http://www.goingalltheweigh.com

So Far, So Good,,,,, March 5, 2011

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Jaclyn Womack – See all my reviews

  

We’ve had it for about 72 hours now. We didn’t buy it from Amazon, but paid a similar price. We splurged and had someone deliver and assemble it. Considering the man does it all day, every day….and it still took him over two hours to complete assembly, I’d say it was money well spent!

We are NOT runners by nature, so take this review for what it’s worth, as my opinion is going to vary from people who are already capable of running marathons. We are overweight, but not obese, this machine is supposed to be able to handle up to 300lbs, but neither of us approach the limit. That said, this machine is very stable, even when I’m not exactly the most graceful of people jogging on it. The water in my water bottle doesn’t even twitch. It’s not whisper quiet, but you can hear your music or the TV over it well enough, at a slightly elevated volume.

This unit DOES NOT include the iFit module, which is, currently, another 0-0 to buy – the service/website is then free for the first year and then /year after that. We went out and bought that today. We’re still putzing around with settings, but you can configure it to update onto Facebook and it tracks all of your workouts. You can have two different users on a module, so my husband and I will be tracked separately. You can track your calorie intake and burn, with commonly eaten food calorie counts available right on the website and the option to input calories on a freeform basis. There are spots to keep track of your measurements, etc. As you can see, it’s a pretty nifty option…that DOESN’T come standard with the unit and, honestly, was one of the main reasons we bought this machine, thinking it did.

There is an iPod jack and wire that jacks into the headphone jack of your iPod. Playback is ok on the treadmill speakers. It’s a little tinny, but…yeah, it’s a treadmill not a stereo component. It beats having the earbuds in, at any rate.

The one thing that I really don’t like about this unit is the very oddly shaped, cubish, fairly shallow cubbies for water/remotes/whatever. I have a 24oz waterbottle and it just doesn’t sit in there right. I was worried it would fall out with the vibration but, as I mentioned earlier, the water doesn’t even move at a slow jog. (I haven’t gotten up any higher than a slow jog just yet…) and the cable remote also sits strangely in the other cubbie. I would have preferred a dedicated, obvious drink holder. As for the remote, I think I’m going to get a bit of adhesive backed hook and loop fastener to solve that problem.

The 10% incline and the max speed on this unit more than serves the need of two fairly sedentary people just getting back into being active. If you’re already all big and bad and buff, you’re probably going to want to keep looking for something else that’s designed for your needs. All in all, a really good entry level machine.

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Ok machine, but don’t have high expectations., March 16, 2011

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William R. Stutsman “diverse reader” (Houston, TX) – See all my reviews

  

I can pretty much say, “Ditto” to Jaclyn Womack’s review. I use an IPhone instead of an Ipod, but the results are the same. Cup holders are badly thought out. Do have someone assemble it for you. The display is clear and easy to view in different light. The ride is comfortable and doesn’t produce a lot of impact.

The built-in programs are very limited and can’t be reprogrammed. For instance, if you select to train for a 5K and can’t run it at the speeds and times that are pre-programmed, you are out of luck. You have to make changes on the fly. This is a very clumsy process and perhaps hazardous.

The heart rate monitor doesn’t work, but I didn’t expect it to so I won’t complain. It doesn’t work on our elliptical either. In truth it seldom works in devices in this price range. Also, the calorie counter is wildly inaccurate. It doesn’t take into account you weight or Body Mass Index. If you really want to track these things, I suggest you check out heart rate monitors from Timex or Polar. I workout with a Timex.

I like that this treadmill has a lot of space at the front for you stride and arm motion. I think the belt size is adequate for anyone under 6 feet tall.

To get more functionality you will need to get with IFIT.COM. As Ms. Womack pointed out this is expensive. In addition to what she noted there is the cost of the cards which start at each.

All in all I am satisfied with the device though I would have liked the ability to program some user-defined workouts and a little more functionality. But the price was right. I found a better price at Academy.

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Excellent for the price, April 7, 2011

Great treadmill! I have no complaints. Lots of great programs. Even better than expected! Not hard to put together either.

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