Horizon fitness EX-59 elliptical vs Assault air runner

This is a comparison of the Horizon fitness EX-59 elliptical and the Assault air runner including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

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Overview and review of the Assault air runner

The Assault Air runner comes in at $3699. In this article you will learn more about the product itself, its Pros and cons and alternatives you might want to consider. This article has originally been published in the overview "Which conditioning equipment to buy from Rogue"

Overview of the Assault Air runner

The assault air runner is stake on the treadmill which is free of an electrical motor and highly portable. The air assault runner will be propelled by your own bodyweight. This means that it will be easier for you to accelerate and break during your workouts to simulate real-life conditions in running. The specifications of the Assault air runner are:

Product weight 280LB
Color black
Length 69.9”
Width 32.8”
Height 32.8”

This machine has been endorsed by the CrossFit community and Rogue Fitness. The area for footfall is curved to minimize the impact. This makes it easier for the joints compared to regular treadmills. You will also buy this from a multi-product company which has been around for a while. This is especially important if you are going to buy for commercial use and make heavy use of the service and warranty that comes with the machine.

Pros of the Assault Air runner

These are the pros of the Assault air runner compared to other similar products and for endurance needs

Lightweight
Price
Company
Innovative
Monitor

Compared to other treadmills and the TrueFrom runner it is lightweight and mobile. The fact that it comes in wheels is especially good for a gym setup where you like to change group setups a lot. You can clearly see that Assault went with the TrueForm runner design and optimized it for CrossFit gyms.

The price is also a big advantage when you compare like for like. There are two main options out there when you want a self-propelled treadmill. The assault air runner has about a $2000 advantage in the TrueForm runner. That is a considerable amount of money when you buy for your home gym or multiple units for a gym outlet.

Assault has been around for roughly 20 years and has solid revenue streams from three different product lines. With this piece of equipment, you are likely to get proper support and background for your needs. TrueForm hasn’t been around that long and their channels are a bit less developed.

Compared to other treadmills and ellipticals the experience with the assault runner for yourself or your client will be more innovative compared to other options. This Ingram attracts some extra clients as you differentiate from the next gym around the corner. Especially the ones who appreciate quality and might pay a higher price.

The monitor on the Assault air runner is better than the one on the TrueForm runner based on some reports. If you care about the settings on a machine you propel yourself this might be a deciding factor for you.

Cons of the Assault air runner

Price
Me too approach
Mechanics
Fewer options

Price can also be a con when you compare the outcome rather than like for like. If your main goal is to improve your endurance and lose weight without being specific to running there are options which are a lot more budget friendly. The Rogue echo bike would be one of them which still gives you a kick up the bum without costing as much as an entire home gym.

This is more of an ethical one, but if you support innovation you might want to go for the TrueForm runner. The original idea seems to have come from the first in a well-executed way. Assault just has the experience to copy and mass produce the idea more efficiently and effectively which will probably win the market for self-propelled treadmills.

Based on some reports I have read and seen the air assault runner accelerates in an unnatural way making you way faster than you actually should be. The TrueForm runner seems to be doing a better job correcting your posture and simulating real-world conditions.

With the TrueForm runner, you can also choose between a field turf and running track surface which the Assault air runner does not offer. If you want to make your training even more specific this might swing it against it.

Alternatives to the Assault Air runner

These are the alternative to the assault air runner:

The TrueForm runner is the original in the market for self-propelled treadmills. If you want a machine for your football athletes to warm up on before going o the field, this is probably the right choice. Who cares about $1000 to $2000 more a pop if the guys running on these things are paid $100000 a match? If you can afford it or if you don’t buy in bulk, the TrueForm runner might be the choice just to have the best.

The rogue echo bike is the realistic version for the home gym to still get a great workout in. A good air bike workout will gas you out and the design is a little more up to date than for the original assault air bike.

For the price of one air assault bike, you can even add a Rogue RM6 rack to your shopping list in addition to the Rogue echo bike. This leaves you with a full gym excluding barbells and plates. Count another $1000 for that.

If you want to spend some extra money for your home for something that is super effective the Versaclimber H might be for you. You still save $1000 compared to the Assault air runner and have a machine that burns the most calories over time per square feet. The vertical climb at home is the most intense thing you can do for your cardiovascular fitness.

Summary for the Assault air runner

The assault air runner is a lower cost option on the idea of self-propelled treadmills. You will buy a piece of equipment from a company with a long tenure which has other products in the market. If you always want the best you probably ought to go for the TrueForm runner. If you want to provide for your gym or use this innovative idea without breaking the bank, go for the TrueForm runner.

Overview and review of the Horizon fitness EX-59 elliptical

This is an overview of the Horizon fitness EX-59 elliptical including pros, cons, and alternatives. This article was first published in Which Horizon fitness elliptical to get?

For the most up to date information and asking direct questions you can follow me on Instagram.

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Overview of the EX-59 elliptical $699

The Horizon EX-59 is a high-quality elliptical for moderate use at home. The dimensions are kept as small as possible for an elliptical with a flywheel and the pedals are very close to the ground. This makes it a good choice for anyone who wants to workout at home, does not want to make a lot of noise and will not go crazy in their workouts. If you like something that provides a more challenging workout or better entertainment options during your workout than you might want to opt for a different elliptical.

Frame Type: Six Star Non-Folding

Flywheel: 14.3

Stride Length: 18 inches

Incline Range: N/A

Resistance Range: Magnetic, 10 levels

Step on height (inches): 10 3/4"

Extras: Built-in Speakers, Tablet rack, USB Charging, Bottle holder

Electrical requirements: 110 Volt / 220 Volt

Weight: 145lbs.

Assembled dimensions:74"x25"x64.5"

Max user weight: 300 lbs.

Warranty - Frame: Lifetime

Warranty - Brake: 1 year

Warranty - Flywheel: N/A

Warranty - Parts: 1 year

Warranty - Labor: 1 year

Pros of the EX-59 elliptical

The pros of the EX-59 elliptical are

Easy on the joints
Compact for an elliptical
Low price tag
Handles

The EX 59 is designed with ease of use in mind rather than chasing personal records and pushing the envelope. Therefore the stride is shorter and the pedals have been moved closer together while sitting close to the ground. This makes it a good machine for anyone who wants to be easy on the joints and simulate a jog on an elliptical. If you want to run long distances you might opt for something else.

Ellipticals with long stride and big flywheels can take up quite a bit of space in the home compared to bikes or treadmills. Horizon Fitness tries to minimize the footprint of this machine by keeping it compact which makes it better suited for use at home. A professional gym might want to upgrade to the Evolve series to compensate for more miles being put on the machine.

Another reason that makes this elliptical attractive for moderate home gym users is the price tag that falls way below $1000. There is not a lot to be scoffed at for a full machine at $699. There are cheaper alternatives when not using a machine but most indoor cycles and treadmills that are worth their salt start at $500.

The handles are helpful if you do not feel confident enough to go for long times without holding onto something. If you still feel like you can walk comfortably without using something to hold on to a walking treadmill might be a great alternative as they are easier to store under a bed or couch.

Cons of the EX-59 elliptical

The cons of the EX-59 elliptical are:

Space requirements
Small frame and weight
Console

For a machine that is aimed at lower intensities and home use, the EX-59 still takes up a bit of space. Especially the fact that you can not store it away easily like a tower, that can be hung on the wall, or a walking treadmill or Total gym, which can be stored under a bed or sofa, makes it a less attractive option for the occasional home activities.

The smaller frame and weight are good when you’ve not go hard at the machine. If you expect to go all out or a lot of heavy abuse in a commercial gym, then you might want to look into the Evolve series instead which is bigger and heavier.

The console on the EX-59 covers the basics of navigating the in-built programs, but not more. It also has no good surface to put down a tablet or bigger phone to look at while you are exercising. In times of Peloton and follow along with YouTube videos this is not up to scratch. Still, an understandable choice in the lower price ranges from a Horizon production perspective. Here Horizon might even make the console smaller for the programs to gain space for the user‘s own device.

Alternatives to the EX-59 elliptical

Alternatives to Horizon EX-59 are:

The Horizon 7.0 AE elliptical is one of the recent facelifts to the consoles of Horizon fitness. This makes it compatible with a wider range of devices and you can also do follow-along classes by watching at the screen. It is slightly bigger and more expensive than the EX-59 but I would recommend it to anyone over the EX-59 who is willing to make their budget stretch to $999.

The Horizon T101 is the smallest treadmill you can get from Horizon at the lowest price. If you prefer to jog or walk and want to burn more calories per minute, this is the better choice. The drawback is that if you need support to walk or run the T101 does not really provide a lot.

The Nordictrack SE7i is the cheapest elliptical you can get from Nordictrack. It compares better to the Evolve series from Horizon but might be an alternative if you want something fast and Horizon is out of stock.

The Rogue Echo Bike is the Ultimate Choice for serious home gym warriors who want to go hard on a small footprint. It is a well-built air bike that is especially well suited to High-intensity interval training. If you want to hit hard on the same budget as the EX-59 the Rogue Echo bike is your choice.

The TITAN fan bike is the lower-priced copycat of the Rogue Echo bike. The main differences are the bigger wheels and the price. If you want to build an entire garage gym on a budget TITAN is a good choice.

Conclusion for the EX-59 elliptical

The EX-59 is a great elliptical if you love exercising on an elliptical, have a smaller budget, and do not want to go crazy with it. I personally think that a walking treadmill is a better choice for people who still can walk and jog without support as it can be stored better. If you need lumbar support for your exercises, go for the Horizon R series instead.