Customer Reviews

Precor EFX 576i Premium Commercial Series Elliptical Fitness Crosstrainer

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After reading the other review, I felt compelled to write one of my own. I LOVE this elliptical, and while I don't own one either, I have been using this elliptical for over a year, four days a week for between 35-60 minutes at my local YMCA, and it's awesome. It's extremely sturdy; I weigh around two hundred pounds and this machine has never budged not even a little bit under my considerable weight. It has a lot of different programs, and the incline and resistance can be adjusted with the press of one button. Users can enter their weight and age so they can see how many calories are being burned during the workout, and while I don't know how accurate the calorie reading is, I find that being able to see how many more calories I'm burning by increasing my speed or incline is very motivating.

Now I do agree with the other reviewer on one point, which is that the cup holder is too close to the swinging handles. So if my water bottle is too tall, the handles keep bumping into it, but other than that small quibble, this is the best elliptical EVER.

This is reliable & sturdy. I love the digital features including calories burned, although I don't know how accurate it is. But it IS motivational, just like the other person said below. It's got a great variety of inclines, resistance, etc. so you will not get bored. I love keeping track of my heart rate too, since I don't own a personal heart rate monitor. Worth every penny!!!

Quick Rundown...

PROS:
-Very sturdy, no rocking
-Glides smoothly and quietly
-Fantastic support for your lower body, especially your knees
-Variety of useful program options as well as the ability to create your own routines
-Ability to set different types of goals
-Gives you a great workout without putting strain on your joints

CONS:
-Some issues with accessing the cupholder during workouts
-"Time remaining" estimates not very useful
-Calories burned seems much higher than it should be
-Very pricy
-Console layout a little confusing at first


The Full Story...

I've used this machine many times at my local gym and I am always impressed by how stable it is and how smoothly it moves. I actually enjoy the motion so much that I hardly notice that I'm sweating and my heartrate is up. The digital display is clear enough, though I think the layout of the buttons isn't as intuitive as the Precor EFX 835, which is the other elliptical I use regularly. I also prefer the 835's up/down switches for resistance and incline over the 546i's arrow buttons, but it's not a big deal. I do agree that the cupholder is too close to the moving handlebars, and there's always an element of danger in trying to get a drink of water when you're pedaling.

In terms of the machine's functionality, I love the variety of program options and the ability to set various kinds of goals, including time, calories and heartrate. I also appreciate that it tries to calculate the amount of time left to reach your goal, though the estimates aren't always terribly accurate and they don't seem to account for upcoming changes in resistance in the preprogrammed routines.

Most importantly though, I always get a great workout using this elliptical. When I get off of it I feel sweaty and invigorated instead of sweaty and sore, which is how some of the cheaper ellipticals and pretty much all treadmills make me feel. I wish I could afford to have one of these at home!

The gym where I work out has recently replaced their old ellipticals with these. They are very smooth, and I like that part very much. There are some serious design flaws that make them uncomfortable for some users. The cup holder is so close to the moving handles that I hit my water bottle several times during each workout. The handle grips have two problems. First of all, they are too big for my hands. Yes, I'm a female, but I have long fingers, and my hands are bigger, lenghwise, than some men's hands. The other problem is that there is a groove that runs the entire length of the handles in the exact spot where the thumb joint hits the handle. After only about 20 minutes, I was close to having a blister. I've tried applying tape to my thumbs, and that may be what I have to do in order to use these machines. I'm also going to try sliding wrist bands over the handles to cushion that groove. The only problem I see with that solution is that it will make the handles even bigger in diameter. Considering how well-made the rest of the machine is, I find the handles cheap and thoughtlessly designed.