Question

I'm thinking about getting a Versa Climber. It looks like a great workout but is it really better than a treadmill or elliptical for cardio?

Answer

The company who makes the Versa Climber and companion training product the Versa Pulley is called Heart Rate Inc.  Although the Versa Climber hasn't gotten much publicity from the mainstream media and is relatively unknown to the consumer market, the machines are widely used in rehab facilities, sports training and combat martial arts training centers.

Part of the reason the Versa Climber hasn't gone mainstream is the fact that the workout on the machine can be brutal for the uninitiated. When you're cranking away with your arms and legs doing speed intervals and every ounce of muscle in your body feels like it's on fire, you won't last more than about 20-30 seconds.

According to the Versa Climber website, the Versaclimber burns more calories and fat than a treadmill, elliptical trainer, tread stepper or swimming. See diagram below…

I do think that the Versa Climber is effective, but I am a bit skeptical about the exact numbers from the study for the simple fact that the majority studies on exercise equipment are paid for by the company who is trying to show their product in a favorable light.

The Versa Climber does have it's merits for home cardio and is a viable option to a treadmill, tread climber, rowing machine or exercise bike but isn't for everyone. If you're a casual exerciser you'll be better off with a more conventional machine like a treadmill that you can stick with long term. On the other hand, if you're a die hard cardio buff and want to take your conditioning to the next level, the Versa Climber is a great choice for your primary cardio machine or good companion machine to really test your limits.

The biggest stumbling block most people will have when considering a purchase of a Versa Climber is the high price of the consumer grade machine that retails close to $2000. That's a lot of money for most people, especially when you consider the fact that a good treadmill or elliptical trainer is less money and has a higher resale value on the open market.

If Heart Rate Inc. can figure out how to get the price down into the $1000 - $1100 dollar price range I think they'll have more takers on their effective cardio machines.