One of the huge problems faced by those who have decided to turn around their unhealthy lifestyles is time constraints. These days, you’ll be hard pushed to find a job that strictly commands a 9 to 5 shift of you and, even if it does, the employer would at least ask you to carry on your shift. Add into this equation all the errands, chores and tasks that make up the average day and you’re really not going to be left with a lot of time to go to the gym. This is why companies have now started producing gym-quality exercise equipment for an affordable price in order to accomodate these folks with too little time to drive to the gym, change and come home, but just enough time to jump on their own machine for half an hour before it’s back to the grind. The Horizon Fitness EX-59 elliptical trainer is one of these supposed “gym quality” machines, but does it really reflect the quality of your average franchise gym’s exercise machines?
Horizon Fitness EX-59 Elliptical Trainer - Affordable, But IsIt Gym Quality?
Build Quality – Is It Sturdy Enough For Everyday Use?
Before we go into the elliptical trainer’s threshold for daily abuse, I’m sure the first thing you’re wanting to know is how exactly you’re meant to assemble this thing (and if that wasn’t you first thought, you’re surely worried now!)? Well luckily, although the Horizon EX-59 does come unassembled, the process of building up the machine is as simple as any other furniture assembly, with a few screws here and a little brute force there. Once you’ve sorted the assembly (which took me about 45 minutes, but that did include a coffee break midway…), the machine is easily manoeuvred thanks to the little set of wheels that you can see in at the back of the machine in the image to the left.
So let’s move onto the important stuff – whether the Horizon Fitness EX-59 elliptical trainer can actually hold its own against those professional gym ellipticals. The first thing to point out is that this machine feels solid and well made when you’re working out. The flywheel that provides the elliptical motion is incredibly smooth and didn’t seem to lose its fluidity or make any unhealthy noises once I picked up the pace, which seems to be a common complaint of cheaper elliptical machines. What’s more, the machine features a fantastic selection of resistance settings so if you’re thinking of bringing the machine into a household of varying levels of fitness, the Horizon EX-59 is flexible enough to cater to beginners all the way through to seasoned athletes.
Horizon Fitness EX59 Elliptical Trainer - The Elliptical That Lasts Forever?
In fact, Horizon are so sure of the quality of this machine that the frame itself has a lifetime warranty and the magnetic resistance has a 20 year warranty of its own. These kind of warranty figures are incredibly confident and essentially imply that this exercise machine will never end up breaking down on you, which is brilliant news if you’re ready to lose fast thighs and need a machine that’s ready to take part in that commitment with you!
Features – The EX59 Is Definitely Solid, But Does The Display Let It Down?
You would expect that since the overall build quality of the Horizon EX59 Elliptical machine is so high there would have to be a catch somewhere, but again, the quality of the onboard exercise computer is incredible. Firstly, there are ten different workout settings and three separate LED panels keeping you informed of the specifics of your workout from calories, to speed to distance travelled, but if this wasn’t enough, the EX59 also features on board entertainment!
Now, although they may not be the best speakers in the world, the fact is that Horizon have actually gone to the trouble of providing you with an iPod input slot, so you can be blasting out your favourite tunes while you work out! The machine even features a headphone socket, and you my wonder what the point of having an MP3 input and a headphone output would be when you could simply connect straight into your iPod? Well, it simply removes the chance that your iPod could fly out of your pocket while you exercise and prevents it from getting on your nerves as it bobs around in your pocket and repeatedly smacks you in the thigh.
Horizon Fitness EX-59 Elliptical Trainer - Is There AnythingIt Can't Do?
If all these little additional perks weren’t enough, the EX59 also features a fan with three different options for varying the rate of cooling it produces, so if you’re the type of person who always overheats from working out on these indoor exercise machines, then this fan will be a godsend! You’ll also be able to make use of the little ledge on the machine that’s ideally suited to books, magazines or iPads if you’d rather read instead of listening to music.
Conclusion – So Is This Better Than The Machines At A Gym?
The short answer is an unfortunate “no“, with the reason being rather obvious. Firstly, this is a fantastic machine, and if you’re looking for an elliptical trainer to really give you a challenge when you don’t have the time to spend 2 hours in the gym, the Horizon Fitness EX59 elliptical trainer is ideal.
However, the workout computer is nowhere near as sophisticated as a gym machine and will not take into account height, weight or gender in its calculations of calories being consumed etc. In addition, the workout modes are quite limited when compared to the professional ellipticals you will find at a franchise gym. On top of that, you will need to keep this machine oiled in order to prevent it from picking up on the noise front when you exercise. Even the machines at a legitimate gym will end up squeaking like crazy if they don’t have a little routine oiling on their moving parts every other month or so, but this isn’t too big a deal.
Horizon Fitness EX-59 Elliptical Trainer - It May Not Be Gym-Quality, But It Comes Incredibly Close!
Anyhow, although this is no match for the $3,000 elliptical machines at the gym, you have to remember that this is just $599, which, given the extensive amount of features and the unbelievable quality (made even more clear by that staggering warranty), this is undoubtedly the best bang for your buck you’ll be getting in a home elliptical trainer.
What’s more, you’ll always have this machine just waiting for your own personal weight loss in your living room, office or bedroom. So if you’re not too big a fan of working out in front of others at the gym, or you simply want a means of getting out of bed and burning thigh fat before you eat breakfast, you’ll have the means to do so with the EX59.
So if you don’t care for having too many technical workout settings and you’re looking for an exercise machine investment that will last forever, I couldn’t recommend the Horizon Fitness EX-59 elliptical trainer more. [9/10]
