Best Buy Budget Commercial Used Eliptical Cross Trainer

Star Trac Natural Runner

The Natural Runner offers everything a serious trainer is looking for. With a comfortable stride length of 20 inches, this machines provide the same high-intensity workout of running without the impacts. It also uses an ergonomic design to increase the smoothness of movements and ensure user comfort. Fluid movements are capitalized on for the legs, hips, knees and ankles.When it comes to programming, the Star Trac Natural Runner elliptical is also tops and any review will turn this fact up. With a very nice 11 preprogrammed training options, a quick start button and intensity change button, those exercising will find the challenge level fantastic. It’s more than enough to make this machine stand out from any others reviewed.

Not satisfied to merely stand out, the designers of the Star Trac Natural Runner added in a personal trainer studio that enables the person in training to design up to 50 programs on their own and save them into memory. This feature is simply a deal maker, giving the user the optimum control over their personal elliptical machine workout.

When it comes to quality, options and high-end features, few elliptical exercise machines can rival the Star Trac Natural Runner. This machine really does take you to another level for training and fitness.

Considering when first released this machine would have cost over £3000, you can pick up used models for around £500. When looking at a cross trainer eliptical consider the quality and the size of the machine. First of all a new cross trainer costing £500 will not come close to this model, this is a true commercial trainer and will be found in gyms and fitness clubs across the world. These machine have been built to last and a good used model will give you many years of home use.

I love the soft fluid movement and the fact that you can really put this machine to the test with a great fast and hard workout, almost like a sprint on a treadmill. The machine is also very quiet.

Features

Best Buy Mid-Range Commercial Used Eliptical Cross Trainer

Precor 546 Cross Trainer

The Precor EFX 546 Elliptical comes with an adjustable Cross Ramp with a range of 10 to 40 degrees. What this does is let you add an additional level of difficulty to your workout. The ramp does take a bit of getting used to as the higher degree angles can place your feet/pedals at a bit of an awkward angle -- imagine skiing uphill. I really like this feature and the intense leg burn you can achieve hits the spot every time, you can really set this machine to give you a great intense work out (great for the ladies who are always want to work out that (ass, behind).

All Precor 546 units are very sturdy and the frame feels solidly constructed. Precor rates the EFX 546 maximum user capacity at about 400 pounds, but I've seen larger individuals work out on them with no problem in the machine or degredation of performance. The Precor 546 Ellipticals are solid, with no shake - something cheaper cross trainers just cant offer.

Other features include 8 programs, 20 levels of resistance and a very comfortable 18 inch stride. A final winning feature is how rugged the Precor 546 ellipticals are while still being very low maintenance. Even the remanufactured units can live another 15+ years of use with a tiny amount of care. The only problems I've seen in older models are ones which can be fixed for a very low price --  worn bearings. This problem can easily be fixed for almost no cost, bearnings cost a few quid (dollars).

If you've bee a bit confused by the differences between the Precor Ellipticals, here is a quick cheat sheat: The Precor 5.19 is the home version, the Precor 544 is the oldest version, the Precor 546 is the stanard unit now with an adjustable ramp, the Precor 556 has a non-adjustable ramp but comes with the crosstraining arms, and the 576 comes with the crosstraining arms and the adjustable ramp. This machine would have cost around £3800 when new and good second hand examples can be had for around £900 from the a used fitness outlet, this such great value for such a top quality item of sports equipment. PRECOR USA is obviously one of the best makers of commercial fitness and gym equipment in the world.

Features

Best Top Range Commercial Used Eliptical Cross Trainer

The Life Fitness 9500 HR is without doubt the best all-round cross trainer (elliptical trainer) that I have ever used so far.

Several things make the Life Fitness 9500 NG superior to most other cross trainers that I’ve used. Firstly, instead of 10 you have 20 levels of resistance, which allows more control over how hard you want to work. Secondly, a heart rate monitor built into the handlebar grips, allowing the machine to have “Fat burn” and “Cardio” modes, which automatically adjusts the resistance to help keep your heart rate in the desired range. (Burning fat is a lower heart rate – about 124bpm for a 38 year old – while cardio works your heard faster, being about 153bpm for a 38 year old. The rate will reduce the older you get, it’s based on your maximum predicted heart rate minus a set figure.) This is a useful feature much like that found in most treadmills. Thirdly, and perhaps most crucially, the elliptical motion is longer, resulting in move even working of the anterior and posterior muscle groups in your legs (whereas other machines tend to focus on your posterior muscles – those at the back of your legs). This smoother motion feels very natural and thus makes it easier to keep going for longer – on low resistance levels it is very easy to keep going for a long period of time without feeling much strain in your legs, and you still burn a lot of calories that way.
 
In addition to this you have several other settings for hill climbing, random, zone training, and easy strolls to work your muscles in different ways and to different extents. The display shows you calories burned, distance covered, speed (in rpm), time left / done. You can change the time at any point and, depending on the programme you’re running, you can change either the resistance level or desired heart rate. You always get a cool down at the end (3 of 5 minutes, depending how long you’ve worked out for) , which is a good way of burning extra calories without much appreciable effort. (It also helps your muscles to cool down gradually, which is obviously a good thing.) Some people might find the minimum time setting of 10 minutes a little too much to begin with, but if so you can always get off before the end until you’ve built up your endurance a little! If you really want you could use the machine backwards – like most good machines.

The Life Fitness 9500 NG is almost a perfect machine, and of it type is the best I’ve used.  The new price started at around £3000 which would have been quite prohibitive for most home users, although the real joy is you can pick one of these top commercial cross trainers for around £1500. This machine has been built and designed for the commercial fitness market, giving long periods of use with minimum down time and servicing. High street equipment just doesnt come close to the quality that is found on the Precor 9500 NG.

Features

• Deluxe 26 Character LED Message Centre
• Elapsed time, distance, heart Rate, steps, speed, workout profile, pace, calories burned per hour, total calories burned, watts, METs
• 6 pre set programmes (Life Fitness' own)
• 5 heart rate control programmes
• Hand grip pulse sensors & Polar Telemetric Chest Strap
• User weights up to 28 stone
• Self Powered - no wires, auto start
• Resistance levels 1-20
• Dimensions L x W x H 205 x 63 x 157 cm

Buy this now £1495  from www.healthclubsathome.com for all your new and used fitness equipment.

• The 546 features sturdy construction, Precor’s adjustable CrossRamp®, 8 programs, and 20 resistance levels.
• Workout Variety - Features a variety of pre-programmed courses and multiple resistance levels, keeping exercise routines fresh and motivating.
• Low Maintenance - Quality components and superior construction promote years of trouble-free use.
• Space-Efficient - Designed to take up minimal floor space while providing exceptional stability-even during vigorous workouts. Easy to move, it fits through most standard doorways.
• CrossRamp® 13 - 40 degrees (adjustable)
• Stride Length 18 in (46cm)
• Maximum User Weight - 400lbs
• Frame Powder-coated steel
• Programs:8
• 20 resistance levels
• Length 80 in (203 cm) Width 30 in (76 cm) Height 62 in (156 cm) 
• Shipping Weight 340 lbs (155 kg)

• Biomechanically Correct Stride Pattern minimizes joint and muscle strain
• Ergonomic Wedge and Non-Skid Surface keep feet safely in position
• Sport Utility Display keeps towels, water bottles and personal stereos in place
• Personal Trainer Studio creates and saves custom programs
• Quick Start Feature plus 11 unique programs and 15 intensity levels
• Polar and Contact Heart Rate System allow for constant heart rate tracking
• Dynamic Heart Rate Control™ adjusts intensity level based on the user’s heart rate for interval training
• Resistance - 15 Levels of Intensity
• HR Monitoring - Polar Telemetry & Contact Heart Rate System with Dynamic Heart Rate Control
• Readouts - Time, Distance, Speed, Calories, Calories/Hour, Heart Rate, Resistance Levels (1 - 15), Course Profile, METS, Watts
• Programs - 11 Programs including Fitness Test and Dynamic Heart Rate Control
• Standard Features - FitLinxx certified, external auxiliary port for Cardio Theater and BroadcastVision
• 11 Pre designed programmes including quickstart & fit test
• Overall Dimensions - 33" (W) x 86" (L) x 62" (H) - Overall Weight - 230 Lbs