Horizon Fitness EX-57 Elliptical Trainer

Other products by Horizon Fitness

Product Features

• Elliptical trainer with 8 electronic resistance levels and heavy-duty 14.3-pound flywheel
• 9 goal-based program options; extra-low 9.1-inch step-on height
• Non-backlit LCD display; 18-inch stride length; 275-pound capacity
• Efficient flywheel maintains pedal and arm momentum while offering smooth, quiet operation
• Measures 29 x 67 x 55 inches (W x H x D); 20-year warranty on brake

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Bring the gym into your home and enjoy an efficient, high-caliber workout with the Horizon EX-57 elliptical trainer, which works your legs as well as your upper body. Perfect for rigorous training routines, the EX-57 offers an eight-level electronic resistance system, along with a heavy 14-pound flywheel that maintains pedal and arm momentum while offering a smooth, quiet operation. More significantly from a user perspective, it offers nine goal-oriented programs. You can choose one of three different goals (time, distance, and calories) and one of three terrains (manual, reverse train, and hills). The crisp LCD screen, meanwhile, offers key workout feedback, helping you develop an effective training regimen.

Horizon employs a heavy-duty flywheel that provides continuous velocity, so as your feet move the pedals, the flywheel's momentum carries you through the complete motion. As a result, the trainer feels very natural and not at all choppy. Plus, the flywheel is extremely quiet, making the trainer ideal for home use. Horizon also applies a magnetic brake to the flywheel, creating more consistent resistance during a workout. And the instep-stacked flywheel design--where the flywheel sits above the pedals rather than in line with them--delivers a lower step-on height for easy access, along with a stride length that's longer, more natural, and more versatile regardless of the user, workout type, and fitness level. As an added benefit, the unit is smaller and shorter than other ellipticals, so it fits in almost any room, including low-ceiling basements.

Horizon's Ergoflow elliptical geometry is built around your body, not the machine's components. The distance between the pedals have also been narrowed to create a more natural walking motion, and the pivoting footpad imitates how your foot's position changes as you move forward. And a more natural, ergonomic movement means less stress on your knees, hips, and lowers back, so you enjoy longer workouts and faster results.

Elliptical Trainer Features:

• Resistance: Electronic
• Resistance range: 1 to 8 resistance levels
• Flywheel: 14.3-pound flywheel for fluid, quiet motion
• Step-on height: 9.8 inches
• Stride length: 18 inches
• Pedal spacing: 2.8 inches
• Screen: Non-backlit LCD (2.4 x 4.8 inches)
• Programs: 9
• Program type: Choose 1 of 3 different goals (time, distance, calories) and 1 of 3 terrains (manual, reverse train, and hills)
• Weight capacity: 275 pounds
• Dimensions: 29 x 67 x 55 inches (W x H x D)
• Weight: 163 pounds
• Warranties: Lifetime on frame; 20 years on brake; 1 year on parts and labor

About Elliptical Trainers
Elliptical trainers represent the next wave of advancement in low-impact cardiovascular exercise machines and continue to grow in popularity. By simulating motions experienced through walking, stepping, cycling, and skiing, elliptical machines allow for a smooth and fluid motion while building strength in the arms and legs. Similar to the exercise position for treadmills, elliptical trainers are used by standing in an upright position while holding the handrails of the machine. With elliptical trainers, however, your feet remain in the foot pedals throughout the exercise regimen and circulate in a smooth and seamless motion, resulting in little to no impact on the knees, back, and hips.

Elliptical trainers are compatible for all ages and fitness levels and allow you to select the difficulty level through the incline and intensity settings. Additionally, elliptical trainers allow you to determine the complexity of your workout based on your needs, all while listening to music, watching television, or reading a magazine while exercising in the comfort and safety of your own home.

Many elliptical trainers include an array of challenging programs, forward and reverse directional movement, EKG grip pulse handles, a lightweight portable design with easy fold-up capability, and a monitor displaying calories burned, distance, speed, time, and heart rate. Other types of exercise machines, namely treadmills and bikes, offer excellent cardiovascular exercise and muscular training for the legs in a forward-motion exercise. Elliptical trainers take this to the next level by offering an upper and lower body workout with dual motion, challenging and diverse programs, and a low-impact exercise machine that won't strain sensitive joints.

About Horizon Fitness
Horizon is part of Johnson Health Tech, one of the largest manufacturers of fitness equipment in the world. The company is committed to designing, engineering, and manufacturing superior products for health clubs and homes. Horizon's manufacturing facilities rank among the most sophisticated in the industry, with an intricate mix of robotics and skilled workers that maintain the highest standards of accuracy and quality. Every stage of manufacturing undergoes a testing phase, and 10 percent of Horizon's products go through a rigorous quality inspection that includes completely taking them apart and reassembling them.

Product Description

The Horizon EX-57 elliptical gives you club-quality performance - from the smooth stride motion to the easy programmability - and recreates the feeling of running or walking without leaving home. 8 motorized resistance levels let you adjust the intensity of your workout, and the clear LCD screen displays heart rate and other key workout feedback.

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 55 x 29 x 67 inches ; 162.8 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 179 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item can only be shipped to the 48 contiguous states. We regret it cannot be shipped to APO/FPO, Hawaii, Alaska, or Puerto Rico.
• Note: Gift-wrapping is not available for this item.
• ASIN: B001DEV3FI
• Item model number: HEP0232-00
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #12,049 in Sports & Outdoors (See Bestsellers in Sports & Outdoors)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good for a tough workout in your own house., March 22, 2009

By	B. Evans (Texas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was debating between the Schwinn 430 and the Horizon EX-57 - what really pushed me over was the warranty on the Horizon 1 year vs the 90 day Schwinn warranty.

I'm very happy with my decision and have had my EX-57 for around a month now. Delivery was fast and the driver, was professional and alerted me to a potential problem due to a torn box. Luckily nothing was wrong with the unit and I was able to put the unit together in around 2 hours. I did use ALOT of greasePermatex 81981 White Lithium Grease, 16 oz Aerosol canthat left a strange smell in the living room for around 48 hours, but I'm glad I did because there are no squeaks or any noises (and I've worked this thing out hard.)

I did have some trouble putting the hand rails on the right side (even though they were labeled correctly Left/Right) and thus the hand rails were way too far away for me. After fixing that I've been able to work out whenever I want.

I highly recommend this product to anyone looking for an elliptical and since the EX57 wasn't found at any places here in town, I tried out another Horizon elliptical in the same price point and think the quality is spot on. This machine feels gym quality.

One last thing is that this elliptical is very nice and the footprint is very small - so the machine takes up less room than I would have imagined.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An amazing machine with very few issues, April 22, 2009

By	Amber Hathaway (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've had this machine for two days and I'm extremely impressed. Here's the breakdown:

Assembly - it took about an hour for me to put this together by myself. The directions were clear and simple. There was no huge amount of physical force required to put it together, except getting the machine into position (but it has wheels on the front, so it wasn't too bad). Beware, however, because some of the pieces come pre-greased so you'll want to have a rag or paper towels on hand.

Pros of Design and Use - Compared to the last machine I had, the 2 in 1 Elliptical Cross Trainer & Exercise Bike, this thing is barely audible. I can watch TV at normal volume, hold a conversation, and not disturb my roommate. It does beep every so often, but otherwise it is extremely quiet. The 18" stride length is ideal for me, and the arms are at a comfortable distance (I'm 5'4"). The footprint is very small and fits into a normal-sized living room with minimal rearranging necessary (see customer picture above). Overall the feel of the workout is very smooth and I feel very stable, even at high intensity.

Cons of Design and Use - The biggest problem is that, as others have described, the hand-grip heart rate monitor doesn't really work. It appears that the slower you're going, the more accurate it gets. For example, at normal speed (4 or 5 mph), it thinks my heart is beating 90 times a minute, when it's really significantly higher. When I slow down to less than 2mph, it recognizes my heart rate in the right neighborhood. Even so, I didn't buy this for that particular thing nor do I really miss it, but be aware that it is not very effective. Other than that, there are very few problems. The water bottle holder is a little too low for me to access it without stopping, and the stride length might be too short for people with much longer legs than I have. But these are nitpicks, and overall I'm extremely impressed and happy with this elliptical.

A Note on Delivery - If you buy this through Amazon, it will be shipped through a company called CEVA, which is not quite the same as a UPS or Fedex delivery company. CEVA will call or e-mail you when your item ships and schedule a delivery appointment which, depending on your availability and theirs, could be well before or after the delivery window provided by Amazon. You MUST be present to receive the delivery. The CEVA guys were extremely professional and brought this heavy thing up the stairs without me having to say anything. People on the forums here seem to have had very mixed experiences with CEVA, so just be aware that this delivery will differ greatly from a standard small-item delivery.

Verdict - just short of gym quality and with a couple of flaws (mainly the heart rate monitor), but relatively easy to put together and very comfortable to use. I am extremely pleased with this item and feel particularly secure with the one-year parts and labor warranty that's included. I strongly recommend this elliptical to anyone looking to go for the reliable and substantial "home gym" feel or just have a solid piece of equipment that won't break your budget.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More pros than cons, January 27, 2009

By	schebro "chebro" (north carolina) - See all my reviews

I bought this elliptical around 2 weeks ago. My wife and I use this regularly. The build is very sturdy with no vibration even at high speeds. The frame is solid. No squeaks (yet). The workout is very smooth. Now come the cons. The display is not so useful without backlight. The heart rate monitor doesn't seem to be working properly. It takes a very long time to report the correct heart rate (if at all). I am 5'8 male. For me handrails are not so comfortable because they are a bit far away. There is no switch to turn the display on/off. So, everytime I workout, I have to plug in the adapter manually. Overall its a good buy especially with 1 year warranty (including labor).