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Nordictrack S50 treadmill vs concept 2 skierg

Written by Pascal Landshoeft | Jun 20, 2020 4:00:00 PM

Nordictrack S50 treadmill vs concept 2 skierg

This is a comparison between the Nordictrack S50 treadmill and the concept 2 skierg including pros, cons and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the Concept 2 skiErg

The Concept 2 SkiErg comes in at $770. 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".

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Overview of the concept 2 skiErg

 
The concept 2 skierg is a machine which simulates cross country skiing. The concept 2 rower flywheel has been adapted to keep the athlete in an upright position. This way of going about solves several challenges.
 
The design of the skierg uses a lot less space than bikes, treadmills, and rowers. Mounted to a wall it takes almost no floor space which makes it a great option for home gyms with limited space. Based on the nature of the movement it can also be used by athletes who have disabilities or rehab from injuries. You can still get a great workout in while seated with the skierg. The skierg has the following specifications: 
 
  • Assembled in the us 
  • Color black 
  • Weight 46 LB
  • Length 52”
  • Width 24”
  • Height 85”
 
The concept 2 Skierg is great value for money, especially if you want to mainly focus on your upper body. 
 

Pros of the Cncept 2 skiErg

 
The pros of the concept 2 ski erg are:
 
  • size 
  • Can be used by people with disabilities 
  • Price 
 
The size of the concept 2 skierg is one of its main benefits. Mounted to a wall it takes up no floor space in your gym whatsoever. This is especially good if you want to fit a big rack into a small space and still be able to do cardio. 
 
The concept 2 skierg is one of the few options for endurance training on the market which I know that suits people who can not stand or walk because of their wheels. The only other option I would know is the hand driven ellipticals which are bigger and provide less bang for the buck. 
 
The price is also very attractive to many other cardio options. From the rogue website, it is one of the lowest priced options available. 
 

Cons of the concept 2 skiErg

 
The cons of the concept 2 skierg are
 
  • Specificity 
  • Not a real full body workout 
 
Not many people compete in skiing, at least compared to running which is applicable to almost any team sports. Therefore the skierg will not provide a specific movement relevant to the sport your athletes and clients do, except you live in Norway or Switzerland. This means you will also have to provide another machine apart from the skierg.
 
Even though the marketing claims it is a full body workout I would doubt that you get the same amount of a response from the skierg than a rower or a fan bike. The legs are just too stationary and passive for that. Still a hard workout. 
 

Alternatives to the Concept 2 skiErg

 
Alternatives to the Skierg are
 
 
The Rogue echo bike will probably give you the better full body workout at roughly the same price. You will need minimally more floor space. This is a great option if you want to burn maximum calories per minute per square foot. 
 
The TrueForm runner would be the best option in the market today to simulate real conditions on a treadmill as close as possible. This also comes at a hefty price tag. Based on the reviews I have seen it is worth every penny. 
 
The concept two rower would be the solid option for a full body workout for every age group. I think this one of the best options for home use if you have the space for the entire family. The only downside is that you would have to free up quite some space to fit it into most homes.
 

Summary for the Concept 2 SkiErg

 
The concept 2 skierg is a great machine which fits in any corner. With this, you can train hard and burn your calories. The only downside is that you will mainly focus on your upper body while the legs stay stationary. 
 
 
 

Overview and review of the Nordictrack S50 1999

This is a review of the NordicTrack S50 including pros, cons, and alternatives. This article has been originally published in “which NordicTrack treadmill or elliptical to get in the UK”. Follow the links for more details.

 

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Overview of the Nordictrack S50 

 
The main features of the S50 treadmill are the 3.5 CHP motor, 12% incline, and that it can be folded up. The full list of features for the S50 covers the following items:
 
  • Includes 1 Years iFit Family Membership
  • iFit Integrated
  • Two 2” Bluetooth Digitally Amplified Speakers
  • 3.5 CHP Motor
  • 0% - 12% Digital Incline
  • 0 – 22 km/h Speed
  • Onetouch™ Controls
  • 1.9” Precision and Balanced Non-Flex Rollers
  • 125kg Max User Weight
  • EKG Handgrips
  • FlexSelect™ Cushioning
  • 51 x 152 cm Tread Belt
  • This Machine Does Not Feature a Workout Fan
  • SpaceSaver® Design with EasyLift™ Assist
  • Assembled Dimensions - 200L x 90W x 145H cm
  • Product Weight 92kg
  • Boxed Weight 109kg
  • Folded Dimensions - 103L x 90W x 180H cm
  • Boxed Dimensions - 210L x 82W x 34H cm
  • Warranty - Lifetime Frame Warranty, 10-year Motor Warranty, 2-Year Parts & Labour upon warranty registration within 28 days of purchase.
The S50 used to be solid in the Nordictrack portfolio but might have gone a little out of date. 
 

Pros of the Nordictrack S50 

 
The pros of the S50 are:
 
  • Strong motor
  • Can be gotten used
 
The Nordictrack S50 has a very strong motor and therefore good longevity. If you can get one used at a very small price you will not be disappointed. Especially if it was in-home use. As it has been around for a while you will have a higher likelihood on this machine to snatch a second-hand deal. If you are considering a new machine in the UK you might want to go for a different option.
 

Cons of the Nordictrack S50

 
The cons of the S50 are:
 
  • Not really good value for money
  • Older model
If you are looking into a new machine you are better off to look at the NordicTrack C1650 instead of the S50. You will get the same, maybe even better, specs at roughly the same price. You will have a harder time finding a used machine for the C1650.
 

Alternatives to the Nordictrack S50

 
The assault air runner is a self-propelled treadmill without a motor which is especially good for sprint/stop work. If you are an NFL or NBA player and want to work off the court on your speed development, this is a good machine to have. The Assault air runner is said to have bearing that is a little too fast compared to the Trueform Runner, which is said to have a better configuration.
 
The TrueForm Runner is the deluxe model in the realm of self-propelled treadmills. It usually gets the highest marks in terms of calibration and features in this market segment. This comes at a higher price compared to the Assault air runner. If you are buying for an individual athlete for home use, probably go for the TrueForm runner. If you buy for commercial use or outfitting a facility for an entire team, go for the Assault air runner. 
 
The C1650 is the better value for money option from Nordictrack to achieve the same thing than the S50. The screen is bigger and the design is more modern for roughly the same price.
 
If you want to save a lot of money while maximizing the calories burned per minute I personally recommend the Rogue Echo bike. It is compact, affordable, and sturdy. Even you run usually outdoors and want to burn some extra calories or if you ave limited budget and space, this is the bike to get for your home gym.
 

Summary for the Nordictrack S50

 
Unfortunately, the S50 is probably not the best option out of the Nordictrack portfolio for Uk customers. Have a closer look at the C1650 instead at similar budget and space requirements. 
 
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