Archive for 'Exercise & Fitness'

great for walking
I bought this two years ago and it's perfect for a woman who wants a no-frills compact movable treadmill for walking. It's not stable enough for running, and I suspect it might move a lot for a heavy person walking very fast. The pulse monitor on mine never worked, but I didn't care so I didn't contact customer service. I have used it about 3 days a week for two winters and I'm really happy with it.

STILL DO NOT HAVE THIS ITEM
WHERE IS IT. I SEE NO NUMBER TO GET IT. THEY TRIED TO DELIVER WITHOUT EVER CONTACTING ME AND I HAVE NOT HEARD A THING YET.

Happy Lady
I am very happy with my new Horizon Evolve SG compact treadmill. I wanted a very basic treadmill that was easy to store in my home. I am 74 yrs old so was not interested in all the perks of a bulky treadmill. I find this treadmill makes my walking workouts very pleasureable. I'm getting the right workout for my age and it is also helping with my diabetes numbers.

love it
I love this treadmill, it really is small and it's quiet too. I mean you can hear the motor but nothing else. It's easy to move and fold down. It's everything it said it was. Very good buy on Amazon.

Great for the money
Purchased this item holding my breath because I was unable to view it in person and the weight capacity was 250. At the time I was 185, but I was unsure of the machine's stability and how it would handle jogging. It handles like a dream. I researched machines extensively online before settling on horizon. I primarily chose it because of the compact storage feature - we had 3 children under the age of 4, and wanted to make sure that it would collapse and fit easily under our bed. We have not been disappointed. We can both use it for jogging (he's 5'10 & 230 lbs). As some of the reviewers have commented, the heart rate monitor does get stuck. Basically you have to hold your mouth just right to jiggle it loose and have it read the calories and other features. I will say that you may have to spend the first couple of usages adjusting the belt alignment/tautness, but other than that we really have no complaints.

Buyer Beware
I purchased this treadmill in April 2010. Like other reviewers I started to notice a smell shortly after purchase. I too assumed it was new and didn't worry. Approximately 3 months after I purchased the treadmill, I was walking one day and the unit just stopped. It is very dangerous. There is no slowing and no warning. It just stopped. Luckily I was holding on and was not injured.

I use the treadmill approximately 5 to 6 hours per week. I weigh 180 pounds and normally walk at 3.5 miles per hour.

I contacted Amazon and was told it had passed the 30 day window and they would not refund my money. I was told to contact LifeSpan.

I contacted Lifespan and was again told my money would not be refunded. As I spoke to the customer service person at LifeSpan I explained my usage of the unit and was told that at 180 pounds and at 3.5 mph I was using the treadmill for more than it was designed. I was also told my weekly usage was excessive. The company is sending a new motor upgrade from 1.5 to 1.6 horsepower and a replacement belt. In my opinion customer service at LifeSpan is somewhat lacking.

I have little hope the motor and belt are going to fix the problem. Make sure you do your research before you buy this treadmill. And please be careful if you buy it.

Very happy with this treadmill
It probably deserves 5 stars, but due to the bolt-hole redrilling, I gave it 4 stars. This came quickly, the price was very competitive, was easy to assemble (a big selling point), folds up easily,and performs well. The company returned my call within 2 hours when I was put on hold with a question. As others have found, there was one bolt hole on the right side that was not drilled properly and had to be redrilled which was a slight nuisance. There is a video online which better explains the lubrication and adjustment processes which I strongly recommend viewing. Overall very pleased.

Does exactly what I want where I want!
It's small and compact, fits neatly in between a dresser and a bed in the guest room, and I can fold it up and put it in the closet when guests use the room. Came assembled and ready to go. As it happened one of those little bags of silicon crystals, used in shipping, had broken in the delivery process. The stuff got underneath the running belt surface. I mention this only to point out that the company was very efficient about replacing the belt. Sent it and a repairman to my house and the treadmill was good to go. It's good to know the company is ready to do that sort of thing. Obviously, it was a random thing, not a defect in the machine. Two caveats about the machine. First, though it is small and light for a treadmill, it isn't that light in the hands a small person trying to fold it up and put it away (it does have wheels for moving). So if you're small and expect to do that often, you might want help from a second person. Second, because it is small, the incline, which has 10 levels, doesn't incline as much as a larger machine. Just not enough room in the mechanism. But at the higher levels it certainly mimics a modest hill. Overall, a nice package that delivers what it advertises.

Good, Lightweight and Small Footprint
I purchased this treadmill to use under a TrekDesk, so I will be mostly walking on it.

Lightweight is relative. It is still heavy, but manageable. It is lighter than the other treadmills I considered.

The only problem I have had with it is that the plastic film over the controls is curling a bit.

Good buy.

Pretty darn near perfect!
I bought this treadmill to keep up with my exercise program during the hot summer months, and when the pollen was too thick. I bought it sight unseen based on reviews on Amazon (and now I am paying back the courtesy). I paid the extra money for a treadmill that required absolutely no assembly, and I have no regrets about that, at all! Better an extra 0 or 0 in convenience than 0 or 0 in marital counseling I say!

As for the treadmill itself, I only have two criticisms. The actual walking span is a tad bit narrow. Twice, in my first week, I slipped off and had to catch myself (but was able to recover just fine). I must have a wide walking stride or something, because it is a fairly generous walking surface. Now I walk with one hand on the bar at all times, and have had no further problems. The second problem is that I smell a slight rubber odor when I have walked more than 25 minutes at 3.6 speed (0 incline). I do this several times a week. I am not sure if it is from the need for the oil lubricant (which I came to this site to buy), or something else. I will try the oil first and then possibly the mat, although I put my treadmill on non-carpeted floor (as recommended).

Otherwise, this has been an excellent purchase that I am very happy I made. Sure, I could have asked around to the neighbors for an old treadmill stuck in their basement, but I wanted one that was relatively lightweight, folded up (although mine has yet to be folded), had good speed and incline capabilities, and a warranty.

Good for the Money
I had to build this thing out of the box... which wasn't too hard but kind of a pain in the butt. Works great and haven't had any problems so far. It started squeaking after the first few weeks of use but I'm sure one we tighten all of the screws it will be fine again. So far so good though, especially at such a great price!

Great value!
I have owned this treadmill since February 2009. I use it nearly every day and my husband uses it every other day. For the price it has a lot of great features, including automatic incline and hydraulic lifting mechanism to help you fold the track back up. The two drawbacks are that it was an absolute beast to put together and that it makes quite a lot of noise when you're running on it. If you're looking for an easy to use treadmill that doesn't take up a ton of space, though, this one is great for the price.

NEVER BUY A HORIZON - DESIGNED TO FAIL
Please, I beg you, don't ever buy a horizon treadmill. We had one for little over a year. We paid about what this one is going for, but we had more trouble than it was worth. And once you put it together - you can NEVER take it apart. You can't move it. You can't take it into a normal-sized door. And once you disassemble it, it's over. You can't use it again. It's worthless.

I can't stress this enough - DON'T BUY A HORIZON!!! Spend an extra couple of hundred dollars more and buy a nicer brand. This treadmill isn't worth what you pay for it. Please don't do it. You will regret it in the end. For the sake of your sanity and your pocketbook. Don't do it.

Great Treadmill for Runners
I have been using this treadmill for three months now and I am very satisfied with its performance. I run about 5 miles a day and needed a treadmill that I could run on, for those rainy days when I just couldn't get outside. I usually run at about 5.5 mph and this machine handles it without a problem. Also, I bounce up and down alot when I run and the cushioning system on the T91 keeps my run quiet and stable. This is a great machine that is very quiet, stable and has the power to actually let you run on it, without making you feel like the machine is about to fall apart. Also, the easylift system is great, allowing you to raise and lower the machine with one, or even no hands.

I recommend this machine to anyone looking for a durable, quiet, sturdy and powerful treadmill. Actually, the only thing it doesn't do is fold-away. The controls are very simple and changing your routine mid stride is nearly effortless. Also, it keeps a calorie, mileage, pulse and time count while you run, making workout tracking very easy. All in all, a wonderful treadmill for runners and people who bounce alot when they run, especially for such a low price.

Exceeds my expectations
I recently purchased the Fitness T91 and is so far happy with the product.

Packaging:
It was safely delivered and free of charge in a single very large box.
It is better to move the box to the desired location of your treadmill, before you start assembling it.
This thing weights about 175 pounds!

Assembly:
It took me a little over an hour from the time I took everything out of the box to my first run.
Instructions are pretty straight forward and well written (only 4 steps).
I had a minor issue with the top console connector cable: It is held with a wire so you
can easily pull it out from the Mast which is pretty narrow. The wire was loose when I tried to pull it and I ended going "fishing" for that connector cable from inside the mast (that took me 10 minutes!).

Operation:
There again it is pretty simple to use. I like the fact it is really quiet as I can exercise while the kids are sleeping.
There are 9 different programs, heart monitoring is done by placing both hands on the front holding bar.
It does come with a fan placed in front of the console. All the commands are easily accessed.

The treadmill folds up easily as well.

Great Treadmill but does have some missing features
I've used this treadmill quite a bit since I got it and in terms of ease of use and durability I have no complaints. This feels like it belongs in a gym and can be useful to beginners and trained athletes alike with its speed and incline maxes. The running surface is generous and the cushioned surface saves my ankles. There were a few things missing on this treadmill that, having used many gym treamills in the past, I thought were just standard issue such as:

- No cool down mode after a run. When your time runs out, the machine just gradually stops. Normally I just quickly start another run on low speed.
- No increase/decrease time function in case you want to run a little more. If you want to run less I guess you just stop whne you want.
- Fans are a nice idea but don't cool your front at all. You may gain a small sensation of running outside by turning them on, but if you want to be cool have AC and a ceiling fan running like I do.
- User ID's are not really "your personal profile" like I thought, but rather you can design your own run, defining speed and elevation at each point. Also, once you start your workout the machine will fight you to return to the programmed settings if you plan to change the parameters on the fly. Eg. you're tired and want to slow down on the run you designed, well too bad cause I'm changing back to full speed even though you just slowed me down.
- Heart rate monitor on the console is tough to hold onto while you're running. Worse yet, is that the HR takes a LONG time to count up to your true heart rate which is very awkward if you're trying to run at the same time. The included chest monitor is necessary if you want to know your HR during the run.
- Speed and incline adjustments are only in units of 2 (i.e. speed buttons 2, 4, 6, etc. incline 2, 4, 6). If you want to run at say 5 mph, you have to pick 4 and fine adjust in 0.1 mph intervals to get to 5. This can be tough if you're running intervals on the manual setting.
- Preprogrammed workouts are not really explained and hard to get an idea of what to set the "max speed" at. For intervals I want to jog then sprint but I end up with a walk and run at a low max speed or a jog and insane sprint at a higher max speed.
- Most importantly, although this thing is very sturdy once assembled. This thing is a huge pain to assemble. From hauling this thing up the stairs to trying to interpret the awful directions to working with wierd clips to put scres through for holes that don't line up (think of IKEA furniture when the holes don't align) to feeling the wires from the console in a very non-intuitive way to the base, you will hate this task. It took about 90 min to get it together and I was so frustrated that I wished I had paid for the delivery and install even though I was capable of doing it myself.

Overall, these gripes are not as big as they seem. I am happy with this treadmill and for the price, the quality of the materials can't be beat. I just wanted people to have a buyer beware in case any of these things matter enough to be a deal breaker. But looking at the other brands in this price range, you're not going to get much better than this.

DOA - very disappointed
I bought the Sole F80 after much online research and the positive reviews on Amazon were certainly a big factor in my choice. The delivery was smooth and on-time, and the assembly was pretty straightforward. Unfortunately, the treadmill wouldn't start up - just displays a "Low speed" error. Contacted Sole tech support and it seems like this is a well-known problem. They are sending a bunch of replacement parts and I'm waiting for a service appt to be scheduled through a 3rd party.

All in all, I'm very disappointed with the lack of quality control on this treadmill. It's just not acceptable for a 00 piece of equipment to be dead-on-arrival like this. Doesn't give me any confidence in the machine even after the problem is taken care of. A complete let-down.

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Update: Technician came and swapped out several parts. Machine still doesn't work. He says he will call customer support tomorrow and recommend a replacement. Seems like they sent me a lemon. Very disappointing....

Treadmill
First treadmill I have bought but not the first I have jogged on. The box is huge and you will deff need someone to help you if you plan to move it before assembly. I have had it for two days so cant say much but its quiet and has alot of options and has incline wich is something big that I wanted. Well built and mad heavy but easy to move around when folded. Was easy to put together just watch the wires other then that a piece of cake. Has alot of room for mp3 player and bottles. If you want to get off your butt and move this is a good choice.

so for so good
We have only had this treadmill for a few weeks but are very pleased with its performance. It was delivered into our garage and, since it is very heavy, we decided to set it up and use it in the garage. Set up was quick and easy. Four people use it daily and we have not encountered any problems with the unit. It is well constructed for its main purpose.The speakers are a little wimpy and the fans need to be supplemented by larger house fans for some users. For the price this treadmill appears to be very suitable for home use and if anything does go wrong the warrenties on the components refect the manufacturer's confidence in the product.

High quality treadmill
This treadmill is heavy and sturdy but the easy lift mechanism allows me to fold it and roll it with ease. And the same mechanism lowers the treadmill back into position gently. This was very important as I am 62 years old and arthritic--I did not need something I had to wrestle with. I was able to put the treadmill together by myself--easy to follow instructions. I did have some problems with the very small tools provided--not a long enough grip for me to get leverage so I had to improvise.
I have used the treadmill for a week now and I love the ease of use. It is quiet and smooth. Transitions from start to movement and back to stop are gentle with no abrupt bumping. Digital display is clear, easy to see, with buttons in convenient locations. Buttons for elevation and speed are also located on the hand rails.
I am very happy I bought this treadmill from Amazon--and the free shipping was a plus.

Great Treadmill for the price...
I am a avid shopper. I spent a while looking for a treadmill online and in stores. This treadmill was a great price on amazon. I am over 300lbs and this thing has no problem at all. Could be a little more program savy. But def. a great treadmill. I recomend this to anyone. I have read some problems online with customer service, but i was willing to take that chance. Especially since it is a great product and you might not even need customer service. There were a few treadmills in the running but when the price dropeed on this I jumped at the deal.

Bowflex Series 7
The fan was broken upon arrival. After calibrating multiple times, the MPH were still wrong. Drink holders were tilted so much that unless you had a closed top bottle it would spill. The display unit is so thick that even specially ordering a magazine holder would not work for holding reading materials.

Some of the keys on control console not work
From day one, three keys on my control console do not work. I will never recommend this product to anyone who has not owned this product yet.

So far so good...
For those of you that don't want to read a 9,000 page review of a bloody treadmill, here is my short analysis.

- Easy to assemble, took me about an hour and a half. The most difficult part is moving it where you want it and guiding the electric wires through the left pole.

- Its exactly as advertised, it feels sturdy, it stores well. Being able to put the deck up keeps it out of the way to you dont have to give up too much space for the thing.

Overall it works well and you will get exactly what you expect from this treadmill, no need to reiterate what the product says about itself or go into a pretentious in depth review of a piece of work out equipment. Want a treadmill that works for this price, is sturdy and has these features, get this.

Review over.

Great running surface ... terrible display
I purchased this treadmill about four weeks ago. I received the treadmill within a week and it was easy to put together. I've been running on it for about 3 weeks now, approximately 4-8 miles a day.

The good:
It has a great running surface, I have put thousands of miles on commercial quality treadmills and this treadmill is easily comparable. Based on that I would give it 5 stars. The running surface is spacious (width and length) which is good for me because I like to drift around a bit. Also, one thing that I have noticed on other treadmills is a tendency for the belt to "stick" when your foot strikes down. I have not noticed this at all on this treadmill. This is a solid treadmill to run on.

The heart rate monitor seems to work well as long as you stay near the display area (if you drift a bit towards the back of the treadmill the connection will be lost). I have a few different brands of heart rate monitors and they all seem to work well. Also, programming it isn't too complicated and I've made use of a few of the programs so far.

The not so good:
The display for this treadmill is one of the worst I've seen. They've combined a lot of the display items and buttons which makes for a compact viewing area but the lack of any logical programming in the display is a definite annoyance. The display likes to show me what I don't want to see (heart rate when not wearing a heart rate monitor and the static information like pace and calories burned per hour) and seems to not show me what I want to see (distance/time run). I am constantly having to flip through the display to keep it where I want it.

In addition, the enter button is also the cool down button, so you have to be very careful while using the numbers to adjust your speed or you may end up cutting your run short (pressing start to resume as the display states actually seems to end the run). The fan does not provide much cooling at all, even at high speed.

Overall I'd actually give it 3.5/5 stars but I'm not sure I would buy the same treadmill again. I'd probably go with the Nordic Track Commercial 1500 (same price) or the Nordic Track A2750 for about 0 less.

The resistance stopped working
I loved this exercise bike when I first got it! But...a few weeks into it, the resistance went flat. Of course, by then I'd tossed all the stuff it came in and couldn't even find the booklet. My bad. But, as this doesn't seem to be a problem for most, I thought I'd remind people to keep everything for longer than you'd think because you never know. I even dismantled it to see if there was an obvious fix but nothing looked broken. Any suggestions would be welcome because I'm keeping it and using it without resistance.

Missing Parts
I know this is a basic low-end bike, but, based on the reviews, I decided it would certainly be sufficient for my use. It arrived late on a Friday. On Saturday morning, my husband assembled it only to find the hand rest bars were missing. We tried to call customer service but they now only have hours between 7:30 and 4:30 (our time) Monday through Thursday. I am pretty sure that this bike will serve my needs in the long run, but have been somewhat disappointed with my initial impression.

No Customer Support
My exercise bike is noisy, regardless of what the "promotion" reviews claim--it is so noisy that my neighbor will no longer speak to me. I like to exercise early in the morning and apparently the noise is vibrating through the floor or wall. The bike gives off a clunking noise like someone hitting a pipe with a hammer. After checking the owner' manual I discovered that there is no Trouble Shooting section so I called "Customer Service" at Stamina. They told me that the warranty was only for 3 months and I am well past that, but an almost new machine should not just start making noise! Seems that the Stamina Customer Service people are only in the business of selling parts, and here is the worst part: the customer has to figure out what is wrong! I opened the housing and the flimsy plastic is so cheap that I could not get it back on the way it came off. After playing around for a hour with the various parts I sprayed the ball bearing case with silicone, and the noise seems to have temporarily decreased a little. Summary: Don't buy this product or others like it from this company. The bike is cheap and breaks down quickly--it is not reliable. The "no noise" reviews cannot be believed. The customer service does nothing but try and sell you parts and the owner's manual will not guide you when there is a problem.

Great exercise bike to get back in shape
I bought the bike so that my wife could use it after her knee surgery but now I am using to lose some weight. I was walking but when the temperature hit and stayed in the 90's, I decided I needed an indoor exercise.

I am not a fan of exercise, hence my weight problem. I have tried gyms before but never got to the gym often enough to make membership worth it. Just finished 30 minutes on bike and feel great about it.

Bike was fairly easy to set up and does not take up alot of room. It is quiet enough to use while watching TV.

Love it!
I've had this bike for a month, and I've used it every day, and I LOVE it. I was looking for something affordable, small, and quiet to use in my apartment on a daily basis, and this was exactly what I wanted. My 9 year old son and I assembled it together - it took some time, but it wasn't too difficult at all. I have it parked right in front of my TV, between the couch and the recliner, and it's so quiet I can ride it while we're watching TV and there's no distraction. The resistance settings are great, you can make it super-easy or super-challenging, and everything in between. I've noticed a definite change in my strength and endurance as well.

A lot of reviewers mention a "clicking" noise, and I experienced that as well for the first week or two, but then it disappeared and I haven't heard it since, and it hasn't affected the use of the bike at all. My only other negative is that the seat, while decent, is still a bit harsh on the bum, but that's not really the manufacturer's fault because I know it'll get more comfortable as I lose weight and put less pressure on it!

Very nice
I purchased this rower based on the zero negative feedback. The rower took only two days to arrive. Very easy to assemble. I ordered it from Concept2 directly. Very nice sales staff. Rower is great so far and seems very well made and sturdy. I am looking forward to years of hassle-free use.

Update 1 (1 week): I love the online log books and work-rankings. If you are competitive even just a little, this serves to motivate you to improve your times.

The machine is rock solid. Like others have said, you can go at a nice pace or hard pace and it's totally up to you. The harder you pull, the harder it gets!
It can burn calories at a good clip too. For example, I can easily burn about 130 - 140 calories by doing a 9 minute or so 2k meter row. Or I can row a more relaxing 6000+k row over 30 minutes for about 330-350 calories.

Durable Product - Fast Shipping from Amazon
I use the Concept2 Model D Rowing Machine regularly at the gym and love it, so I decided to purchase one for my home gym. I ordered it at 5:00 PM and it arrived the next day at 1 PM. It took under 5 minutes to assemble. It doesn't weigh very much, so it is easy to move. It provides an excellent cardiovascular workout. I recommend this product for all fitness levels because you control the intensity of your workout. Concept2 also provides an online community to keep you motivated and help you set goals.

Smooth & Meditative
After an initial issue with the computer, I got a new one sent overnight directly from Concept2 (who were very responsive and customer-oriented). I love the rower! It is easy to use, but I definitely get a good workout. As other readers have said, it can be a meditative exercise getting into a smooth rowing groove.

The best single piece of exercise equipment one can own
Indoor rowing is perhaps the best cardiovascular/toning exercise one can do. This is the defacto machine for doing it as most crew teams around the world, and other training programs use Concept 2 rowers exclusively.

It does not matter if you are an elite athlete, or someone just starting out, or even someone who cannot do high impact exercises like running. This is low impact, and as intense as you want it. Almost all muscles in your body are used as well. So by using this machine you get a great cardio work out and total body motion. Honestly, there is nobody I would not recommend this to, it is for all levels.

The computer keeps track of your work, and you can keep your pace at whatever you feel comfortable with. In time you will see that your split times are going down as your fitness improves. It keeps a log of your workouts and also stores it on a card that you can bring to other machines. The great thing is that these machines all automatically calibrate, so your time on any one machine is valid everywhere because they all yield the same results.

The company is great, this is made in USA and of very good quality. I used to row on a team, and none of our machines ever broke. Even if it does break, the company is very responsive and friendly. They have a very good website where you can log your times, and see how you stack up with others, or just keep a record for yourself. They have contests all the time there where they select random people that row certain distances and give them free gear. Also if you row a million meters on your machine or a marathon they give you free gear as well. All of this is free!

The most important thing to learn is proper form, otherwise you will tire out fast. The biggest mistake beginners make is using their arms too much and not enough legs. Concept 2 has a lot of videos that show you proper rowing technique and the good thing is it pretty much directly translates to what one would do on a real boat!

At my gym these things sit there collecting dust while people do the inferior treadmills etc, but everyone I know that I have introduced to rowing loves it. It is good to have one at home because it is very possible to watch TV while you are rowing (it is not loud). The machine also disassembles and can be stored pretty easily. If you stand it up fully assembled it is nearly 8ft tall so it is not very storable that way, but if you take the sled off, you can store it even in a coat closet.

Good product.
I have the machine for 2 months and it is a good one.

The only comment that I have for the design is that they could have collected and directed the air flow from the fly weel to the rower direction and that would provide a cooling breeze with zero carbon foot print.

Natan