What is your opinion of the Cardiozone Center D Ellitpical machine? Thanks!

Answer

The Cardiozone Center D Elliptical is an Ironman CDT elliptical, which is a close cousin of the Keys Fitness Center G center drive elliptical. Confused yet? You should be, but I think I can help you sort this whole mess out.

The Cardio Zone Center D is a rebadged lower end unit made by the Keys/Ironman brand called the Ironman CDT elliptical. There are also more expensive models of the center drive ellipticals with the Keys badge on them called the Keys Center G, Keys Center G2 and Keys Center G3.

The funny thing about the Cardiozone equipment (Cardio Zone desn't make any of their own gear, they just rebrand it) is when you see it on some of the "blowout" and "mega deal" websites that I won't name here, you'd think you're getting the deal of the century on this machine at $1799.

The fact of the matter is, the Cardio Zone Center D is just an Ironman CDT elliptical you can buy for $1199. It should make you nervous about dealing with companies that try to decieve and mislead you with unrealistic sales prices and hodge podge websites that leave you more confused than when you got there. If you're interested in a center drive elliptical, get the Ironman CDT elliptical or the Keys Center G2 and forget about the Cardiozone (unless you like paying more for the same equipment, I know I don't).

Center Drive Elliptical Overview
When elliptical trainers first came on the scene they were all rear drive models and the majority of the market share was one company, Nordictrack (I had an early Nordictrack rear drive elliptical).

The trend the past few years has been to move the drive system to the front, making it easier to get on and off the machine, and also making the ellipticals more ergonomic by allowing the manufacturers to move the pedals closer together (Octane, Sole, Vision, Horizon, Proform) for a more natural motion.

The latest trend in ellipticals is the center drive which I first saw on the True TSX Elliptical. The pundits of center drive ellipticals claim that their design model has the most natural motion you can get on a cross trainer because it most closely simulates running.

While I agree with the claim that the center drive elliptical delivers a more upright neutral stance while exercising, I don't think it's the end all be all in ellipticals. The biggest problem with the center drive model is two-fold.

The first is the expense in manufacturing because of the dual side shrouds, and the second is the lack of stride length adjustability. All center drive elliptical models to this date (10-3-07) have a fixed stride length of between 18-20" (True TSX, Keys Center G, New Balance 9000, Ironman CDT).

Bottome Line
If you're interested in getting a center drive elliptical, skip the CardioZone Center D and opt for the Ironman CDT Center Drive or the better built Keys Center G elliptical. The Cardio Zone is just an overpriced copy of the Ironman and should be avoided.

I have a Nordictrack 900 Audiostrider elliptical I workout on that measures distance in revolutions or steps but I want to know how many steps are equal to a mile. I have read the manual looked online but im not able to find anything.

Answer

I found a simple answer to your question about the Nordictrack Audiostrider 900, although simple answers are somtimes hard to come by when you're reading over all the mumbo jumbo from the manufacturers website and sales literature.

The simple answer to your question is this - 3520 steps equal one mile. You may be asking how I came up with that answer? Let me explain…

There are 5280 feet in a mile, and the Nordictrack 900 has a stride length (or step length as Nordictrack calls it just to confuse you) of 18". So each stride or step is equal to 1.5 feet. To solve the problem just divide 5280 (feet in a mile) by 1.5 (feet per stride or step) and you arrive at 3520.

The more important question is this, why do you care how many miles you've gone? You should be focusing on your heart rate zones and calorie expenditure instead of the distance you've gone. If you're only focusing on a trivial (although interesting) stat like milage your missing the whole point of doing cardio.

I'm 6 feet tall and 300 pounds of fat…I want to buy a very sturdy, stable, but compact (preferably single stack) home gym that doesn't FEEL cheap or flimsy and can target just the basic muscle groups. No bells or whistles and something upgradable.

It would be placed in the middle of my effiency apartment.  So I don't have a lot of space but I'm willing to sacrifice what I have to get a dam good workout.   Its about the space of any suburban home living room if that gives you an idea (maybe a tad smaller).

Realistically, I'm just interested in general functionality but I thought that to get something sturdy, especially for someone my size, I would have to invest in a machine thats heavy, like for bodybuilders. Money is not much an issue, I don't mind paying top dollar for something good in quality. I'll do whatever what it takes, I'm just ready to be strong, and fit.

Answer

Sounds like you're pretty serious about finally getting in shape, that's fantastic! Finding the best home gym to reach your goals as you've outlined is pretty simple if you know what to look for in a quality piece of equipment.

Based on your criteria for a home gym (single stack, upgradable, space effiicient, and sturdy) two home gyms come to mind right away that are a good option for your needs.

 Best Home Gym Options

• Body Solid G6B Home Gym
• Hoist V5 Home Gym

Body Solid G6B Quick Review
The Body Solid G6B is a single stack gym with commercial quality features like a gas assist seat adjustment, pads with lumbar support, a 260 pound weight stack, and a Patented Bi-Angular converging press station that replicates free weights and dumbbell presses.

The options for the G6B are impressive as well. You can outfit the gym with a mounted accessory rack for attachments, a cable column and leg press station. If you get this thing loaded up you'll have a gym that rivals anything you'll find in the health clubs. You can read my full Body Solid G6B Review here for details.

Hoist V5 Quick Review
The Body Solid G6B is another single stack gym with commercial quality that features like an aluminum curl and lat bar, split weight cabling for high and low pulleys, telescoping pad adjustments and a patented 4-D articulating press arm that provides forward/back, side-to-side, up/down, and rotational movements.

You can also outfit the V5 with an optional leg press station for an all in one solution like the Body Solid. You can read my full Hoist V5 review here for details.

Conclusion
I like both the Body Solid G6B and Hoist V5, but for your purpose I would go with the Body Solid G6B, and here's why. With the Body Solid you get everything the V5 offers, plus additional options that you want like a heavier weight stack, more attachments and a cable column too. You'll also save a bit of money on the Body Solid because you can buy one online and save on sales tax, plus get free shipping (click here for my fthe Body Solid G6B review and details)

Hi there. I am torn between the two dumbell brands. I like the Bowflex Selecttech for its aesthetic appeal but am worried about balance as the 552 model has a length of 16" making it unstable. The Powerblock dumbells are more compact but have a weird configuration. I am 5'7" tall and of medium built and thus concerned about the length of the bar. I am inclined to get the Bowflex dumbbels but might discover it to be innapropriate for some exercises like the dumbell flies or press. Please help me arrive at a decision. Thanks a lot!

Answer

On the dumbell reviews page on my main website I recommend both the Bowflex Select dumbells and the Powrblock dumbells for different reasons. Let me explain further to help you reach a decision about which dumbells are right for your situation.

Bowflex Selecttech Dumbells Quick Review
First for the Bowflex Selecttech dumbells. The Selecttech's main selling feature (as you pointed out) is their asthetic appeal for the mainstream user. The dumbells are stylish, well balanced for their size, have a comfortable grip and are easy to use and store with the optional stand. You can also get a matching bench from Bowflex for a complete, compact home gym.

Aside from the Selecttech's design appeal, Bowflex made a major engineering breakthrough with the dial system that let's you simply turn a dial on each end of the weights to adjust the resistance from 5 pounds to over 50 pounds in 5 pound increments. It sure beats fumbling around with plates and collars between sets which can take the better part of 2 minutes to change between exercises (major pain in the butt when moving quickly from exercise to exercise or when circiut training, doing drop sets or super sets).

The downside of the Bowflex Selecttech Dumbells is two-fold. First, by nature of the Bowflex design, the dumbells are quite large and will take some getting used to when doing bicep curls and chest presses. The size shouldn't stop you from getting them, just make sure to pronate your wrists when performing any exercise where the dumbell end caps will come in close proximity to each other.

Second, the weight limit for the Sellectech's is 52.5 pounds for each dumbell for a total of 105 pounds. This won't be a factor for most users, but if you're really strong, or into body building or power lifting, the 52.5 limit won't be heavy enough.

Powerblock Dumbells Quick Review
The Powerblock dumbells were the original quick change dumbells for the consumer market. Before the Powerblocks came along you were limited to the old cast iron wrench style and starlock design dumbells, or a full-blown set of hex dumbells that took up a lot of precious floorspace most people weren't willing to give up.

One advantage the Powerblock's have over the Selecttechs is the maximum weight limit of the Powerblock Elite set that's a massive 130 pounds for each dumbell. While that huge weight limit is impressive, it's also overkill for 99% of users who aren't power lifters of 300 pound body builders and will never lift more than 50 pounds with each arm.

The second advantage the Powerblocks have over the Selectech dumbells is that they're more durable for rough users. If you have a tendancy to chuck your weights around and drop them hard on the floor, the Powerblocks will last longer than the Selecttechs. That doesn't mean that I'm giving you permission to slam your weights on the ground when you're done with a set, because if you do, you'll quickly discover none of the adjustable dumbell models will last long.

With the advantages of the Powerblocks covered, I'm going to move on to the two reasons I never pulled the trigger on buying them when I was looking for a set of dumbells for my home gym.

First, I can't get past the clunky square design of the Powerblocks. I know it's not much of a reason for not buying them from a usefulness standpoint, but for some exercises I don't like how they feel and how my wrist can't rotate completely without bumping into the crossbar pad.

Second, I'm not a huge fan of the adjustment system. To change weights on the Powerblocks you have to pull out a large metal u-shaped pin that slides between the weight plates. It does do the job OK, but once you try the simple dial system on the Bowflex dumbells the pin system looks like a relic from a 1960's health club (is that Jack Lalanne I just saw walking by?).

Conclusion: Selecttech vs Powerblock Dumbells
If you're a hardcore body builder, or are into powerlifting, you should get the Powerblock dumbells and take advantage of the optional 130 pound weight limit of the Elite set. But if you're like me (and 99% of the workout public) the Bowflex Selecttech dumbells are the best option for home use

We're looking to lose weight and shrinking our midsection. What is your feeling on a treadmill vs a recumbent exercise bike for weight loss and burning calories?

Answer

I get a little worried when I get a question about shrinking your waist with a treadmill or a recumbent exercise bike. Quite honestly neither of the machines will shrink your waist directly. In fact no machine will, I don't care what kind of B.S. you hear on late night T.V. or around the health club.

Does that mean that you should throw your hands to the sky and give up trying to lose weight and see your abs? No, it doesn't. What it does mean is you need to get a better understanding of how you actually lose weight (fat) so you can get that trim waistline your after.

Step #1 To Shrink Your Wasitline - Create a Calorie Defecit
In order to lose weight (fat weight, not muscle) you need to create a 3500 calorie defecit below your base metabolic rate (BMR) to lose one pound of fat. This goal can be accomplished by either restricting your calorie intake by 350 calories for 10 days (350 calories X 10 days = 3500 calories), by adding muscle to your body (muscle burns more calories than fat), or by using a machine like a treadmill or recumbent exercise bike to create a calorie defecit combined with good eating habits.

If you're clueless about how to control your diet to lose weight and manage your energy, here's a good resource I recommend from Jon Benson. His book goes into a lot more depth about calories, metabolism and weight loss strategies than I can cover here.

Step #2 To Shrink Your Waist - Doing Cardio
Your on the right track with your question about doing cardio for weight loss, because that, combined with calorie control and strength training, is the fastest way to get in shape. A treadmill or recumbent bike will do a good job at burning calories when used regularly at the proper intensity.

Personally, I think too many people get hung up on burning the "most" calories when they exercise. For example, let's say that one form of exercise burns 50 more calories each workout and than another form of exercise. By doing the math, you would lose an additional pound of weight every 70 workouts - big freakin deal!

Here's what I recommend, read my recommendations for the best treadmill and best exercise bike, and then draw your own conclusion. I don't care if you find a machine that claims you can burn an extra 200 calories each workout, if you aren't consistent with your effort, or you despise a machine so much you dread using it, you'll never lose any weight. 

What are you feelings on the Horizon GS1035T treadmill? Our main purpose is for weight loss.

Answer

The Horizon GS 1035T treadmill is a decent mid-level offering from Horizon that is at the cusp of the very competitive $1000 - $1500 dollar treadmill market. The Horizon looks good on paper and will win over many casual consumers with a feature set that includes:

• 2.25 h.p continuous drive motor
• a 20" x 55" two-ply belt
• 0.5 to 10 mph with 0-10% incline
• Console speakers with an  MP3 input and headphone output
• 16 workout programs

But with a less than stellar frame and drive components, coupled with a warranty that's only average in this class, I have other reservations about the Hoizon such as:

• No wireless heart rate control
• Doesn't fold for space effeciency
• Motor strength for treadbelt size and user rating
• Short warranty for this price range

 It's not that the Horizon is a terrible treadmill by any means, but when you throw it up against the class leading Sole F63 Treadmill with a larger motor, better drive system, wireless heart rate control and a Lifetime warranty on the motor and frame, with 5 years parts and labor it becomes pretty evident that it's not worth the investment at a $1200 dollar price point.

Have you tested the cheaper version of a "total gym" sold by Big 5 Sporting Goods with the name "Total Body Trainer" for $99 (sale) or online at Wal Mart for $89? I was wondering about the stability of these and if they are a good bargain?

Answer

The gym you refer to as the Total Body Trainer is actually called the Total Body Works 5000 made by Weider (a division of Icon Fitness) that is sold by some big box and online retailers to hit that elusive under $100 price point that so many exercise equipment consumers get sucked into.

The Total Body Works 5000 is a sub-par machine with Weider branding that's trying to capitalize on the popularity of the Total Gym and Total Trainer from Bayou. The sub $100 dollar price should be your first tip-off about the quality and durability of this machine.

The frame is flimsy and cheap, the glide board rails aren't solid chrome, the handles are weak and it's almost impossible to adjust.

The funny thing about the Weider Total Body Works 5000 is that the product isn't even supported on their website, not a single mention of it anywhere! Are they trying to dodge the angry calls from people that want their money back on this ill concieved machine?

If you're in the market for a glide board home gym, avoid the Weider and get yourself a Bayou Total trainer instead.

Note (9/26/07) I'm right in the middle of completing my latest hands-on evaluation of the Bayou Fitness Total Trainer models and I'm very impressed with the value of their gyms, especially when I compared them to similarly equipped Total Gym models that cost up to 3 times more (Christy and Chuck must have raised their endorsement rates huh?).

Keep your eye on the Blog and website for my reviews on the Bayou gyms in the next week or two…

I do not see a difference between the Schwinn 112 and Schwinn 113 save the fan. The features of the 112 seem to match up to the 113 with this exception. Am I missing something? If this is the case and there are no other issues such as quality, then the 112 seems like a better deal. Please Help!

Answer

It sure can be confusing when you start to compare different models of exercise bikes like the Schwinn 112 vs. the 113 uprights, or any other machines for that matter. Tha'ts why I'm here (someone's gotta do it).

As with most manufacturers, Schwinn makes a number of different models with seemingly small distinctions between them that may go unnoticed unless you really get in there and dig around (maybe they should do a better job on that, huh?).

Both the Schwinn 112 and Schwinn 113 upright bikes have the following features in common:

• 32" L x 20" W x 51" H dimensions
• Max user weight of 300 pounds
• Pulse grip heart rate sensor
• Display readout with Time, Interval time, RPM, Watts, Distance, Pulse, Speed, Calories, Resistance and alphanumeric prompts
• Quiet magnetic ECB (Eddy current brake) resistance
• and 16 levels of resistance

Where the bikes differ are in two key areas:

1. The Schwinn 113 has almost double the number of programs than the 112 (23 programs on the 113 vs. 12 programs on the 112)
2. The Scwinn 113 has an upgraded blue LCD console

Are the extra workouts and better display console worth $50 bucks? I'll let you decide that for yourself. For a complete review of each bike read my Schwinn 112 review and Schwinn 113 review on the main website filed under exercise bike reviews.

Trying to decide between the rock solid pro-series hack squat hip and leg sled machine (model rs-2000sl) and the body solid machine vertical leg press. Me and my 2 high school aged sons are planning on using the machine—so, it will get a lot of use. Any opinions on these leg press machines?

Answer

The two "hack squat machines" you're referring to are actually overhead leg press machines (most hip sleds double as hack squat machines). I have a lot of experience with these machines as my training partner and I used to use a Body Solid style leg press in college at the Body Shop Gym in St Cloud, Minnesota (ah, the good old days).

Both the Rock Solid (left side of image) and Body Solid (right side of image) overhead leg press are good machines for the money and offer the same basic pressing movement, but there are some key differences that make one machine stand out above the other.

First,  the similarities between the Rock Solid and Body Solid presses

1. Angled back support pad for more natural body alignment
2. Oversized diamond footplate
3. Price under $500 bucks

That's where the similarities end with these machines, and where the Rock Solid vertical press advantages become very noticeable when examined closely. Some of the Rock Solid leg press advantages may seem minor to the uninformed weight trainer but make a huge difference in the long term use of the machine, along with the comfort and ergonomics of everyday training. Granted the Rock Solid leg press does cost a few more bucks than the Body Solid, but it's money well spent.

Rock Solid Leg Press Advantages vs. Body Solid

1. Solid chrome guide rods and brass oilite bushings
2. 7 degree platform slant reduces strain on knees and back
3. Side loading of Olympic plates is faster and easier with heavy weights
4. 800 pound capacity vs. 400 on Body Solid
5. Powder coated steel frame

Bottom line, get the Rock Solid Vertical Leg Press here, I think you and your boys will appreciate the added weight capacity, smooth operation and ease of loading it up with tons of Olympic plates.

I am looking at the TRX for developing strength with my ACL that I had reconstructed to develop the strength that I have not been able to get back. I am also wanting to develop strength in my lower back because I have a curvature in my spine. I tend to get spasm's in my lower back.

Answer

As you know from reading my blog and website I never hesitate to offer an opinion on exercise equipment, but when it comes to using a TRX Exercise System for rehab I have to defer to the experts in this field.

The short answer to your question is, yes the TRX system can and is used for rehab, lower back strengthening and deep abdominals.

The TRX Core Strength Volume 1 exercise video is the routine you should buy with your TRX. The video is led by Fraser Quelch Director of Education for Fitness Anywhere and will take you step by step through a complete functional workout that trains your core musculature.

Visit Fitness Anywhere  to get answers on specific questions about the TRX System for rehab or about Fraser Quelch's core training video.