Workout equipment - Need help!

[Anonymous]

Hey guys and gals!

I'm looking into buying a new elliptical. I've seen a few with the new iFit technology compatibility. It seems like a neat little feature to keep the exercising interesting and fun! I would love to find a good brand that is offering this. Currently I've found two elliptical's that look like they would be decent, however I am unsure how the durability is with the companies.

The companies I'm looking at is NordicTrack and Pro-form. Have you heard of this brand? Are they reliable? I've heard mixed feelings on them according to reviews. Also, I have seen these two elliptical's: link

and

link

Which one do you think would be better? Do you own a product by either Pro-Form or NordicTrack? If so, how is your equipment? Was it reliable?

Updates

+1 y

If you don't have any experience with these- Which brands do you find are the "best" and have good quality?

[NotJustAnotherGuy]

I think for a thousand dollars you should buy a nice squat rack, barbell and weights-- as it is one of the best means of shaping your stomach, building your glutes and training your legs without a spotter.

But if you are focused on getting an elliptical.. and that's the kinda training you like, I don't mean to discourage you :P I would go with the Nordictracks, as the Pro-Form that you linked is a fold-able elliptical... Because in making something capable of folding there is always sacrifices in quality material.

So when evaluating which you would like, remember that the NordicTrack will likely be sturdier, but the Pro-Form has storage capabilities.. so keep both factors in mind when choosing which is better for you. If you have a small house you might want the Pro-Form; if you have the extra space, you might want to go with the more sturdy option.

Just looking at the specs that I would consider most important...

Nordic PROS:

-Longer stride (20-23" vs the Pro-Forms 18"-20") is something I would want as a serious runner, since I prefer the large range of motion and therefore the greater stride length.

-350lbs weight limit (vs the 325lb limit on the Pro-Form, not a big difference but is evidence of sturdiness), not to mention no folding capabilities (and therefore no loose parts).

Pro-Form PROS:

-Incline feature this would help to add more variety to your workout.. even though the Pro-Form has 16 resistance levels (vs 24 on the Nordic) the incline feature allows for each of the resistance levels to be put at a different angle and therefore gives you a great deal more variety than the Nordic.

-More easily stored

For me, space would be the deciding factor. Whereas the Nordic offers stride length, the Pro-Form offers angle variety... I would consider these features equal. The deciding factor to me is do I want the sturdiness or the storing capabilities.. Currently I live in a pretty small place, so if I can use it in the living room then fold it up and have it out of the way-- that's awesome! If I had a bigger place, I probably wouldn't bother moving it so mine as well take the sturdier option (plus I might need the longer stride length, since I have a pretty long stride and that's something you should consider too).

[WeaponZero]

to be perfectly honest, there's a lot better stuff you can buy with a thousand dollars than a commercial-grade elliptical. they both were built for use in gyms and are way overkill for someone who plans on using them at home. as notjustanotherguy mentioned, if you're only going to purchase one piece of commercial-grade gym equipment, it should be a squat rack/power rack. you don't need fancy equipment to do cardio (although if you want it, a rowing machine is far better than an elliptical IMO), but there is no replacement for a squat rack and a rack of weights.

regardless of your fitness needs, you don't need to spend a lot--or any--money really to satisfy the cardio portion of your workout regimen. the best ways to do it are almost totally equipment-free. the resistance portion, on the other hand, is where things can (and should, if you're planning on doing it RIGHT) get expensive.

but if you're dead set on going with these two, I would go with the Nord***Track simply because they are a subsidiary of ICON fitness, which also owns Weider. They're known for excellent customer service and quality products. Pro-Form, on the other hand, manufactures gear that's almost exclusively made to cater to the commercial user, so customer service is limited.

[jeremy20]

I'm not entirely sure whether this helps, but the gym I go to has 3 Pro-form elypticals and 3 NordicTracks. I've been a member there for 8 months...the Pro-form elypticals break down like crazy but the Nordictracks never have (that I know of). Not bashing Pro-forms, but the 3 at my gym have blown fuses, hinges lock up, etc. Not sure.

[NotJustAnotherGuy]

Does that have anything to do with people using them more though? If people prefer them and therefore use them more, they'd also be prone to breakage more often than the elliptical that is used less.

[jeremy20]

I don't pay attention. Just inputting a minor piece of information that I've noticed. Didn't think about any implications or whether it means anything.

[NotJustAnotherGuy]

Oh I wasn't trying to discredit you :) I found your info to be very insightful. I was just inquiring. I would assume you're right, naturally, especially since the Pro-forms are fold-able. But I just wasn't sure if people felt the Pro-forms were more comfortable and used them more, or if it was indeed a quality issue.