Are Incline Trainers Better Than Treadmills?

FitnessEquipmentGuide November 19, 2023November 17, 2023 0 Comments incline trainer, Q and As

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Going back and forth between an incline trainer and a treadmill?

Chances are you’ve heard about the amazing benefits of an incline trainer and wondered:

Are Incline Trainers Better Than Treadmills?

Great question.

The treadmill market has evolved over the past 15 years – and incline trainers are one of the best things to come out of that.

These aren’t your typical thigh-master-fat-burner-belt, flash-in-the-pan fitness machines. They’re here to stay because they offer several significant advantages over standard treadmills.

So are incline trainers better than treadmills?

The answer is that it depends on your goals.

This post will lay out a few of the main benefits of incline trainers – and then a few benefits of standard treadmills as well – so you can make a more informed decision. So let’s dive in:

Key Benefits of Incline Trainers

Burn 5 Times More Calories

Nordictrack currently makes 2 different incline trainer models – the super-popular X22i trainer and the commercial-grade X32i trainer.

are incline trainers better than a treadmill — Nordictrack X22i Incline trainer

While they vary in terms of price, motor and screen size, they both give you up to 40% incline. This super incline has been shown to help you burn up to 5 times MORE calories than walking on a regular treadmill.

So basically you can burn more calories, lose weight faster and see a new, thinner you in the mirror faster than you would with a standard treadmill.

Another benefit?

You don’t have to spend as much time working out!

This is a great benefit for people who are always on the go and don’t have an hour every day to spend on the treadmill.

You can get a fantastic workout on the incline in just 20 minutes. Throw in some HIIT training with the high intervals and you have a high-calorie burning workout that can even boost your calorie-burning for hours after your workout.

So in this sense an incline trainer is a fantastic time-saver.

Click to Compare All Incline Trainers

Get Better Crosstraining with Decline

Incline trainesr not only have higher inclines than regular treadmills, they also have deeper declines as well.

All of the Nordictrack incline trainers currently give you up to 6% decline – even better than the 3% decline on Nordictrack Commercial treadmills.

So you can get a better crosstraining experience with an incline trainer.

Plus, since these machines integrate with iFit Coach/Google Terrain and inclines/decline to match the actual terrain you’re running, you get a more realistic virtual reality training experience.

And after a particularly hard workout session, it’s a relief to just walk downhill for a while and catch your breath.

Explore World-Famous Trails with iFit Coach

All current Nordictrack incline trainers also come with the ability to add iFit. While Nordictrack treadmills also offer this – if you’re comparing the Nordictrack incline trainer to a different brand of treadmill like a Horizon or a Bowflex treadmill (which don’t offer iFit), then there’s a distinct advantage.

With iFit Coach you can run famous trails all over the world – from Paris to Hawaii – and watch real landmarks pass you by in the console screen.

Take a walking tour of Florence, Italy or hike the Swiss Alps with a guide coaching you through the workout.

You can also take livestream workout classes directly from your treadmill and even get personalized workouts to your treadmill based on your set goals.

iFit also now has LIVE classes that you can take at the same time as your friends in real time. You can even text the trainer a question after class.

So in that sense an incline trainer with iFit gives you a huge virtual-reality-type training benefit over a different brand of home treadmill that does not have iFit.

(Note: As of this writing, if you buy an incline trainer direct through the Manufacturer here, you can get a limited time Full Family subscription to iFit included with your trainer.)

So those are some of the ways a Nordictrack incline is better than a treadmill. However the treadmill is no slouch either. They do have some benefits over the incline trainer treadmill.

Here are some benefits of a regular treadmill over a Nordictrack incline trainer:

Benefits of Treadmills over Incline Trainers

More Affordable

Incline trainers – because they offer you more options – tend to start higher in price. The most affordable incline trainer right now is the X22i and it runs around $2999, for example.

Compare this with a small, starter treadmill which will run you around $1500 (for a quality model) and that’s a significant difference.

If you’re on a budget and just want a simple way to walk occasionally, then a treadmill would be the better option here. If you don’t care how fast you see results and want to save some cash – then the treadmill is the more attractive piece of equipment.

And you can still get some cool features on your treadmill. The Nordictrack EXP7i treadmill runs about $1199 with Free Shipping Here – and gives you a bright, full-color, HD screen, strong deck and a media shelf to hold your phone or tablet.

So you have some more affordable options with treadmills vs incline trainers.

Folding Options

While almost all Nordictrack treadmills fold up, most people don’t realize that the incline trainers do NOT fold up. None of the incline trainer models – past or present – have ever folded up. This is basically due to the limits of having a high-incline design.

You can still move the incline trainer by taking apart the top from the deck. However, if you’re looking for a machine you can fold up and move out of the way when you’re done with it – a treadmill is the much better option.

Easier To Move

The incline trainers are extremely heavy machines coming in at over 400 pounds each. That’s great for stability. But considering they don’t fold up, that also makes them very challenging to move.

Treadmills – depending on which one you choose – tend to be lighter. Plus, because they fold up with wheels on the bottom, they are easier to move.

So Is An Incline Trainer Better Than A Treadmill?

I think it depends on you – your budget, your goals and your workout preferences. Consider the benefits of both the incline trainer and the treadmill discussed above to see what’s right for you.

Once you know that – you’ll be able to choose the best machine for you!

Learn More:

Want to compare the latest incline trainer models – and get the iFit deal included? Use the link below: