Get Fit, Go Elliptical!
 Aug 14th, 2003
Advantages:
Low impact cardiovascular workout
Disadvantages:
Expensive
Recommendable:
Yes
Detailed rating:
Durability
Comfort
Value for money
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  Maharaja
About me:
If you'll be my bodyguard, I can be your long lost pal.
I can call you Betty, and Betty when you ca...
Member since:21.07.2003
Reviews:13
Members who trust:4
Review rated by 19 Ciao members on average: very helpful 
In a bid to lose a few pounds after uni (too much alcohol & too many takeaways) I was looking for a good all round exercise machine, and elliptical trainers were recommended by some friends. "Why?" I enquired.
"The answer is simple" came the reply, "they are a great cardiovascular work out and the pedals mimic the body's natural movements when running, so essentially you are running, but there is no impact - saving your joints and bones!" "Genius!" I replied.
And so my quest to buy a machine began. After looking at a variety of makes and models, I decided upon the York 3100 Elliptical Trainer & Cycle.
It looked the sturdiest, could handle the most maximum weight (16 stone - not that I was this large, but obviously the larger the maximum weight, the stronger the machine), was from a brand that I had heard of and trusted, and was mid-priced between the cheaper basic elliptical machines, and the top end Reebok ones.
Another important feature is that it is not just an Elliptical Trainer but an exercise bike as well - so you get two good quality machines for the price of two cheap machines, but in the space of one machine - "Genius!"
I ordered the machine from Argos (£200 + free delivery) and waited patiently for it to arrive a few days later.
This is a home assembly job, and some of the sections are quite heavy so you may need assistance, but it is straight forward to assemble. It isn't small (60cm by 145cm footprint) or light, however, so make sure you assemble it where you want to put it - it'll save you a lot of hassle! ***What is it like to use?***
Superb!
When using it as an Elliptical Trainer it glides very well, and there is very little/no impact on your joints. I recommend that you stretch well before exercising so you don't pull any muscles when on the machine.
There is variable magnetic resistance, controlled by a knob in front of you. It goes all the way upto 8, but I'm not yet seeing the day that I'll get above 3! There is a large display computer that you can set as a countdown timer, or to simply time you for as long as you want, you are told your speed, distance (which can also be used as a timer/target if you want to run X number of kilometres), there is a calorie counter and a heart rate monitor with a clip to attach to your ears. This model doesn't have the fancy hand-grip mounted pulse sensors of newer or more expensive models.
In terms of exercising your body, this machine gives a very good cardiovascular workout - helping to keep your heart healthy and helping to lose weight and providing overall toning, but it won't really build any upper body/arm muscle. You can pedal forwards and backwards to focus on different leg muscles and get a more intensive work out, and you can also let go of the handles to make your legs do all the work.
I wear additional wrist weights (£4 from Argos) which allows the arms to be used a bit more. The exercise bike part of the machine has an adjustable seat height, and when using the bike you can move the handle bars so that they are horizontal, rather than the vertical that you use when running (as in picture above).
Admittedly this is first and foremost an elliptical machine, so the bike isn't the best, but it provides a good place to park your behind when all the running gets too much and you need a drink of water! Seriously it is also useful for warming up/down.
In terms of manouvreability - you can 'wheel' it on two its two front feet, which turn like wheels so you don't have to lift the whole thing to move it - which is useful. To maintain this machine, you may occasionally need to oil some of the moving joints - a little WD40 will do nicely, but apart from that you just have to use it regularly to stop the dust settling!
This is a very good, sturdy machine that will give you an excellent cardiovascular work out and won't impact on your joints. If you want to take up jogging, but can't stand the rain and cold, or don't want to be seen in running in public, this is the perfect compromise.
It is slightly on the expensive side compared to what you can buy standard elliptical machines for, but I think it's worth the money purely because of the inbuilt seat! Let's get fit people!
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15.01.2007 21:02
I'm looking for exercise gear following a hip replacement, and finding it to be a minefield. Thanks for the useful review.
23.04.2006 21:53
Thank you for THOROUGHLY reviewing this item!!! I'm thinking of buying an elliptical but getting a review is eigh on impossible!! x
07.10.2003 15:41
excellent breezy op! :) xx E.