Rear or Front Wheel Drive Cross Trainer
Buying a Rear or Front Wheel Drive Cross Trainer
Like most things choosing a cross trainer is down to personal preference but here are a few guidelines to help anyone new to working out on an elliptical. Some fitness trainers suggest there are advantages buying a rear driven cross trainer mainly the stride length being longer making for a more flexible workout. The longer stride gives a jogging or walking type of motion when compared to a front wheel cross trainer.
Rear Drive Elliptical Cross Trainers
Front Drive Elliptical Cross Trainers
Rear Wheel Cross Trainers
On a rear drive cross trainer your body is positioned towards the centre of the machine whereas on a front drive model you tend to lean forward. Trainers compare this action as resembling an uphill hike with legs tending to move in a steeper like fashion. The difference in style does not mean it will affect your workout in any way as both types of cross trainer provide an excellent way of keeping fit and burning calories.
Elliptical trainers continue to grow in popularity and there are many to choose from on the market. Low price rear drive models from popular makes such as Body Sculpture, Beny Sports V-Fit, Marcy, York and Reebok start from just over £100. Higher end models from leading fitness brands such as Life Fitness and Precor offer award winning home versions of popular health club ellipticals. Something like the Life Fitness CSX Club series (X9i) is just over £3000.
Front Wheel Cross Trainers
Front drive cross trainers were introduced more recently and due to the location and mechanics of the parts can work out more expensive. Just like the rear driven cross trainers they exercise muscle groups simultaneously. This provides an intense workout in less time for faster results. Their dual lever action is designed to provide a cardiovascular workout with minimal impact on the joints rather than build muscles.
Brands such as Horizon Fitness, Nordic Track, Fuel Fitness, Bremshey, Vision Fitness and Tunturi produce high quality cross trainers starting from around £400 going up t0 £3000 depending on what features are available. In the end whichever crosstrainer you go for will be down to your personal preference, fitness requirements and of course budget.
Fortunately many stockists make it easy for to shop by price, brand, best selling and most popular. John Lewis stock a good range of front and rear drive cross trainers with a full description and specification for each model. Gym World also stock a range of high-end commercial cross trainers with installation options available. In addition, they have a good range of combat sports accessories such as boxing gloves, punchbags and martial arts equipment.
The quality and build of both styles of cross trainer will determine how well they perform and how comfortable they are to use. For frequent use it is best to invest in a robust high quality model especially if you want a frequent use and heavy duty exercise machine that will last for many years. For light use there are cheap cross trainers available for beginners that will give a low impact exercise and will tone your upper and lower body.
Buying a Cross Trainer – How much to spend?
Buying a cross trainer for the first time takes a little thought and consideration. Apart from the usual dilemma of where to store it you also have to think about what you want from an exercise machine. Exercising at home can be fun and need not be an expensive business.
Well known brands are always going to be pricey so depending on the seriousness of your home workout its worth looking at all options. The more you pay for an elliptical cross trainer the more you will get; it’s as simple as that. A compact elliptical is great where space is limited and there are also folding elliptical cross trainers which can be easily stored away.
Up to £200
Elliptical cross trainers provide a low impact exercise and are ideal for beginners and any one new to home fitness. Models in this price bracket give you a basic workout and feed back on your progress and offer good value exercise machines to get started on your fitness regime.
Cheap elliptical cross trainers are widely available and although may not be a top brand name can be well made and stand up to a fair amount of usage. Popular names at the lower end of the market include Carl Lewis, V-Fit, Body Sculpture and Weslo. The Carl Lewis ELP30X is a good budget cross-trainer with 8 adjustable resistance levels, heart rate monitor and extra wide stride.
Cross Trainers for around £200
£200- £500
Moving on to the next pricing level gives you a range of cross trainers that are durable and well made. There are many advantages to exercising at home firstly there is the convenience and secondly the amount of money saved on expensive gym memberships.
It is important to consider how many others will be using the cross trainer too because a more expensive model will give a choice of workouts and different stride lengths to suit each individual. You can expect to find best sellers from Reebok, Kettler and Pro-Form. Popular models like Reebok I-Train are an ideal first buy and come with a choice of colours that the ladies will particularly go for.
Cross Trainers for around £500
£500-£1000
Spending up to £1000 on home exercise equipment will give you the full works and will cater for all fitness levels. The sturdy models can take the most rigorous workouts and are ideal for more than one user. Models from top names like York, Tunturi, Bremshey and Motive Fitness offer fully adjustable stride lengths and a clear and comprehensive console display.
Cross trainers in this price band are more likely to feel smoother with a true elliptical motion. Quality machines from York include the X-301 Diamond Elliptical Trainer that features easy to read LED display, 16 resistance levels and 22 Workout programs.
Cross Trainers for around £1000
Gym Quality Ellipticals and Commercial Machines
Any cross-trainer over £1000 is going to come with a much higher spec and once you hit the £5000 mark and over you are really going to get a gym quality 5 star machine. Precor is a respected brand that covers the high end and commercial market with innovative products like the Precor 524i Cross Trainer.
Key features of this model include CrossRamp Technology that allows the user to select a ramp angle throughout the workout to strengthen different muscle groups. Plus touch sensitive controls, ergonomic handles; touch heart rate monitor, 5 programs and 20 resistance levels for the very best performance. This is also a low maintenance and space-efficient cross trainer that’s easy to move around.
Gym Quality Cross Trainers
If you want to create a gym experience indoors and don’t mind splashing out look at top end ranges from Johnson, Life Fitness, Nautilus, Precor and Vision Fitness. Here you will find higher end models and commercial cross trainers with bells and whistles and plenty of quality features.
Best of all are the added benefits that come with choosing a gym quality machine like the Life Fitness Total Body X7 Elliptical Cross-Trainer. You not only burn up calories and improve overall body tone you can track your progress to maintain an effective fitness routine. The WhisperStride technology is a bonus too delivering an extremely smooth and quite fluid motion.
Cross Trainers – The perfect aid to losing weight.
Cross trainers are ideal for Cardio Vascular workouts and when paired with a sensible and balanced diet you can shed those pesky pounds in no time at all.
Elliptical workouts include both the upper and lower body in the workout meaning that you get an all round full body workout. Another plus side about using a cross trainer is that the exercise is a low impact activity meaning there is very little stress on your joints and bones. This makes it ideal for anyone with joint pain or aches and less likely to cause injury while exercising.
By using a cross trainer 3-4 times a week and spending 30mins at a reasonable to fast pace will burn a good amount of calories and fat.
The other aspect to consider is diet, this is just as important as doing the actual exercise. A balanced diet consists of a good amount of fruit and vegetables, a balance between carbohydrates, calories, fat and protein. By reducing your overall daily calorie intake, eating complex carbohydrates and increasing your protein consumption you will be left feeling fuller for longer and team this with a good exercise routine you are guaranteed to start losing weight.
Protein bars are an ideal way to replace snacking on chocolate bars and will give you a source of extra protein. Protein shakes are also a great source of protein and if taken after exercise will help your body to recover much quicker from the strain.
Ski Fitness Training
Ski Fitness Training
The idea of a fun packed skiing holiday in the snow whether it’s snowboarding or skiing is just what the doctor ordered. The sheer accelerating experience is uplifting in itself and the physical exertion will soon burn off any excess weight.However before you go and book your winter sports break, make sure you’re in tip top condition for all that physical activity.
Popular Home Cross Trainers
Tips to get you ready for that Winter Sports Break
Get down to the gym pronto and get advice on the best fitness programme and exercise that will prepare your body before your holiday.
For those who gave up their gym membership to save some money and invested in a cross trainer instead, you are probably already toned are raring to go.
Working out with an elliptical cross trainer on a regular basis will help reduce muscle soreness and any chance of injury from your sporting activities.
You don’t have to be a fitness fanatic or be a member of a fitness club to condition your body especially when you own your own exercise machine.
The advantage of using home fitness equipment is you can always increase your routine when it suits you; which is perfect for a pre-holiday exercise session. Cross trainers offer cardiovascular workouts as well as resistance training and depending on the type of elliptical you have, provide varied programmes for specific conditioning exercises.
Which exercises are good to do before a skiing or snowboarding trip
Horizon Andes
Good forms of cardiovascular exercises include swimming, running and cycling which are also excellent for general body fitness. In addition, using a cross trainer at home can also gives you a cardio workout that you can do any time at home in any weather conditions.
Strengthening all major muscle groups including knee joints is essential; which is what cross trainers do so well. Best of all is the low impact exercise ellipticals provide with upper and lower body routines building strength in a gentle but effective way. Once these core muscles have been put through their paces you’ll soon be ready for the ski slopes.
Skiing and snowboarding breaks are a popular choice for winter sports holidays and many can’t wait to strap on their skis. It makes sense to get the most out of any sporting activities by investing in a home gym or other strength training equipment so you can get the maximum enjoyment from your favourite sport.
Getting fit with a cross-trainer will benefit you before your skiing break as well as afterwards too. By targeting specific muscle groups and building strength you will notice an improvement in your skiing technique and reduced soreness afterwards.
Snowboarding, down hill skiing and cross country skiing requires fitness levels to be at their best. Elliptical cross trainers combine different training methods and work-outs to meet your needs especially higher end models. Aerobic, cardio and strengthening workouts with various resistance levels are found on most models including cheap entry level exercise machines.
We have selected three Elliptical Cross Trainers in different price bands that we feel offer a variety of programs to help you achieve your fitness goals.
Elliptical Cross Trainer 5 Buying Tips
Buying an Elliptical Cross Trainer
When buying home fitness equipment for the first time it is worth doing a little bit of research beforehand; that way it will serve you well for many years. You’ve already decided buying an elliptical trainer is right for you so what do you need to know before parting with your cash.
Here are five different aspects worth considering
- Adjustable Stride Length
- Dual Direction Movement with Ergonomic Footplates and Handles
- Easy to read Display with Console Feedback
- Magnetic Resistance
- Adjustable Resistance levels with varied Programmes
Adjustable Stride Length
This may not be obvious to everyone but it’s particularly important if there is more than one user. It is essential to have the correct stride length so your body moves in a natural way.
The elliptical trainer is designed to mimic the body’s running and walking motion so for you to get the full benefit it needs to able to match your natural stride. A shorter stride gives an up and down motion whereas a longer stride length will produce a smoother elliptical action. Check out the spec of the cross trainer for the stride length; they are usually between 14″ to 20″. As a general rule the longer the stride the better.
There are many elliptical trainers on the market and they are fast becoming the number one choice for home use. They will of course vary in price but most models offer models with adjustable pedals. Consider your body type and if you’ll be sharing the machine before you decide on a model.
Dual Direction Movement with Ergonomic Footplates and Handles
As mentioned earlier an elliptical cross trainer mimics our body’s walking action; this “elliptical motion” is achieved by the dual direction of the pedals and handles. A smooth and stable motion is vital for a low impact exercise. You don’t want any unnecessary jarring of the joints from poorly designed exercise machines.
Manufacturers realise the importance of designing large footplates and comfortable handlebars and this will be highlighted as a main feature in the models description. The best elliptical motion is achieved when handlebars and foot plates give a natural glide back and forth.
Most models today offer dual direction action that will accommodate changing upper and lower body workouts. And going in reverse will exercise different muscles especially the buttocks and hamstrings.
Easy to read Display with Console Feedback
Having a display that is easy to read and understand means you can monitor your progress more closely. Most displays show speed, time, distance plus calories burned and heart rate. Budget cross trainers will have basic requirements but for the full works you need to look at the higher priced elliptical trainers.
Top brands like Johnson, Life Fitness, Nautilus and Precor for example will offer everything you would expect from a gym cross trainer. Beginners and those new to elliptical training may find cheaper models are all they need.
The advantage of having all this info in front of you encourages you to keep going especially when you can see how many calories you have just burned. Experienced and newcomers to the world of fitness will also gain from knowing if their work-out is at the right “fat burning” levels.
Magnetic Resistance
Without getting too technical there are basically two types of cross trainer a belt driven and a magnetic. They both form resistance on the flywheel; cheaper models having belt tension and better models magnetic resistance.
The general view would be to go for magnetic resistance simply because it is quieter and will last much longer. Magnetic resistance systems also require less maintenance. Look out for models that have a push button control on the display too. This will allow you to control the resistance without interrupting your workout.
With fold away and compact elliptical trainers widely available more people are keeping fit at home instead of going to the gym. But wheeling out an exercise machine in front of the TV is not much fun if it makes too much noise so look for models with a quiet and smooth operation.
Adjustable Resistance levels with varied Programmes
Anyone looking to lose weight, build strength of just become more flexible will be kept motivated for longer when they have the choice of more workouts. That’s why it is worth paying that little extra if it means you’re not going to get bored.
Being able to change the resistance level will suit users at different fitness levels and lead to improved aerobic fitness and muscle strength. Lower resistance levels are designed to give an aerobic exercise whereas the higher you go tones and builds muscle strength.
On higher end models you’ll find pre-set programmes built-in which target different areas; fat-burning, strength building, aerobic, etc and some models come with special trainer software such as iFit. This keeps track of your progress and sees how you have done for the year.
Exercise at home with an elliptical trainer or other types of fitness equipment will be more rewarding when there is a greater choice of programmes especially if it helps you determine the intensity and pace of your workout that best suits you.
