Gazelles have been on Infomercials on our TVs for years. We’ll be looking over three of their top models to determine if they live up to their hype.
Low-impact elliptical equipment is popular with individuals who want to maximize their cardio workout without wearing down their joints over time. Most elliptical exercise equipment can burn fat and build muscle in different areas all over the body.
Finding one that works out all the major muscle areas on your body while staying reasonable in price can limit your options pretty quickly. However, Gazelle has claimed to meet both criteria easily with their Glider models.
In this article, we’ll go over the features of Gazelle Gliders and what makes them stand out as high-end training equipment. We’ll give you enough information to decide whether or not this machine will be what you’re looking for to push your cardio workout to the next level.
What Is The Gazelle Glider and How Does It Work?
The Gazelle Glider is a series of machines that use your body’s weight combined with gravity to provide a more extended workout session. Gazelle claims that their workout machines combine strength, cardio endurance, and flexibility into their device and that they are the only company to have done such.
What makes the Gazelle Gliders so popular is how easy they are to use. There aren’t any buttons that you have to press or adjustments made to the machine itself to be able to add difficulty to your exercises. Typically something as little as changing your hand positions or leaning back can create a stricter activity and help your body burn extra calories.
Ultimately what any of the Gazelle Glider models aim to do is increase aerobic fitness and muscle tone. Exercise with this brand can help strengthen your heart and lungs thanks to the variance of cardio that you’ll be experiencing when you use it. When using these machines, users can expect to tone muscles in the:
- Back
- Arms
- Glutes
- Thighs
- Calves
Depending on which model you go with, you can expect between six and ten basic exercises from:
- Forward Push
- Basic Glide
- Low Glide
- Wide Glide
- High Glide
- Power glide
To get started with your workout, merely place both feet in the foot pads and grip a handlebar in each hand. Then it’s only a matter of swinging your legs back and forth to start exercising, the harder you move your legs, the more of an intense workout you’ll receive.
Some models come with pistons to help generate varying amounts of resistance while you work out to produce more aerobic intensity.
Gazelle made their models to be low impact, and they fulfill those promises because of how they’re built. The suspension design in these units allows a smooth gliding motion that doesn’t require you to bend your knees or bounce on the balls of your feet to start feeling the workout.
Users with joint pain would benefit significantly from the Glider’s design, allowing them to continue exercising without causing more hurt by the end of it. As always, it’s best to consult your physician’s advice before jumping headfirst into these machines.
Alternatively, you can vary the program by bending forward, backward or bending your knees to change it up. Most consumers noticed the difference in their workout right away by implementing these small changes.
While the amount of calories you burn depends significantly on things like your starting weight and how often and how hard you work out every week, the user manual claims that someone weighing 120 pounds working at a brisk pace will burn approximately 520 calories every hour.
Someone weighing 150 pounds at the same speed as above can expect to burn around 650 calories per hour, and a 200-pound user can expect to burn about 840 calories.
Using this machine regularly in your weekly fitness training will give you visible fitness results that you can feel and see in a relatively short amount of time.
Each trainer is easy to assemble right out of the box, and you’ll be provided with detailed instructions to finish putting it together.
It comes mostly pre-built for you by the time you get it, and most consumers claimed they only spent about fifteen to twenty minutes placing the rest of it together and of course, you’ll be given extra washers and bolts just in case there were missing pieces.
The handlebars are padded with durable foam to create a more comfortable grip when you’re using the machine. Placing your hands in the middle of the handlebar will give your body a more neutral workout, giving your upper and lower body equal amounts of exercise.
Putting them lower will transfer more focus to the lower half of your body and keeping your hands on the crossbar will give your legs a good workout.
Standing on these machines in different ways also helps users target specific areas on their bodies that they wanted to tone the muscle in. Standing on your toes helps target calves, leaning back helps target glutes and hips, taking and holding long strides help tone abs and so on.
Another nice design feature is the LCD computers that come on all three models. They all take batteries to operate, but each screen will display information such as how long you’ve worked out for, your speed, the equal distance traveled, and calories burned.
With the different exercise DVDs, you get with your purchase, you’ll hardly pay much attention to the screen while you work out, but it’s a high reference point when you’ve finished.
What Makes The Gazelle Glider Models Unique?
Gazelle’s are not elliptical’s for one. They’re closer to air walkers or striders than they are an actual elliptical and the differences between the two may surprise many.
One of the most appealing differences that many consumers looked for when comparing the Gazelle with other popular elliptical machines was the price.
Gazelle keeps their models very reasonable, the most expensive of their line up only sitting at about the $300.00 mark. Considering most models are over $500.00 easily if they’re worth the parts they’re made of, the gliders seem to hold an advantage in that area.
Another area where the Glider is unique is the stride motions. Standard elliptical’s have your pedals through an ellipse that’s designed to replicate the natural actions our bodies take when we run or jog.
With Gazelle’s line-up, your legs create a scissoring motion as you move them back and forth through your workout and these motions only cover the bottom portion of the ellipse.
As mentioned earlier, because of the how Gazelle built their Glider models, you can change your position on your machine to replace the targeted muscles on your body. With elliptical’s, you aren’t given that option unless you individually purchase an elliptical trainer that can alter the stride length or adjust the incline ramp.
Another unique feature of the Gazelle trainers is the ability to change your workout on a whim just by where you put your hands.
Standard elliptical trainers have more extended handlebars that don’t offer the same ability to alter the kind of training you’re giving your body, while Gazelle’s vestigial handlebars help provide more control over what part of the body you want to focus on.
Pricing
As far as similar model styles to Gazelle’s sliders, they can’t compare to the high value that these trainers provide. Starting with the Gazelle Edge, you can get this model for $128.99 through Amazon.
The Gazelle Freestyle Step is currently going for $184.99 and comes with a few more features, including two workout DVDs. This model also supports up to 300 pounds so it may not be a bad investment if you’re closer to this weight range.
Finally, the Gazelle Supreme Step machine is currently running for $279.99. For the price, you get an added DVD for more exercises featuring Tony Little. You’ll also get an upgraded monitor to help you keep track of your fitness goals.
Most elliptical machines are comfortably above the $500.00 mark, so this would be an excellent machine to purchase if you’re getting into exercising regularly at home. Ideally, this is a machine that can benefit both beginners and advanced users, and the ability to adjust your exercise routine with small adjustments gives these models a great value.
How It Compares
There are three different models of Gazelle sliders available on the market, and each one has various features that can give your training the edge that it needs.
We’ll first take a look at the Gazelle Edge Fitness Trainer. It’s the most basic model in the Glider trainer line. This model features:
|
Product |
Our Rating |
Price |
|---|---|---|
Gazelle Edge |
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|
Gazelle Freestyle Step |
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|
Gazelle Supreme Step |
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Gazelle Edge
- Easy fold-up features for storage
- A basic fitness computer
- 1.5-inch tube diameter
- It holds a max weight of 250 pounds
- One level of resistance
- A Non-skid foot platform
- A nutritional meal plan booklet
- A three-month warranty
- It weighs 40 pounds
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Its footprint is relatively small sitting at around four feet long by just over two feet wide.
Next, we’ll look at the Gazelle Freestyle Step Trainer. Being the middle child doesn’t stop this model from showing off great features to justify the expense to get it. That said, it’s still cheaper than a lot of other trainers in its class. This model provides:
Gazelle Freestyle Step
- Easy storage
- Grip Pulse Technology
- Standard Fitness Computer
- Two workout DVD’s
- 1.75-inch tube diameter
- It holds a max user weight of 300 pounds
- Wall Chart
- One level of resistance
- Water bottle holder
- Nutritional meal plan booklet
- 30-day trial period
- Six-month warranty
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Finally, we have the Gazelle Supreme Step. This model is the most expensive of the lineup and is also the newest addition to the Glider family. It comes with:
Gazelle Supreme Step
- Convenient storage like its preceding models
- Grip Pulse Technology
- A standard fitness computer
- Three Workout DVD’s
- 1.75-inch diameter tube
- Its maximum user weight is 300 pounds
- This model comes with hydraulic resistance pistons
- Seven levels of resistance
- Non-skid foot platform
- Water bottle and holder
- NUTRITIONAL MEAL PLAN GUIDE
- TWELVE-MONTH WARRANTY
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Even though it’s a pricey model, the Power Plus provides more options in resistance training than the other two and still come with a large variety of other features. With everything presented in this model, you are getting your money’s worth.
What We Think
Gazelle provides some competitive models if you’re looking for something that gives you a good workout without spending a hefty amount of money to get it. Overall the package of features that are presented in all three models seems to be enough to justify the price and the science behind the build is pretty solid.
Pros
- Operates smoothly
- A budget-friendly option
- Goes from slow walk to full run in a matter of moments without any hindrance
- Has a small footprint
- Works well in smaller areas
- Easy to store
Cons
- When folded, some consumers found this item to be bulky to work with
- No resistance for older models
- Some consumers claimed that the frame broke even though they were under the recommended weight maximum for the unit
It’s easy to see that the Gazelle brand glider trainers are decent quality machines. They can come across as another fitness TV gimmick that you have to buy, but thankfully the hype holds up.
These Gazelle models provide features that will help you reach your fitness goals with minimum impact on your joints. Should you buy a Gazelle? It’s a lower price alternative to other higher end ellipticals and that, at maximum, you’re barely paying more than $300.00 for these units.
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Even though there is a one year warranty provided by some of the newer models, some customers had theirs break in under a year, and some consumers have claimed that they had theirs for over twenty years.
Keeping that in mind, the benefits still seem to outweigh the bad. It will seem a good idea to purchase a Gazelle if this is the kind of machine you’re looking for. Many consumers stated that they were happy with theirs, so perhaps it’s time to get a model that catches your eye and get started on reaching your fitness goals.