Does anybody else workout at a gym that it seems every other cardio machine is broken?
I've talked with a few clients and their high-end gyms have the same problems as the low-end gym which I work out at.
No kids are allowed at these gyms so I'm thinking that gym member's muscle balance is so messed up and they are so overweight , that the constant application of force to the machine in the incorrect place is causing the heavy duty commercial cardio machines to break.
I'm curious to hear everyone's thoughts on this:confu sed:
I owned a high-end gym for 16 years and I can tell you that cardio machines take quite a beating and they are always needing maintenance. If a gym does it properly (which I never did) you NEVER have broken machines on the floor. You keep back-ups in a storage and as soon as you have a break-down you replace the broken machine with your spare and get the treadmill (or whatever) fixed. You need to have a bit more cash-flow than I did though. It's just tough, that's all.
At my gym there are 14 treadmills, about 10 ellipticals, and 4 AMTs (my favorite.) The AMTs are often needing maintenance, maybe b/c they are a relatively new machine and everyone likes them and there are only 4. But I've never seen a machine with a broken sign on it two visits in a row.
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At my gym there are 14 treadmills, about 10 ellipticals, and 4 AMTs (my favorite.) The AMTs are often needing maintenance, maybe b/c they are a relatively new machine and everyone likes them and there are only 4. But I've never seen a machine with a broken sign on it two visits in a row.
Well, Maybe its due to the sheer volume. The 24 hour fitness which I work out at gets over 3000 members in/out a day.
But other people have said sportsclub LA has the same problem which has less members who pay like $200 a month to be a member.
The original post is why do the machines need so much maintenance? I think it's because everyone's posture and muscle balance is so off it wrecks the machines...
I think it's because everyone's posture and muscle balance is so off it wrecks the machines...
then it is either a design problem - the machines are under engineered for their intented use in a commercial gym - or it is lack of scheduled maintenance for the machines as designed and manufactured.
(seriously - my anterior pelvic tilt or the fact that my right glute doesn't fire as well as my left is breaking the $$$ treadmill?)
I'd bet it's 99.99% the sheer amount of usage and the lack of proper maintenance, assuming it's quality machines being bought. I have to, at home, tighten/adjust/maintain my stuff regularly with only one person using it lightly. It has moving parts. They move a lot in a gym, with many people going all sorts of speeds and resistances. It's a lazy gym that isn't taking care of them or have proper maintenance contracts.
Come on, you don't blame the fact that you need an oil change so often on the fat driver. It needs to happen, and if it doesn't things get broke.
Maybe it's the medication talking, but it sounds to me like a shitty thing to blame fat people for broken cardio equipment. If the machines have that low a weight limit, the gym is stupid for getting them. That's just rude and stupid.
Heavy duty commercial treads run around 10-12 grand right now. To be rated for heavy commercial use they pretty much need to be able to sustain almost constant use by heavy people. If you don't spend the extra money in a high volume gym you'll spend 3X the amount in repair costs.
I once bought some very nice used treads for $400 each from a gym that shut down, and I probably spend $3K-$4K each over the next year replacing belts, motors, panels, mother boards... Trust me, if you want less headache as a gym owner, just get all NEW cardio, lease it on a three-year term with bumper to bumper parts and labor warranties (you can usually negotiate for that when you're making a big purchase, especially in this buyer's market bad economy).
The original post is why do the machines need so much maintenance? I think it's because everyone's posture and muscle balance is so off it wrecks the machines...
Please. Is there a new article you are trying to promote. Machines gets used by a lot of people. End of story.
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Please. Is there a new article you are trying to promote. Machines gets used by a lot of people. End of story.
A machine is designed to be used by a lot of people.
You're saying cardio machines designed to break?
If you lined up 2 elliptical machines and had 1 being used by a person w/ perfect muscle balance and another by a person with horrible muscle balance, I GUARANTEE the machine with the imbalanced person would break first, yes repetitive motions are just as harmful for cardio machines as humans.
Any little irregularity on a machine will reveal itself quite quickly in a high-use gym. And one little problem can cause a cascade of other problems. Your best bet is just not going the route of owning a gym! It's nothing but a headache and it will ultimately make you jaded against the fitness industry.
If you lined up 2 elliptical machines and had 1 being used by a person w/ perfect muscle balance and another by a person with horrible muscle balance, I GUARANTEE the machine with the imbalanced person would break first, yes repetitive motions are just as harmful for cardio machines as humans.
I tend to agree with you Josh. I've got a lot of time (too much) paying for repairs to these machines to base this on. One person won't have a noticeable impact on a machine. It is the countless hours of banging away that breaks them down. The people on the cardio equipment are all random anyway.
One person won't have a noticeable impact on a machine. It is the countless hours of banging away that breaks them down. The people on the cardio equipment are all random anyway.
Exactly. There is no logical reason to believe that a treadmill (just the example of a cardio machine that I think of first) would be significantly affected by slightly different force patterns that different people's body's produce due to various muscle imbalances and such. In general, I believe that it is heavy, frequent usage of the cardio machines at commercial gyms that is the reason that they break and need maintenance so frequently. If a treadmill is in usage for hours upon hours each day, 7 days a week, by a variety of people, they eventually need maintenance. There is no reason to believe otherwise.
Exactly. There is no logical reason to believe that a treadmill (just the example of a cardio machine that I think of first) would be significantly affected by slightly different force patterns that different people's body's produce due to various muscle imbalances and such. In general, I believe that it is heavy, frequent usage of the cardio machines at commercial gyms that is the reason that they break and need maintenance so frequently. If a treadmill is in usage for hours upon hours each day, 7 days a week, by a variety of people, they eventually need maintenance. There is no reason to believe otherwise.
A treadmill was the last machine I was thinking of. I should have made it clear that I was talking about iso-lateral cardio machines such as stairmasters, ellipticals, and arch-trainers which have 2 independent sides.
Obviously usage is the major issue here, but who would you rather lend your car out to, a 100 pound woman who doesn't smoke? or a 350 pound guy who smokes? Certain people w/ certain postural issues decrease the health of cardio machines! Poor cardio machines
That's a ridiculous comparison. The smoker will create a displeasing smell (in a non-smoking car) regardless. But would I rather lend it to a 100 pound girl or a 300 pound guy? Don't matter. I caused no less wear and tear on my car than my husband did. It still needs its frickin oil changed. Machines NEED to be maintained, mainly based on usage. It has moving parts, it needs to be maintained. Period.
But hey, you're prolly right. Shouldn't let the fattys on the equipment. Let them ruin the sidewalks with their walking on them and whatnot, rather than the gym equipment. Better watch out for those pregnant chicks too! Think of all that weight and funny movement patterns!
A treadmill was the last machine I was thinking of. I should have made it clear that I was talking about iso-lateral cardio machines such as stairmasters, ellipticals, and arch-trainers which have 2 independent sides.
I think this could be a very minor factor if you very talking about the same user putting in all the hours on machine (not that that would be possible), but to suggest that differing people with imbalances would because of these imbalances put a such an additional stress on the machine that it would break down is a bit of stretch.
A more likely cause of "imbalance" damage on the machine is that the machine is not balanced in that it is not level. Internal "imbalances" in the machines plays a much greater role in machine breakdown- especially caused by poor lubrication during maintenance. Even with the use of a maintenance schedule, improper maintenance is an issue for many machines (speaking from direct experience in QA in heavy industry). Maintenance engineers are are notoriously sloppy and the problem is compounded when the maintence is either outsourced or worse done by a non-technician.
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Cardio machines break down. Period. This is why all the smart gym owners i've ever known LEASE their cardio machines and buy their strength training equipment.
I mean, I remember being a "grunt" trainer...doing "floor duty"...I cleaned the crap out of a gazillion stairmasters and treads but never did anything past that as far as maintenance goes. I'm guessing routine maintenance should be performed, to some degree, on a daily basis.
I detest cardio machines. Expensive pieces of junk.
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Reason for Broken Cardio Machines at the Gym
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