Gold’s Gym is an international chain of fitness centers. The well-known gym licenses its name to ICON Health and Fitness. ICON markets a line of treadmills, cross trainers, bikes, and strength training equipment under the Gold’s Gym name.
Gold’s Gym treadmills and elliptical trainers often look similar to those made by ProForm and NordicTrack, which are two of ICON’s other famous brands – and those brands may offer better warranty packages. Gold’s Gym fitness machines cost less but aren’t as durable.
Gold’s Gym strength training equipment gets good ratings. The Power Tower stands out for its sturdiness and good value.
Special Features of Gold’s Gym Fitness Equipment
» Low cost is a main appeal. Many major items such as Gold’s Gym home gyms and treadmills cost just a few hundred dollars.
» Variety – Many products are included in the Gold’s Gym catalog, so customers can set up a full home gym through one vendor.
Gold’s Gym Fitness Equipment Lines
Treadmills – The brand’s current listings include seven treadmill models ranging from the very low-budget Gold’s Gym Trainer 480 to the Trainer 1190. These are generally sold with long motor warranties but short warranties for parts and labor, and reviews aren’t outstanding. Here are some highlights in order of MSRP:
- The entry-level 480 gets poor customer reviews. Complaints cover a number of issues: a hard-to-read display, an inaccurate heart rate monitor, broken parts, and more. The 550 model has also been criticized for a burnt-out display.
- The CrossWalk 570 gets better reviews than the 480 and 550. It has movable upper-body bars, a built-in sound system, 16 personal trainer workouts, and a heart rate monitor. However, the CrossWalk 650 is an even better buy. It includes motivational audio coaching, interactive workouts, and a power incline. The 2.8 HP motor is sold with a long warranty. Both the CrossWalk 570 and 650 have 55” tracks.
- The well-received Interactive 890 treadmill is named for its built-in interactive personal training workouts and iFit options. It has a well-cushioned 55” track that reduces impact up to 33% compared with road training. However, unlike the CrossWalk treadmill models, it doesn’t have movable handlebars for an upper-body workout.
- The 1190 is Gold’s Gym’s top trainer, but it rates below the 890 in customer reviews.
Elliptical Machines/Striders – Gold’s Gym currently features three elliptical trainers or striders for home use. All are priced under $500 for budget-minded consumers, but they get generally positive reviews. They have 7-year frame warranties but just 90-day warranties for parts and labor.
- The StrideTrainer 380 gets many good reviews and some complaints. Customers complain that it’s difficult to assemble and is somewhat squeaky. However, they also say that it provides effective workouts. Some people might feel limited by its 14” stride and the low number of programs (6).
- The CrossTrainer 480 has 12 workouts, including four personal trainer workouts, and 10 resistance levels. Some other features include a workout fan, an iPod-compatible speaker system, a water bottle holder, and a heart rate monitor.
- The StrideTrainer 595 has an 18” stride, 14 built-in workouts, and 12 levels of resistance. It also has an intensity ramp, a fan, a water bottle holder, and a sound system with an MP3 port.
Stationary bikes – Gold’s Gym sells two exercise bikes in its PowerSpin series: the recumbent 230 R and the upright 210 U.
- PowerSpin 230 R – This recumbent exercise bike has an iPod-compatible sound system and 8 personal trainer workouts. The Target Pacer helps people stay on track, indicating when to speed up and when to slow down. This bike has a workout fan and a heart rate monitor.
- PowerSpin 210 U – This upright exercise bike is similar to the recumbent model. It has an iPod-compatible sound system, 8 personal trainer workouts, and Target Pacer technology. Customers have minor complaints (flimsy pedal straps, difficult battery compartment) but give this product high ratings overall.
Strength Training – The Gold’s Gym brand currently features four strength training benches, an inversion system, a Power Tower, 25-pound single dumbbells, and a barbell holder.
- Benches — Each of the four bench models is sold with a poster depicting bench exercises. Gold’s Gym bench options include two slant benches, the basic but adjustable XR 5.9 and the highly versatile Gold’s Gym XRS Slant Bench. The XRS has adjustable workout arms that can be used in dozens of exercises. Also offered are the XR 7.9 and 18.9 workout benches. The XR 7.9 includes weight crutches and a 4-roll leg developer. The 18.9 Olympic Bench has adjustable spotters, a 6-roll leg developer, and a rolled preacher pad.
- The Gold’s Gym Inversion System has an adjustable safety strap to fit users from 5’0” – 6’6”. It has a 250-pound weight capacity.
- The Power Tower has stations for dips, knee raises, push-ups, and pull-ups. Customers consistently describe it as easy to assemble, sturdy, and worth buying.
The brand also features an inexpensive 5-in-1 Ultimate Home Training Kit. It includes a multi-training door attachment, rotating push-up stands with adjustable resistance, and ab & core straps.
Drawbacks of Gold’s Gym Fitness Equipment
Delivery options – Gold’s Gym generally doesn’t offer residential delivery for its fitness machines. This means that customers must drive to another location to pick up heavy items.
Shorter warranties – Gold’s Gym treadmills typically include just 1-year parts warranties, and the elliptical warranties are even shorter.
Low quality – As noted some product names above, some Gold’s Gym products are made from substandard parts.
