Has anyone used an elliptical from the brand Smooth? any other recommendations?

[evident]

I'm looking to buy an elliptical soon, the gym is too expensive around here and it's far away and crowded.

I've been doing some research and I found a brand called Smooth Fitness. we're interested in the CE-7.4 elliptical model.

http://www.smoothfitness.com/

is there any other elliptical we should be looking at at this price range? One thing is that we like the feel of rear wheel ellipticals. I know the Sole E95 makes a good front wheel one, but its still a little bit uncomfortable to us. i guess we're used to the gym ellipticals. we're looking to spend between $1200-1500 for one.

 

[gar655]

Why an elliptical? They're ALL uncomfortable IMO. They don't offer much of a workout and they have a gazillion moving parts.

I would spend that amount of money on a nice treadmill instead.

If you can't run for some reason, then the Concept 2 Erg (rower) gives a MUCH better workout, costs less and will last forever with little to no maintenance.

Gene

 

[Kaido]

is there any other elliptical we should be looking at at this price range?

I have a ProForm SpaceSaver Elliptical & love it:

http://www.proform.com/

It's a tad wobbly (not super heavy like the much larger models), but I can move it by myself and shove it in the corner after using it. I've had it for about 3 years or so and it's still running great!

 

[Kaido]

Why an elliptical? They're ALL uncomfortable IMO. They don't offer much of a workout and they have a gazillion moving parts.

I would spend that amount of money on a nice treadmill instead.

If you can't run for some reason, then the Concept 2 Erg (rower) gives a MUCH better workout, costs less and will last forever with little to no maintenance.

Gene

Seriously? My elliptical whips my rear, WAY harder than a treadmill!

Concept 2 rowers are super hard tho, I'd love to get one eventually.

 

[prism]

My parents have an Octane model, don't know which one or how much they paid for it but the thing is a BEAST and is super stable and silky smooth. Honestly better than most gym ellipticals I've used. And whoever thinks an elliptical doesn't give you a good workout is just wrong.

EDIT: After looking at their website I'm pretty sure it's the Q37; more than what you're looking to spend with an MSRP of $2600, but dang is it nice.

 

[gar655]

Seriously? My elliptical whips my rear, WAY harder than a treadmill!

Concept 2 rowers are super hard tho, I'd love to get one eventually.

Seriously? Can you really run at sub 5 minute pace at a 10-12% grade for say, ANY amount of time?

Probably not. So in that case the treadmill is WAY, WAY, WAY harder than any elliptical workout.

You just cannot move fast enough on an elliptical to even come close to mimicking fast running let alone an all out sprint.

Same thing with the C2 rower, you CANNOT, EVER max out the rower.

Ellipticals can be maxed out on- in other words your athletic ability can exceed the machine.

Something that you cannot do on a C2 and only a handful of runners worldwide can do on a good treadmill.

Gene

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Seriously? Can you really run at sub 5 minute pace at a 10-12% grade for say, ANY amount of time?

Probably not. So in that case the treadmill is WAY, WAY, WAY harder than any elliptical workout.

You just cannot move fast enough on an elliptical to even come close to mimicking fast running let alone an all out sprint.

Same thing with the C2 rower, you CANNOT, EVER max out the rower.

Ellipticals can be maxed out on- in other words your athletic ability can exceed the machine.

Something that you cannot do on a C2 and only a handful of runners worldwide can do on a good treadmill.

Gene

Well, ellipticals were originally invented as a rehab tool for runners. It's not meant to be able to sprint.

Can I ask you if you've ever actually rowed hard on a C2 rower? Because it seems like you haven't even seen someone use it. The C2 rower is used by rowing teams around the world for both endurance and sprint workouts. Let me tell you, you can sprint your ass off on them.

Notable video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjY3eKNvzug

My PR was something like 1:38, and I'm not a bad rower in the sprints. Row something sub-1:50 and tell me you can't sprint on a C2.

 

[kamper]

Can I ask you if you've ever actually rowed hard on a C2 rower? Because it seems like you haven't even seen someone use it. The C2 rower is used by rowing teams around the world for both endurance and sprint workouts. Let me tell you, you can sprint your ass off on them.

He was implying that you can go all out on a rower, just like on a treadmill and unlike on an elliptical.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

He was implying that you can go all out on a rower, just like on a treadmill and unlike on an elliptical.

Doh, misread the key sentence. I thought he said you cannot max out ON the rower.

 

[gar655]

1:38 is pretty good. My best is around 1:39-40. I'm a LW and 48 and short too :-(.

Rowing fast is designed for big, tall people at least on the erg the bigger and taller you are the more advantage you have.

 

[Whisper]

I had no idea there were even competitive indoor rowing leagues, let alone world records. Then again, given that I've watched lawnmower racing on ESPN, not much surprises me anymore. Cool stuff.

 

[Kaido]

Seriously? Can you really run at sub 5 minute pace at a 10-12% grade for say, ANY amount of time?

Probably not. So in that case the treadmill is WAY, WAY, WAY harder than any elliptical workout.

You just cannot move fast enough on an elliptical to even come close to mimicking fast running let alone an all out sprint.

Sorry, wasn't meant as an attack - I just meant, an elliptical kills me. I have a much harder time on an elliptical than on an inclined treadmill.

 

[evident]

here's an update. i got the sole e95. it's being delivered to my house on friday. there were too many fake reviews for smooth machines on the web, and after digging it seems like their customer service is non-existant.

why am i getting an elliptical and not X? I love the way the elliptical feels. it gives me a good workout, and it's something i enjoy using when i'm at the gym. my fiance will also be using it as well, so whatever she actually uses will be good for me too. i'll be hard pressed to get her to use a rower or treadmill. besides, i have flat feet, so using the treadmill is pretty brutal for me.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

here's an update. i got the sole e95. it's being delivered to my house on friday. there were too many fake reviews for smooth machines on the web, and after digging it seems like their customer service is non-existant.

why am i getting an elliptical and not X? I love the way the elliptical feels. it gives me a good workout, and it's something i enjoy using when i'm at the gym. my fiance will also be using it as well, so whatever she actually uses will be good for me too. i'll be hard pressed to get her to use a rower or treadmill. besides, i have flat feet, so using the treadmill is pretty brutal for me.

It'll help you maintain health a bit better, but don't expect the gains to be too functional. And just as an aside, flat feet can be dealt with via proper shoes and orthotics. I'd just hate having to work out inside all the time. Running is great 'cause I can go explore and get outside. I'm a flat-footed runner with no real foot-related problems.

 

[evident]

It'll help you maintain health a bit better, but don't expect the gains to be too functional. And just as an aside, flat feet can be dealt with via proper shoes and orthotics. I'd just hate having to work out inside all the time. Running is great 'cause I can go explore and get outside. I'm a flat-footed runner with no real foot-related problems.

i ride my bike and run outside when when the weather is nice. but especially in the winter when i'm practically living in the dark there really isn't another alternative for me besides working out at home.

especially since any of the closeby gyms are $100/month.

what do you mean by not expecting functional gains though? I've been using the elliptical for years at the gym and it feels great to me. when i went religiously, it def kept my weight in check and help me build muscle when i was lifting as well.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

i ride my bike and run outside when when the weather is nice. but especially in the winter when i'm practically living in the dark there really isn't another alternative for me besides working out at home.

especially since any of the closeby gyms are $100/month.

what do you mean by not expecting functional gains though? I've been using the elliptical for years at the gym and it feels great to me. when i went religiously, it def kept my weight in check and help me build muscle when i was lifting as well.

The gains aren't as functional as doing other forms of cardio, like running, rowing, or circuit training especially. Sure, it'll keep your weight down, improve your health, and induce a certain degree of exercise adaptation, but it won't result in leaps and bounds in your fitness. You'll get better at exercising on an elliptical mainly, which is obviously not a useful or applicable motion that humans typically utilize. The rigid path isn't realistic and may mess with your running biomechanics when you actually want to jog.

On top of that, the rigid path and set distance between the feet may lead to increased wear on certain joints. In particular, I don't use ellipticals very frequently because they induce a sort of tibial valgus. This means the far end of your foot tends to go outside of where your knee is. That can lead to increased forces being put on certain anatomical structures around the knee (lateral meniscus, medial collateral ligament and medial meniscus through proxy). I'm a smaller guy with narrow hips so this tends to be an issue.

 

[iluvdeal]

what do you mean by not expecting functional gains though? I've been using the elliptical for years at the gym and it feels great to me. when i went religiously, it def kept my weight in check and help me build muscle when i was lifting as well.

If you hate using the rower, treadmill, or spinner at the gym, there's no point in buying one and putting it in your house. The best piece of exercise equipment is the one you enjoy using, it sounds like the elliptical fits that bill for you so I'd say it's a great purchase. Congrats.

 

[Kaido]

here's an update. i got the sole e95. it's being delivered to my house on friday. there were too many fake reviews for smooth machines on the web, and after digging it seems like their customer service is non-existant.

why am i getting an elliptical and not X? I love the way the elliptical feels. it gives me a good workout, and it's something i enjoy using when i'm at the gym. my fiance will also be using it as well, so whatever she actually uses will be good for me too. i'll be hard pressed to get her to use a rower or treadmill. besides, i have flat feet, so using the treadmill is pretty brutal for me.

Congrats! The elliptical is my favorite indoor cardio workout machine. I have a trick knee and it's really nice because running typically makes it pop, especially on asphalt or concrete. The low impact motion of the elliptical is really nice for avoiding that.

If you get bored while using it, I saw a nice TV over in Hot Deals that I think I'm going to pick up:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2132161

It's a small 22" flat-screen for $200 that has wireless & Netflix built-in...perfect for streaming movies & TV shows without having to have a separate player and stuff. Music/podcasts/audiobooks unfortunately don't distract me enough from the boringness of cardio...I suffer from chronic low motivation, so that seems like it would be a pretty distraction tool Then I can look forward to watching the next episode of 24 or whatever instead of fighting boredom, hehe. Now I just have to figure out a mounting solution...

 

[evident]

Congrats! The elliptical is my favorite indoor cardio workout machine. I have a trick knee and it's really nice because running typically makes it pop, especially on asphalt or concrete. The low impact motion of the elliptical is really nice for avoiding that.

If you get bored while using it, I saw a nice TV over in Hot Deals that I think I'm going to pick up:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2132161

It's a small 22" flat-screen for $200 that has wireless & Netflix built-in...perfect for streaming movies & TV shows without having to have a separate player and stuff. Music/podcasts/audiobooks unfortunately don't distract me enough from the boringness of cardio...I suffer from chronic low motivation, so that seems like it would be a pretty distraction tool Then I can look forward to watching the next episode of 24 or whatever instead of fighting boredom, hehe. Now I just have to figure out a mounting solution...

Thanks for the link

we have a 32" Sharp that we never use in the bedroom, it's def going to be moving across the hallway into our guestroom/gym room. I just have to hook my laptop up to it when i want to watch some movies/shows.

I'm just looking for a deal on those switchable free weights, and i should be good to go for a bit!

 

[Kaido]

Thanks for the link

we have a 32" Sharp that we never use in the bedroom, it's def going to be moving across the hallway into our guestroom/gym room. I just have to hook my laptop up to it when i want to watch some movies/shows.

I'm just looking for a deal on those switchable free weights, and i should be good to go for a bit!

Hah that'll be nice, plus you can rock Hulu on there. Can't convince my wife to go for a 42" in front of the machine for some reason