Fitness equipments and more..

If anyone is looking for a high quality treadmill then Precor treadmills would be the best choice. Precor exercise treadmills innovative software and superior hardware are merged to provide the variety, efficiency, and comfort. The company pride themselves in offering high quality treadmills which are backed by long warranties.

Precor has been manufacturing high quality fitness equipment since the early 80’s. They are one of those companies who invest millions in their research and development. Recognized for its great durability and reliability, it’s no surprise that this treadmill can be found in many fitness gyms. Precor treadmills are designed to follow and respond to the natural ergonomics of the body as well as the natural stride of each individual step during any type of stride from walking to full-out running.

Precor Treadmills ranges from $3,000 to $5,000 and above. They fall in treadmill’s high priced range. They use materials of the highest quality to manufacture these extremely durable treadmills. They give an unbeatable warranty to their products. They offer a lifetime warranty on frame and welds, 1 year on labor and a 10 year warranty on parts.

Every Precor has a powerful 3.0 HP Continuous Duty motor which has enough power to suit everyone’s need. Standard features on every Precor model are an oversized deck, a powerful motor, quality electronics and a reversible belt.

A Precor treadmill also has an Integrated Footplant™ Technology where as your foot hits the deck it reads the energy and uses the information to make minute belt-speed adjustments as you run.

The Ground Effects® Impact Control System absorbs the shock of impact while you walk or run. Reducing impact lowers the risk of injury to lower back, knees, shins and ankles. In addition, Ground Effects controls lateral motion, providing an increased sense of security.

Treadmills are designed with easy-to-read, navigable consoles that make sense.

Precor sells their equipment only through authorized dealers, which means that no one is buying a knock-off, and they have full control over warranties and repairs.

The industry renowned treadmill evaluation complied by fitness magazine Runners World placed Precor in their top ten treadmills. Treadmill Doctor lists the Precor 9.35i treadmill as a best buy and the Precor 9.33i treadmill as 1st runner up in the $3,000 to $4,000 category. The Precor treadmill 9.31 treadmill was a 1st runner up in the $2,500 to $3,000 category.

The only issue with Precor treadmills would be the price but you get a high quality, efficient and durable machine for that amount which will last through the years.

When you purchase a fitness equipment like Sole treadmill, you are buying quality, tradition and good reputation. The commercial Sole treadmills were originally made for hotel chains worldwide. Major hotel chains tend to prefer Sole Treadmills to others. This definitely says something about the quality of a product.

Sole Fitness guarantees their treadmill motors for thirty years and their treadmill decks and frames for a complete lifetime. These machines are known for the quality of their components. This is why they can offer such a great guarantee. Sole Treadmills have great ratings from websites such as TreadmillDoctor.com. Treadmill reviews would show how so many people have learned to appreciate and value it over other competing brands. Sole have built a solid reputation by taking the time to invest in building exercise equipment that stands the test of time. A Sole treadmill is foldable but its distinct double horseshoe folding frame would assure the user that it does not affect the stability of the machine.

A heavy n stable frame combined with a powerful motor and a wide well cushioned running surface make a good treadmill. Treadmills made by Sole are definitely considered to be top of the line and most models sell for over one thousand dollars. The company offers both folding and non folding treadmills. The Sole F85 treadmill and Sole F80 treadmill are the best and most popular models in the range. They have a lot of special features, but one of the biggest advantages to the models is that they fold up. Sole F80 treadmill is one of the best sellers of sole fitness with a powerful 3 CHP motor while sole F85 treadmill has a 3.5 CHP motor for heavy use. If you’re looking for a less expensive Sole folding model, the cheapest is the F63, selling for about $1,100. Soles are really known for is their smooth running, low noise and durability. A good choice for daily workouts.

Among the popular fitness equipment, Smooth 5.25 treadmill is rated quite well in its class. The Smooth 5.15 treadmill was one of the most popular treadmills ever made and the new Smooth 5.25 folding treadmill is an improvement over 5.15.

It has a 2.5 CHP motor with a 20”x 53” wide belt has enough power and room for a good treadmill workout with a speed range of 0.5 - 10 MPH.

The machine weighs around 195 lbs with a sturdy and durable steel frame, making it stable and safe. Because of their light weight, discount treadmills often rock and sway during brisk walks or runs. With the heavy weight of the Smooth® 5.25, safety and stability are assured.

This is a folding treadmill and incorporates a “Soft Drop”, shock-assisted manual folding design that folds up and out of the way when you’re done. The facility allows you to fold and unfold the 5.25 by gently tilting the deck into one of 15 positions. The treadmill can then be gently dropped back when it is time for use.

Cushioning is an important aspect while choosing a treadmill, this reduces the impact on knees and joints while running. With Swing Arm technology the entire running deck and frame are suspended on two pivots to reduce the harmful impact on your joints. This also helps in a more efficient workout.

Hand Grip Pulse Monitor is repositioned in the front of the console which is more comfortable for most of the users.

Console has a 5 window LCD display to monitor your speed, distance, calories, time and pulse simultaneously. Seven preset programs can be chosen according to the need of the user.

A good Lifetime warranty is offered on frame and motor and a 3 year warranty on all other parts with 1 year labor warranty.

Treadmill doctor website top rated the Smooth 5.15 treadmill for 3 years consecutively and Smooth 5.25 treadmill is an improvement over that version. A good machine for a great price explains its popularity.

Get the right fitness equipment to make your exercises easy and effective.

Horizon Fitness is a popular brand in the fitness equipment market, produced by Johnson Tech, Inc., the same company that makes Cateye, Matrix and Vision treadmills. They have been manufacturing fitness equipment for both home and commercial use for the last 25 years.

Horizon treadmills are known for their decent quality at competitive prices. They are keeping up to the competition by packing a lot of features in their machines. Especially in the 800 – 1200$ price range Horizon has some models which are good overall machines. The production has been moved to China which helps Horizon to maintain a price advantage over other similar models. The designs look good, and the company itself is ISO9001 certified, which says a lot about their dedication to quality,

There is a wide range of models available from the basic motorized treadmills to the heavy duty ones. You can choose the one according to your budget and exercise needs. To help you choose a treadmill, you can refer to treadmill buyers guide.

Horizon treadmills range from basic models like 1.3T which comes with a 1.75 CHP motor or 5.3T which is a heavy machine with a 2.75 CHP motor. Most of the models are priced around 800 – 1200$ range with some exceptions which go into premium segment. Models like 5.3T, T1200 and T6 are heavy duty treadmills for a more intensive workout.

There are some common features available all through the product range like COMFORTzone System which offer cushioning while running, preset programs, console feedbacks and monitors which in making your treadmill workouts more effective.

Though aggressively priced there are some points to consider. Some of the parts are plastic molded, which can easily break with heavier use. And there are users who feel that assembling a Horizon treadmill is rather difficult. Smooth and Proform are the other strong contenders in this segment.

Good warranties are offered by the company which is usually a lifetime warranty on the motor and the frame and a 1 year part and labor warranty.

A few models like Horizon 5.3t treadmill, Horizon t81 treadmill, Horizon t700 treadmill, Horizon club t500 treadmill and Horizon t1200 treadmill are reviewed on this site elsewhere.

Weslo treadmill is a brand owned by the biggest fitness equipment producer “Icon Health and Fitness”. Of all the treadmills produced by Icon, Weslo treadmills are the lowest priced. They are the entry level treadmills aimed at the light user who would not spend much on the equipment. They lack the power of more expensive brands and are built with smaller running areas. Most of the models under this brand would come under 1000$.

You can choose from models like   Weslo Cardio Stride Plus and Weslo Aerobic Stride 2.0 Manual Treadmill  is you want a basic manually controlled treadmills. They are the cheapest models available. Both fold up easily for the minimum storage space and come with manual incline positions.

Weslo Cadence C44 Treadmill come with 2.25 THP/1.3 CHP Impulse™ Drive System which can give a speed of 0-10 MPH. It comes with a 1 year motor warranty. The basic motorized treadmill.

Weslo 50SE Treadmill is one of the popular models with a 1.3 CHP Impulse™ Drive Motor which is capable of speeds ranging from 0 to 10 MPH and also has Power Incline® to adjust the intensity of the workout. The four built-in personal Trainer Workouts each offer a fitness routine to get you in shape and make your workout more interesting. The 50SE has an easy-to-read oversized, blue-tinted LCD display. It comes with a 3 year motor warranty.

The warranties are short but at these prices you can not expect more. They do the job well for someone who would use it occasionally and need a machine to add on to his walking or light running. In case you need more from your treadmill, you can go for other brands. Extended warranties are available for some extra charges.

Nordic Track is one of the premium brands of Icon Fitness, the largest manufacturers of fitness equipments in the world. Icon has other well known brands like Proform, Reebok, Weslo, Image and Healthrider in their family. Being the largest manufacturer, quality of the product is always maintained with in house R&D and quality tests.

Infact they are quite innovative with a lot of features you won’t find in other machines like their iFit technology. iFit allows you to connect your machine to the internet via a computer and download new fitness programs direct to the exercise treadmill for an additional fee.

Nordic Track treadmills also have a feature known as “Reflex deck Technology” in some of the models which absorbs the impact well due to its shock absorbing deck. You could also adjust the different levels of shock absorption according to the preferences with their adjustable cushion deck.

You also have a music port with built in speakers in some of the models which is compatible for your iPod giving you a quality sound while you workout.

Some of the premium models like Nordic Track Viewpoint 3000, Nordic Track Elite 7500 and Nordic Track Viewpoint 3500 offer features like built in flat screen TVs to make your treadmill workouts more interesting. You could walk on the treadmill watching your favorite programs or DVDs.

Nordic Track treadmills also have a space saver design which makes it easy to fold and store the machine, so you don’t really have to worry about the lack of space.

Other features depend on the kind of model you are looking for and vary according to the budget you have. Usually the premium range will give you extra features with a good value of money and if you are on tight budget you should opt for a model with well set basic features atleast.

You can refer to the treadmill buyer’s guide for tips on buying a good treadmill.

Nordic Track treadmill reviews- The C 2200 was given rated as best buy by the consumer reports. Now you have latest models like C 2500 and C 2155. Institutional Treadmill S 3000 is also well rated among fitness experts and Runner’s world magazine because of its sturdy design and a powerful 5 CHP commercial grade motor. Premium models like Elite 7500 and Elite 7000 also offer a good value for money. You can choose from A series, C series, Viewpoint series and Reflex series according to your needs.

Another Treadmill which is worth mentioning would be Bowflex 7 series treadmill. Bowflex is a subsidiary of Nautilus Fitness who have been into the exercise equipment business since 1986. Nautilus also owns brands like Schwinn, Stairmaster and Trimline and they’re the second largest producer of exercise equipment in the world. Bowflex offers 3 treadmill models: the 3 series, 5 series and 7 series treadmill.

Bowflex series 7 treadmill is one of the best models by the company.

It has a powerful 3.0 CHP motor with speeds from .5 to 11 mph and inclines from 0-12% which is good enough for a variety of treadmill workouts. Walking area is 20″ x 60″. 15 programming options help the user choosing the best program according to the fitness goals. Bowflex treadmills offer Strike Zone™ deck suspension cushioning to make your workouts a little more comfortable by providing a soft landing and a firm lift of the foot.

The user weight this machine can handle is 300lbs while the machine itself weighs at around 298 lbs which makes it heavy and stable as well. Treadmill is quite easy to store thanks to cutting-edge SoftDrop™ technology. Folds up to a compact 41″ x 35″ x 66 ” size. Although it is easy to fold, and built in wheels are provided, it is a little difficult to move around because of its weight.

Other features would include a 3 speed fan and 2 bottle holders.

Warranty is as under-

Frame - 15 years

Motor - 10 years

Parts/Electronics - 2 years

Labor - 1 year

Bowflex 7 series treadmill has been rated as the best buy in its class by Consumer reports in Feb’96. How ever the treadmill could be better without the use of much plastic.

Over all, A good option to consider in its price range especially in folding treadmill category.