45. Exercise Equipment: Cross-Country Skiing Machines
Description
This article is from the Fitness FAQ, by Jeff Gleixner (glex@cray.com) with numerous contributions by others.
45. Exercise Equipment: Cross-Country Skiing Machines
GENERAL ADVICE
X country ski machines are great---IF---that's an activity that you
will enjoy and stay with. Don't listen to the marketing BS about
"world's best aerobic exercise." That claim is based on arcane
scientific distinctions that have no practical worth to the
average exerciser. If you like to do it, they will be effective
and help you attain goals if done properly (correct intensity,
frequency, duration).
>From the owner of the Nordic Track PRO, below:
I have since also used some of the lesser NordicTrack models and would
suggest that anyone considering purchase should spring the extra bucks
and get one of the models that allows the front end to be elevated. It's
not so much that elevating the front is, in and of itself, that great,
but that the design of these units gives a more stable base.
NORDIC TRACK
My experience says, stick with the Nordic Track machines. (Their
advertising may be BS but the products are good.) I have tried
the "lever arm" type of machine (costing $350.00) and fond it
uncomfortable and difficult to achieve a quality workout.
As for price, the best Nordic Track machines are in the $450-600
range. For your long-term enjoyment, I strongly advise not settling
for anything less in price. IMHO, it is good $$$ after bad. See if
you can't try out a Nordic Track in a club or with a friend before
you buy. Good luck.
..........
I bought a NordicTrack PRO from NordicTrack by mail order. When it
arrived, I hauled the box upstairs and proceeded to get out my tool box
figuring that I would now have to spend the next six hours assembling
the thing. It slid out of the box, unfolded and was operational
in a matter of minutes without even opening my toolbox. (Oh, I
do think that I had to get a screwdriver to attach the stupid
electronics thing that Nordic tried to convince me was worth
$150, though they threw it in free, which is a good thing since
it most certainly isn't worth $15 much less $150.)
I decided to begin slowly, so I decided to do just ten minutes.
After about eight, I fell off exhausted and seriously considered
calling 911 for myself. However, after about two months of gradually
working up, I began doing four one-hour runs a week. In seven months,
I lost 60 lbs and now weigh 165. I feel great.
The NordicTrack itself is none the worse for wear after all of that
hard work (and I do go at it rather aggressively). It showed some alarming
signs of wear early on, but that has now settled in. It seems like it
just needed to break in like a new pair of shoes. In the almost nine
months that I've had it and used it regularly, I've had no problems with
it at all. It got rather noisy at one point and the neighbors complained.
I hadn't noticed it since it apparently got noisy gradually. I just cranked
up the tunes to compensate. ... Anyway, I called the Nordic people and they
suggested oiling the idler wheels with light, household oil. The noise
disappeared and I was surprised. Now I seem to notice it starts to get
that noise back every few months. A quick drop or two of oil and she
runs smooth again.
Aside from the expected exhaustion and the initial adjustments of my
heretofore idle body at the onset of this regime, I have not felt any
injury or other adverse effects of "tracking," even as aggressively as I
do it.
I've now changed to NordicTrack only three hours a week in order to
keep from losing any more of what's left of me. The problem is that
I really have come to enjoy running on my NordicTrack. I'd do it everyday
if I could.
My major complaint with my Pro is the stupid electronics. All right, the
clock is accurate and will tell you how long you've been at it, but that's
about it. Nothing that a $10 stopwatch wouldn't do. The distance run
measurement is something I can't comment on, though when I go X-country
skiing for real on measured trails, I seem to be able to go about ten miles
an hour, but my NordicTrack only seems to indicate about six miles for much
more constant and intense (or so it seems to me) work. The calories used
measurement is a joke. It seems simply to integrate your speed over the
time that you worked. In this respect, I do use this thing just to
judge the relative merit of my workout. A typical one-hour session seems
to run this number up to 600. If I get off and find this only went up to
500, I consider myself to have been dogging it. If I find it at 700, I
wonder about overworking.
The pulse monitor is totally worthless. It can almost find a steady pulse
if you're standing still and hold your breath and stand perfectly
motionless holding your head as some totally unnatural angle. If you want
to check your pulse while you're working, don't even try. It will gyrate
all over the scale. It's also very uncomfortable to wear. You can't even
stop and stand still for a few seconds to take your pulse since it takes
it a minute or so to get a valid reading. So, don't let the NordicTrack
sales people talk you into paying extra for the fancy upgraded electronics.
Speaking of talking to the NordicTrack sales people, they actually do
have some range to bargain with you on the phone. I talked them into
giving me $50 off the price, throwing in the $150 electronics upgrade
free, and paying the shipping.
Anyway, I can enthusiastically recommend the NordicTrack Pro.
NORDIC TRACK 900
I used a Nordic 900 at a health club on a recent trip and was surprised
that it didn't have as smooth an action as my much less expensive PRO
does.
PRECOR
>From the owner of the Nordic Track PRO:
I used Precor's new X-country skier at the local fitness
store the other day and found it not very smooth and, in fact,
difficult to get a good stride on.
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