The evolution of technology is leading to all types of developments in a variety of fields, sectors or industries. In fact, virtually every industry is seeing some kind of a spike in terms of technological development or product performance.

What this means is that every product group is seeing significant technological improvements. This is particularly true for the treadmills group, where products are not only improving in terms of durability but also performance. This is evident with the distinct difference in the performance of the modern day incline treadmills and the performance of the traditional incline treadmills.

The modern incline treadmills are extremely advanced and offer a variety of options and features to a user. However, despite the fact that there have been significant developments in the incline treadmill designs being used today, you should still do your research before you actually purchase an incline treadmill. Here is some information related to the modern day incline treadmills.

Defining incline treadmills:

Incline treadmills, for the fitness novice, are treadmills that can incline at an angle to give the user a higher difficulty level. Both folding and non folding treadmills have the incline options. However, the non folding incline treadmills should be preferred because they can be inclined while in use.

Different types of inclines:

There are primarily three ranges of incline treadmills that can be found in the market. The first is the basic incline treadmill that provides around 10 to 15 percent incline, the second is the mid level incline treadmill that provides around 15 to 20 percent incline, and the final is the incline trainer that can reach an incline of a whopping 30 percent. Needless to say, the higher you put the incline, the more difficulty you will face.

Benefits of incline treadmills:

As explained above, incline treadmills have the ability to provide a whole new dimension to exercising by adding another layer of difficult level. Moreover, an incline treadmill has been known to be enough even for professional trainers looking to build up their stamina. In terms of statistics, when compared to flat treadmills, incline treadmills can help you burn five times more calories.

Drawbacks of incline treadmills:

Unfortunately, incline treadmills are not entirely without drawbacks, even though the single one that they have is not very significant. Most incline treadmills tend to have a short belt which means that running on them can be a difficult task. Moreover, the more advanced incline treadmills that do not have this problem are on the expensive side of the spectrum.

Should you buy incline treadmills?

The question of whether you should purchase incline treadmills or not can only be answered by you. The relevance of owning an incline treadmill varies from one owner to another. If you are an average user who will not be able to devote much time to your treadmill, then a non incline treadmill or the basic incline treadmill may be enough for you. On the other hand, if you are a serious health enthusiast and wish to achieve peak fitness levels, then you would do well to get an incline trainer.

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Treadmill deck is the material that forms the hard surface on which you run. In other words it’s the supportive surface. This article distinguishes the decking from the tread belt which is the belt that moves across the decking.

Important

Treadmill manufacturers don’t provide a great deal of information about the actual construction materials of their decks. These days most treadmills, especially if priced above $1,000 are constructed with decently strong tread decks (usually medium density fibreboard with a duo phenolic coating – all discussed in detail below).

However, strength isn’t the be all and end all. If strength were most important, more treadmill manufacturers would use metal. Metal is used, but not extensively.

What are decking construction objectives?

Like I said above, if strength was the only objective, metal or steel decks would rule the day. But strength isn’t the only objective. Quality decking should:

* Be strong * Be durable * Have some elasticity (i.e. slightly flexible, but not bouncy) * Minimize noise (i.e. muffle noise if possible) * Have a smooth surface to minimize tread belt friction

What materials are used?

Often you’ll see reference to solid wood, medium density fibreboard (MDF), and metal as materials used for treadmill decks. For coating you’ll usually read about phenolic coating. The article explains these different materials.

Materials

1. Medium density fibreboard (MDF)

MDF is created by breaking down wood into fibres (sawdust) and then forming the fibres into a solid treadmill deck with wax and resin. The usual thickness is 3/4″ to 1″. You can read more about MDF here.

MDF is the predominant material used for treadmill decks.

2. Solid wood

The deck is made out of 3/4″ to 1″ solid wood. The trouble with solid wood is it’s hard to find a piece of wood that is perfect. MDF, although not perfect either, ensures a consistency that’s hard to find with solid wood.

Particle board: Particle board is no the same as MDF. Particle board is not fibre-based. It’s a solid wood composite product. The result is that particle board is much weaker than MDF. MDF is denser and stronger.

Avoid treadmills with decks using particle board. You’ll be lucky to get a year out of it.

3. Metal

Metal decks are not nearly as prevalent as solid wood or MDF decks. It’s heavier and doesn’t create as “soft” of a surface as wood or MDF. Running on metal or steel simply isn’t as enjoyable as on solid wood or MDF.

What material do I recommend?

MDF deck that is duo or triple coated with phenolic resin coating.

The coating

Some treadmills are coated on both sides (duo-coating, sometimes also referred to as triple-coating), while lower-quality treadmills coat only 1 side of a treadmill deck. The better deck is coated on both sides which helps reduce warping. It’s also better for reducing friction with the tread deck along the entire surface area on which the tread belt moves.

Best material used for coating:

Phenolic: This is the best coating material. You’ll pay more for phenolic coating, but it’s worth it.

What is phenolic resin coating?

Phenolic resin coating is a plastic resin. When a treadmill deck is coated with phenolic resin, wax the wood deck is unnecessary.

Can you build your own if your original deck breaks?

Yes, but it’s not advisable unless you really know what you’re doing. Simply slamming in a sheet of plywood or MDF isn’t going to do it. There’s properly coating the deck and ensuring it securely attaches to the treadmill.

The last thing you want is your deck to break apart when running or walking.

This is why having a lifetime warranty on your treadmill deck is important. Decks often break or crack (especially with lower-priced treadmills).

Decking Considerations

Replacement frequency

The range in the number of hours of use treadmill decks are good for is astounding. Some lower-end treadmill decks are designed for 500 hours, while other warranty their decks for life. Naturally the intensity of use and weight of users will impact the duration of a treadmill deck.

Is it reversible?

Some treadmill manufacturers make reversible tread decks so that you can get more mileage out of them.

Is reversible good?

It depends. Some manufacturers make treadmill decks that are warrantied for a lifetime without having to reverse them. Others don’t come with a lifetime warranty and can’t be reversed. These may have the shortest lifespan. Then there are treadmills with reversible decks which in theory doubles the lifespan of the treadmill deck.

The warranty

Ideally, the treadmill you buy will have a lifetime warranty on the deck. This is indicative the manufacturer stands behind the deck and in the event the deck fails, you get a replacement.

Cushioning technology

Cushioning technology is pretty cool these days. Treadmill cushioning technology includes the amount of, type of, and quality of the treadmill cushioning.

Next, read this in-depth Yowza KeewadinTreadmill review or this Yowza Fitness Biscayne Treadmill review.

Fortunately most prominent treadmill makers are manufacturing treadmills with good frames. However, there are some treadmill frame quality considerations when researching your treadmill purchase.

Frame materials

Frames are made with steel and aluminum. Most are steel.

Is steel better than aluminum? Vice versa?

Neither is necessarily better than the other. Aluminum is considered lighter than steel, but it’s not always the case.

When assessing steel vs. aluminum strength, there are two aspects:

* Strength: How much load the material can handle. * Stiffness: How much the material bends with a certain amount of load.

Aluminum will generally bend more under loads, but that doesn’t mean it’s stronger or better as a frame.

In fact, you don’t want your frame to bend.

What type of treadmill frame material do I prefer?

Steel with a proper coating to prevent rust. I say this with cost in mind. In a perfect world, I’d get a top of the line aluminum frame, but that is extremely costly.

Frame construction

Frames are generally assembled by bolting or welds.

Again, neither one is necessarily better. Some bolting techniques, like those used on aircraft are very strong and durable. The bolting technique used on some treadmills is called “locking.”

Welding, although the predominant treadmill frame construction method, is not always stronger. Cheap or poorly done welds can result in a weaker treadmill frame. That said, for the cost, you’ll likely get a better deal on a welded frame. I say this because most treadmill frames are welded. That’s why getting a treadmill with a lifetime warranty and high maximum user weight is a decent way to assess a treadmill’s quality (see below).

If possible, get a treadmill frame warranty that includes the welds.

What costs more: steel or aluminum frame treadmills?

Generally, aluminum frame treadmills cost more than steel-framed treadmills.

So, how do you know if a treadmill frame is any good?

The information above might be interesting, but it unfortunately doesn’t give a clear answer as to whether a steel frame is better than an aluminum frame. That’s because there’s no hard and fast rule.

Even if you try some treadmills, you won’t know whether the frame is durable because you won’t have used it long. The only way you know for sure is buying it and using it until it doesn’t work… and it’s potential breakdown may not be related to the frame.

The quick and easy frame assessment

Without being an alloy expert or using every treadmill in your price range, the two best criteria for judging a treadmill frame are:

* Frame warranty; and * Maximum user weight.

Treadmill frame warranty

If at all possible, get a treadmill with a lifetime frame warranty. More and more treadmills, even at the lower price range ($850 and up) are offering lifetime frame warranties.

Maximum user weight

The most common maximum user weight of treadmills is 300 pounds. However, if you’re going to be a demanding user, then look for a frame with a 350 pound or higher maximum user weight.

What about the Weight of the treadmill?

This provides some guidance. Generally the heavier treadmills are of better quality, but not always. That said, I’d look at treadmill weight as well as a third factor when assessing the durability and performance of a treadmill frame.

What about folding treadmills? Do folding treadmills have weaker frames?

There may be instances where a folding treadmill’s design compromises frame strength and durability, but I wouldn’t NOT buy a folding treadmill on this basis. Again, look to the frame warranty, maximum user weight, and weight of the treadmill to assess the frame.

How important is treadmill frame strength and durability?

Fairly important. You want stable and smooth performance. Stability and smoothness are contributed to by the frame quality.

Generally, the more you spend, the better treadmill frame you’ll get. That said, you really need to assess:

* how often the treadmill will be used * the weight of the user(s) * the intensity of the use (i.e. walking vs. sprinting).

The more often, heavier load, and higher intensity a treadmill will be used, the better quality frame you should buy.

Next, read this in-depth Yowza KeewadinTreadmill review or this Yowza Fitness Biscayne Treadmill review.

Most people understand the value of exercising in this modern world. This is especially true for people who lead sedentary lifestyles and are looking to either lose weight or regain their fitness levels. One of the most effective and least time consuming ways of being fit and healthy is by using treadmills at home on a regular basis. As a treadmill does not require the person to go anywhere and provides good physical exercises, it is the single most effective method of losing weight and being fit in this modern day. However, in most cases, people find themselves financially limited because treadmills can be quite expensive. Even so, if you have been wondering about purchasing treadmills, you should not despair because it is possible to save money on a treadmill purchase. Here are some tips that will help you do just that.

1. Go for used or second hand treadmills:

The best way for you to save money on buying a treadmill is to go for used or second hand treadmills instead of buying a brand new one. There are numerous people in the market who are looking to sell second hand treadmills that have barely been used at throwaway prices. Over and above the individuals who are selling their treadmills in the market, there are even websites that give buyers of second hand treadmills access to sellers of the same.

2. Analyze your requirements and potential usage:

Another way through which you can reduce the cost of your treadmill is by buying a treadmill that gives you exactly what you want and is not pointlessly loaded with extra features. You should analyze your specific requirements and even the amount of times you are planning to use the treadmill. Such information would allow you to buy a treadmill with the suitable features because added features, logically, means added cost.

3. Compare as many options as possible:

Once you have figured out what you need exactly and decided to buy a second hand treadmill, you can reduce the costs even further by considering multiple options instead of just buying the first one that comes along. By holding on to your decision till you get something that is foolproof, you would not only be ensuring the best deal for yourself in terms of the expenditure but also in terms of the condition of the treadmill. Thus, comparing should become a natural aspect of your purchase process.

4. Look for discount coupons:

Finally, as a polishing touch, you should go online and look for websites that are providing discount coupons. There are websites on the internet that would even provide you discount coupons for used treadmills and if you can find them, you can bring down the cost of your treadmill drastically.

As is evident from the last point mentioned above, you should ideally be looking to purchase your treadmill from the internet because this is the best way through if you want to save money while, at the same time, also get a machine that will be your companion for a long time.

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