How to choose a crosstrainer? Let's Investigate

Added: 12/19/2006

Have you ever seen an infomercial on television that has made you think 'If I just had THAT piece of equipment, I could loose weight and get healthy again!' Well, if you have, the chances are that the infomercial has been for a crosstrainer. There are so many on the market right now, the choice is difficult! How do you choose the best one for you? Let's investigate, shall we?

There are as many different fitness goals that everyone has as there are machines. When considering what type of a crosstrainer you’d like to purchase, the considerations must be clearly defined in your mind BEFORE you attempt to make a purchase. This is because the salesman will only shoot for a really high commission and not give any regard to your fitness goals. Are you determined to get rid of your pot belly? Maybe you’d like to tone and tighten your glutes and abs. Maybe you simply want to shed some pounds and get in the habit of a healthy exercise routine. Making sure to assess (and be honest) your fitness level and ability as you begin deciding what machine to purchase is a worthwhile use of your time before you even head to the fitness store.

Keeping in mind that a cardio crosstrainer provides the best overall workout with a low to no impact workout usually burning more calories than even a stair stepper, shopping for the best price can begin at home. There are multiple choices from manufacturer’s direct websites to those such as shopzilla and bizrate. Looking here first will also clue you in to the proper “going rate” for one of these machines. Don’t leave it up to the salesman to justify the price to you at the health and fitness store. A crosstrainer should be warranted and consist of mostly heavy parts to substantiate both your body weight and the amount that the machine will be involved in repetitious activity. A crosstrainer should also allow the buyer to adjust the resistance so that as you build up muscle and can handle more reps, the resistance can be changed to grow with your fitness level.

Once you’ve decided your fitness level, the results you expect and your price range, the showroom floor will not be so intimidating. Get on each machine you are SERIOUSLY considering and do a little demonstration for yourself. DO NOT take the salesman’s word for how it feels. This is not going to benefit you one bit. How it feels to someone who doesn’t have knee or joint pain it not how it will feel to someone who does. Make sure that you are comfortable on the machine. If you’re not, move on to the next one until you find one you are comfortable on. Keep in mind that anything new is going to take some getting used to, so give each one a fair chance.

You also need to make sure that you are using that machine CORRECTLY. This will prevent injuries and soreness after using the machine. The goal here is not to subscribe to the adage “no pain, no gain”. That has long been recognized as the determining factor of whether or not someone is getting a “good” workout. A crosstrainer should not cause you any pain.

In using your crosstrainer, you should aim to warm up for at least 10 minutes, raise your heart rate for at least 20 minutes before slowing down to a cool down. If used properly for the prescribed amount of time (whether this has to be built up to is another story), you will want to strive to keep your heart rate elevated for a longer period of time as you go. This will increase your endurance, your energy level, and yes, your overall fitness goal of increasing your fitness level and loose weight.

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