Obesity has reached an all time high in America. This is due to poor eating habits, as well as inactivity caused by laziness. Exercise and physical fitness are typically moved to the back of the mind once people mature, become fully employed and have family responsibilities. However, one should realize, as we become older and we are less active throughout our everyday life, we must dedicate more time, rather than less, towards exercising and doing as much as possible to stay healthy and physically fit. Unites States citizens eat too much, don’t exercise enough and rely on pills for their well being, this has to change. People in America need to fully understand the importance of using gym equipment regularly, in order to reach optimal levels of health and fitness.

Parents have a great responsible to keep their children healthy and fit. Shopping for exercise machines excites people. They wonder how much better they could look and feel if in fact they used fitness equipment daily, or on a regular basis. All of us, especially those searching through fitness equipment stores, understand that being physically fit has tremendous upside, and the easiest way to stay in shape, is to have home workout equipment in your home, available to use at your convenience. Studies prove that families with home gym equipment such as treadmills, home gums, stair climbers, rowing machines, ellipticals and other gym equipment, are more likely to spend at least 30 minutes a day exercising than families without fitness equipment in their home.

Therefore, if you are serious about looking good and feeling great, put together a home gym package for yourself. Buying a piece of cardio equipment, such as a treadmilll or exercise bike, and a strength piece such as a single or double stack multi-station home gym, will make life easier when it come to squeezing in an hour a day to exercise.

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

Staying in shape and maintaining a solid figure are bi-products of hard work and practice with fitness equipment. People often over emphasize innate athleticism and ones ability to become good at physical activity. Why do people so often correlate natural athletic ability with ones potential? When it comes to getting in shape, all exercise really is, is practice, practice, practice. If you run on a treadmill or elliptical trainer for 6 hours a day, trust us, not only will you know the piece of fitness equipment like the back of your hand, but you will look like you live in a gym.

If you take the time to learn proper technique and practice cardiovascular exercises such as running, with strength workouts such as lifting weights, then eventually you will become a master of your body and its appearance. If you are out of shape, lazy, weak and/or slow, the great thing is that you have all the upside in the world and all you need is a treadmill, a home gym, some inspiration and 30 minutes a day. Seriously, that is all it will take if you want to build muscle, lose weight, while looking and feeling lean.

Although most people want to fit in the same jeans they wore in high-school, taking the time and effort in order to do the exercise necessary to look and feel, thin and firm. More people use their home fitness equipment as a coat-hanger than an exercise machine.  If you put in the time on your Precor elliptical cross-trainer, or your Life Fitness 95Ti treadmill, the results will show. Fitness equipment has become more user friendly than ever and the various motivating exercise programs designed by fitness equipment companies such as Life Fitness and Precor, really allow users to go the extra distance while having fun at the same time as going through an intense workout.

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

The best way to get healthy and stay in shape these days is to use an elliptical fitness machine to work your legs, arms, stomach, back and buttocks. Not only are elliptical fitness training machines great tools for staying fit and thin, but equally as important, elliptical crosstrainer fitness equipments are very gentle and easy on your joints too. One of the best parts about working out is the nice, calm and serene feeling that you get when you are done. If you do not want that feeling to be overcome by body aches and pains in your joints, muscles and bones, then make sure you train on an elliptcial trainer instead of a treadmill.

There is a ton of literature out there on why ellipticals/crosstrainers are better tools for cardiovascular exercise than treadmills. However, the only thing that should count is whether or not the stride on the elliptical fitness trainer is as comfortable, or more comfortable, than the treadmills you are used to running on. One should always remember that the true test of how well a piece of fitness equipment will work for you, is always solved by actually trying the different gym machines and then determining their value to your workout program.

Our new computer generation of kids has turned to video games and action figures more than any in the past. For some reason these days, kids have really stopped going outside and playing sports. Footbal has been replaced by facebook. Basketball courts have been replaced by the bedroom. The point I am driving at is that todays youth has done less in regard to physical activity, than any previous generation. What will be the result? Will our nation become even lazier and more over weight? Will we start to lose in the Olympics instead of dominate?

What the future of our nation will be remains unknown as always, but the fact that as a country our youth does not exercise as much as it used to, is telling for what is to come in our future. The United States of America is already overwhelmed with obesity beyond belief and the fact that kids and teenagers workout and exercise at minimal rates, adds to the doom and gloom of the situation.

Here is an idea…let’s replace video games and other superfluous electronic devices, with home fitness equipment. Seriously, imagine how much better our country would look and feel if we spend less time amusing ourselves with mind numbing TV and/or video games? Wake up people, it’s time to change, get yourself a freaking treadmill already. Bike a rowing machine and lose some weight. Instead of splurging on diamonds, buy a home gym. Do something to better your health. 90% of people try and find some easy way to lose weight and get healthy. 100% of them will fail. Success is a journey, not a destination. Your excess weight will not dissapear overnight. Due to the human body being unable to get in shape with the snap of a finger, we need to start exercising when we are young. We need to teach children the importance of health and fitness. Kids need to learn how to use home fitness equipment in a safe and effective way.

It’s nice to be home for the holidays and see family and friends. Catching up on what all of your favorite people are doing is always a good thing. The only bad part apart going home for Thanksgiving and Christmas is that we tend to eat way too many calories during while we socialize and hang out with the people that are closest to us. Try and imagine the last time you went to a family gathering and did not leave 10 lbs. heavier? The problem with consuming too many calories is that it can be very detrimental towards our health and long term happiness. The recipe for mixing your favorite indulgences while remaining healthy can be easy to follow as long as you live by the code of “moderation.” In other words, anything in moderation is fine, and as long as you are active and exericse regularly, those extra calories consumed during the holidays with family will burn right off!

Get your home gyms and treadmills tuned up and ready for the change of weather! Soon it will be cold in most parts of the country and nobody likes exercising outside in cold weather. At least most people that work for the Kings of Cardio, but then again, we get the nice and sunny weather of beautiful Los Angeles, CA.
For those of you who are not as weatherly blessed as we are here in Los Angeles, you must not stop running and walking just because it is starting to get dark earlier and colder by the day. The great thing about purchasing home gym equipment is that once you have it, your options remain open, and you can always go back outside once in a while to exercise during winter, but make life easier for yourself and get some home fitness equipment.

The most common excuse for not neing able to work out and exercise on a daily basis is “Well I just don’t have enough time in my day.” While for most of us this excuse holds merit, we fail to realize how important daily exercise really is towards our health and overall well being. With that said, you need to carve out that 30 minute time frame each and every day in order to maintain a fit amd healthy body. Home fitness equipment is so essential to those who do not have the luxury of taking 2 hours out of there day to go to the gym.  Having a treadmill or an elliptical, or any other piece of exercise equipment at home will make fitting the time to exercise in your daily routine that much easier.

Send us in a picture of your home gym. We are looking for the best home gyms in the U.S.A. the Home Gym contest will be ending on Dec. 21, 2009 and at that moment we will be giving away a Life Fitness Treadmill, a Precor Elliptical, a Hoist or Vectra home gym, the StairMaster 4400pt and a rowing machine which we have not decided onm yet. Criteria is basen on how many pieces of fitness equipment you have, the quality of your sports exercise equipment and most importantly, how much you use it! So please also send us your best fitness picture. Long essays are unnecessary as pictures are worth a thousand words!

The REPUPATION of the manufacturer who produces the exercise machinery you are looking at is important as well. GREAT NAME BRANDS INCLUDE KETTLER, BODY-SOLID, BODYCRAFT, PRECOR, LIFE FITNESS, STAR TRAC, CYBEX AND STAIRMASTER. Try and do some quick homework on the brand name of the piece of home or commercial fitness equipment that you are looking to buy. Most of the time you will find that the company you are looking into is entirely legit and manufactures quality machinery (especially if you purchase with the Kings of Cardio) but sometimes you will find that the company in which you are looking into doesnt have a good reputation at all. Many off-brands and private labeled products come with illegitamate warranties and are prone to breaking down. It is absolutely a must that you not buy brands such as these. With all of the great fitness equipment brands such as Precor, Life Fitness, Star Trac and Cybex (some other too), why in the world would you ever gamble on a company that has negative reviews? It would make no sense. If you really want to be the guy who gets Georged by some sly fox salesman on some toy, they call a piece of cardio equipment, then by all means go for it! Maybe you can be the guy that gets a piece of fitness equipment that matches up with those of your friends that cost double what yours cost. I tried to be that guy with a stereo system once. When some slicksters came up to my car and offered me what looked like a $2000.00 stereo for $150 and some Tupac CD’s, I jumped at the opportunity, hahhahaha opportunity, and bought it ($125 and some CD’s….seriously). Then after I bought this sweet looking stereo from these sharks, I called all my friends and told them to meet me at my house to see the new amazing stereo I bought at a fraction of what they all paid for theirs and well we all know what happened…..unless your a… well…. anyway it didnt work at all, and that is exactly what is going to happen to you when you buy some piece of exercise equipment called the Super Track by some freak who goes by the name of Super John the Fitness Don. But like I said, if you really want to give it one shot, then go for it and gamble! Good luck and remember we told you so. BUY A PIECE OF HOME GYM EQUIPMENT THAT IS MADE BY A REPUTABLE COMPANY!