Revolutionary new concept in workout motivation…or simply a clever marketing ploy? In all honesty, the ProForm 980 “Audio Trainer” Treadmill is probably a bit of both. According to Proform.com  “Now you can lose weight and feel great in just 8 weeks with iFit® Workout Card Technology. Simply plug in your Workout Card, press go and let iFit® do the rest, it’s really that easy.” If it was that easy we’d all be a lot thinner, but to its credit, the ProForm 980 Audio Trainer isn’t all marketing fluff.

This machine features a capable powerplant that produces 2.25 continuous-duty horsepower–plenty of juice to move along the average user. The treadbelt is a full 20″ x 55″ and features a stated 325 lb. weight capacity. In our tests, this machine was best suited for a user under 250 lbs.

As for the “audio training” features, there are some cool additions on this treadmill that will definitely spice up your workout. First is ProForm’s iFit system. This feature allows an special iFit card to be plugged directly into the treadmill. Each iFit card features a different 8-week workout program designed to help you reach a specific fitness goal. iFit cards can be had on the ProForm website for anywhere from $29.95 for a single card to $89.95 for one of the Jillian Michaels 3-packs.

Other audio components on this unit include a music port so you can plug in an iPod or other mp3 player, plus an Intermix Acoustics™ 2.0 Sound System which, as far as we could tell, is a set of speakers in the console.

The ProForm 980 Audio Trainer includes a lifetime warranty on both the frame and motor and is priced at a reasonable $1,199.00 at most retail outlets. If you’re a serious runner this machine probably shouldn’t be number one on your list. But if your a casual exerciser that enjoys the added motivation of audio training and upgradeable workout programs, the ProForm 980 should definitely do the trick.

Click Here to learn more about the ProForm 980 Audio Trainer Treadmill.

The ProForm Perspective ES treadmill is really one of the best deals available right now. ProForm has currently dropped the price on this unit by 50% to a very palatable $1,149.00. And for the amount of features included on this treadmill, that’s a bargain.

The marquee feature on the ProForm Perspective ES is a built-in, 7″ flat screen television. This handy little addition is compatible with all cable systems, satellite television providers, DVD players and VCR’s. It’s a really convenient feature if your treadmill doesn’t reside near a regular television. Plus, when not in TV mode, the display shows stats related to your workout intensity.

Sound is provided through the ProForm Intermix Accoustics system which is touted as being “theater quality sound.” That’s a pretty big stretch in our opinion, but for speakers on a treadmill the sound is pretty good.

As you can see it’s easy to get sidetracked by all the gadgets and gizmos the ProForm Perspective ES has to offer. But don’t forget the real reason you’re looking for a treadmill…you actually have to run on the thing. Not to worry though, the ProForm Perspective ES performs well in the nuts and bolts department also.

This unit is powered by a 3.0 Mach Z™ Commercial-Drive Motor which turns the belt with ample power for walking, jogging and light running. There’s also a 0-12% Quick-Incline feature that operates smoothly at the touch of a button. Cushioning comes courtesy of the ProStride™ Impact-Reducing Cushioning system. This is a joint-protection system that cushions the entire length of the treadbelt to accomodate walkers and runners with various stride lengths.

The warranty on the ProForm Perspective ES isn’t earth shattering, but it’s ample coverage for a machine in this price range. You’ll get 20 year coverage on the motor, with 1 year protection on parts and labor.

TTR Recommendation

Overall, we give the ProForm Perspective ES a great rating. It’s a solid treadmill with an outstanding array of creature comforts—all at a very reasonable price of $1,149.00. If you’re a serious runner, we’d probably steer you to a higher end model, but for beginning users or those looking for a light to medium workout, this unit definitely fits the bill.

Click Here to learn more about the ProForm Perspective ES Treadmill.

ProForm’s CrossWalk models have been around virtually since treadmills became popular for in-home fitness.

Over the last few years we’ve seen dozens of iterations of the CrossWalk come and go…all with the same underwhelming performance and overall poor design. But trust us on this, if they didn’t sell, ProForm wouldn’t keep making them. Likewise, we’ll keep reviewing them.

The ProForm 570 CrossWalk Treadmill is the latest addition to the CrossWalk family. It’s essentially a low-grade treadmill with a pair of moving handles bolted to the frame. The idea behind the 570 CrossWalk is for the user to get an upper body workout while simultaneously exercising their lower body. Great concept…but elliptical trainers do a much better job of actually executing this concept. In fact, if you really want to get an upper body workout on a treadmill, why not just throw in a set of dumbbells? It’s a heck of a lot less complicated and you can spend your money on a better quality treadmill.

A quick look under the hood of the ProForm 570 CrossWalk reaveals a Mach Z™ 2.8 HP Drive Motor. Sounds neat right? On closer inspection, the “Mach Z” is actually a smallish 1.7 continuous-duty horsepower motor—the 2.8 rating referrs to the peak horsepower on this model and we’d say even that is a stretch. If you’re not familiar with the difference between continuous-duty horsepower and peak horsepower, essentially continuous-duty is the horsepower at which the treadmill can efficiently operate at for extended periods of time. Whereas peak horsepower is the max the treadmill can produce at full power for a short time.

The ProForm 570 CrossWalk features a built-in workout fan and integrated heart rate monitor.

A couple of the high points on the ProForm 570 CrossWalk include the 25-year warranty on the motor and 1-year warranty on parts and labor. The motor warranty is sufficient and the full year on parts and labor is definitely above standard for a treadmill in this price range. Other things we liked were the built-in fan, the integrated heart rate monitor and the famous ProForm SpaceSaver™ design that allows the treadmill to fold up for storage.

TTR Recommedation

Just because a manufacturer claims their machine gives you a total body workout doesn’t mean it’s true. And with the ProForm 570 CrossWalk it’s just not the case. The handles are more of a marketing gimic than anything else. If you’re looking to combine a good lower body workout with upper body benefits, you’d be better off with an elliptical trainer or by simply adding dumbbells to your treadmill routine. For the price, the ProForm 570 CrossWalk is on the low end for both quality and performance. But on the upside it does offer a competitive warranty and some nice bells and whistles like a workout fan and a built-in heart rate monitor. Our advice is to shop around before considering the ProForm 570 CrossWalk.

Click here to get more info on the ProForm 570 CrossWalk Treadmill.

Like most ProForm treadmills the ProForm 580 LT Treadmill is a mid-grade, residential unit designed for beginning to intermediate users. This particular treadmill features a Mach Z™ 2.8 HP Drive Motor. What is a “Mach Z” motor? According to ProForm the Mach Z™ motor “uses direct cooling, a self-cooling process that extends the motor’s life and allows you to exercise for longer periods of time.” This begs the question, if Mach Z™ technology extends the motor’s life so well, why is it only warrantied for 15 years versus the lifetime warranty many other manufacturers offer? I smell a bit of marketing fluffery.

One feature we’ve always enjoyed about Pro Form treadmills is the iFit technology. The ProForm 580 LT includes 8 of these built-in workouts that automatically adjust the speed and incline of the treadmill based on goals like fat-burning or athletic performance. Another nice perk is the built-in iPod® dock that plays your music and charges your mp3 player while you exercise.

One thing to note on the ProForm 580 LT Treadmill is the 18″ belt width. This makes for a fairly narrow running surface, so the 580 LT is best suited for smaller users. Another item to keep in mind is the 300-lb stated user capacity. We tested a 210-lb runner on this machine and the performance wasn’t great at speeds above a brisk walk. We would advise heavier users to opt for a sturdier unit with a higher horsepower motor.

Other basic features on the ProForm 580 LT include one-touch 0-10 mph speed control, one-touch 0-10% incline control, grip-style pulse monitor and SoftFlex™ Cushioning.

TTR Recommendation

The ProForm 580 LT Treadmill is a capeable unit. But at $1,199, the price tag is much higher than is should be in our opinion. We would reccomend the 580 LT only for smaller users looking to walk or jog lightly. Anything more than that and you should probably look at something with a higher weight rating and bigger motor. A couple of downfalls for this unit are the narrow belt size and lack of a solid warranty. The stated coverage is only 15 years on the motor…nothing else is listed as being covered.

Click here to learn more about the ProForm 580 LT Treadmill.

TTR Review

More and more in today’s economy price tends to be a large consideration when purchasing large ticket items like a treadmill. Hence treadmills in the $1000 and under category are selling extremely well.

A good example of a treadmill in this lower price tier is the Proform 785E. At first glance—as with many Proform models—the 785E is good looking and comes equipped with scads of funky electronics.

Upon further inspection, the 785E falls short in some key performance categories.

The first thing we noticed was the jerky startup motion. This is not only an uncomfortable way to begin your workout, it’s also dangerous if you’re not expecting it.

Once we got going, something really odd happened. At slow speeds (walking) the belt slowed to almost a stop under each step, then ramped up again when no pressure was on the belt. The problem went away at higher speeds, but still made us uneasy about the overall quality of this machine.

One thing we did enjoy about this machine was the shock absorption system. The deck provides a little more cushion than other machines in this price range and it makes running on the 785E comfortable and less tiring.

Other features we liked include the built-in heart rate monitor, iFIT™ capability, one-touch speed and incline control and an iPod input that allows you to play music through integrated speakers in the console.

The 785E lists a user weight capacity of 325-lbs., but we’d suggest a limit of around 250-lbs seeing as our 180-lb tester nearly stopped the belt at a walk.

We’ve also heard about above average repair claims on this model ranging from the motherboard in the console to the treadmill deck itself. So make sure you know how to get it serviced. Also the warranty on the motor and frame is lifetime, but only a year on parts and labor for everything else.

TTR Recommendation

The ProForm 785E treadmill we tested was priced at $899. For a treadmill at the higher end of the $1000 and under category we felt like it should’ve been a bit higher quality. Yes, this treadmill has plenty of creature comforts that are fun and unique, but at the end of the day, you can probably get a higher quality treadmill that’ll last longer and perform better, for the same price or less.