After I injured my heel, I had to give up running. I couldn’t bear the idea of not exercising and I didn’t love the gyms in my area (either very expensive or they smelled like dead fish). So, I decided to buy a piece of exercise equipment. I was a bit nervous about working out in a basement; but, it seemed to be the best option for me.
Historically, my favorite cardio machine had always been the Precor Elliptical… so, we went to the closest Gym Source to see if they had one. Gym Source didn’t happen to carry that brand of elliptical but pointed out several alternatives to us … including a Cybex Arc Trainer. The sales associate explained to us that with an Arc Trainer your legs moved in an Arc (basically swinging forward and backward) vs. moving in an elliptical motion (around in a circle) which prevented your knees from “dropping” as you moved downward. We must have spent close to 2 hours in the store that day debating and testing the various machines before we left empty handed but a bit closer to a decision. Back we went two days later after concluding that the Arc Trainer was definitely the machine for us. Now… we just had to narrow the model down – home model, light commercial model, or the full commercial model (750 AT).
Ultimately, we decided to invest (and, I do use the word invest – it was expensive) in the full blown commercial model and I have to say that it was probably the best decision that I ever made! I have noticed a big difference in the toning of my quads and glutes. I’ve also noticed that I tend to burn more calories on this machine than I do in other workouts that are of similar length. Overall though – it is just plain fun. I would stay on this machine all day if I could!
Features of the Arc Trainer:
- Full body workout, not only are you moving your legs but the 750 AT also incorporates arms
- Essentially three machines in one – depending upon the incline level – you can simulate cross country skiing, running or climbing
- 21 Incline levels
- 9 Programs with 10 levels plus a quick start / manual program
- Wireless heart monitoring
If I didn’t say it already … I love my arc trainer. I use it at least 5 days a week and have even managed to figure out how to stream movies to my computer in the basement to make working out more enjoyable. So… for now… I continue to enjoy my break from running and I am very happy with our decision! What is your favorite cardio machine?
Source: Cybex
