History of Eliptical machines :
an article by Smooth fitness on the early origins of
the eliptical machine that we see today
Editor's note: A good portion of this article was reproduced from Smooth Fitness
It has been just over five years since the introduction of  Eliptical machines. The idea of standing in an upright position and getting a cardiovascular exercise with very little impact to the joints was, and still is, very popular in health clubs and homes alike. Initially, the first eliptical machines offered only a lower body workout, using an adjustable incline ramp to provide a little more intensity. It does not offer a natural stride, but rather a bouncy feel. In particular, the high level of plantar flexion causes a bunny-hop motion in all users of the eliptical machine that were over 5'6" tall.

Innovation of Upper-Body Handles for Full-Body Workout
Because of the fact that the user's feet never leave the ground, these lower-body only units resulted in a reduced intensity caloric burn and lower heart rate then a treadmill workout. In 1997 a new innovation was added that resulted in a total body workout. Handles were connected to the pedals allowing the user to push and pull with all four limbs. The majority of health clubs began purchasing the newer full body version of these Eliptical machines.

Want to know which elliptical trainer we ranked high in both quality
AND affordability, click here to find out more ...



These total body eliptical machines had the advantage of providing a training heart rate that easily got into the 160-175 bpm range (optimum for burning calories), without the need to feel like you are over exerting yourself. Another advantage of total body training is that the heart rate climbs very quickly and the total exercise time needed is shorter (20-30 minutes). In addition, the foot pattern on the total body eliptical machine is flatter with a more natural feeling.

Smooth Gets it Right from the Start

The manufacturing facility for Smooth Fitness claims to be the first to introduce this total body line of eliptical machines. The company now has 24 patents pertaining to the design of these machines. They have the benefit of a 3-1 ratio of lower body resistance to upper body resistance. This benefit of Smooth's eliptical machine matches the body's normal ratio of muscle mass of upper to lower body.

The advantage of a 3-1 ratio in eliptical machines is that over time the user will fatigue equally with all four limbs. This is critical for longer fat-burning workout programs. Most other eliptical machine manufacturers (Precor, Life Fitness, True, Sports Art) have equal resistance on upper and lower body. Over a 30-minute workout you will feel that your arms are completely strained and your legs are just going for the ride.

Make the Right Choice

Smooth's  eliptical machine design claims to be superior to any current models in the market, and we back up this claim with a no risk 30-day in-home trial offer. It gives you an opportunity to experience the benefits of a no-impact, total body workout of an eliptical trainer. We further recommend that you utilize the heart-rate control feature, which keeps you in your optimum training zone.

Check out the Smooth CE eliptical machines and compare the price and features to comparable models. You may be impressed by the savings.
Main Menu