Until two years ago I was not a person to talk to about cross-training. I’m a runner, and runners run. Period. But that’s not exactly true if you want to prolong your running career and maintain a well-rounded fitness program. Still, my conversion to cross-training believer didn’t come easily.

As a high school student I was a gymnast. Not satisfied specializing on one or two events, I competed in all of them. I loved gymnastics and believe it’s one of the best sports for developing overall fitness. Sadly, there’s only so much a middle aged body can take when it comes to gymnastics, and I’ve had some pretty serious injuries related to that sport so it’s not in my best interest to pursue it any further.

Over twenty years ago I had surgery on my neck to fuse discs damaged in a fall from the horizontal bar, and had to stop running for a year. During that time I tried swimming, another sport that can develop an overall strong, fit body if you can endure the monotony of swimming back and forth, over and over again, to get the workout that you need. I swam a lot of miles while waiting for the doctors okay to resume my running program. I also logged a lot of miles on my bicycle. I enjoyed that, but to elevate my heart rate to the level I was used to from running, I had to go really far, really fast. It was fun, but it never felt the same as running and I never felt like I was working as hard or efficiently as I wanted. Once I completed my year of healing from spinal fusion, I hit the roads hard.

Two years ago I had to have surgery on both of my feet. Not because of running too much, but because I have some bones in my feet that are too short and caused too much stress in all the wrong places. I now have five pieces of titanium in both feet. My feet work properly now but I still get sore if I overdo the running. One year ago I had to have my lower spine fused. Again, not because of too much running, but because I have degenerative disc disease. Not really a disease, this is something that’s very common and affects different people in different ways and most of us will feel its effects in one way or another as we age. I now have six pieces of titanium in my back. All of this brings me back to the original point: I need to cross-train if I want to continue running.

An article toward the back of Runner’s World magazine last year led me to a contraption called “ElliptiGO”. Picture an elliptical trainer on wheels and you’re on the right track. Described as an elliptical bicycle, the ElliptiGO has two wheels and handle bars with hand brakes like a bike, but no seat. Your feet sit in trays and your legs move in an elliptical motion while you stand upright. This upright position produces more wind resistance than a bike and provides an excellent workout! The motion is as close to running as you can get without actually running, and the pounding on the body is nonexistent. If you can’t handle stares from curious onlookers, the ElliptiGO isn’t for you. But if you want a great workout very similar to running without the pounding, give one a try. Check out www.elliptigo.com or stop in at a HealthStyles Exercise Equipment near you for more information. I promise it’ll put a smile on your face and some sweat on your brow.

Tom Riggs
Fort Collins Coloroadoan

HealthStyles Exercise Equipment carries the full selection of ElliptiGO bikes. Complete specifications and additional videos, images, and reviews are online here:

ElliptiGO 11R Outdoor Elliptical Bike

ElliptiGO 8C Outdoor Elliptical Bike

ElliptiGO 3C Outdoor Elliptical Bike

According to a leading consumer magazine, the Octane Q37ci Elliptical was rated a “Best Buy” for it’s sturdy construction, safety features, and interactive training programs.

By far, the biggest advantage of the Octane Q37 Elliptical over any other machine is the quality construction. The Octane Ellipticals are sturdy and reliable and in our experience as a specialty exercise equipment retailer, we’ve seen far fewer service requests from these machines than any other elliptical sold.

In addition to the reliability and solid commercial feel, the Octane Q37 Elliptical allows users to feel more comfortable and balanced with a natural movement pattern. The natural motion enhances the use of core muscles and gives the user the maximum comfort in using both the legs and arms at any speed without feeling off balance.

The movement patterns of many less expensive machines do not feel as natural and can put stress on hips, ankles, and knees. Over the course of many hours of weekly use, these repetitive unnatural movements can cause discomfort, pain, or overuse injuries. But more often than not, an uncomfortable machine is just less likely to be used on a regular basis.

Here are a few fitness tips to help you get the most out of your Octane Elliptical workouts.

1. Make sure to keep good posture while using the arms especially during the arm blaster workouts. You want to feel like you are pulling from your mid back muscles while retracting your shoulder blades well and keeping your elbows moving back and downwards close to your sides. The last place you want to feel like you are pulling from is your upper neck or traps.
   
   
2. At your comfort level, get used to dropping your hands and arms and swinging them like you would during a walk or run, this will help your balance as well as your core. It is harder to do during higher resistance levels so you can choose to work on this during the warm up and cool down.
   
   
3. Make sure you are going in reverse occasionally. It’s not a bad idea for people to do at least 10% of their workout going backwards. This will help insure that you are equalizing the load across some of the muscle groups in the legs as well as challenging your balance.
   
   
4. Make sure you do not over do it on a weekly basis. The beauty of the Octane elliptical is that the workout time needed is compressed since there is so much muscle recruitment involved, so you can modify the workouts based on time and intensity each day and also modify which muscles you are using more for that specific workout. An example would be that someone might have a 15 minute workout one day while using the arm feature, really concentrating on pushing and pulling at a higher level of resistance. This could be followed up the next day with a simulation of running at a low level of resistance without using the arms much and the time might be 30-40 minutes. This variation example will help prevent overtraining by allowing different body parts to rest and recover properly in between workouts.
   
   
5. Use the Cross Training program and instructional book to challenge yourself to a circuit style program. Research shows how effective going back and forth between cardio and strength training can be to help maximize cardiovascular training as well as muscle toning and weight loss. You don’t have to rely on the pictures in the cross training book that come with the Octane as they are just suggestions, you can use anything from bands to kettlebells to body weight training, just be creative.
   
   
6. Try shorter workouts less than 30 minutes to stay consistent. Just as long as you are concentrating on warming up and cooling down properly, you can challenge yourself to come off the machine completely wiped out and have a ton of calories burned in just a short period of time. Some favorite workouts are only 20 minutes long! It’s much easier from a motivational standpoint to find less than 30 minutes of time to work into your schedule for using the Octane than it is to find 45 minutes or an hour. Get used to these small blocks of time and you will see how much fun and productive the workouts can be!
   
   
7. Use the custom interval program to set intervals with a set resistance for a selected period of time. Some people enjoy doing 1 minute hard efforts followed by 4 minutes of mild to moderate effort and then repeat for a number of times. Others seem to like a 30 second peak interval followed by a 90 second recovery and repeat for 8 times. These are called recovery and peak effort intervals and you can play with the right combos of resistance level to make it right for you. Just make sure you are doing your warm up and cool down properly.
   
   
8. Set shorter, reasonable goals when you first try X-Mode. When setting the time that the X-Mode comes on, I would recommend having it come on for only 30 seconds for users just starting with the Octane. Move up the time and frequency of the X-Mode as your fitness improves.
   
   
9. Challenge yourself to use only one of the arms when pushing and pulling. This requires a good deal of concentration and core control to resist swinging from side to side as the other arm wants to join in but is resting in the downward, swinging position. Don’t push into anything that is painful. A lighter resistance still gets the job done.

In addition to the top reviewed Octane Q37ci ellipticals, Octane offers a full range of options to fit your personal preference and budget.

Each Octane Elliptical offers a “c” and “ci” console. The “ci” consoles offer the full interactive heart rate training programs. The “c” consoles offer basic workouts without the interactive heart rate so you can get the same quality machine at a lower price without all the buttons and whistles.

The Q37c console on the left and Q37ci console on the right:

The Octane Q35c is the most affordable Octane elliptical and offers the same quality construction and stride without the converging multi-grip arms.

The Octane Q47c and Q47ci ellipticals offer a unique “SmartStride” feature that automatically adjusts the stride lengths from 18 to 26 inches. This is ideal for family use to ensure that mom, dad, and the kids can all use the machine comfortably. This is also an added benefit to ensure maximum comfort transitioning between walking, jogging, and running speeds.

The Octane xRide series are a one-of-a-kind seated elliptical. These seated ellipticals offer a completely different style of low-impact elliptical workout. The additional back support from the seat can be beneficial for beginning exercisers and physical therapy. And for the experienced exerciser, it offers the opportunity to incorporate a new level of power and strength into a cross training workout.

Stop in to demo an Octane Elliptical at one of HealthStyles’ retail locations to find the cross training solution that works best for you.

Or call us at 800-829-9705 for more information.

Scott Laurent
has a BA in sports psychology. He is a certified personal trainer and was a semi-pro athlete. His consulting business, ReadyToExercise.com, helps people who are contemplating, just starting, or having difficulty remaining in an exercise program.

Visit Scott at the Healthstyles Exercise Equipment Colorado Blvd or Park Meadows Retail Stores Or email: scott@readytoexercise.com

February is Healthy Heart Month and at HealthStyles Exercise Equipment, February is also Octane Fitness Month. Octane Fitness is one of HealthStyles’ most valued strategic partners. Octane makes elliptical cross-training machines, and only cross-training machines, which is one of the things that makes them unique to the fitness industry, and valuable partners with HealthStyles.

In 2001, Dennis Lee and Tim Porth left their corporate jobs in the fitness equipment manufacturing business and launched a startup called Octane Fitness, with the vision of designing and manufacturing and marketing low-impact, elliptical cross-training machines. By concentrating exclusively on ellipticals and also outsourcing functions such as manufacturing, shipping and warehousing, they have created an extremely successful business that manufactures and sells some of the very best elliptical cross trainers in the world.

Where most exercise equipment manufacturers take the broad approach of manufacturing a full range of cardiovascular equipment that includes treadmills, ellipticals, and upright and recumbent bikes, the key to the tremendous success of Octane was their narrow focus on only ellipticals. Because of this, they created a line of machines that are aesthetically pleasing, superbly designed, and at competitive price points. Most importantly, people like the feel of them!

Once the retail versions of Octane’s ellipticals were launched successfully, Octane went to work to create the best and most durable commercial ellipticals in the marketplace. Their commercial ellipticals have now been purchased by hundreds of corporate fitness centers, training centers and health clubs, including 24 Hour Fitness and Lifetime Fitness.

In addition to many best-in-class awards over the years from health and wellness magazines, Octane has also been recognized as the best supplier by specialty retailers. This is due to their customer friendly relationships with dealers like HeathStyles. Things like product availability, quick turn-around time, high product reliability and immediate availability of service support and parts, allow us, in turn, to provide the best service possible to our customers, which is of utmost importance to us.

We are excited to be aligned with a company like Octane that is so focused on meeting the customer’s needs. Since 2001, their success has pushed other manufacturers to improve the quality and features of their products in the elliptical category, improving the entire range of ellipticals available from all manufacturers.

It is clear that with the increasing demand for result producing, low impact workouts, the popularity of elliptical cross-trainers is going to continue to increase. Having Octane as a key partner, HealthStyles will continue to be a leader in providing quality ellipticals to the active Colorado exercise enthusiast! In celebration of our partnership with Octane, we are offering an instant rebate on all Octane ellipticals and in addition, through the 28th of February, HealthStyles will provide you with a FREE PROFESSIONAL DELIVERY AND ASSEMBLY OFFER on any Octane elliptical cross trainer that is purchased during this window of time.

COMMIT TO GET FIT WITH OCTANE ELLIPTICALS AND HEALTHSTYLES!

To learn more about Octane, here area a few links to additional elliptical reviews and video demonstrations:

Octane – A Superior Elliptical Choice

New Octane xRide Seated Ellipticals

Product Spotlight: Octane Q37 and Q47 Elliptical Cross Circuit Workout

Stop in to demo an Octane elliptical trainer at one of HealthStyles’ retail locations or call us at 800-829-9705 for more information.

Click here to shop online for Octane Elliptical cross training machines.

Vision Fitness has hit the mark with an elliptical machine that feels like a club model at a $1,000 price. Up untill now, it has been a struggle to recommend a club quality elliptical trainer for less than $2,000.

A leading consumer products magazine has chosen the Vision X20 Elliptical as a Best Buy Elliptical for 2011. Their comments:

"The X20 is an incredible value. Its 20 inch stride length, 23 lb. flywheel and high gear ratio give this model the fluid feel of elliptical machines that cost $500 more."

Here are a few of the best features that we really like about the new Vision X20 and X30 Ellipticals.

• Much better balance and stride comfort
  Natural stride is a huge factor in increasing comfort and reducing injury potential when using an elliptical. The new X20 and X30 ellipticals have hit a home run with closer pedal spacing and a nice long 20 inch stride
• Arms work naturally to incorporate upper body muscles.
  Arm movements that work naturally with the lower body movement on an elliptical are crucial to comfort and a natural feel while exercising. By working the muscles of both the arms and the legs, an elliptical will raise the heart rate quicker and keep the heart rate elevated to provide the most efficient cardiovascular workout possible. We especially like the multi-grip positions on the X30 arms.
• Sturdy and stable
  Even at higher resistance levels and higher speeds, the X20 and X30 ellipticals were extremely stable. If the piece of equipment feels sturdy and durable, you are much more likely to use it and stay on it longer to get the best workout possible. The stability of the X20 and X30 ellipticals is much closer to significantly higher priced units that you would find in a health club.
• Very quiet
  These ellipticals are ideal for parents who want to work out while children are sleeping, or individuals who want to watch TV or listen to music which they workout.
• The Sprint 8 Workout
  Sprint 8 is a 20 minute workout which when done 3 times a week has shown great results for many of our clients. The Sprint 8 workout is included with the Deluxe or Premier console options on the X20 and X30 ellipticals. For users interested in value pricing and less interested in program variety, the Simple console provides 7 user programs and contact heart rate at a lower price.

When considering the 2 bases, the X30 has all of the features of the X20 with the addition of a large accessory tray, cushioned footpads for comfort while striding, and multi-position arms so you can find your perfect workout position!

The great thing about these 2 ellipticals is that with 2 bases and 3 consoles, you actually have 6 ellipticals to choose from based on your budget, desired feedback, and workout preferences.

While the X20 and X30 may not have quite the heavy duty commercial feel of the top of the line retail ellipticals, it also does not have the price tag of the higher priced units. The X20 and X30 Vision Fitness ellipticals are an excellent choice for people who want a value-priced elliptical without sacrificing features and benefits.

Stop in to demo a Vision Fitness X20 or X30 Elliptical Trainer at one of HealthStyles’ retail locations or call us at 800-829-9705 for more information.

Click here to shop online for Vision Fitness ellipticals.

Scott Laurent
has a BA in sports psychology. He is a certified personal trainer and was a semi-pro athlete. His consulting business, ReadyToExercise.com, helps people who are contemplating, just starting, or having difficulty remaining in an exercise program.

Visit Scott at the Healthstyles Exercise Equipment Colorado Blvd or Park Meadows Retail Stores Or email: scott@readytoexercise.com

With the ever growing number of ellipticals on the market for purchase these days, it is refreshing to see a company like Octane continue to create ellipticals that have the most customer appeal and fitness benefits to the user than I have ever seen. Octane Fitness Ellipticals continually earn multiple awards from leading consumer publications like Health, Consumer Guide, and Today’s Health and Wellness, with several publications winning Best Buy designations.

When the user steps up on an Octane, the sense of comfort and balance one feels while using either the set 20 ½ inch stride or the adjustable stride model, fuels the individual into a dynamic workout at varying speeds that feels natural and not like you are along for the ride. This workout gives the added confidence of pushing and pulling yourself through an outstanding, ergonomically correct, total body workout.

The low step up height makes it one of the few ellipticals that will work with a user over 6 feet tall in a low ceiling environment. This feature along with narrow pedal spacing, converging path multi-grip handles and great programming, make all models in the Octane elliptical line a great choice for individuals of all ages and ability levels. Add to this the zero maintenance required and one of the lowest incidences of service problems of any elliptical made, and I am confident in giving the Octane Elliptical’s a huge thumbs up recommendation for those looking for an elliptical.

Stop in to demo an Octane elliptical trainer at one of HealthStyles’ retail locations or call us at 800-829-9705 for more information.

Click here to shop online for Octane Elliptical cross training machines.

Scott Laurent
has a BA in sports psychology. He is a certified personal trainer and was a semi-pro athlete. His consulting business, ReadyToExercise.com, helps people who are contemplating, just starting, or having difficulty remaining in an exercise program.

Visit Scott at the Healthstyles Exercise Equipment Colorado Blvd or Park Meadows Retail Stores Or email: scott@readytoexercise.com

Bored with your cardio routine? Need something new to keep your workouts fresh? If you are thinking about purchasing an elliptcal trainer for cardiovascular training during the upcoming fall and winter season, the new Octane Q37 and Q47 with the CI console, combine low impact cardiovascular and strength training in the same workout to maximize your results with an effective, efficient exercise regime.

Octane, manufacturer of the world’s most popular elliptical has outdone themselves this time! This revolutionary workout program alternates on-machine cardio intervals with off-machine strength sets for every area that needs attention. In just one workout session you can build cardiovascular endurance and shape and tone your body with both upper body, lower body and core strengthening exercises. It’s the ultimate cross-training experience!

Use the Q37ci or Q47Ci and add the optional Cross Circuit kit that includes additional powerbands and side platforms to further enhance your training effort. With one machine and one workout you can work out efficiently to be the best you can be. To try out the new Cross Circuit Program on the Octane Q37ci and Q47ci, stop by your local HealthStyles today for a test ride!

Octane Q Series with Cross Circuit + Video:

The Vision 7100 Suspension Trainer has recently been awarded the Shape You – November 2009 “Top Gear of the Year” Award for Retail Ellipticals. The S7100 is unique because of its PerfectStride system, which is exclusive to Vision Fitness. PerfectStride technology offers the ideal combination of biomechanical and ergonomic features.

So, you think you know ellipticals? The days of the simple, circular cardio workouts are over. Now you can get so much more than aerobic exercise on an elliptical. Octane, the company who SNEWS has ranked #1 for 3 years (#1 elliptical supplier for 5 years) running, has introduced the new version of their top selling elliptical. The Q37ci provides the user with an unparalleled challenge. (more…)

Cross-Training Redefined The new Octane Q37 Series is ramped up and ready to take you and your workout to the next level. See the results you have been trying to find for years…better results in less time with the redefined Octane Q37. (more…)

What is a “Suspension Trainer” you ask? Well, as the name implies the suspension trainers pedal arms are suspended in mid-air, as opposed to running on a track or rail, which leads to less friction and wear and tear on the equipment. Also, by having the pedal arms suspended, you get a very smooth, comfortable, & QUIET elliptical motion. While the suspension is great, what really sets the S7100 apart from other ellipticals on the market is its incline feature. (18%-37%) Why is having an incline better you ask? Well the best way to describe it is to use an analogy that someone used for me. Let’s talk about cartilage in the knees and hips and compare it to the tread on the tires of our cars. Cartilage, like the rubber on our tires, breaks down and wears out over time of constant use. Fortunately for us, we can always buy new tires. Unfortunately for us, we CANNOT buy new cartilage for our joints. Now, what is the main thing that we do to help with the longevity of our tires? We rotate them. This helps the tires to wear evenly and not wear out too quickly from repetitive motion in the same area. Essentially, when we use standard fixed stride ellipticals this is making our cartilage wear out quicker by doing continuous, repetitive motion in the same path of movement. Hmmm, so how do we “rotate our tires”? Simple, we change the path of movement for our knees and hips. By actively changing the incline with the S7100 Suspension Trainer we can effectively change the wear and tear of our cartilage in our knees and hips by changing the angle and path of movement for our joints. So to re-cap, the bio-mechanics of the S7100 Suspension Trainer are superb and by using the incline feature you can effectively save the precious cartilage between the knee and hip joints. The NEW S7100 Suspension Trainer also comes with a choice of two consoles to better you workout with interactive feedback and programs to keep you motivated during your session. The Deluxe Console comes with 8 workouts, including the patented Sprint 8, Summit hiker, & Glute Burn. The Premier Console has 20 different levels of resistance, with scrolling messages on a blue lit LCD screen. The Premier Console has the same 20 levels of resistance but it jumps up to 18 total workouts including: Sprint 8, Summit Hiker, Glute Burn, Heart rate control programs, Custom programs, and Sculptor programs. Stop in to demo the Vision Fitness S7100 Deluxe or S7100 Premier Suspension Ellliptical at one of HealthStyles Exercise Equipment’s 10 Colorado retail stores. Or call us at 800-829-9705 for more information. Bill Allen HealthStyles Exercise Equipment Loveland Retail Store Manager loveland@healthstylesexercise.com