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Treadmill Buying Guide
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| The Important Factors to Consider: |
Motor:
The size of the Treadmill motor is critical as it will affect the overall performance. The
smaller the
motor the less power it provides causing it to break down a
lot more
quickly and more often. Treadmill motors range from 1.0 Hp to 6.0 Hp. Anything lower than 1.5 HP will cause the treadmill to surrender to an early death quicker than expected!
You see a 2.0 HP Motor will run twice as hot as a 4 HP Motor delivering the exact same load. The hotter your motor has to run, the faster it will burn out.
If you are looking at losing weight by running or jogging then you will most definately need to consider a treadmill with at least a 2.5 HP motor. If you are looking at only walking a 1.5 Hp motor will be sufficient. A great Recommendation of a machine with a quality motor built to last is the Sole range...
Belt:
Ensure your treadmill has a two ply belt or better. This will decrease the chance of the belt wearing as the
two ply is a much more
durable belt. If you can afford to get a treadmill that has a 4-ply
belt (pictured) you are
doubling the life span on it. Landice
Treadmills come standard with this.The reason you should invest in a strong belt is because a thinner belt will stretch easily and begin to slip. This usually occurs outside the warranty period!
Not only that, any treadmill that has this much thickness will usually come with a lifetime warranty as the company is so confident that you simply will not wear there treadmill in any aspect. If you do, they'll replace it and make it better for the future! Landice are widely known for this!
Treadmill Buying Guide Tip:
Look for a belt that at least 50 inches in length and 18 inches in width. This will ensure maximum comfort and space whilst exercising.
Deck/Base:
The thickness of the base is important as it adds cushioning to every step you take. You need at least a 1/4" base thickness. This is the same as looking at
running on cement vs grass. The grass will
cushion the
knees, ankles and lower back a lot more than cement. If you can, invest in your body now before you purchase your treadmill and look for a deck that is 3/4"-1" inch thick... This will ensure your deck lasts for a long time, but more importantly, your joints receive the cushioning impact they deserve.
The Treadmill Buying Guide recommends to check out the Landice L770 it has the best componenets.
Some treadmills come with flip decks. This doubles the life of your deck by enabling you to flip it after the first 5-10 years, doubling the life of your treadmill.
Incline:
Treadmill incline is how steep the treadmill can go. This is a fantastic tool to ensure your workout gets more intense as you advance along with your fitness
goals. Treadmills often go to
10% with some of the better ones to 15% incline. Also, look for a treadmill that has as large a thrust as possible. This will again ensure a longer lifespan on your treadmill as you raise the incline up and down and pound away at it for many years to come you want something that can handle this kind of harsh treatment. (around 800-1000 would be ideal)
Also ensure your treadmill elevates to at least 10% incline. This will come in handy at a later stage of your training.
Flywheel:
Landice are the experts in this field... Check out the below report for information on getting the best flywheel.
• Inertia:
The measure of a well-designed flywheelInertia is the measure of how effectively a flywheel keeps the treadmill from slowing down when a runner’s foot strikes the treadbelt. A properly-designed flywheel will not only provide a smooth andconsistent feel, but will also protect the motor and electronics from the stress and pounding associated with use.
• Maximize inertia: Put the weight in the outside of the
flywheelLandice uses an expensive casting process to construct our flywheel. They pour liquid steel in a hollow mold, which allows the flywheel to have 3/4 of its 14 pounds in its outside edge. Many of our competitors use a less expensive method of cutting the flywheel out of tube of solid steel. The cast flywheel acts with the inertia of a 42-pound solid flywheel but with the benefit of placing only 14 pounds of pressure on the motor shaft and bearings of the motor.
• Maximize inertia: Spin the flywheel faster
Landice spins the motor at 3200 rpm, 1/3 faster than the industry standard 2400 rpm. This increases the inertia effect of the flywheel 1.77 times, allowing the motor and electronics to run smoother and cooler, which helps them last longer.
• Beware of heavy flywheels
A heavy solid mass flywheel is one way of achieving high inertia. Competitors once tried a 30 lb. solid mass flywheel. The result was a disaster due to excessive over– loading of the motor bearings.
Display Panel and Controls:
A Big Screen with an easy to read display is essential. The controls must also
be large and visible. It needs
to include important details such as;
speed you are travelling, incline % you are training at, the length of
your
workout and/or length to go to complete the workout and how much
distance
you have covered.There also more advanced functions such as Heart Rate, and of course everybody favourites TV & DVD, iPod and MP3 player adaption, personal cooling fans and much more...
Treadmill buying guide Tip:
PLEASE ensure your treadmill has the basics before spending unneccessary amounts of money on material items.
Pre-programmed workouts:
Having good variety is important as the body requires change and diversity for it keep growing and getting fitter and of course better results.
Some
treadmills have over 28 different workout programs to choose from.
Starting from the basic to advanced. Look for a Treadmill that has a good variety of programs (at least 4-5) One of the treadmill buying guides favourites (pictured) is the L770 Landice where you actually run in marthons through the Grand Canyon! Simply amazing!!
The latest technology out there is the iFITŪ it provides pre-programmed workouts via the Internet, compact discs or video that actually control the speed and intensity of your workout.
Your treadmill will actually talk to you through the speakers letting you know exactly what the machine is doing (inclining, declining, speeding up, etc) Its simply amazing and adds so much to your normal routine.
Treadmill Buying Guide Tip:
Visit the team at iFit.com for all the up-to-date information on this revolutionary new technology!
Final note from The Treadmill Buying Guide;
It's ridiculous how many things there are to consider when purchasing a treadmill! I sincerely hope that this Treadmill Buying Guide has provided you with some fantastic tips to ensure you make the correct selection for your Treadmill needs.
