Need Elliptical advice

onehecticmom
onehecticmom Posts: 299 Member
edited September 29 in Fitness and Exercise
Looking to purchase my first piece of equipment. I see that people get a really good burn on the elliptical so I thought I would get that. I see a ton of different brands, stride length, ect. But I also don't want to pay an arm & a leg for it.

First off, am I making a good choice with the elliptical? Is there a better machine?

If I get an elliptical, is there a stride length that is best? I have seen 14 inches, 18 inches. What's best

I test drove a ProForm at sears, and it felt a bit wably. Was it just not put together properly as a floor model? Will they all feel that way? I would hate to tip one... I may be big, but don't think I'm THAT big, but never know.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions

Replies

  • misscfe
    misscfe Posts: 295 Member
    I personally love ellipticals, get bored to easily on the treadmill and the bike seats are just too uncomfortable for long periods of time. I have wanted to buy one too but the ones I want cost too much. If it is uneven then it is either not a good one or put together wrong but that is hard to say. If it was cheap it could be either. Not sure that the stride length matters as long as it feels comfortable to you. Can't really suggest any brands but make sure it does not move like the one you tried out.
  • karlz87
    karlz87 Posts: 37
    I love the Elliptical.. i can say its the one machine that i dont get bored of.. i have just recently purchased one myself (the Proform 500 ZLE) i havent received it yet (got to wait another 2 1/2 weeks) b ut the one i tried in the store seemed very sturdy. one negative with this one is that its a folding one.. but other than that its very well recommended.

    What i did was write down the models i was interested in, and then checked out the customer reviews online.. you will be suprised at what you read...

    hope i helped.. and good luck :)
  • onehecticmom
    onehecticmom Posts: 299 Member
    Well, we looked at the Proform 390E in Sears. It was the best one for our price range... but still wasn't sure. So, hubby went on craigslist last night & found it. Almost brand new condition, hardly ever used. It was 1/3 the cost of the new one. So, he picked it up and now I am the proud owner of an elliptical. I need to find a place for it, it is bigger than I remember in the store. But it has already kicked my butt twice. I can really feel my muscles burn when I am on it. Can't wait till I can use a weight loss program & make it all the way through without lowering the pre-programed resistance. OMG, it's torture... I love it. Hope it will kick up my metabolism & weight loss
  • mialsya
    mialsya Posts: 188 Member
    Before you buy an elliptical, go to an exercise equipment store and get your stride length measured. If you get one with the wrong stride length, it can cause some serious impact on your joints because you would be unnaturally shortening or lengthening your natural walking stride. Once you know your stride length, you can shop around for the best one in your price range with that stride. Getting one with your correct stride can mean the difference between 20 minutes of exercise with a lot of aches and pains afterward and an hour of exercise with minimal to no pain.

    As far as brands and so forth, I don't know about that. But I do know the most important thing is the correct stride length.
  • northernchic
    northernchic Posts: 117 Member
    I LOVE my elliptical! The model you get really depends on your price range. My personal “dream” elliptical is the Nordic Track Audio Strider Pro which is usually around $900 depending on where you catch the sales. In talking to the Sears rep he said to stay away from the ProForm – they tend to be less sturdy and have more problems…but I have no personal experience with them.

    As far as stride length, everything I’ve read says buy the longest stride you can afford – it will give you a greater range in your workout. But it also depends on how tall you are – the taller you are the bigger stride length you need.

    NOW…having said all that I fell over a free fairly cheap version that I’m using until I can convince my husband that I’ll use a more expensive elliptical for working out…not just as an expensive clothes hanger. Craig’s List is a GREAT place to look for that “starter” elliptical. I would say figure out what your budget is then hit some stores to try out the different options (stride length, front vs rear drive and various bells and whistles) then go from there.

    This is a great site that I’ve used while doing my research. I’m a skeptical person by nature and always take reviews from the actual brand site with a grain of salt…

    http://www.fitness-equipment-source.com/elliptical-reviews/best-buy-elliptical.htm

    Good luck and have fun!!
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