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Advanced Fitness Newsletter
Information for a Healthy Life

October 5, 2K
Issue 15

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IN THIS ISSUE:

- The Cheap Treadmill Trap
- Heart Rate Monitors Give You the Beat

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The Cheap Treadmill Trap
by Clark Stevenson

Are you hoping to get a brand-new treadmill? What if I told you that you could get a new treadmill for $600 that had better features, larger belt, bigger motor, and more sturdy looks than a $2,000 treadmill? You would probably tell me that I am crazy! The crazy part of all of this is that thousands of people fall into this trap every year. They shop the specialty fitness stores, and then go to Sears to compare treadmills. The treadmills at Sears have better features, larger belts, bigger motors, and more sturdy looks than their $2,000 cousins. The truth is that the buyer should beware.

The smartest way to shop for a treadmill is to understand that the specialty store treadmills and mass-merchant treadmills are incredibly different. The treadmills you find at Sears and other mass-merchants have had years of marketing surveys, customer focus groups, and fantastic industrial design to make sure that you believe the marketing hype. The truth remains; you get what you pay for.

Sears and other mass-merchants don't sell bad treadmills. There are just areas in which you will be misled if you believe the marketing materials. The main area of dispute is the most important feature of a treadmill: THE MOTOR. Most units at the mass-merchants advertise that they have a 2.5 HP motor. The reality is that if you compare the actual physical size of the motor with 2.0 HP motors from $2,000 treadmills, you won't believe your eyes! Although the $600 treadmill has a motor that says 2.5 HP, it is over 50% SMALLER than the 2.0 HP motor in the $2,000 treadmill!

You might ask yourself how they can label the $600 treadmill motor as 2.5 HP if it is so much smaller. There is a simple reason there is no standard for rating treadmill motors. You can call it what you want and they do on the cheap machines!

At my last corporate job, we rated one of these smaller motors to test for a cheap treadmill we considered building. It rated at less than 1 HP using a standard rating system. This is not to say that the motors in the $600 treadmill are at this rating but if I had to bet; I would definitely say that it is less than 1 HP.

The remaining components on cheap machines are lower quality as well. The strength of the steel frame, the belt and roller grade, and electronics, as well as many other features, are much lower quality. In the past two weeks, our repair business has seen two of the $600 treadmills with bent frames from use. You rarely see this on higher quality machines and, when it does occur, it usually is the result of freight problems, not use.

Just remember that you get what you pay for. Understand that if you buy a treadmill from Sears, you shouldn't expect to get a great treadmill. If you spend more money on a treadmill, remember that the manufacturer spends more money on important areas of the machine and less on how it looks or how many bells and whistles it has. Finally, keep in mind that you shouldn't try to skimp on your health. If you can only afford a $600 treadmill, it is better to buy a mass-merchant treadmill than not having a treadmill. If you can afford a higher priced treadmill, don't settle for a cheap one.

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Heart Rate Monitors Give You the Beat
by Tom Seabourne, Ph.D.

What's all the buzz about heart rate monitors? You may think it's more important to look at your stride length, turnover rate or pedal speed, but heart rate training is an important part of the madness. The heart rate monitor serves as a guide that prompts you to train according to the demands you set for your workout.

Whatever your goal, it's important to first establish your estimated maximal heart rate. This can be done by subtracting your age from 220. Then you can use percentages of that number to determine the intensity at which you'd like to work. Your fitness level and goal will determine your target heart rate. For example, if you want to work at an endurance or aerobic training level (steady state exercise): you would likely work at 65 to 75 percent of your maximal heart rate. (Too lazy to run the numbers? Click here for FitnessLink's Target Heart Rate Calculator.)

Once you've determined your target heart rate, strap on the monitor and get to work. If you notice your heart rate is too high, take it easy. Not high enough? Turn up the intensity. You might be surprised to find that you weren't working as hard as you always thought.

Keep in mind that psychological, environmental and physiological factors can affect your heart rate, according to Sally Edwards, member of the Triathlon Hall of Fame and author of 12 books. If you are tired, on medication, under stress, at high altitude, or in high humidity, your heart rate may change. Even anticipating a workout can increase your heart rate as much as 100 percent!

Most people believe that elite athletes have the lowest resting heart rates, but this is not necessarily so. Professional tennis player Bjorn Borg owns a resting heart rate of 35 beats per minute. But marathon superstar Frank Shorter's resting heart rate is 75 beats per minute. Your genetic material accounts for about 50 percent of your resting heart rate. Smaller hearts beat faster than larger hearts. But the more fit you are, the more blood your heart will pump with each beat. Getting into better shape results in a more efficient heart, and the heart rate monitor allows you to watch your heart grow stronger.

You don't need to get super attached to your heart rate monitor either. You'll come to recognize the intensity you want to achieve without the monitor. So borrow a friend's heart rate monitor for a week, then buy one if you like it. They're a terrific way to take control of - and add some spice to - your workouts.

--Tom Seabourne, tom@fitnesslink.com, has a Ph.D. in exercise science and is an ACSM-, CSCS- and ACE-certified fitness professional. He is a former collegiate tennis player and 2-time National AAU Heavyweight tae kwon do Champion, Pan American Champion, and World Silver Medalist. He is also the holder of several ultra-endurance national cycling records. August 2000

Copyright FitnessLink, http://www.fitnesslink.com. Reprinted with permission.

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