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Q) I’m thinking of buying a cross trainer but there are so many on the market I’m confused! What should I consider when I’m buying one and can you recommend any? My budget is around £1000.

By slhaf | May 22, 2009

A) Go to a company that specialises in selling fitness equipment, NOT a catalogue store that’s likely to have a limited and cheap end range. I would strongly advise you to go for health-club quality products.

For around £1,000 you can buy a budget range health club machine that is designed for use in say, a hotel gym – it’s often termed ‘Light commercial’ . This will have more features than a home market product and if you are used to training in a gym it will feel more like your gym workouts. 

You also want to consider space and usage – where are you going to put the machine? Do you need to be able to store it?  How many times a week do you intend to use it? There are for example some excellent fold-away versions that can go into a cupboard and are still a quality product  – try makes such as Star Trac, Technogym, Life fitness and Vision for examples.  Go direct to the manufacturer’s websites to find your model and a list of suppliers.

But consider how much of an investment this is. So often machines like this are bought and after a couple of months use, forgotten about. Have you used a cross trainer before? How motivated are you to use it on your own? It would be worth looking into companies that hire equipment out. You could try it for a couple of months first.

If you decide to buy, consider where you are going to exercise. The garage is the worst place! Choose a light room with lots of windows and room for a fan, stereo etc. Also consider hiring a personal trainer for a few sessions so they can give you ideas for how to make the most of your equipment.

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