Elliptical Reviews: The NordicTrack AudioStrider 990 Elliptical

Price: $899.00

We all know that NordicTrack is one of the leading exercise equipment manufacturers out there, and there are many reasons for that. Their warranties, their iFit workout cards, and usually, the machines speak for themselves. Well the Nordic 990 is no exception, it is another phenomenally built elliptical trainer with a new 2009 design. Let’s go over some of the features of the 990 elliptical.

This elliptical comes with some great features:

There are many features that I love about this product, the first one is found in the name; ‘AudioStrider’. This elliptical machine has an mp3 port built right into its center console, ideal for playing your iPod, or any mp3 player through the ellipticals sound system. Usually you would expect the stock speakers on an elliptical, just like in most cars, to be really cruddy. But the AudioStrider Elliptical is equipped with an Intermix Acoustic Sound System, which apparently produces great lows and highs with high-end speakers and a subwoofer, all built in.

Staying on the tech side of things, this trainer, like all NordicTrack trainers, is equipped with the iFit Card reader. The iFit Card readers are really amazing; they are almost like having a personal trainer right there with you in your home. The iFit Cards are kind of like memory cards, you plug them right into the center console and start your workout. Each iFit Card has different kinds of workouts built into it, so whether you want to burn fat or just get a light cardio workout, there are iFit Cards made just for that. The cool part is, the iFit Card will speed up, slow down, incline, or decline your elliptical depending on what kind of workout you want, and you don’t have to adjust a thing manually. A few other great tech features are the 1-touch resistance, the carb counter, and the 20 personal trainer workouts (Pre-programmed in). The 1-touch resistance is another of my favorite features. When I use my elliptical, I hate having to scroll up and down through the resistance levels while working out, it’s such a distraction. This problem is eliminated with NordicTrack’s 1-touch resistance feature.

Now for the physical aspects of this elliptical. It has an 18” to 22” stride length, with oversized foot pedals, so if you’re on the taller side than this machine will work fine for you. It can support up to a 325 lb. person, and is made out of commercial-grade steel. Any time an elliptical can support over 300 lbs., it’s a good sign that it will last you a long time. If it’s nighttime and the baby is sleeping, the SMR (Silent Magnetic Resistance) is a frictionless resistance system, which allows for smooth and quiet workouts. And the last feature that makes this elliptical ideal for any small home or apartment is its fold-up design, so you can fit it in the corner of the room or your closet when your workout is finished.

If all of those great features aren’t enough for you, or it’s just too expensive, make sure you check out some other great elliptical reviews before making a purchase.