What is the best elliptical trainer? Unfortunately, this question is not an easy one to answer and like most important decisions, requires that additional questions be asked. And like a lot of things, there isn't one "best elliptical trainer" for all people. So who better to ask than someone who makes their living at repairing fitness equipment at both commercial gyms and in private homes?
I had the fortunate opportunity recently to put my most pressing questions about elliptical trainers and fitness equipment in general to a fitness repair technician at my gym. This gentleman was repairing just about every piece of cardio equipment available at my gym: treadmills, stationary bikes, and of course elliptical trainers.
Below is a summary of the questions I asked him:
Q. In your opinion, what are the best elliptical trainers?
A. For commercial elliptical trainers it would have to be Precor and Life Fitness ellipticals. Elliptical trainers in commercial facilities get heavy use, and these brands hold up the best. They are also the most popular with members for their smoothness and overall feel.
Q. Why aren't the heart rate monitors very accurate on most fitness machines?
A. On equipment like treadmills, there is a lot of interference produced by the impact of the trainee's body on the deck of the treadmill. This is then picked up by the sensor and distorts the reading. The most accurate heart rate monitors, especially for elliptical trainers, are the chest strap variety that uses Polar(TM) technology.
Q. Some of the ellipticals here make a clunking sound when in use. What causes this?
A. Though it sounds pretty serious it's usually just a broken mounting post on the inside of the plastic shroud that covers the drive mechanism. This typically happens because ellipticals are spaced too closely in many gyms and members tend to kick the plastic covers getting on and off. (He showed me the inside of a plastic cover he had removed from a Life Fitness elliptical that had a broken mounting post. Plastic can be pretty brittle).
Q. Do you also repair home elliptical trainers?
A. Yes. I see all different kinds of ellipticals in people's homes.
Q. Why are so many home ellipticals of such low quality?
A. I used to do repair work for a major fitness manufacturer. Their position was that they could make a really cheap elliptical trainer that would last just long enough for the warranty period to run out -- typically 90 days. They were betting that most people would either achieve their weight loss goals and then stop using the machine or would never use the machine to begin with. These machines are basically junk and don't last very long. The elliptical trainers that I see in homes that last cost between 00 - 00. You really do get what you pay for. People that know this are willing to spend a little more to get a quality machine that will hold up.
It's not very often that you can your questions answered by a specialist. So when the opportunity comes around, be sure to take advantage of it, no matter what the topic is. Large companies spend a lot of money trying to make the sale, but at the end of the day, it's your responsibility to be an educated consumer. It can make all the difference between a purchase that you will love and one that you will quickly come to regret.
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