Crosstrainers & Elliptical Trainers

Crosstraining - an effective total body workout that uses all of the major muscle groups and stimulates the fat metabolism. Ellipticals are superb for endurance training, which is easy on the joints and good for weight reduction.
Crosstrainers / ellipticals convey a unique, weightless feeling due to their pedals' elliptical path of motion. The smooth motion of crosstrainers strengthens the legs, buttocks and hips. The upper body workout which is combined with the lower body workout strengthens the arm, shoulder, pectoral and back muscles.

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Crosstraining - an effective total body workout that uses all of the major muscle groups and stimulates the fat metabolism. Ellipticals are superb for endurance training, which is easy on the joints and good for weight reduction.
Crosstrainers / ellipticals convey a unique, weightless feeling due to their pedals' elliptical path of motion. The smooth motion of crosstrainers strengthens the legs, buttocks and hips. The upper body workout which is combined with the lower body workout strengthens the arm, shoulder, pectoral and back muscles.
The crosstrainer's flywheel mass is important, as a general rule: The greater the flywheel mass the smoother and easier on the joints the motion.

Our recommendations for beginners:
Finnlo Vitalo XT Crosstrainer (20kg flywheel mass, 21 motivating programmes, fresh design, bargain!)
cardiostrong EX 30 Elliptical Trainer (smooth running, 13 motivating programmes, four length settings for the footplates, comfortable cushion pad foot plates, introductory offer!)

Our recommendations for advanced users:
Kettler XTR1 Crosstrainer Ergometer (22kg flywheel mass, the motion is very easy on the joints, very sturdy, good technology, Fit-for-Fun test winner in a new design!)
Tunturi C35 crosstrainer (34kg flywheel mass, 5,5? colour display, top electronics with varied prgrammes, special price!)
cardiostrong EX 70 Elliptical (10kg flywheel mass, front-drive, 51cm stride length, many motivating programmes, ergonomic handlebars with hot keys, straightforwad 7 window display, etc.)

Our recommendations for high standards, goal-oriented users:
Taurus X7.7 Elliptical Trainer (front drive with a 14.5kg flywheel mass and therefore a particularly harmonic motion (similar to gym equipment), good features, our price-performance ratio recommendation!)
LiveStrong LS9.9E Elliptical (51cm stride length, SixStar Certified™ frame, electronic incline adjustment, incl. MP3/iPOD® port and speakers)
Kettler EXT7 Limited Edition Crosstrainer Ergometer (22kg flywheel mass, motion which is very easy on the joints, superb computer, special price!)
Vision X6200 Elliptical Trainer with Premium Console (sturdy base, superb motion, many motivating programmes, chest strap included, etc.)

Our top quality recommendations:
LifeFitness X8 Advanced (unbeaten LifeFitness motion, LegSculpter Modus ? varies the stride length automatically in time intervals in order to exercise a number of different muscles, perfect quality and superb electronics)
LifeFitness Club Series CSX Crosstrainer (Home version of the gym version with a price advantage of 2000,-- Euro, ComfortStrideTM System for the probably smoothest and most comfortable motion on the market, hand pulse sensors on the movable handlebars, particularly sturdy frame, the Ferrari among crosstrainers, worth every cent!)

Latest crosstrainer tests:

Fit for Fun Crosstrainer test in their April 2005 issue:
In der Ausgabe April 2005 testete Deutschlands größte Fitness-Fachzeitschrift In their April 2005 issue Fit for Fun, Germany's largest fitness magazine, tested crosstrainers by brand manufacturers together with the Institut für Prävention und Nachsorge (IPN) aus Köln (Institute for Prevention and Aftercare based in Cologne).
An objective picture of the crosstrainer market was drawn when it came to the crosstrainers up to 1000,-- EUR and crosstrainers up to 2000,-- EUR category. Decisive factors were user-friendliness, braking system, motion and features of the computer (among others).

Fit for Fun test winners in the crosstrainers up to 1000,-- EUR category were:
1st place: Kettler XTR1 Crosstrainer Ergometer, overall grade 2-3
Fit-for-Fun's conclusion: Sturdy crosstrainer which stands out with its virtually continous resistance (ergometer).
(Successor in a new design: Kettler XTR1 Crosstrainer Ergometer)
2nd place: Tunturi C4 Crosstrainer, overall grade 3+
Fit-for-Fun's conclusion: Covers all the basic functions of a crosstrainer in a satisfactory way.
(No longer available, successor: Tunturi C40 16? Crosstrainer 2008 in a new design and with a new computer)
3rd place: Horizon Andes 500 Crosstrainer, overall grade 3
Fit-for-Fun's conclusion: Elliptical trainer with comparably short paths of motion (footplates and handlebars); therefore suitable ideally for shorter people (No longer available, improved successor: Horizon Andes 509)
4th place: Daum ergo_lyps Cardio PC, overall grade 3-
Fit-for-Fun's conclusion: Compact machine with a good variety of resistance levels; however, not suitable for taller people. (No longer available, improved successor: Daum ergo_lyps fitness 3)

Fit for Fun test winners in the crosstrainers from 1000,-- up to 2000,-- EUR:
1st place: Vision X6200HRT Elliptical Trainer, Gesamtnote 2+
Fit-for-Fun's conclusion: Well equipped machine with a relatively large radius of movement.
(even sturdier and more comfortable successor: Vision X6200 Elliptical Trainer with a choice of consoles)
2nd place: Schwinn 418 Crosstrainer, overall grade 2
Fit-for-Fun's conclusion: Affordable elliptical trainer, suitable for all types of users. Only machine tested which is battery-supplied and produces its own power. (No longer available!)
3rd place: Lifefitness Sport SX30 Crosstrainer, overall grade 2
Fit-for-Fun's conclusion: Semiprofessional elliptical trainer, convinces with balanced motions, besticht durch ausgewogene Pedalbewegung; plain features (no heart rate control)
(No longer available, improved successorl: Life Fitness X1 Basic Crosstrainer)
4th place: U.N.O. Fitness CTX 9 Crosstrainer, Gesamtnote 3
Fit-for-Fun's conclusion: Solid machine with good features; but the harmonisation of the footplate and handlebar geometry is in need of improvement.
(No longer available, improved successor: U.N.O. Fitness XE4000 Crosstrainer)

Stiftung Warentest's 01/2003 crosstrainer test:
In their 01-2003 issue Stiftung Warentest tested the categories ergometers, crosstrainers and crosstrainer-ergometers (crosstrainers with accurately indicate the output in watts).
Test winner of the Crosstrainer-Ergometer category was by far the Kettler CTR1 Crosstrainer-Ergometer (by this time the technically and mechanically improved successor in a similar design, the Kettler XTR1 Crosstrainer Ergometer which we sell at a special price!), followed by the Daum ergo_lyps fitness! (successor featuring a more user-friendly console and a new design is the Daum ergo_lyps fitness 3).
Winner of the Crosstrainer category was the Kettler Condor Crosstrainer (successors: Kettler Vito XLS Crosstrainer, Kettler Satura M Crosstrainer ).

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