This Kettler CT 307 Cross-Trainer is the best buy for any elliptical under $1500 in the fitness equipment industry. Period. Consumer Report magazine recently did an independent review on this Kettler elliptical and when all was said and done, they had nothing but praise to offer in their published analysis.
Not everyone can spend a trillion dollars for an elliptical and that doesn’t mean that they are out of luck. This Kettler Ct 307 is reasonable priced and has all of the great amenities used on more expensive models. Fort example, its 16 different levels of resistance and 8 interactive user programs make any workout feel like you are at the gym. Along with its varying various levels of intensity and multiple-user programs, workout feedback such as time, heart rate and calories burned are great for staying focused and they help motivate users reach their workout goals.
The fact that Consumer Reportsco-signed this elliptical is surprising in the least. Fitness equipment brand names come and go. At the end of the day, Kettler International Inc. has been around making customers happy since 1949. That’s all you need to know.
Kettler has been an international force in the health and fitness industry since 1949. With a manufacturing base in Germany, along with subsidiary factories worldwide and over 3500 employees, Kettler is the epitome of good business. Through the embodiment of a consumer first business motto, and an unparalleled attention to detail, Kettler has made a rise to the top in the realm of health and fitness equipment.
If you go to a local fitness equipment store and try out the different elliptical cross trainers that they carry, some will be nice and some will be outright laughable. One thing that will remain constant is that you will be hard pressed to find an elliptical that is as effective and as sturdy as this premier Kettler trainer.
We are not saying that it is difficult to find an elliptical trainer for less money than this unit, but what we are saying is that it is difficult to find an elliptical that you will respect and want to use everyday, for the price we are offering this awesome health club quality elliptical trainer for.
Another factor adding to its appeal is the fact that our comprehensive studies have concluded that this elliptical holds more value than any other trainer in its class. Among with retaining it value, the CT 307 also comes with an amazing home warranty at no additional charge. Therefore, in terms of making a purchase that is fiscally responsible, nothing beats this great cross-trainer.

Are you having a tough time making it through the day? Is your physical condition limiting what you can do in terms of exercise and other fun activities? In other words, do you feel as if you are living up your potential, or do you believe that your unhealthy lifestyle is prohibiting you from achieving what you want in life? It is hard to function at our best if we are not in tip-top shape. More often than not, people do not fully understand all of the benefits associated with personal daily exercise. A healthy body and mind can do wonders for your professional career, love life and many other aspects of your life.

If you are looking to improve your health, do not over think your situation, instead, start exercising for thirty minutes 5 days a week. Do not spend countless hours trying to figure out what would be the best approach to weight loss and muscle growth. Get out of the house, walk to a local track and field, run some laps, do some push-ups and sit-ups and build up a good sweat.

Simple fitness routines are best to start. For example, spend 5 minutes stretching, 10 minutes doing push-ups and sit-ups and then run on a solid treadmill, such as the Life Fitness 95Ti, for the remaining 15 minutes. KISS. Keep It Simple Stupid. Believe it or not, that is the way to becoming fit and staying in shape. Once you have made progress and achieved some of your initial goals, then adding variety and excitement to your exercise routine is not a bad idea. However, there is no reason for a comprehensive workout plan for someone who is out of shape and just starting to focus on their physical fitness. The last thing you want is to overwhelm someone by flooding them with new exercises and advanced approaches to lifting weights and cardiovascular training.

Working out on fitness equipment and exercising in order to burn fat is not rocket science. For those that are physically able and healthy to perform such exercises as lifting weights, running and stretching, you should be grateful for that ability. It does not take a healthy bank roll to do 200 push-ups a day. You do not have to be a prodigy in order to do 250 sit-ups per day. A huge house is not necessary for running on a treadmill. The point we are trying to drive home is that all of the fitness equipment and personal trainers in the world are not going to get you in shape if you are not entirely dedicated to becoming healthy on your own. We can lead you to a Life Fitness 95Xi elliptical, but we can’t make you train on it. We can give you comprehensive workout plans, but we can’t make you execute them.

If you are ready to make it happen and build a home gym, there are two simple steps you must follow. Make sure you buy at least 1 piece of cardio equipment and at least one piece of strength equipment. Cardiovascular training machines include treadmills, ellipticals, rowing machines, exercise bikes and stair steppers. Strength equipment such as multi-stations home gyms and free-weight sets are essential for any home gym.

It is hard to go wrong with a multi-station home gym. Stations on the home gym are not the only variable to consider, others include the durability of the gym and the warranty that comes with it. Along with durability, stations, warranty and mechanical specs, one must take into consideration the amount of weight stacks that are on the gym. The number of weight stakes directly correlates with how many users can workout out on the gym at once. Make sure you understand these basic concepts before purchasing a home gym.

I’ve worked out in gyms and clubs off and on for the past six years, the “off” times due to illness, too much else to do, or frustration. (Who hasn’t gotten frustrated when they can’t lose those last five pounds?) Sometimes I needed an extra push, and instead of giving myself that push, I’d quit. But I always felt worse not exercising, found that the hour of working out, three times a day, did something more than help me stay in shape physically. It made me feel good about myself—that I had will power, that I was in control of my brain and body. So, I’m back to it now, have been for almost a year, and once again, I’m at that place where I need the extra push. Blogging might do it. If I say I’m going to do it, actually post it, I certainly better, right?

So, this is where I am now. 5’6, 141 lbs. Female. Good shoulders (I work on that, my vanity) I’m stronger than many my age—I can lift heavy boxes, hike up a hill, twist open the tops of jars when someone hands one over with that look of, “Well, I can’t do it, maybe you can.” So, I’m sort of where I want to be. (I could lose five more pounds. I’d love to lose five more pounds.) But to stay here, strong-shouldered and all, I have to keep at it.

I workout three days a week, at a gym, using the machines I wish I owned. (I’m saving for a treadmill, almost there—Kings of Cardio are going to give me a good deal.) But for now it’s the gym—and fast walking on the off days. (Oh, and eating healthy food, although I can’t resist bagels with cream cheese or a dark chocolate candy bar. Hersey’s bittersweet!) First I stretch, loosing up my calf muscles by placing one foot a good step in front of the other, leaning forward, bouncing slightly. Then all the other stretches—you probably know them, for my back and lats and arms. Five minutes. I always want to shorten this time, get to the machines, but they say that’s a mistake. (Like they say to make sure you eat in the morning—it triggers your metabolism, gets it going, otherwise it’s slowing down, worrying it won’t get fuel. Sumo wrestlers don’t eat until right before they go to sleep at night. If they ate regular meals, or even snacked in between, they’d lose weight!)

After the stretches, I head to the treadmill. I used to like the elliptical, and there’s nothing wrong with them, I’m just fonder, at the moment, of the treadmill. I can push myself harder, get up a full head of steam, so to speak. I work out on the treadmill for 33 minutes (I add a minute every week, that’s why I’m at 33 minutes, and my hour in the gym gets a might bit longer, too—but one minute a week makes it less noticeable, easier to do than you’d think.) I generally burn about 330 calories. I start off at a walk for 2 minutes, at an incline of 3% at 2.7 mph, then up the incline to 5%, and sped up to 3.7 mph, for three minutes, and then I increase the incline to 9%, at 4 miles per hour, for 25 minutes to get my heart beating. (Well, it’s already beating, but you know what I mean.) Then I lower the incline to 4% and slow down to 3.6 mph, for -3 minutes. (I’m no pro at all of this, so my terms are my own. Hope they make sense.)

Then it’s on the resistance training with the machines. (Might I ever really have a home gym? I’m hoping so. It’s my fantasy, turning my basement into a home gym. I always put on makeup to leave the house and fix my hair, which is plain nuts before a workout, but I can’t go out otherwise.)

At the leg press I set the weights at 134 pounds, so I’m pushing 268 lbs. I say push, but the workout is also about the control of the release motion. I do ten reps, three times, with a rest between them for 20 seconds. I started, last year, at 120 lbs on each side (total 240), so that’s how long it took to get here.

Next, hip-abduction, sitting back at an incline, pushing outwards with my thighs, set at 120 lbs. Ten reps, three times, that short 20 second rest in between. Then hip-adduction, the opposite of hip-abduction. I press inwards with my thighs, same weight levels. Once again, ten reps, three times. That seems to be pretty standard for most of the weight machines.

Then I workout my abdomen. This machine is not so much a machine but an angled bench that you can adjust. I lay on it with my head at the bottom, feet at the top and do sit ups. I can’t do three reps yet, just 10 sit ups, rest, then 7 more. I hold my hands near my head for momentum, though I’m not sure you’re supposed to do that.

Then there’s another machine for abs. This one you can’t adjust and it’s at a lower angle than the last one, with your abs lower, too, if that makes sense. On this I can do ten sit ups and three reps.

Next I use the compound Rower. I set the weights a little lower this last week because I hurt my shoulder at work. So, only at 70 lbs, pushing down 10 times, 3 reps.

For an aerobic workout before the free weights I use the step machine for about 10 minutes, which usually means I climb about 39 flights of stairs. (Great machine! Has workout stats—average heart beats, etc.)

I end with the free weights. 10 lbs in each hand, doing some arm exercises. Then I cool down with stretching and a warm shower, and make sure to drink some water.

That’s it. Kings of Cardio say that if I put this on their blog, maybe people will write in with their routines, and encourage me to keep up with mine. I’ll write back when I learn new things about exercising, or try a new machine. What’s your favorite?

Indoor rowing machines give people a total body workout through stationary physical training. Used to simulate watercraft rowing, stationary rowing machines were developed for collegiate rowing teams in the 1950′s, and by the 1960′s, indoor rowers were quintessential for all college level, or professional rowers. While providing the same cardiovascular benefits as running, rowing machines are great because they do not put the same high impact pressure on your body that running on a treadmill does. Rowing machines are traditional pieces of exercise equipment that have been used for decades and their longevity can be attributed to many things, one of which is their simple drive system that controls resistance. Resistance created from a spinning flywheel, controlled by a braking system, is a very common on rowing machines. Indoor fitness rowers, controlled by braked flywheel resistance, are powered through a flywheel that is connected by by some kind of strap, rope or chain.

Stationary rowers with electromagnetic resistance use electromagnets and a flywheel to control resistance. Magnetic drive and braking systems are quieter than rowing machines with flywheels that are air and water resistant.

Air resistance, as many of us have seen on stationary exercise bikes, is another form of resistance and power for rowing machines. Models that use air-resistance have fan-like blades that are connected to the flywheel. As the speed of the flywheel increases, the resistance increases. Rowers with this type of air resistance are one of some of the loudest rowing machines in the fitness equipment industry.

Another form of resistance on rowing machines is water. With an enclosed tank of water, and a paddle in the center, water based rowing machines simulate the natural sounds one would hear if they were rowing in a pond, lake or ocean. Many of the newer rowing machines made by First Degree Fitness such the as the Fluid Neptune and Pacific are good examples of solid, well reviewed, water rowers. Water rowers emulate the smooth and natural rowing motions that one would feel when they are rowing in a real rowboat with oars, which is one of their many likable features.

Piston resistance is created from hydraulic cylinders that are connected to the arms of the rowing machine. Rowing machines that have pistons are typically smaller than water and air rowers. Besides structural differences between piston and water rowers, is that rowers with pistons have less of a natural rowing feel, than air, water and electromagnetic rowers. Typically smaller and less expensive than other rowing machines, piston rowers are not the health club caliber rowing machines one would use in a health club or fitness facility.

Today, millions of people use stationary rowing machines across the planet at their gym, health club, office, and home gyms. Whereas most fitness equipment is heavy, bulky and immobile, rowing machines are effective, easy to move and do not create an eye-sore that takes up half of your guest room.

1) Mind over Matter

Consistent exercise, and maintaining a healthy, balanced diet, are all fundamental necessities, if one wishes to optimize their health and level of physical fitness. However, people often forget that the everyday battle we fight versus obesity and lethargy, is won upstairs with our brain. Our research, done through interviewing physical fitness trainers and psychologists, is that although the human brain does so many great things, it can also play tricks on our bodies and deter us from exercising at times. For example, you may think that you feel tired or sore, and that your body is better off resting for a couple of days, but in reality, your body is willing and able to exercise, free of overwhelming fatigue and muscle cramping.  You may try and rationalize not working out by convincing yourself that you don’t have the time, energy, or that you will go the next day, so on and so forth. Do not let these sorts of thoughts invade your head; they will get in your way of becoming and staying healthy. Instead, remain confident in yourself and know that you have the ability to look and feel great.

Turn on some loud music if you have to, drink a sports beverage and get your game face on! As long as you frequently remind your body and mind how important exercise is to your daily life, typical thoughts of fatigue and helplessness tend to fade away. Throw caution in the wind. Adrenaline and mental toughness will take over when you let them do their job.  They can take you a long way as long as you remain focused, active and optimistic.

2) Stay Positive

Don’t let a bad workout session keep your spirits down. In terms of cardio training, sometimes while exercising, we just don’t run as fast, or for as long as we normally do. From a strength perspective, we may not be able to lift as many reps as we are used to, or as much weight as we once could, and ultimately we get too furious with ourselves over not performing our best around the clock. One thing that will help you “stay in the groove”, or “in the zone” as they say, will be making sure you do not miss workout sessions. Maintaining a strict fitness routine is essential towards exercise plans.  Having gym equipment at home will make working out on a regular basis a whole lot easier. Keep health club quality home fitness equipment at home, if you don’t have to leave your home to exercise, you will have one less excuse for not making time for the treadmill, elliptical or whatever your favorite piece, or pieces, of fitness equipment are. Make using fitness equipment a part of your everyday life. Push yourself and make it happen. Work out your legs. Press your arms and shoulders. Have a deep desire to look and feel healthy and fit.

Having home gym equipment is essential for most athletes, however when we buy home gym equipment, it becomes the most expensive clothing hanging we have ever bought. Sometimes we  get down on ourselves for not looking like our favorite entertainer and expect to much from the treadmill, or stair stepper that we just bought from an online fitness equipment store. Once again, do not let negative thoughts enter your head, and remember the importance  of staying positive. Not seeing immediate results is a catalyst for frustration, although it shouldn’t be, and we will tell you how to deal with not seeing instantaneous muscle growth. One must always keep in mind that success is a journey and not a destination. You will not become an overnight celebrity and wake up looking like Jennifer Lopez no matter what you do, so stay the course and do not deviate from your game plan. There will be bumps in the road, kick them to the side and keep trekking. The way to deal with what you perceive to be disappointing results, is to go grab some health club quality fitness equipment, and get to work. Find the nearest Precor treadmill and get some miles in. Find a BodyCraft X4 – Four weight stack gym and hit some sets. Do not let sluggishness keep you off of your game and go tear up some home gym gear.

When you do get angry, due to having “One of those Days,” you should take it out at home, on your fitness equipment. Nothing takes stress away like running on a treadmill until you legs are weary, or maxing out on strength exercises, and breaking down your muscles. The point is that staying positive and not letting innocuous things get you down, is essential to staying fit and maintaining a solid exercise routine.

3) Set Realistic Goals

One of the main ingredients in the recipe for success is creating goals for yourself. Setting realistic goals allows you to stay focused on what you are trying to accomplish and tracking your progress becomes fun and exiting. There are several reason for why people love keeping a close eye on their results (physical and statistical) and people can become highly motivated through their stats. For instance, the amount of time spent on a treadmill, or the amount of strides completed on an elliptical, or the amount of stairs climber on a stair climber, are all relevant stats that users can track their progress with. As people surpass their previous marks, they become thrilled with their progress and actually become excited for their next exercise session on their treadmill, home gym, or whatever home fitness equipment they use.

For example, take Steve, who doesn’t set goals. Steve goes to the Gym, bounces around from station to station, talks to everyone he can and actually spends more time changing the songs and volume on his iPod, than he does exercising on fitness equipment. Steve’s attitude towards lifting weights and running miles represents an aimless game plan with no structure. At the end of the day, Steve is not getting better, and that is the key objective. Every day you either get better or you get worse, there is no in-between. When you do not set goals, there is no direction to your workout, making it very un-likely for you to stay fit and trim. By not setting goals for himself, Steve has no clue what he is actually trying to accomplish at the gym and his results, or lack there of, reflect his undisciplined approach to exercise and using gym equipment.

Then we have Zack. Zack has set realistic goals for himself and knows exactly what he is going to do from the moment he walks in the gym, until the moment he leaves. Zack’s gym experience will not be filled with social interaction unless the Icarian strength trainer he lifts weights on comes to life and starts yapping. Zack does not stop working out until he finishes every exercise he has written down for that day in his fitness notebook, and takes great pride in every set and every rep of weight lifting along the way. To simplify things for you, Zack bases every exercise in his workout session off of his plan for that day, which is part of an even bigger plan that he has for his health and physique.

For example, Zach will do five sets of five reps on his bench press, or he will do eight sets of three. When he can complete both bench press exercises, clean, without needing his spotter to assist, then Zack will be increasing the weight during his next workout. Having a plan for the amount of reps (5×5 or 8×3) for each and every exercise that you  do (bench press in this case) is the way a winner approaches going to the gym. Winners set goals, stay focused on them, reach them, and set new ones. Winners don’t quit and quitters don’t win.

4) Eat Healthy

“You are what you eat!” Growing up, all of our parents told us this, but we probably didn’t realize they were right until the first time the Dr. told us our blood pressure was 152/95, or that our cholesterol levels were too high. Eating bad food, laced with tons of sugar, fat, sodium, and cholesterol not only messes up our insides as well as our appearance, but they also can make our brain function slower and have direct correlations to sluggishness and indolence. Obesity is a major problem that is bogging down the people and health care system in the United States at unprecedented levels.Since 1960, the levels of obesity in America have progressively increased (Alabama, West Virginia, Mississippi, Tennessee, and South Carolina are the fattest) and the way to curb obesity is simple, exercise. People do not understand that there never has been and that there never will be a quick fix when it comes to weight loss. For those who value diet pills more than gym and home fitness equipment, shame on you and get your priorities straight. There is too much over-thinking and debate over how to get in shape and not be fat, when the formula is not complex…eat right and exercise. There is an abundance of home fitness equipment, exercise gear and grocery stores out there. Make it happen.

We need to eat healthy, nutritious foods that will give us that get-up-and-go attitude, that is so essential towards becoming fit. Our diet determines so much of whom we are. What we eat has an impact on determining how we feel, look and act. Maintaining a healthy diet is a fundamental necessity for mental alertness, strength, endurance, agility and having enough energy to perform at your best, no matter what you are doing.

Improve your heart and health by eating right. For quick and healthy recipes, diet and nutrition tips, and new regarding food and health, please contact us toll-free at 800-900-1108 for a free one-on-one conversation with one of our fitness experts who are versed in health and fitness and can guide you towards success. Optimizing your approach towards fitness and health can only be a good thing.

5) Get a Workout Partner

According to our research, people who regularly exercise with a friend or trainer are 27% more likely to work out on a consistent basis (at least 30 minutes a day / 5 times per week) than people who train without a partner. The main benefit of having a partner is that people tend to perform at a higher level when they perceive they are in a competiton. If you workout with a close friend of yours, and you have always been around the same level of athleticism and strength as he or she, chances are you will do your absolute best to stay on par with, or if you’re on your game, one up your friend! Having a workout partner that you know is going to be on time and ready to exercise will keep you motivated at times when you are making excuses and wanting to take a day off.

Your routine will also feel like it goes by much faster when you have a partner to talk to and discuss different exercises and bounce ways to stay slim off of each other. A fun, upbeat atmosphere is created when you have someone to train with and that makes time go by much faster. When picking a partner, try and chose one that encourages you and is motivated by you. He or she should also have an open mind to try new exercises to keep your routines fresh and positive. Last but not least, your training partner should be GOAL ORIENTED, and determined to get better every day. Always remember, everyday you either get better or you get worse and there is no in-between.

6) Stretch Regularly

The importance of being flexible is overlooked by many runners and weight lifters. Countless injuries are prevented every second due to people who take the time to stretch out their arms, legs and other muscles, in order to properly warm up before exercising. One of the great things about stretching is that anybody can do it and you don’t need any exercise equipment to do so. You can stretch anytime, anywhere! We recommend that you try and stretch your body and its muscles for at least 5 minutes when you wake up in the morning and 10 minutes before you go to bed for the night. Stretching allows your body to heal quicker after running and lifting. It is silly to spend so much time running and lifting but neglect stretching to the point that you can’t squeeze in 10 minutes a day to stretch. For remaining loose and warm, along with preventing muscle cramps, stretching is the number one thing you can do. If you do not stretch properly, you are leaving yourself more vulnerable to soreness, muscle cramping and will your body will not heal as fast as it would if you stretched properly.

Stretching is of significant importance when it comes to preventing injuries too. An athlete who does what he or she is supposed to in regards to making sure they get their stretches and calisthenics in regularly, is less likely to pull muscles and have spasms than those who do not take the amount of time necessary to stretch out their bodies. Eliminate muscle tears, back spasms and cramping through proper stretching and calisthenics.

7.) Make Protein and Water Your Friends

Constantly refueling yourself with water and protein will drastically improve how fast your body recovers after working out. Try not to drink so sugar filled sodas, juices and even “sports beverages” that add weight; these same drinks that give you an instant boost, will make you tired later in the day and feeling more lethargic than you did when you consumed the drink. People commonly think since there is no fat in these great tasting beverages that they are not that bad for you. Nothing could be further from the truth. The reality is sugar filled drinks will interfere and get in the way of achieving your goals pertaining to health and fitness. When looking at the ingredients on

Protein is crucial for repairing and rebuilding broken down muscles after they have been stressed through physical activity. Your body uses protein to build muscle. When you lift weights, you break down your muscles and protein is needed to rebuild. The immediate implementation of increased water and protein intakes will do wonders for your health and ability to remain fresh and energized during prolonged physical activity

The Life Fitness 95Xi is one of the most used elliptical machines ever manufactured. You can find this awesome, gym quality elliptical trainer, at almost any health club in the nation. Typically, this Life Fitness elliptical would be a rare find in someones home. For the most part, people have lighter and more portable fitness equipment in their home, whereas gyms must have heavy-duty, long lasting exercise gear.

In order for fitness equipment to be “club quality”, there are several features that it most possess. First of all, the fitness equipment must be safe and effective. If exercise equipment is not safe and effective, then there is no reason to use it. Next, the fitness equipment, whether it is a treadmill or elliptical, must be have the mechanical capacity necessary in order to operate for more than 8 hours a day. There is not a piece of fitness equipment on this planet that is not commercially rated, that would remain durable, through all day usage.

Approximately thirty  years ago, after the engineering of a stationary rowing machine by David Smith in his basement, Precor, which is one of todays most respected,  popular and successful fitness equipment brands was birthed. Spawning from David Smith’s development of an ergonomically correct and user-friendly rowing machine in 1980, Precor has turned into one of the international leaders in the branding, design, production and marketing of exercise equipment. No more than 3 years after David finished the design of the rowing machine in his basement, Mr. Smith was joined by the bright, progressive thinking opportunist Bill Potts. Potts brought his knowledge of electronic programmability to the table and sought out to integrate unique programming, as well as  statistical user-feedback, into the exercise equipment Smith was designing. Potts believed that allowing people to monitor their stats such as speed, time, distance and other readouts, would increase the popularity of their workout equipment.  He was before his time as evidenced by his approach to incorporating fun and exciting workouts as well as statistical feedback. Various exercise programs and custom workouts features are one of the main variables leading to the overall increase in popularity and usage of fitness equipment. Potts got it. He figured it out before his peers.

Ultimately, making the exercise equipment more user-interactive, intrigued people because they could monitor their results in real-time. Knowing how fast or long you have to exercise in order to surpass your previous records can be highly motivating and the potential popularity interactive workout programs had begun to see its rise due largely to the efforts of Precor. By 1985, several more additions had been made to the once one man band, and Precor expanded to carrying treadmills, exercise bikes and rowing machines.

National recognition is necessary in order to be the fitness equipment industry. In other words, if a brand is not used at the major health clubs and gyms, then it clearly is not top-of-the-line machinery. By 1990, Precor entered the health club scene, with a series of commercial treadmills, built to withstand all day wear and tear, by gym members of all sizes. There is a major difference in the structural integrity and mechanical capacities between gym quality and residential exercise equipment. Whereas a solid home treadmill can be used at most up to four hours a day, a treadmill that is commercially rated for gym usage, can be used for up to four times as much as non-commercial grade fitness gear. Precor realized that their commercial line of treadmills must have the size, speed and strength in order to compete with the other leading brands in the fitness equipment industry and developed high-powered, heavy-duty, gym grade treadmills.

The year of 1995 was a breakthrough year for Precor, as they invented the first elliptical cross-trainer and put it on the map in the form of their Precor EFX 544 cross-trainer. The Precor EFX 544 was designed with an adjustable cross-ramp and fixed arms. The adjustable incline ramp makes it easy for users to work out different muscle groups in their lower body through the simple adjustment of the angle on the incline ramp. The EFX 544 was so popular that Precor decided to continue their production of elliptical cross-trainers for usage in health clubs and homes. One of the first additions to the Precor line of elliptical cross-trainers was a cross-trainer with moving upper body arms.

After already having the cardiovascular fitness industry  in the palm, through the acquisition of Pacific Fitness in 1998, Precor made giant strides towards building a successful line of strength equipment. A result of this merger was the extremely popular Precor Stretch Trainer, that is a favorite of fitness trainers and gym patrons. Precor fitness equipment was dominating the market through Precor’s dedication to developing a large variety of exercise equipment.

In 1999, Premark International, which was parent company of the Precor brand at the time, was bought out by International Tool Works. Soon after ITW acquired Precor, popularity for Precor increased, as their equipment become more affordable and focused on consumer needs. With a bigger bankroll and more steam built up, Precor was acquired by Amer Sports in 2002 as part of a 180 million dollar deal. Amer Sports coming into the picture resulted in Precor changing their primary goals. After years of revolving around industrial products, Precor’s new aim was to become an international distributor of a wider range of fitness equipment and sporting goods.

With all of the success and momentum that Precor had built open over the last 2 decades was great, but they still did not have a dominant and consumer friendly line of strength equipment. That all changed in 2004 when Precor established an Icarian line of strength equipment. Icarian strength equipment can be found anywhere from private home gyms to large health club franchises. The line of strength equipment itself has all home gym products ranging from bench presses, to multi-station and plate loaded home gyms, to weight racks and other strength training machines.

A very popular feature on the Precor cardio line of fitness equipment originated in 2004 as well. The cardio theater feature on Precor cardiovascular equipment, came as a result of their relationship with an entertainment technology firm, ClubCom. For example, if you are familiar with the Precor 956i Treadmill, it can be purchased with a cardio theatre attached to the display console. Having an entertainment center to use when you exercise has proven to allow some people to workout up to 75% more than they did  on the same treadmill, without the Precor cardio theater. The year of 2006 also marked the year that Precor introduced its Experience Series line and the Cardio Theater was an option for all Experience Series treadmills and elliptical cross-trainers. After gaining the support of consumers across the U.S., the Cardio Theater went on to win awards at the annual international product design competition, hosted by Business Week.

Around this time is when Precor struck a deal with the Hilton Family, that would make Precor gym equipment the main supplier of Hilton hotels such as the Double Tree, Embassy Suites and The Hilton.  Catapulting Precor into the mainstream, the mainstream commercial deal between Precor and Hilton Hotels, cemented Precor’s status as a premier brand in fitness equipment. Consequently, the Precor brand name grew, as a result of people who stayed at the Hilton, calling to buy Precor fitness equipment for their home, after liking the Precor cross-trainer, treadmill, or bike they used at the Hilton.

A great majority of health clubs and gyms have Precor elliptical cross-trainers, treadmills, stretch trainers, exercise bikes and strength machines. Ultimately, the litmus test for whether or not fitness equipment is solid, is whether or not the fitness equipment in question can be found at health clubs and commercial gym facilities. In 2005 & 2006, Precor won the award for “Top Supplier”, from Golds Gym and Anytime Fitness. Since Precor fitness equipment can be found across the United States at almost every major health club, it can therefore be concluded that Precor represents the upper echelon of fitness equipment.

Customer Testimonial

I just wanted to express how happy I am about my new Precor EFX 546. In order to fill the monstrous void in my life, I decided to get off my butt and build myself a home gym. The last thing I wanted to happen was for me to get inferior fitness equipment and then use it as an excuse to not exercise. I believed that with really solid  home fitness equipment, I would have no excuse not to workout on a daily basis. For those of you who are unfamiliar with exercise equipment and which companies have the best reputation, I was in your shoes once too, and after lots of research and hard work, it became apparent to me that Precor fitness equipment was the most popular brand after surveying my friends and family (and some randoms) . Precor fitness equipment is the most popular and well respected fitness equipment company today. Their line of award winning crosstrainers, as well as their health club quality treadmills, exercise bikes and other cardiovascular pieces of fitness equipment, is recognized by gym owners and other fitness experts, as the most structurally sound and mechanically correct, exercise equipment on the globe. In order to fully understand the true quality of Precor gym and home fitness equipment, I recommend that you go to a local gym, or fitness equipment store and try out either a Precor treadmill, Precor elliptical, or exercise bike. Once you have experienced the smooth and sturdy performance of Precor fitness equipment, it will be much easier for you to understand how and why precor exercise gear is superior. Other awesome fitness equipment companies include Life Fitness, Star Trac and that is about it. There is no reason to over-think things when buying exercise equipment for your home. All you need to do in order to make sure you are not getting ripped off, is to make sure the company name on your home fitness equipment has a good reputation in the fitness equipment community. Precor has that, and I have been happy!

*Precor history facts from Precor.com

When you want to lose weight, you have to have an exercise program, follow it closely, and you must not deviate from that routine. Losing weight and gaining muscle is not easy. Getting in shape through physical training can be brutal and frustrating, but let us remind you, you must not deviate from your plan to get healthy. Find a treadmill to run on. Go to the local gym to get some extra reps in. Jog up to the track at the school around the corner from your house. Whatever it is that you have to do in order to get rid of that extra fat around your hips and stomach, do it.

With the expandiny variety of national health club facilities, all of which have the best treadmills, ellipticals and other gym equipment, it has become easier than ever to exercise. It’s hard to come up with excuses to not exercise. Even if you are extremely busy, do you really not have the time to run on a treadmill at home, get some strides in on the elliptical?

Every year around this time the Kings of Cardio begin an amazing 8 day clearance sale on all of our fitness equipment. In an effort to liquidate our surplus, we are now cutting costs on all exercise equipment to all time lows, that are far below minimum advertised pricing guidelines.  Never before could you buy a top-of-the-line cardio piece, for 50% off of its minimum advertised price, but now you can. We have rowing machines that need to go. Thousands of treadmills that we are are basically giving away. Our Life Fitness and Precor Ellipticals are being sold for such low prices right now, that Precor and Life Fitness called us directly to find out what is going on! Sarah Barker, our receptionist, told both companies that we are giving the people what they want;  Home gym equipment with fantastic reviews, at the guaranteed lowest price in the nation!

There are so many things that hold people back from living their life to the fullest and staying healthy. We do not want one of those things to be the cost of the sports gear, so we guarantee  for 1 full year after you purchase home fitness equipment with us, that if you find the piece of fitness equipment you purchased with us, whether a new treadmill, used elliptical, or demo exercise bike, for a lower pirce than you bought it for, we will refund you the differnce, plus a 10% cash spiff. That is how sure the  are that we are providing the highest quality sports equipment on the planet, at lower prices than every other fitness equipment store in the world. Don’t believe it? All you have to do is call one of our friendly and informative fitness experts and you will notice right away that our employees know the pros and cons of every piece of gym equipment that are currently in the health and fitness industry, along with all fo the classic, discontinued models of the past.

This is a PSA to all football players, basketball stars, baseball players, swimmers, or any other kind of athlete, or an aspiring athlete, you will be blown away by how amazingly low our prices are on all of our exercise equipment and home fitness products. When you call to purchase, mention code 491009 and you will receive a free floor mat and 2 extra years of electronics coverage on your sports equipment. A thick, hi-density rubber floor mat can easilly be placed under t pieces of exercise equipment to dampen noise and reduce static.