A Bowflex treadmill is usually aimed for the high end or middle end market. Altogether, the machine itself is pretty reliable, keeps quiet when it should and is definitely made with quality in mind. Their most known brand is Treadclimber, designed specifically for walking exercises.
The TreadClimber series of treadmills are all pretty similar, with the exception that high end products tend to have more gizmos attached, such as fancier LCD displays and more programs to choose from.
These treadmills have one big disadvantage though which may very well make some potential buyers frown upon it. It's the resistance adjustment that needs some serious improvement. Right now in order to change the resistance you have to get down from the treadmill and adjust manually from a knob. This can become very frustrating and time wasting.
If on the other hand you really don't care about changing the resistance all the time, these machines are awesome, equipped with the strict basic monitoring features, sturdy steel frame and smooth walks. The handles could be bigger, but they are fine enough.
What the Bowflex TreadClimber series excels at is in allowing you to alternate between angles and speeds with great easiness. The maximum speed, which can be obtained, is 3.5 miles per hour, this might not seem much, but try walking at an angle of ten degrees for five minutes and you will see that it is enough.
The latest Ultimate and Xtreme series are attempting to make the treadmills even more user friendly, but the price is also much higher. I do not see why anyone would need 95 exercises available, I am not a guinea pig after all and I really don't like to test all of them. What I need is some four or five programs, which I can adjust to my needs, but that's just me.
All the Bowflex treadmills are made in U.S., this should be quite a firm guarantee of their quality, because nowadays you must be very careful about these things. If by some chance you find a treadmill produced in China at a bargain price, it is very likely that you will get your money's worth. It is actually very hard to produce quality treadmills, especially when it comes to more subtle aspects such as noise reduction and smooth alternation of speeds.
Altogether a Bowflex treadmill is a very well built machine, but with some faults in the design. If you find one that gives you all the functions, you need in terms of flexibility than you will be a very satisfied customer.
Faith is a fitness consultant at her local gym and has run in marathons for charitable causes. She has been a certified personal trainer and also participates in charity triathlons. She thinks finding the proper treadmill is essential for training and remaining healthy. At http://www.exerzise.com , you will find Faith's pros and cons of the best elliptical trainer. | |
