are incline trainers better than treadmills

Incline Trainer Pros and Cons

FitnessEquipmentGuide October 28, 2016October 31, 2016 incline trainer

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Pros and Cons of the Nordictrack Incline Trainer Treadmill

incline trainer pros cons — Nordictrack Incline Trainer

Thinking about getting an incline trainer?

Nordictrack makes some of the most popular – and in my opinion, best value – incline trainers on the market. They put a lot into these machines.

And unlike their main competition – the Treadclimber which starts at $2200 – the incline trainer starts around $1599 (for the Nordictrack X7) and the most popular model (the Nordictrack X9) is only $1999. So they’re also much cheaper than the competition.

But what about the drawbacks? Are there any?

And what are the real benefits to these machines?

This post will give you a brief rundown of the incline trainer pros and cons to help you make up your mind. First the good stuff:

Incline Trainer Pros:

#1 Burns Almost 5 Times the Calories

According to tests done by the manufacturer, you can burn almost 5 times more calories walking on an incline trainer than you would on a 0% incline treadmill.

To give you an idea, you can burn 381 calories walking on a 40% incline for 20 minutes at 2.0 MPH (which is a very slow speed and workable for most people).

Compare this to burning 87 calories walking on a 0% incline for 20 minutes at 2.0 MPH and you’ll see it’s almost 5 times (or more exactly 4.4 times the calories – but that doesn’t sound as good in sales copy).

So, in theory at least, you have the ability to burn a lot more calories in less time on this kind of treadmill than on a regular kind of treadmill.

Or to put it into a time perspective, you can burn 381 calories walking at 40% at 2.0 MPH for 20 minutes or you can burn 381 calories walking at 0% at 2.0 MPH for 87 minutes. So that’s 20 minutes or 1 hour and 27 minutes – how long would you rather stay on your treadmill?

What does this mean for you? Well, if you’re looking to tighten, tone up and lose weight fast – this machine can get you there.

Think of it like a treadmill on steroids.

#2 Longer Belt

Older incline trainer models had much shorter belts as they were originally only meant to be used for walking. This is still the case with machines like the Treadclimber – very short belts.

Short belts mean you cannot run on them.

But a few years ago, Nordic track added longer belts to the new models and now you can use it for walking or running – at whatever incline you want.

#3 Built-in Web Browser

The X9 and X11 models have full color consoles with web browsers. So you can surf the net, read emails or watch YouTube videos as you run or walk.

This adds a whole new option for distracting and entertaining yourself while you workout.

#4 iFit LIVE Adds Virtual Reality Fun

You can also get iFit LIVE on these trainers, just like the treadmills. iFit LIVE connects to the Internet and from there you can track and graph your workouts over time.

You can also download countless new workout programs.

But the coolest are the world workouts – where you can run famous trails all over the world (or map out your own trail) and watch actual landmarks pass you by in the console screen.

So you can run along the streets in Paris or jog along the shores of Hawaii and watch real landmarks pass you by on the screen. This takes your training to a whole new level and it’s very cool.

Plus the incline trainer will actually incline and decline to match the terrain, giving you more of a virtual reality experience.

#5 Decline

In addition to incline, you also get various levels of decline on these trainers – up to 6% on the Nordictrack X11 – which is more than Nordictrack Treadmills give you. So you have another great way to add some crosstraining to your workout.

Incline Trainer Pros and Cons – The Cons:

#1 Do Not Fold

Incline trainers – unlike most Nordictrack treadmills – do not fold up. Because of the limits of the high incline design, it’s just not possible to make them folding as well.

So if you’re looking for a folding model, you’d be better to go with a treadmill instead of an incline trainer.

#2 No Adjustable Cushioning

While the cushioning systems are excellent on the incline trainers, they are not adjustable like many of Nordictrack’s newer treadmills.

Some people really like the ability to turn the cushioning up for a softer feel or turn it down for a firmer, more road-like feel.

#3 Takes Some Time

Let’s get real here – you’re not going to hop on one of these things first time out and do 20 minutes at 40%. It’s just not going to happen.

While the potential to burn mega-calories is there – it will take some time to work up to it (unless you already mountain climb on a regular basis). So go slowly, knowing that your body will adapt and you will be able to do more and more high incline walking in time.

So those are some incline trainer pros and cons to help you decide if an incline trainer is right for you. It can be a really cool machine that will help you lose weight much faster than a traditional treadmill.

But it’s not right for everyone. So take your time and go with a treadmill you really love! Good luck!