I Sweat, Ache, Breathe Hard and It's A Good Thing,
Written: Dec 06 '06 (Updated Dec 06 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Inexpensive, compact size, uncluttered fitness machine, easy to use, stability
Cons: Some assembly was difficult, inadequate packaging resulted in a few damaged pieces
The Bottom Line: I asked for a simple piece of equipment and I got a simple piece of equipment that has already managed to give me solid workouts.
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| pestyside's Full Review: Proform Strideselect 825 Elliptical |
One year’s worth of patient shopping for an elliptical trainer finally paid off.
The local general merchandise mart was closing its doors and getting rid of everything. You know the sale, everything must go. The exercise equipment was first reduced 10%, then 20%, and finally 25%. The time was now, the inventory was nearly depleted.
My exercise equipment includes a nice NordicTrack treadmill, a stationary bike, a trainer for my road bike, an assembly of various weights, and a television (of course). An elliptical trainer was all that remained to keep me happy, less fat, and satisfied. Nothing was required to keep me sassy. I went home with the ProForm 825 Stride Select Elliptical Trainer with visions of fitness striding through my head.
Getting it home was relatively simple. The trainer was compactly packaged and fit into the back of my CRV. But, from the look on my husband’s face, getting it into the house, up the steps to the first floor, let alone to the third floor was a little more than he bargained for. After a little struggle, the box made it up the porch steps and inside to the base of the interior stairs. My first workout began soon after opening the box—carrying all of the pieces up two flights of stairs. Ten trips later everything was upstairs and ready to assemble.
I found the packaging surprising. This was not the first piece of equipment we had assembled, but it was the poorest packaged equipment we had seen. Everything was more-or-less wrapped in either lightweight cardboard or thin foam and just tossed into the box. It wasn’t a surprise to find a few damaged parts, although none were critical to the performance and one was later replaced at the going-out-of business store. (Did you ever wonder what happened to the missing pieces on floor models?)
Assembly
It took just over two hours to put the elliptical glider together, including finding the digital camera to document broken and damaged parts. For the most part, assembly instructions were clear and well-illustrated. All the small parts, like screws and washers, were in individual compartments in a small box and the instructions included a "map" showing which part was which; a much-appreciated touch.
Assembly definitely took two people, though the second person (me) was idle most of the time. Although I continually offered to help, my support was as a lady in waiting, gopher, extra set of eyes, and occasional second set of hands. Assistance was clearly necessary for a single step, attaching the vertical "mast" to the frame containing the heavy flywheel. This required strong hands, delicate balance, and great patience. That step could be made much easier by using double-threaded bolts, which might increase the manufacturing cost by fifty cents. Everything else went together smoothly, though ProForm definitely “cheaped out” on all of the screws, which are made of low-grade steel. Screws of higher quality might raise the cost by only a few cents, but would make assembly much easier.
Note also that all screw holes in metallic parts were undersized (the finish was applied after they were drilled instead of before) and needed to be reamed or drilled out before attempting to insert screws.
ProForm Performance
The 825 Stride Select Elliptical Trainer falls into the category of low-end equipment, yet, it has what I want. Once assembled its footprint was relatively small. The design of the pedals doesn't require much more space than my stationary bike.
My treadmill provides a few programs, but all I really use it for is a manual workout. I want a low-impact workout that makes me sweat, ache, and breathe hard. I wasn’t looking for much more in an elliptical and here’s what I got for less than $350:
1. A digital display console
2. A manual mode, pulse program and four preset programs.
3. A built in "CoolAire" workout fan
4. Adjustable stride (pull the adjustment knob)
5. Handlebars for upper-body workouts
6. Pacing guide
7. Heart rate monitor
8. Bottle holder
9. A compact elliptical exerciser (24" wide, 65" long, and 51" tall)
10. Oversized pedals
11. Silent magnetic resistance for a smoother workout
12. Front transport wheels for moving the trainer
Going Manual
While working in the manual mode I found that changing the resistance of pedals easy using the decrease and increase buttons on the console. The response isn’t immediate, but it only takes a moment. It’s easy to monitor progress. The display shows elapsed time, distance (total revolutions), and resistance; it also shows pedal speed (revolutions per minute) and the approximate number of calories. By holding the handgrip pulse sensor I can measure my heart rate. My exercise room is on the third floor of an old house. This space is comfortable, even during the winter. It’s true that heat rises and in an old house there’s little to prevent it from reaching the attic. Although warm enough to make me sweat, it’s not enough to need the fan. The fan does work. It has two speeds and stop. Stop occurs when I quit pedaling for more than 30 seconds or I press the fan button a third time. Four D batteries are required to run both the fan and the console.
I can manually adjust the pedals. If I want to tone and work on definition I use the shorter stride but for an energizing cardiovascular workout I select the longer stride. This also helps burn calories at a faster rate.
Using the Pulse Program
There are two pulse programs, one is 30 minutes long and the other is 60 minutes. They are easy to select. You enter your targeted heart rate and press the increase and decrease buttons to change the intensity. Placing you hands on the handgrip pulse sensor needs allows you to monitor your heart rate and compare your rate to your goal.It’s not necessary to hold the handgrip pulse sensor continuously, but frequently and for at least 30 seconds. A pace guide flashes if you need to increase or decrease your steps. Step faster, step slower, or continue and if the light is not flashing, you’re reaching you goal. If too easy (or difficult), I could increase (decrease) the intensity and the program automatically adjusts. As before with manual mode, the console’s display indicated my progress.
Preset Programs
Buttons 3, 4, 5, and 6 are preset programs that automatically adjust your resistance and intensity. The profiles are printed on the console. When I first started using this I was surprised by how out of shape I had become. I began a 30-minute climbing program at intensity level 5 and two minutes later I manually reduced the intensity overriding the program. Several weeks later my endurance has improved and once again, sweating, breathing hard, and aching have become a way of a fitter life.
Elliptical trainers have been my preferred piece of equipment for many years. When traveling I try to reserve rooms in hotels that offer fully equipped exercise facilities. I'm an equipment junkie and at 6 a.m. you will find me often alone, ahead of the crowds, on their elliptical trainers. I look forward to returning to the previous upper workout levels of my fitter years. Until that time happens, I will follow the advice that both the operating manual and experience suggests: my success will be greater if I avoid hurting myself too much. A little pain is good; a lot could be a deterrent. I subscribe to the no-pain, no-gain philosophy, but at my age, a little pain is best. If I find the strain too strenuous, five minutes on my stationary bike with minimal resistance helps to loosen tight muscles.
About the Equipment
Application of grease was necessary at a few steps and we were generous. Perhaps this grease keeps it noise free. It’s difficult to compare this to the professional $4,000 to $7,000 elliptical trainers found in workout facilities, but, it will have a lot less wear and tear with me as it’s only client. The equipment is stable, the step is smooth, and there are no noises or sounds of anything rubbing or catching. The only sound heard is that of the television or me breathing hard and occasionally moaning as my cardiovascular system gets a workout, my aging joints become better lubricated (motion is lotion) and the muscles that surround those joints become stronger. I asked for a simple piece of fitness equipment and I got a simple piece of equipment that has already managed to give me solid workouts.
Recommended:
Yes
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