ProForm 485E performs well
Written: Mar 16 '00 (Updated Nov 20 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Sturdy, smooth action, nice display features
Cons: Heavy, large, pedals are somewhat slippery
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| iowamommy's Full Review: ProForm 485E |
I had my eye on elliptical trainers for awhile before deciding to take the plunge and buy one, with great hopes that it would be not yet another piece of unused exercise equipment collecting dust in the basement.
What is an elliptical trainer?
Elliptical trainers combine the motions of three different types of exercise machines. They offer the action of a ski machine or treadmill combined with the upward climb of a stair stepper, plus the rotational feeling of an exercise bike.
To use the elliptical trainer, you step up onto two pedals. They aren’t pedals like a bicycle but are, instead, longer pedals that allow the whole length of your foot to rest on them. You start by moving one foot as if pedaling or walking, and as you do that, your other foot starts going and soon you are getting into an elliptical motion.
The ProForm has handlebars, also, to give you an optional upper body workout. If you don’t want to use your arms, you simply grab onto a stationery bar and keep your arms still. I do it this way quite often. My arms get tired more quickly than my legs. I like the fact that there is a choice. While exercising using both the handlebars and the pedals, it is much like the feeling of running, although with no impact. Your feet don’t leave the pedals, so there is no jarring motion involved.
Our experience with this machine
We bought this model, the ProForm 485E, at Sears. My husband assembled it and did not think it was a very difficult task. It is heavy, however, so once you find the right spot for it, you won’t want to be moving it very often. There are no wheels to roll it on. The machine feels very stable while exercising. The ProForm has a smooth motion and does not feel jerky when I use it.
This trainer is not motorized, so you don’t have to fear being thrown off of it or having to bail out. You have the option of cycling in reverse, as well, to target different muscle groups.
There are no “preset” workout options. You do as much as you like and at the speed you choose. There is a console on the machine with a display that lets you check your progress. There are different modes you can set your display to, which include elapsed time, distance, laps, calories burned and speed. You can also set it to scan continuously through these monitors instead of just picking one function.
Next to the display is a chart of heart rate training zones. There is a drink holder next to that, as well. I wouldn’t recommend putting anything other than a sports bottle in it, however. I tried a glass of water in there, and I felt like it would slosh out and all over the display if I was going at a fast pace, so I just set my water on a nearby table instead. There is a little ledge at the bottom of the console that you can use to prop a magazine or a small book. If you do that, you will cover up your display. I find that it is hard to read, anyway, while moving up and down on this because it’s hard to track the words and it ends up almost giving me a headache.
Also on the console is a picture of a “track” that plots your progress. It consists of an oval made up of little tiny round lights. This helps you visualize yourself making a lap around a track. One light is lit up at a time. You’ll see a red light glowing at the spot you are “at” on the track. You can see yourself making progress around the track back to the starting point. Four times around the track is a mile. You can keep your eye on the track and set mini goals, like “sprinting” for a quarter lap, or cycling backwards for a quarter lap, or whatever you’d like. For me, I really like this track display. It gives me a feeling of progress and a goal to get to. It has helped my push my workout a bit further because I want to get back to the finish line!
You can turn a knob to adjust the resistance to make your workout harder or easier. The control is simply marked with plus and minus signs, no numbers or other indicators, so it’s hard to know what level you are at if you wanted to start at a particular level each time. You just turn it a few clicks one way or the other and try to find the right resistance.
The machine fits me well, and I’m short, only 5’4”. My husband is tall, at 6’3”, and doesn’t have a problem with his knees bumping anything. Of course, a lot of this depends on proper form. You are not supposed to learn forward or slump over to rest on anything, as this will decrease the effectiveness of your workout, not to mention that your body will not be aligned correctly and will more than likely hit the machine during your stride. Of course, you certainly need to try it out well in the store before buying it.
It is a good workout, in my opinion. I'm not what you'd call an "athlete" by any means, so I don't know how challenging it is for a more conditioned person to work out with. It’s great if you want something with no impact and something that you don’t have to watch a tape with, like aerobics. I feel as if I’ve had a hard workout when I get off of this machine. Challenge yourself by using harder resistance, doing interval training or adding backwards motions. Play some music with an upbeat tempo (Def Leppard works for me!) to get you going at a quick pace. It gets quite monotonous for me without something to listen to.
Potential drawbacks
Besides the large size and heaviness that I have mentioned, the pedals on this model could use improvement in the area of slipperiness. They don’t have a rubberized surface; they are merely hard plastic. The only attempt the manufacturer made as far as traction on these pedals is a small area of 5 raised, oval ridges that stick up a bit above the pedal, hardly adding anything to the grip of the pedal. I have never had my foot slip completely off of the pedals. However, at times, my feet have started to slide off a bit on one side or the other, and I have had to reposition them. It hasn’t been a big problem. The front and rear parts of the pedal have barriers on the ends to prevent the foot slipping forward or back.
Recommendation
The drawbacks have not been a problem in my case, so I don't regret this purchase at all.
Recommended:
Yes
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iowamommy
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Location: Iowa
Reviews written: 144
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Mother of four product testers!
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