The Future of Working Out is in the Futura 2600 Gym
Written: Feb 07 '05 (Updated Mar 07 '05)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Every body part can be worked in many ways.
Cons: none
The Bottom Line: This is a fantastic machine and made by the same company which makes the Weider Crossbar. They are identical.
|
|
|
| jo.com's Full Review: NordicTrack Futura 2600 |
This is another machine that a consumer asked me about. I sent him my assessment and am passing it along to you in much more detail! The NordicTrack Futura 2600 is so similar to the Weider Crossbar that they are difficult to differentiate for the non professional. That may be because they are both made by Icon Health and Fitness! Because they are so similar in design and price you may be looking at both as the gentleman who e-mailed me was. For that reason I will compare the two so you can make an informed decision. There are a few significant differences. The price is not one of them, however. They are both in the $1,000 - $1,200 range depending on where you buy the machine.
INordic Track Futura versus Weider Crossbar:
Luckily the Nordic Track does not have the word bar or bow in it. The use of that in Weider’s Crossbar has confused many. Neither uses bows.
Like the Crossbar, Futura has the same pictures on this machine. These do not in any way affect your workout and I could just ignore it but in case you look at this machine you may be confused thus the explanation. You will see the front and back of a nicely muscled figure. On that figure are names of exercises. At first glance it would seem that the names would correspond with the muscle. For example the ab crunch exercise would be in the abdominal area but it is not. The placements of these names have nothing to do with the placement of them so ignore that. Instead they are listed to correspond with the programs that the NordicTrack Futura offers.
The programs and design of the programs on the NordicTrack are identical to those on the Crossbar. You can choose to strength train, circuit train or lose weight/fat burning. For example if you program the machine for fat burning, which I will talk about later, you will automatically use a lighter weight and more repetitions. I like to think of this as toning rather than weight loss. Strength training would give you the opposite and circuit training will move you from one exercise to another quickly. I think doing a variety of these programs is ideal. Please e-mail me if you want me to explain the lose weight feature. I could write an essay on those two words alone. Above each of these programs we are told what body part we will be working. It may be your upper body, abs and back or lower body. This is where the exercises come in. They are listed above each of these areas. For example above abs and lower back you will see row, lat pulldown and ab crunch. These are three exercises that can be done on this machine for your ab and back. This is the way the Futura is set up. Once you see it and use it there is nothing confusing about it. I can almost promise you that. If there is please e-mail me and I will help you out.
The technology is also the same. It is called Digitally Controlled Resistance or DCR. NordicTrack’s Futura 2600 has the same amount of resistance as the Crossbar. That is 340 pounds of resistance which is a really decent amount for most people. Certainly there are some who can chest press or squat more weight but they are probably in a gym and not buying this machine.
The Futura like the Crossbar claims to give you a full range of motion and consistent resistance throughout each repetition. I have found this to be true. That is not to say that other machines that work with stacks or plates do not give you a full range of motion, they do. Many do not. I have used curl machines that do not go all the way down, for example. Like the Crossbar NordicTrack has made a machine that also gives me a full range of motion. For those new to weight training what I mean by a full range of motion is a full extension. If we talk about preacher curls (These are essentially bicep curls but done on a slanted pad.) it would mean that my arms go all the way down and not to the halfway point of my body. Full range of motion is very important unless you are lifting very heavy and are doing partial repetitions on purpose. Again I will be glad to explain this further if you would like. I also like the feeling of not pulling a stack of weights which have in my years stuck or got caught. The digital technology makes it possible to set the weights without using a stack, plates or pins.
The console has 4 windows which are identical to the Crossbar. You will see plus and minus symbols very clearly on three of them. The fourth show the program you have chosen. The first one is for sets (For each exercise you will do a number of what we call repetitions. If you choose 8 repetitions that is called a set. You might choose to do 3 sets.) and you will press the plus until it says 3. You will then do the same in the window next to it to pick repetitions, for example you will push the button until 8 appears. Then you will put in the amount of resistance you want in the third window, let’s say I am doing preacher curls I would put in 40 and presto, I am good to go. There is none of the twisting or standing up to change resistances as you will find with the bow machines. At any time you can change the resistance by hitting the plus or minus. So if I am in the middle of a set and I want to change to 50 pounds I just press the plus and vice versa.
A really impressive feature on both machines is The Personal Trainer. You will pick the type of workout you want (This is shown in the fourth window.) and be told what exercises to do with the resistance and repetitions set automatically. I love this about this machine. Other machines have programs and even a personal trainer option so I have seen this before but never in a non-commercial machine. You will hear a beep when you have completed each repetition. This may sound funny but I have no idea why it beeps except I know what it does for me when it beeps. It acts as a personal trainer who gets paid to stand around and count. I know; I am one and I admit it. There are times I train clients who are fairly advanced and just need me there. Counting for them helps. The beep helps as well.
What you get:
You get the ability to do about 75 exercises on one machine, the same number as the Crossbar claims. You get a leg attachment that is a $200 accessory on other machines. The leg attachments on these two machines are so similar that finding a significant difference is difficult. The 6 foam rollers are the same and are among the longest I have seen. As I mentioned you get a high and low pulley which is fairly standard on all machines. There is a standing squat station which means there is a metal base on the bottom of the machine.
There is a built in pec dec (for the chest area) with foam around the arms and rubber handles making it really comfortable to use. There is a preacher pad which is nicely padded as is the bench. This bench slides so you can do rows and have it flat or upright. This allows you do get a cardio vascular workout as well. In addition it has an added back support which I like a lot and do not see in all machines. It has a lat tower and lat bar. You get a video, chart, ankle strap to do leg kickbacks for example, and 4 hand straps.
It measures 50 inches wide x 86 inches long by 85 inches high. It does require assembly. I have been told to expect to spend several hours putting it together. It weighs 314 pounds.
It has a 10 year limited warranty and a 6 week money back guarantee.
The only difference I could find between these is that the warranty for the NordicTrack covers parts and labor for one year with a 30 day trial period. The Crossbar has a 10 year limited warranty. It may be true that when one looks deeper into the 10 year warranty you will find it to be more similar than different to the Nordic Track Futura 2600’s warranty.
The bench can fold up into the lat tower; the depth is 36".
Your Personal Trainer Has Final Thoughts:
I really like The Platinum Crossbar by Weider so I must really like NordicTrack’s Futura. They are the same machine. I would determine which one to buy based solely on which one I can get for a better price.
Please feel free to leave me a question or comment or e-mail me if you want advise. If you have any medical conditions, are a woman over 50 or a man over 40 just starting an exercise program please talk with your doctor first.
Other reviews in which you may be interested:
What you should know about the Bowflex Brand • Bowflex Xtreme XTLU • Bowflex UltimateCrossbow • Weider CrossBar
How to Choose a Health Club • World Gym • Curves for Women • PowerHouse Gym
Precise Ab Trainer Club Pro • Stamina AB Hyper Extension Bench • Thane AB-DOer Pro • Ab Lounger • Yukon Ab Crunch Machine
Yukon Competitor Lat Pull Down Machine • Fitness Quest Air Rower • ProForm Treadmill • StairMaster 4600PT Stepper • Cybex Pro Teadmill • Cybex 900T treadmill • Cybex Arc Trainer • Precor EFX546 Elliptical Trainer • Concept II rower • Precor C846 Recumbent • NordicTrack Classic Pro skier • LifeFitness LifeCycle" • Yukon Seated Calf Machine
Cap Olympic Weights • Cap Double D Handle • Cap Barbell Chromed Hollow 48-Inch Lat Pull Machine Bar • Cap Barbell Chromed Hollow 18-Inch Low Row T Bar • Cap Barbell Pull Down Rope
Reebok Resistance Tubes • Spri Xerdisc • Spri Very Light Tubes • Spri Light Tubes • Spri Foam Rollers • Spri Medium Tubes • Spri Body Bar
FitAbs Plus •
Ab Revolutionizer • Stamina AB Hyper Extension Bench • Thane AB-DOer Pro • Ab Lounger • Yukon Ab Crunch Machine
Phoenix Bench • WAI Yoga Ball Kit 151 • Precor StretchTrainer
Butt Blaster • Pilates Magic Circle • Yoga & Pilates Circle
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
jo.com
|
 in Sports & Outdoors |
 in Sports & Outdoors |
 - Top 10 |
|
Member: Jo
Location: On a bluff overlooking the ocean.
Reviews written: 1676
Trusted by: 1175 members
About Me:
Nothing personal - I just don't rate guns or accessories.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2010 Shopping.com, Inc.