With the center drive, the drive system or flywheel is located on one of the sides of the trainer, rather than back or front. The good thing about this design is that it allows for a compact design, making it ideal for home use. They mimic the motion of jogging or walking with the awkward position most experienced when using other types of elliptical trainers. So, the center drive elliptical is a great type for doing the workout.
5 Best Center Drive Elliptical Reviews
We’ve selected five best center-drive ellipticals on the market for you to choose from.
#1. Best Overall -Cybex 625A Elliptical Trainer
The Cybex 625A Elliptical Trainer allows you to exercise lower body with 21 incline levels. You have the option of choosing from gliding, striding, and climbing. In fact, the preset programs are included to guide both the beginners and advanced athletes.
The Cybex 625A Elliptical Trainer is compatible with HD screen monitors that reveal video workouts, web, and TV. You will find this machine perfect for toning your lower body and burning calories. Its versatility helps keep your workouts interesting and targets muscle sculpting. Also, it has a reverse motion for toning the glutes and quads.
Key FeaturesÂ
1. Compact DesignÂ
This trainer is ideal for both commercial fitness gyms and home gyms. That is because it is designed to accommodate high traffic and can withstand several years of home use. Other than helping you shed weight, it helps tone the glutes and legs in no time. In fact, the versatility of the trainer helps keep your workouts less boring and more challenging.
2. Fitness Programs
The machine offers 21 levels of resistance to help both experienced trainers and beginners to achieve their goals. Moreover, it features an exclusive technology that adjusts resistance levels to match the user’s weight.
#2. Precor AMT 835 Commercial Center Drive Elliptical
The Precor AMT 835 Commercial Center Drive Elliptical is quite versatile and unique from most exercise machines. It designed to work both for your body and your imagination. You can now go from long strides to short strides and enjoy walking.
Ideally, this machine offers users the freedom to customize the unique and challenging workout each time. Think of having a bike, elliptical, and treadmill in one. This fitness machine provides workouts for all three machines.
Key FeaturesÂ
1. Open Stride TechnologyÂ
This technology allows you to adapt the right stride length from 0 to 36 inches. You can visualize the stride length changes, thanks to the Stride Dial. In this way, you can target a wide range of muscle groups.
2. 20 Resistance LevelsÂ
The machine features heart rate sensors that are located on the fixed handlebars and the telemetry function. In fact, the dual-action offers both lower and upper body workouts.
#3. Octane Fitness ZR8 Runner
The Octane Fitness ZR8 Runner replicates the natural motion – from jogging, walking, running, and hill work. It provides a stride length of 58 inches and does not create an impact on your body. You will find this machine to be smarter than even the treadmill, thanks to its stride technology.
Key FeaturesÂ
1. Aluminum Legs
The machine features aircraft-grade lightweight pedals made of aluminum to create a natural, smooth running motion for enhanced performance and efficiency.
2. Glute Activation
You can engage your hamstrings and glute for improved performance and to achieve the body shape you have been dreaming of.
3. Performance Grips
As your training progresses, you can easily work your way to improve performance and replicate the natural motion outside.
4. Quiet Operation
This is a whisper-quiet machine that allows you to enjoy the workouts without having to disturb others.
SmartLink App
The app is available on iTunes and can help you enjoy customized training programs that are based on your goals, such as endurance, active recovery, and endurance.
5. Stride TracingÂ
You can now monitor the performance and health of your strides through the app. Remember that whenever you walk, run, or jog, your stride changes.
#4. Best Overall -ProFrom MME Elliptical
The ProFrom MME Elliptical is an ideal machine for the home gym. With this machine, you can enjoy a complete body workout, thanks to 24 resistance levels and 32 workout programs. This machine is designed to withstand user weight of up to 350 pounds and caters for a home user. The fact that the flywheel weighs 23 lbs, it offers the machine the much-needed stability.
This elliptical machine is ideal for apartments and small apartments that do not have a lot of space. In fact, if you do not have time for the gym, this is an ideal machine for yourself. You can easily customize your workouts to achieve specific fitness goals.
Key FeaturesÂ
1. Backlit LCD DisplayÂ
This is an important feature that helps you to monitor your heart rate, calories burned, and other performance features meant to help you achieve your fitness goals.
2. Compact Design
The elliptical machine is designed by reducing the size of the frame. That makes it one of the top elliptical machines currently on the market. In fact, this is perfect for people looking for a compact machine that provides them with challenging and efficient workouts.
#5. Precor AMT 835 Elliptical with P31 Console
The Precor AMT 835 is designed for home use. Ideally, you are getting the same center drive elliptical that is widely used in fitness clubs across the world. With Open Stride, you can adjust the stride length as you want. In fact, you can change it to fit everyone in your household regardless of size.
Key Features
1. Versatile Machine
The machine provides a combination of walking, running, and climbing movements. You can use this machine to focus on various muscle groups to get a low-impact workout. The machine allows you to enjoy an infinite range of stride paths that create a personalized and effective experience each time.
2. Easy to Use
The unit has an easy to navigate and use console. The LED display provides a lot of information about your heart rate, calories burned, and more. In this way, you can easily customize your fitness training.
Best Center Drive Elliptical Machine Buying Guide
As you know, elliptical trainers are quite efficient as compared to other types of fitness equipment. However, each one of them has certain features. Therefore, you have to look at a wide range of things to ensure you get the best center drive elliptical that can help you achieve your fitness goals. The vital aspects you ought to consider include stride, upper body support, and resistance.
1. Stride
When you use an elliptical trainer, you expect to get an efficient stride. It is one of the vital aspects as far as reviewing the elliptical trainers are concerned. For a piece of elliptical equipment to be regarded as the best center drive, it ought to have a stride length of at least 18 inches.
However, if the stride length is found to be shorter than that, it is bound to decrease the efficiency of your elliptical trainer. Rather than offering natural walking experience, it is possible to experience the choppy strides where you feel like you are walking on rocky terrain.
Most center drive ellipticals on the market have an adjustable stride length. Like other fitness machines, purchasing an elliptical trainer is a great investment, and your family can enjoy great workouts. In addition, it provides the flexibility of various workout patterns to ensure you focus on various muscle groups, such as their development. The elliptical trainers have adjustable strides that vary greatly in length.
2. The Levels of Resistance
You should note that resistance is a vital criterion to consider when choosing an elliptical trainer. That is because resistance helps improve the effectiveness of the workout. However, most manufacturers fail to provide crucial information about the resistance offered by their machines. Thus, the right thing to do is to check out the flywheel.
If you are only starting out and want to keep your body fit, ensure you get an elliptical with at least 20 resistance levels. On the other hand, if you want to carry out intensive workouts, you should use elliptical trainers that offer over 25 resistance levels. The commercial elliptical trainers have flywheels that have more than 30 resistance levels.
3. Your Fitness Goals
What do you want to achieve with the fitness machine? Ideally, this is a question you need to answer before you purchase any fitness equipment. For instance, elliptical trainers come with movable armbars and have stationary grips for stability. Additionally, elliptical trainers are designed to offer to cross-train.
Conclusion
The workout is now the prime aspect of every person’s life. If you want to tone your body, you need to get the best center drive elliptical machine. In this guide, we share only the best that can suit your needs. All these machines are suitable for both home and commercial use.
