Precor elliptical trainer at my local gym, sure, but the differences are tolerable, and not worth paying 00 for.

Assembly was fairly easy, once I got the machine into the house. (It weighs 240 pounds - borrow a dollie.) The manual is easy to follow and the parts are easy to identify in the assembly manual and on the packaging containing all the screws, bolts, and washers. Everything lined up perfectly and was easy to bolt together. This is not an IKEA bookshelf.

I tried the elliptical machine out for the first time this morning. I like the display, and the operating system is easy to understand and use. The movement of the elliptical's arms is smooth, but not so much for the footbeds. This may be where the difference between the Schwinn 460 and the 00 Precor model comes in. The variable stride movement is not super smooth, but it suffices just fine for a piece of equipment with a MSRP of 00. If you are looking for a machine to change your stride for you, this is not it. The machine will prompt you, e.g. "Short, fast strides," but YOU vary your strides, not the machine. If you watch the video posted on this site, the gentleman doing the demo is varying the strides by his own will, the strides are not programmed by the machine. I don't think I like this, but I may appreciate it in the future. As previously stated, I just received this trainer yesterday and tried it out once.

If you are tall, you may want to measure your ceilings, as this machine sets you higher off the ground than most ellipticals. I am 5'7". I think anyone over 6" should make sure they will have enough clearance at the uppermost height of the stride once on the machine. Measure your ceilings and contact Schwinn.

If you like a bit of cheerleading during your workout, you may like the "Keep it up!" and "Great workout!" messages of encouragement that appear on the console. The machine will also remind you to remain hydrated. The workout I had this morning was great, and I feel I made an excellent purchase. If you don't have 00 to blow on a professional-grade elliptical, my guess is that this is the closest you can get to pro-grade on a lower budget.

Diamondback Fitness
This is the Director of Diamondback Fitness. I want to assure everyone that Diamondback Fitness products purchased from Amazon are 100% covered by thier warranty. It does not matter if you assemble the product or have someone else assemble it. If you have any questions, please contact us at 800.776.7642. For an updated, full description of our warranty and web site policy, please visit our website and click on the customer support area, than click on warranty policy

Thank you

Adjust the price and sell a few more
Boy, I wish I would've jumped when I saw it drop to 99. At 99, it's no longer a good deal. Check out Consumer Reports...there are other machines out there with nearly the same performance at a much lower price. But hey, if they decide to drop the price back to 99, or even 99, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

Pause problem solved (fingers crossed)
I also have had a problem with the machine going into the pause mode and have been very frustrated with it. Today, I finally spoke to a human being at Diamondback. Call 1-800-776-7642 and say "fitness" to get you to the right department. (They are west coast time) There are only two guys in the department, David and Scott. The email link on the Diamondback site doesn't get your complaints directly to them. After a chat with them this morning, I received a call this afternoon from a service technician who will be sending someone next week with the needed parts. They ARE aware of the "pause" problem.

Hope this helps.

No Technical Support!!!!
Hi
I purchased the elliptical machine through Amazon on Nov 6th, 2009. I got it set up a couple of weeks later. Absolutely loved the workouts and smooth, quiet movement of this elliptical machine. In mid January the electronics went haywire the machine lights up but we have no control over program, resistance or incline. I have left 3 phone messages with Diamondback. In addition, I have now sent 5 emails through the website. Each time, I received an auto response that someone will get back to me asap which I am beginning to think is probably never. DO NOT BUY THIS ELLIPTICAL OR ANY OTHER DIAMONDBACK PRODUCTS as they do not stand behind the warranty.

What A Nightmare!
Our elliptical was delivered two weeks ago and we haven't been able to use it yet. No matter what program is selected, it runs for five seconds and then goes into "pause" mode. I called Diamondback. Though it was during their business hours, no one answered at technical support. I got transferred around several times, finally to a destination that just hung up on me. After about three days of this, I got snippy with the phone operator and finally got a human being on the phone in the technical support department.

After describing the problem, he said it sounded like a problem with a sensor on the wiring. He asked me where I bought it, and I told him Amazon. He asked who assembled it, and I told him I did. He said that I should check the wiring connections before having a service technician come out, because if it turned out to be a problem that occurred in the assembly, I'd have to pay for the service call.

I started taking the elliptical apart to check the wiring connections, but stopped when it became clear that it would be hard to do so without running the risk of damaging something. For instance, to inspect the wiring connections, you have to remove the screws that secure the console mast cover. But the screws are covered by a rubber mat in the console mast cover that is stuck down with adhesive. You have to remove the mats to remove the mast cover to get at the wiring connections. But I can't get the mats off without damaging them or the console mast cover. (At a minimum, the instructions should tell you not to stick the mats down until you know the thing is working correctly.) So now I have to call Diamondback to get a service technician to come out. I wonder how long that will take, and how much it will cost. And, of course, I'll have to take time off work to be here.

I am an experienced DIY-er and have assembled things a lot more complicated than this elliptical. I had no trouble with the wiring connections, double checked them during assembly, and am confident that I did not do anything to cause this problem. What do you bet that the service technician will agree?

If I had it to do over again, i would not buy this product.

Update: After several more calls to Diamondback, I was told that they did not have a service technician in my area (a major metropolitan area) and that they would get back to me when they could find one. They never did. After a week of waiting, I returned the elliptical. I got the distinct impression that Diamondback was stalling until I could no longer return it.

Teeter Table
Love it, can't live without mine. I have had it for a while now and I can tell you that I love how it makes me feel. I have practically no back issues now. I have tried it on others that have similar issues and they all want one.

I recommend trying one to make sure that you do not get like a motion sickness as some people do not do well hanging upside down. You can work through it if you want your back to feel better. Some people do not want to do it that bad. I started out at 5 minutes and now I can do 20 - 30 minutes and even exercise while I am down there. Great for the abs...

Teeter EP950 Hang UP
I have had this Teeter model about 3 weeks so far & I absolutely love it & how it makes me feel. I don't have back problems, however, I do have had neck problems for a very long time. As of now, I cannot say it has entirely taken away my pain but I do believe it has given me considerable relief. I debated whether I should purchase the 950 or the 550, which is a bit less expensive. The EP950 is so much more convenient as well as secured-feeling with the lock-in/release bar at the foot area. That's truly what the extra 0 is for but well worth it.

Assembly was a real pain in my opinion. Instructions are tedious & confusing. Assembly took much more time than I thought it would. It does take up a considerable amount of space & you definitely need to keep this up so it can be used whenever it is needed.

I tried a number of brand names at a local store & found nothing as high of a quality and ease of use as the Teeter Inversion 950.

Best purchase I ever made
I looked at cheaper brands and was concerned about spending this much money for a product I couldn't try out in a store. Quality and construction are excellent and I like the convenience of the ankle attachment of the 950 vs the 550 model. I use the product before work, at lunch, after work, and before bed for a few minutes each time. The spine realigns and the muscles stretch and loosen up. I am now doing the core strengthing exercises and my lower back pain is nearly gone. I have recommended this product to several friends and family members. This is the best money I have ever spent.

100%
Wasn't sure if I would be able to do this. I started out at 20 degrees and the relief for my back started day one. Gradual but after the first week my back pain was almost totally gone. Even my sciatic nerve problem is better. Five minutes a day and I couldn't be more pleased. I'm right at 300 lbs and the machine feels sturdy and very well built.

Feeling great!
I have owned this Teeter model since February 2010. When I went to the doctor in December 2009 for persistant back pain, she said that if I lost weight it would likely disappear. The next time I saw her she wanted to give me anti-depressants. Then I was referred to a PT - which helped for related issues, but still my daily pain lingered. Finally, I went to another MD who ordered an MRI and determined that I had a bulging disc in my lower back and degenerative disc disease - and he ordered more PT and said I'd have to live with the pain for the rest of my life. (What? I'm only in my mid forties!) Then I purchased the Teeter and started daily inversion and it didn't take long to start feeling better. I purchased this model because initially I couldn't bend over without a great deal of pain and the extended foot/ankel locking mechanism seemed more appropriate than the other models. I also decided to get the best machine available since I plan on using it often and keeping it for a long time. I also purchased the vibrating back pad for an additional 0, but I wouldn't buy it again. Along with purchasing the Teeter, I decided to add Metagenics MSM supplements and invested in a 100% natural latex mattress from [..]. Here it is just a few months later and I feel GREAT! I can get through the day with *NO PAIN* and I'm able to easily run 5k. My goal is a half-marathon in October.

Really helps our back pain
It does take up a lot of space, but if you have the space it is worth it. We don't fold it up so I don't know how easy or difficult it is to do that.
We chose this one because it was the only one that would ship for free to Hawaii. After getting the box I don't know how they can offer free shipping on something so large and heavy, but we are thrilled that they did.

My husband is a jeweler and works daily at a bench doing engraving, stone setting and the like. Not the kind of back pain you'd get from heavy lifting, but pain nonetheless. Probably similar to other desk jobs, where you may not practice the best posture. And with certain jobs, his shoulders and upper back muscles remain pretty tense.

He uses the table for about 5 minutes at a time, sometimes twice a day, 4 or 5 days a week. He's had terrific results with reduction of pain in his lower back and several people have commented that he is standing up straighter. His whole back is not tense like it used to be.

I have some occasional lower back pain (usually on one side) as well as sciatica. Most of my back pain is a result of carrying a toddler around on my hip so if I'm carrying him more often, I have more pain. I only use the table 1-2 times a week and it helps completely.

It is easy to adjust the height (changing from one person to another).
The ankle supports are uncomfortable if we're not wearing shoes or long pants. With shoes on we have no problem with the ankle supports.

Love It
Love this inversion table. easy to put together and love the result that I am getting from using it. Great deal for the money

EXCELLENT, GREAT STRETCH
Perfect price, very nice stretch for the back. Takes about 40-50 min to put together. Instructions not as bad as people made it out to be. Works great.

Review
The Ironman Gravity 1000 arrived quickly and was all that it was advertised to be... excellent quality for the price, sturdy, easy to assemble and easy to use.

I love this Inversion Table!
This inversion table is high quality and has really helped my back. I have a herniated disc and since purchasing this item and doing two 10-minute sessions per day, I am feeling so much better. In fact, I'm feeling so good that some days I forget to get on it because I don't think about my back anymore. I am pain free. It took me about 40 minutes to assemble because I actually read through every word of the instructions first. But it's a solid piece of equipment. I weigh 275 lbs and this thing handles my weight easily. I don't think you can go wrong with this table.