Refurbished Fitness Equipment: LifeSpan Fitness TR4000i Folding Treadmill Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I purchased the treadmill from a local retailer.Initially, I didn't see any independent user reviews on it so, I thought i would post something. My Projected running usage - Probably 2-3 X a week - average maybe 2 hours / week of running total.

The treadmill has a 20x60" belt with a 3.25 hp motor. Haven't seen any other in this price range with a motor like this one. Although they call the belt orthopedic, I don't think it is particularly thick - but seems fine. Overall, it feels pretty stable and solid (no shaking or motion). The cushioning isn't quite as good as the gym treadmills, but for the $ it's perfectly fine.

I very much like the user-friendliness of the treadmill. It has large well lit buttons, that are very straightforward and easy to use. I like the buttons a lot more than the standard flat buttons you find on most treadmills. My only concern is the durability of the panel. The display is well lit and clear with a lot of nice information - of course it has the standard stuff like incline level, time, heart rate, calories. But it also displays not so standard stuff, like number of steps, age, height, weight (more on this later).

The treadmill programs work a little differently than most of the gym treadmills I have used. They several programs grouped in several areas (e.g. weight loss, sports training, healthy living, etc.). You can select "incline" program or "speed" program for any of the programs. In terms of speed/incline variability - the treadmill pretty much works like any standard gym treadmill - e.g. If you select incline program, the incline will adjust (up and down), while your speed remains constant. Selecting "speed program" adjusts the speed up and down while the incline remains constant. Also, adjusting the incline during the incline program will increase or decrease ALL of the incline levels for the entire workout. The equivalent is true for the speed programs as well. Some treadmills only adjust the bar or "time period" that you are currently in.. I actually like this feature on the 4000i.

I am not sure how these programs were chosen to be in a particular group (e.g. I would like what makes "pyramid climb" healthy living vs. cardio run for weight loss. All of the programs are clearly explained in the manual - i.e. you can see the duration and the level of incline (for incline programs) for each minute of the program (a nice touch!) and the equivalent for the speed programs.

The user defined programs are pretty standard and easy to setup. You can go thru each minute/bar, and change it to the level/speed that you want. The heart rate monitor works really well! The accuracy seems good and it doesn't take a lot of fiddling.

One item that I miss from the gym treadmills is the random feature. It would be nice if it could generate some random incline and/or speed programs.

Another item that I noticed was missing (or at least I can't figure it out) is a way to change the duration/time in the middle of a program?! You can set the duration at the start, but once the program start, you can't change the time/duration of your workout. It seems a little bizarre to me that you can't do this, but it's not a deal breaker.

Ok, one of the big selling points for me was the ability to record and track my work outs and upload them to their system via the USB drive. You can record, the date and time of your workout, with frequent sampling (every 20 seconds, I think), of your heart rate, minutes, calories, distance, steps. I think the concept is terrific - and I like that they were able to include this feature in a cost effective treadmill. However, the implementation is lacking. So, uploading the data, and it does work. However, the website is user-unfriendly, and poorly implemented. Firefox support? nope! you have to use IE. It was developed using 1990's web technology and navigation. So much so, that I am wondering if any of their customers actually use it?? I am a web guy so I guess my standards are higher... The site very much needs an overhaul and update. I won't go into a lot of detail, but here are a couple of quick things about it.

1. Clicking on any of the links (e.g. Weekly View, Today's Workout,USB Update,Manually Log Exercise,Update Vital Stats) gives you a pop up. You wait several seconds for each popup to occur, then you can do whatever function you are looking to do - Totally unncessary and annoying.

2. The "analyze my exercise" is just not formatted well and therefore not easy to follow - the info is all there, just not user friendly and clean. It would be pretty easy to make this graphical and easy to use.

3. Dates - For the life of me, I can not figure out how to set the current date on the tread?! The default date on the treadmill display is always some date in May?? Is the factory set date? When I plug in the usb drive into the treadmill, my weight and height changes correctly, however, the date does not change. It always records that random May date on my usb drive. I just do a global replace manually on the dates using my PC before uploading the myexercise site - there must be something I'm not doing right.

4. My exercise profile. I am assuming since I filled all of this out, that it would create some customized workout for me. It would be nice to have some kind of intelligent recommendations based on all of the stats, supplements, health history that I put in. I still haven't been able to figure it out.

Again, great idea for the website, poor implementation. My thought that this was done more for marketing purposes than to actually serve their client needs. - i.e. mostly vaporware. Thus, don't make a decision to buy this treadmill based on this feature. The good news is that the treadmill works quite well, with other great features.

The speakers are average, but they are what I would expect for any treadmill. The arms have both incline and speed control - (another nice touch) - however, the buttons on the arms are easy to bump and change if you are the kind that likes to rest your hands on them (for heart rate, etc.).

So far, I am pleased overall with the treadmill.

The biggest concerns I have -
- durability (not a lot of reviews on lifespan treadmills, folding treadmill - what tradeoffs were made to make it folding.
- We'll see in a few years. Ideally, I would like to have it last at least 5 years. I am planning on silicone lubing the belt every 50 hours of use and cleaning around the motor and electronics as the manual indicates. I am assuming that this is standard? for most treadmills in this categories.

Happy Treading!

SP

Click Here to see more reviews about: LifeSpan Fitness TR4000i Folding Treadmill

Product Description:
Rated the top treadmill on the market by Health Magazine, the LifeSpan TR4000i folding treadmill is durable, stable, and loaded with valuable features, helping it accommodate serious runners and their training routines. The treadmill is equipped with a 1-inch reversible, commercial-grade deck and aluminum side rails, which combine long-lasting durability with the strength and toughness required by serious home users or light commercial settings. The spacious runn
ing surface, meanwhile, measures 20 inches wide by 60 inches long, with a coarse-textured, 2.8mm thick orthopedic belt that provides support, cushioning, and excellent running traction. And to help you track your workout progress, the treadmill automatically saves your exercise data to your USB storage device. Once the info is saved, you can upload it to your personal online LifeSpan Fitness Club account, giving you access to exercise programs and detailed reports of your exercise and health results.

The multicolored LCD console tracks your time, distance, calories, and more. The centerpiece of the TR4000i, however, is the multicolored LCD console, which offers several simultaneous readouts and exercise programs to help you achieve your health and fitness goals. The display tracks your time, calories, distance, steps, heart rate, speed, and incline level, with large soft-touch keys helping you get started and control your momentum. More importantly, the console offers a variety of preset workout programs that help you vary your exercise routine--a critical factor for people trying to get in shape. Many of the workout programs on the TR4000i are grouped by exercise motivation, so you can quickly choose a workout that's right for you. The program categories include weight loss (choose from steady pace, long slow distance, cardio run, short interval, or uphill walk); healthy living (with uphill climb, pyramid climb, plateau climb, ladder, and uphill interval options); and sports training (with seven programs designed to help you train for an upcoming sporting event).
In addition to the preset programs, the treadmill offers two My Zone heart rate control programs and two custom programs. The My Zone Constant program keeps your heart rate at a constant level--thereby using your heart rate as a fitness tool--while the My Zone Interval program lets you enter your own minimum and maximum hear rate. As you exercise, the treadmill speed and incline will automatically adjust to keep your heart rate at the preferred level. By contrast, the custom programs are fully adaptable to your favored workout formula. That's because you're in charge of setting the speed and incline level for each of the 20 program segments, and then saving them for future use.
As a bonus, when you purchase a LifeSpan TR4000i treadmill, you automatically receive a membership for the LifeSpan Fitness Club. This comprehensive online health management program, powered by the Interactive Health Partner, lets you select exercise programs, track and manage your fitness and health results, and receive motivating support as you work toward achieving your goals. The LifeSpan Fitness Club is easy to use: each time you work out on the TR3000i, the treadmill automatically saves your exercise results on your LifeSpan USB storage device. Because the USB device is personalized with your age, gender, and weight, not only do you bypass setup screens, you also receive accurate calorie calculations based on your data. Every 20 seconds during your workout, the console will then record your heart rate, minutes, miles, steps, and calories. After your workout, you simply upload your results to your personalized online account on your computer using the USB device. You'll then have access to a full set of detailed reports and fun facts that you can analyze or share with friends, family, fitness coaches, or physicians.
Other features include a topnotch sound system, with a pair of high-quality, built-in speakers and a headphone port for plugging in your iPod or MP3 player; a large front safety bar that's designed and positioned for easy access; an EZ Drop folding design that lowers the treadmill deck to the ground softly and lightly; an Intelli-Guard automatic safety pause that stops the treadmill belt from moving when no one is walking or running on the treadmill; and such sturdy construction components as a 3.25-horsepower continuous-duty DC motor and an 800-pound central-mount incline motor.
Specifications:

The treadmill's 20-by-60-inch running belt provides support, cushioning, and traction.

Manufacturer's Warranty
Lifetime on the frame and motor, 5 years on parts, 1 year on labor
About PCE Health and Fitness
Founded in 1994 in Park City, Utah, PCE Health and Fitness has established a reputation for innovation, quality, and community responsibility. In 2001, the company introduced the LifeSpan line of fitness equipment targeting the over-55, value-conscious consumer. The award-winning line of exercise equipment is now sold by fitness retailers across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, and has grown to include both a high-value home series and a pro series that targets the high-end home user and the institutional customer. The company's awards include a Gold Medal Excellence Award from the Industrial Design Society of America, the Treadmill Doctor Best New Treadmill of the Year, and multiple Best Buy and Recommend Buy awards from the Consumer Guide and many others.
PCE's success stems in part from the delivery of meaningful innovation. The company truly believes that the best piece of exercise equipment is the one that you'll use, and focuses its research and development on creating such innovations as step-counting and decline-walking in the TR2000, and the intelligent console buttons that lead customers through console operations so they don't have a learning curve to use PCE products. The company also promotes active living and exercise as part of its beliefs and culture. PCE is a proud sponsor of the International Council on Active Aging and is a member of the Medical Fitness Association. PCE also donates equipment to local high schools and provides funding to the American Diabetes Association and various nonprofit organizations and activities.

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