Introduction
The good thing about the fitness equipment industry is that companies are always striving to develop new exercise machines that will help people get more out of their workouts.
To demonstrate this point, you only have to look at the Stamina Elite Total Body Recumbent Exercise Bike because this is a recumbent bike that will not only give you a good lower body workout to help with fitness and toning, but it will also work your upper body as well.
Therefore you can potentially tone up your arms, shoulders and back and burn more calories than you would on a standard recumbent machine.
So let’s take a closer look at this particular model to look at all of the features and benefits, and to discuss some of the key pros and cons of this machine.
Features And Benefits
- 8 magnetic resistance levels
- includes hand pedals for upper body workout
- multi-function electronic display
- track time, speed, distance, calories and pulse
- hand grip pulse sensors
- adjustable padded seat and back rest
- built-in transport wheels
- textured pedals with adjustable straps
- walk-thru design for easy access
- smooth and quiet in operation
- solid steel frame construction
- suitable for users up to 250 pounds
Product Dimensions / Weight
With a total weight of around 121 pounds, this is a very strong and sturdy machine that can support users up to 250 pounds. However this does mean that it may be a little bit difficult to move around, even though it has transport wheels attached to the bottom of the frame.
The exact dimensions of this bike (in inches) are 50 (L) x 24 (W) x 49 (H), so the good thing is that it won’t take up a lot of space in your home.
Positives
The key selling point of this Stamina recumbent bike is that it gives you a full body workout, unlike a standard recumbent bike that only gives you a lower body workout.
Therefore you can still pedal away using the foot pedals for as long as you like, but you also have the option of using the hand pedals as well.
These rotating hand pedals will primarily work your arms and shoulders, and to a lesser extent your back to help tone up your upper body, but they will also help you to burn a few more calories and make it easier to lose weight.
However you don’t necessarily need to use these hand pedals every time you work out. You can still hold on to the handlebars by the sides if you just want to use the foot pedals, and you can also use the hand pedals by themselves if you just want to tone your arms, or if you would like to perform your upper and lower body workouts separately.
You will find that this total body recumbent bike has 8 magnetic resistance levels to help vary the intensity of your workouts, and this resistance can be applied to both the foot pedals and the hand pedals (although it cannot be applied to both at the same time).
It also has a very quiet belt drive system that will enable you to perform your workouts quietly at home without disturbing any other members of your household.
As well as providing a smooth and quiet workout, it also delivers a comfortable workout as well because it has a padded seat and back rest that can be adjusted forwards and backwards to help you find the most comfortable position, with the back rest angled back slightly to prevent any back pain.
It also has textured foot pedals with adjustable straps to prevent your feet from slipping out whilst you are pedalling, and has handlebars at the sides if you don’t want to use the hand pedals.
There are pulse sensors located on these handlebars that will help you monitor your heart rate because this data will be shown on the multi-function electronic display, along with workout time, speed, distance and calories burned.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that this recumbent bike has a walk-thru design that makes it very easy to get on and off. So it is ideal for older people and those people who have any kind of mobility problems.
Negatives
There do not appear to be any major issues with this Stamina Elite Total Body Recumbent Exercise Bike, but there are a few minor problems that are worth highlighting.
First of all, as I have already mentioned earlier, it is not possible to apply resistance to both the hand pedals and the foot pedals at the same time.
Therefore when you are using both sets of pedals at the same time, resistance will only be applied to the foot pedals.
If you want a more challenging upper body workout, you have to use the hand pedals in isolation, in which case resistance can be applied by turning the resistance dial.
The second drawback is that although the seat can be adjusted forwards and backwards to accommodate people of varying heights, it is not possible to adjust the angle of the back rest. Therefore anyone who has any existing back problems may experience some discomfort when using this machine.
Final Thoughts
The Stamina Elite Total Body Recumbent Bike is not necessarily designed for elite athletes, but it is suitable for older users and for people recovering from injury, for example, because it is much easier to get on and off than an upright bike thanks to its walk-thru design, is comfortable to use and is one of the few recumbent machines that provides a full body workout.
Therefore it can be used to improve your fitness, lose weight and tone up your legs by engaging your glutes, calves, hamstrings and quads, but will also help to tone up your arms, shoulders and back if you use the optional hand pedals.
This bike would be absolutely perfect if the resistance could be applied to both the foot pedals and the hand pedals at the same time, but despite this slight design fault, it is still a good bike to buy if you are looking to get more from your workouts.
→ Click here to buy the Stamina Elite Total Body Recumbent Bike