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When looking to buy an Elliptical Trainer with quality and a affordable price under $600.oo the Schwinn 430 Elliptical Trainer became my choice. Buying it through Amazon, there was a $200.00 savings off the retail price and another $125.00 on shipping. First of all, the assembly took less than an hour and through some good advice from a friend I bought a small tube of lithium based white grease (used for bicycles) and re-greased all the pivoting points on the machine for a much quieter and smoother motion.

Its size allows you to fit it in an apartment or any smaller area. There are 8 programs with 8 different resistance levels which allows you to have a basic workout or crank it up an burn extra calories which you can set the amount you want to burn on the different programs before you start and when you hit the desired amount you are done. It has a forward and reverse motion not found on other machines in this price range and with a 18″ stride and a solidly built feel the Schwinn430 is a great buy.

While running or jogging out on my Bowflex Treadmill I’ve found out that stretching should be worked into my regular workout routine. The best time to stretch is after you run and your muscles are warmed up, but if you feel tight and want to stretch before workout, warm up with a slow 5 or 10 minute jog. Things to remember about stretching ; don’t bounce, this could put you at risk in pulling or tearing your muscles.

Always stretch slowly and hold your stretch for at least 20 to 30 seconds. Don’ hold your breath and a very important point, DO NOT keep stretching if you feel tightness in the muscle or pain persists. Following these guidelines and after setting up a fun but challenging workout with the many settings on a Bowflex Treadmill, you will notice your body will have less soreness and much more tone along with the cardio benefits.

If you live in a state that has all four seasons, trying to run outside on a cold blustery winter day can be quite a challenge and that’s where owning a treadmill is a great idea. Just not having to leave the house is one advantage, another one is, on most treadmills (some better than others) the deck you run on is cushioned to soften the impact on your joints and over a period of time that will reduce the wear and tear along with possible injuries that running on hard and unsafe pavement could occur. Treadmill Workouts are great if you are on a tight schedule and by not having to leave home, you can save time and perform the many tasks that await you in a busy day.

To avoid boredom, all you have to do is choose a different pre-programmed workout and challenge yourself to something different everyday, or stick with a specific workout and see how much you can improve over a set period of time. In previous blogs I’ve tried to show you different qualities and prices on many treadmills and will continue to do so. Your job is; to see what your goals are, how much money to spend, the size of treadmill along with the size of your workout area and what ever decision you make, getting a great workout from your new treadmill will be the result.

The TT in the name of the SoleTT8 Treadmill stands for twenty two, as in 22 inches wide. The total running surface on this treadmill is Sole’s largest at 60″ x 22″ and along with a 12 mph top speed it makes it easier for a guy my size 6′ 2″ 240 lbs to have plenty of room to run. The TT8 model comes with HRC (heart rate control) complete with a polar chest strap to keep you on target for heart rate training and a top incline of 15% to give you a variety of options for interval workouts.

Being the finest treadmill in the Sole line with every option and upgrade available is saying a lot because after trying other Sole models I was quite impressed with the majority of them. The TT8 treadmill has the same great cushion flex deck that the other sole models have to minimize stress on the hips, knees and ankles. Comparing it to the True 550 P Treadmill which is double the cost($2,499 -$5295), you get a more powerful motor( 3.5 hp -3.0 hp), a larger running surface (60″x 22″ - 59″x 22″) higher mph (12 - 10), better warranty (motor, deck and frame) all lifetime, True treadmill: (frame- lifetime), (motor and deck- 5 years). Choosing is easy, Sole by a long shot!

The Executive Trainer Control Panel on the Landice Treadmill is made to be simple and basic to use, but has immense capabilities to perform many functions. There are many motivational screens including the road scenes, which can be changed from the Grand Canyon, to a Hawaiian beach run, to a winter mountain run with you being represented as a digital runner on the screens. All your statistics are displayed across the bottom of the panel, your time, speed, elevation and calories, even sign posts come by and show all your progress while you are running.

Another popular screen is the track, in which you can time yourself in some Olympic events; the 400 meters and 1,500 meters in which your laps and lap times will be displayed and you can compare your times with all the Olympians. Running is supposed to be fun and with this control panel you can put yourself in different environments and situations all at the touch of a button. This top of the line control panel is available on all of Landice’s Treadmills and is well worth getting because you will never get bored and there are still many features I have not even touched on.

If you are looking for that health club quality workout, all you have to do is step on the Landice L7 Club Executive Treadmill. The philosophy that Landice uses, is that their treadmills are built to full institutional standards, offer the latest in engineering technology and combine this with good old fashioned American craftsmanship. One feature sets Landice apart from other treadmills is the 2 levels of shock absorption: the Standard VFXPlus Shock Absorption System is 5 times softer then grass and if that’s not enough, the Optional Elliptimill Orthpedic Shock Absorption System is 7 times softer than grass and they both reduce the impact to the knees and joints immensely.

Go ahead and try and wear out the deck because it comes with a reversible, 1 inch thick deck that is rated for 3,000 hours per side and can last for over 30 years. Combine this with a 4 horsepower continuous-duty drive motor that provides speeds from 0.5 to 12 mph with out overheating and its 1,000 pound thrust that is 33% stronger than the competition and you will easily notice the smoothness of its operation.You always want to have a motor that is continuous-duty motor not a standard motor that is rated just at it’s peak performance so you can have a treadmill that will give you longevity and endless workouts.

If you are a competitive runner, the Life Fitness T5-5 Treadmill is a great choice for you. The ease of use on the body’s joints is found in the form of the FlexDeck Shock Absorption System, which allows the adjust-ability of the cushioning so that every runner will be able to run on the surface exactly to his or her liking. The 15 pre-programmed workouts never lets boredom become an option, because it lets you can choose from manual, which lets you choose your own speed and resistance or try the 5K and 10K Sport Training which are distance goal workouts that simulate actual terrain with varying incline levels, or the 45-minute cross-train, 30-minute walk and many more programs.

A feature which I really like is that you can save time by storing up to 7 pre-programmed My Workouts and replay them at any time and with this feature you can rename them for the different days of the week or assign them to different runners with different needs. Your weight and incline levels are automatically saved and you store personal results from each workout and keep track of your progress. Life Fitness Treadmills are priced mostly in the upper end category ($3,999 for this model) but their quality and warranty are also in the top end category (10 year on motor, Lifetime on frame). In this case you get what you pay for, QUALITY !!

For those people who love to walk or jog the Proform Treadmills are an affordable starter unit built for low intensity workouts. If you are a serious runner I would suggest looking into a Treadmill of your liking in the $1,500 - $2,500 range, but for a lot of people Proform has many good qualities that make their treadmills appealing. Proform has the widest range in treadmills in the market today and they pioneered the now world famous SpaceSaver fold away design treadmills.

Years ago their manufacturing philosophy with over 200 engineers was to have the best designed treadmills in the business while using cheaper parts. They have since found away to incorporate better parts along with their already great design to come up with more quality and still keep a reasonable price, although most of their warranties are still only 90 days. If you are looking for a good entry level treadmill, I would have no problem in recommending looking at the Proform models.

The latest and greatest in Balance Training is The Bosu Balance Trainer Home Version, it is actually an exercise ball that has been cut in half and has a stable and unstable side and the word “Bosu” means both sides up. When you have the ball side up there are many options including standing, sitting, squatting and using it-like you would step for aerobics, but the difference is that your body has to constantly shift and contract to stay aligned. This will definitely help with your balance and coordination along with burning calories.

When you turn it over you have many choices including using it for a bench for strength training, doing pushups, or just trying to sit on it to test your balance. The Bosu Trainer will help in strengthening all your muscles of your body especially your stabilizer muscles and the great thing about it is that you can be a beginner or an elite athlete and get a terrific workout. It’s a very durable product and comes with a DVD, inflation pump and exercise manual, I would definitely give it 5 Stars.

The Sole S77 Treadmill has the largest motor (3.5 Cont. Duty HP) in a treadmill under $2,000 and this is comparable to a club quality model. The longest deck that Sole makes is on the S77 (60″) and it will also support users up to 400 lbs. Another feature that I like and appreciate is that this treadmill automatically makes adjustments to the incline to keep you in your target heart-rate zone when you are in the heart-rate training mode and the included wireless chest strap boasts a 99.9% accuracy rating.

While the console has built in speakers which will allow you to play any MP3 player (iPod, etc), the safety features include a 0.5 speed start, a textured belt and a 10-amp circuit breaker. Comments on this treadmill range from; “This is a treadmill enthusiast’s treadmill”,”It’s hard to find anything wrong with this treadmill other than it might be overkill for some people who just want a basic treadmill. My conclusion is that you are getting a high value treadmill with every feature you’ll ever need.