NordicTrack elliptical review for the NordicTrack AutoStrider 990. Read reviews and recommendations for the NordicTrack 990 elliptical machine. NordicTrack exercise equipment reviews and ratings for NordicTrack AutoStrider 990.

The NordicTrack AutoStrider 990 is one of NordicTracks most popular elliptical machines.  The 990 has also recently received a “best buy” rating from Consumer Reports.

Something that sets the 990 apart from comparably priced models are its premium features.  The NordicTrack 990 has an incline feature common in many treadmills, but not yet common in ellipticals.  An increase or decrease in the incline allows you to target different muscle groups.  The incline settings range from 10 to 30 degrees.  Working in conjunction with the Power Incline, the 990 offers an 18”-22” stride.  This variable stride is important as, rather than a bouncy feel, it gives you a smooth elliptical motion.  The stride length extends as you increase the amount of incline.  Furthering the comfort of the workout, the NoricTrack AutoStrider 990 also offers a short pedal distance.  This is a feature that should be particularly attractive to shorter individuals.

The NordicTrack 990 comes with 20 personal trainer workouts, 2 heart-rate workouts, and 2 learned programs.  These programs come pre-installed on the 990 and are a very generous selection considering that this is a moderately priced machine.  The wide selection will alleviate boredom when working out and also ensure that you’re targeting various muscles and varying your workouts overall.  Resistance can also be changed on the 990 with the touch of a button -, rather than scrolling through the 15 settings.

The AutoStrider 990 also features iFit workouts, which allow you to target specific goals through pre-programed workouts.  iFit is sort of like having your own personally trainer - and NordicTrack actually has workouts planned famed Biggest Loser trainer, Jillian Michaels.  Each pre-programmable card that you insert into the elliptical offers an 8-week program covering 24 different workouts.  You can choose between three levels - beginner, intermediate, or advanced - and between different fitness goals - wellness, weight loss, body shaping, and endurance.  Each card costs $30. 

To make you workout even more enjoyable, the NoricTrack 990 also has a high quality sound system.  The sound system features speakers installed right on the elliptical console and has a music port compatible with popular MP3 players and iPod.

If space is a concern, the NordicTrack AutoStrider 990 can be folded up to save space.  This i ag great feature for apartment dwellers or anyone who doesn’t have the room to devote space to fitness equipment full-time.

On the downside, the NordicTrack AutoStrider 990 beeps fairly loudly anytime you change the resistance level.  The machine unfortunately doesn’t come with a volume control for this beeping and you cannot turn it off.  With more expensive models, you can get an SD card that will turn off this beeping sound.

Overall, the NordicTrack AutoStrider 990 is a fantastic machine for moderate use.  The machine supports up to 325 lbs and would be fine as a shared machine if use was moderate.  At $899, the AutoStrider 990 is a particularly good bargain when you consider the features it offers, most notably the Power Incline, variable stride, number of pre-programed workouts, and the ability to buy additional iFit workouts.  The 990 is one of the better values on the market and definitely is a standout in its price range.  Other than the beeping when changing settings, the 990 is a smooth and quiet machine.  Features that are now standard on most treadmills and ellipticals, like a heart-rate monitor, perform well and have been shown to be accurate, which isn’t always the case even on higher priced machines.

On top of everything, the NordicTrack 990 comes with a premium warranty.  This warranty offers a lifetime guarantee on the frame, one year on parts, and a guarantee that if something goes wrong in the first year a technician will be sent out to fix the problem.

Recommended: Yes.  The NordicTrack 990 is a great buy for the money and offers a fantastic workout.

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