Precor AMT 835 Elliptical Review

The Precor AMT 835 with Open Stride is a unique elliptical machine – it is a piece of 3-in-one fitness equipment; a treadmill, an elliptical and a stepper. AMT refers to the Adaptive Motion Trainer. The stride can be adjusted without touching any of the controls.

The Open Stride of Precor elliptical offers its users a variety in the range of stride paths (which is 0 to 36 inches). The Handheld arms let you work out on both the upper as well as the lower body. When you are on the elliptical, it gives you a complete body workout.

Precor has been a trustworthy brand in the fitness industry. The  Precor AMT 835 with Open Stride elliptical lies in the mid-range and is part of the 830 Line of Experience Series machines produced by Precor. The Open Stride feature is the unique selling point of the Precor Elliptical.

This  Precor AMT 835 with Open Stride is priced below $10000 and can be found in our list of best high-end ellipticals . Other elliptical models of Precor are the Precor AMT 833, Precor AMT 835, and Precor AMT 885; each of these models has a slight variation in the specifications.

The Stride Dial shows its users, visually, the length of the stride in order to determine the specific muscle groups which are getting engaged. As the length of the stride changes, you will notice that the Stride Dial gets updated real-time. The  Precor AMT 835 with Open Stride is self-powered, and hence it does not need an electrical outlet.

The user can control the height of the Stride and the resistance easily by making use of the toggle switches. The controls are simple to use and can be easily read on the LED console; this will be quite familiar to people who have been using Precor fitness equipment in their gym.

This elliptical is definitely a commercial model. It is rugged, will last a lifetime and comes with a warranty of 10-years on the parts. The extras included are accessory holders for your water bottle, tablets as well as portable music players. Read our Precor AMT 835 with Open Stride 2021 review to know more about its features and workout program offerings.

Best Suited for Whom?

If you are an elite exerciser who has been considering an investment in three different workout machines, then the Precor AMT 835 is perfect! Instead of purchasing a stepper, elliptical and treadmill, you can purchase the Precor AMT 835. This elliptical requires less space and offers you exercises which have the lowest impact.

If you are looking for a machine with unlimited stride length in order to stretch your arms and legs more than the regular strides offered by other elliptical equipment, you must have a look at the Precor AMT 835.

It offers a stride length of 36″ which is electronically adjustable via the controls located on the console. If you wish to lose those extra kilos faster, the Precor AMT 835 Open Stride elliptical will help you burn around 30% more calories in contrast to various traditional elliptical fitness equipment available in the market.

Another useful feature of this elliptical is the variety of workouts it offers which helps you lose weight quickly. If you get bored with one workout, you can switch to a different mode of training such as pedaling or stair climbing.

This elliptical is good for either a professional runner, an average runner or even a novice runner. The Precor AMT 835 Open Stride elliptical gives its users a good low-impact running workout. However, in case you are looking for a low-impact exercise machine especially for running, you could even have a look at Octane.

If you are someone who is recovering from injuries and would be in need of some support either to walk or run, the AMT 835 is ideal, as it has fixed handles which offer you the required support. These ellipticals are also used in clinics, hospitals, and rehabilitation centers, as they offer a low-impact workout.

This elliptical is one of the top-selling ellipticals for commercial use. Hence if you won a gym, this machine would be perfect for you. People often opt for a gym that offers them the best of fitness equipment and superior facilities. So in order to attract more people to your gym, this machine would definitely serve the purpose.

Precor AMT 835 Elliptical Assembly, Design and Build Quality

Assembly

The Precor AMT 835 with Open Stride Assembly would need some work as well as tools. You would be requiring the Allen wrenches, screwdrivers, dr sockets, and maybe a drill too. The Precor elliptical has many parts like the pedals, belts, cylinder, side covers, top covers,  frame parts, the console, etc which all need to be assembled.

The package comes with the Precor AMT 835 Manual, however, we recommend that you seek the assistance of a professional technician for assembling the Precor AMT 835 for you.

Design and Build Quality

The Precor AMT 835 with Open Stride has been validated biomechanically by the Western Washington University Biomechanics Lab and can be used by people of all sizes and fitness levels. This is one of the main reasons behind the popularity of the Precor AMT machines in gyms across the world.

The customers around the globe love it because they can burn more calories and they also have control over the machine’s movement. The Precor AMT 835 gives its users around 20 magnetic levels of resistance and this allows users to challenge themselves and push the limits.

You can adjust the stride length right from 0 to 36 inches and this can accommodate users of different heights. It also lets users to stretch their legs completely and imitate the perfect running exercise.

The special feature of the Precor AMT 835 is that the steps have an adjustable depth which lets you do stair climbing exercise the right way and effectively.

Precor AMT 835 Elliptical Features

Console

The Precor AMT 835 with Open Stride includes the new P30 Console from Precor with Motion controls as well as QuickStart. This elliptical gives you a variety of about 20 electronic exercise programs, 6 in-built workout sessions, a reading rack, an electronic keypad, and also an outlet that lets you charge any electronic via a USB drive port. The machine also has a huge LED screen which makes navigating quite easy and convenient.

Flywheel, Drive Mechanism

A lot of information on the drive system is unavailable. However, from the details on the weight support, it is quite clear that all the parts and the drive are very durable and reliable. The movement while using this machine is very smooth and quiet in comparison to many other ellipticals which can be noisy. It is one of the best ellipticals for runners.

It offers the feature of dual-direction which allows you to pedal either forward or reverse for the additional variety as well as different exercises for the leg muscles. The AMT 835 makes use of a battery that charges when you workout on the machine. The battery would last you for around 5 years and it would cost you lesser than $15 to get it replaced.

Handlebars and Pedals

The Precor AMT 835 Open Stride comes with three handle sets – Fixed handles located on the sides of the machine, the moving handlebars and the stationary handlebars. This indicates that you can either workout on your lower body or on both the upper and lower body together.

The stationary handlebars have in-built heart rate sensors, however, the moving handlebars do not have the sensors. This is not a big issue as you can also make use of a chest strap that is telemetry enabled. The AMT 835 Open Stride is also compatible with any wireless transmitter of 5 kHz.

You can have a look at some of our best heart rate monitor chest strap in case you wish to get yourself one. The handlebars do not have any built-in controls which are one of the features that this elliptical lacks in.

In some ellipticals like the NordicTrack FreeStride Trainer FS7i, the handlebars have controls which let the user adjust the resistance as per his/her requirement without the need to get his/her hands off the handles. This machine also comes with a non-slip, over-sized, cushioned and comfortable pedals which accommodate any user size.

Resistance

The Precor AMT 835 Open Stride offers 20 magnetic levels of resistance which are very smooth and quiet. They equal to about 375 Watts and make sure that there is enough room for the athletes to push their limits.

The resistance range is pretty good for any athlete, be it a professional or an amateur. This makes the AMT 835 a superior model in comparison to other ellipticals in the market. The resistance can be changed via the motion control which is located at the base of the console.

The motion controls are easy to reach. It is dual plain resistance – this indicates that the resistance can be applied for both up and down motion as well as forward and backward motion. Precor AMT also offers an automatically adjustable resistance which depends on the heart rate of the user.

Extras

The Precor AMT 835 Open Stride Elliptical also offers a water bottle holder, a shelf to hold your multimedia devices like tablets or mobile phones. It also comes with transport wheels which makes the movement of this elliptical easier.

Precor AMT 835 Elliptical Workout Programs 

1. Manual: The manual workout gives its users total control on the height of the incline as well as on the resistance. If you want a customized workout routine or even steady-state cardio, the manual Precor AMT workout is the best option for you.

2. Interval: The Interval workout program is for users who wish to improve and enhance their cardiovascular capacity. This program takes you through various tough as well as easy training of short periods. In contrast to a Fitness Test program, in the Interval Training, the user will be able to control the intensity along with the rest periods.

3. Heart Rate: This program is very useful for people who wish to remain within a particular range of heart rate. For instance, if your doctor recommends and advises you that the heart rate for you should be within 60%, all you have to do is set the range on your console. In this program, the resistance and incline are changed by the console depending on your heart rate.

In case you go beyond the limit, you will get a warning. However, while using this heart rate program, you have to hold the stationary handlebars or you can choose to make use of a wireless chest strap.

4. Fat Burner: This program has a duration of 28 minutes and also has seven intervals of 4-minutes each. You can also change the level of resistance in between the intervals.

5. Variety: In this program, if variety is your choice, the step height and the resistance level keep changing randomly throughout the workout.

6. Performance/Fitness Test: The program makes use of your heart rate to give you feedback on the level of fitness you currently are at. If you opt for this program, the machine takes you through many intervals. At the end of the program, it provides you with an overall estimate of how you performed.

The way your heart reacts to various resistance levels and the speed gives your machine the data about your fitness levels. In order to check your fitness level, you can use this program once a month. This program is quite encouraging and shows you the areas for improvement.

In the Precor AMT 835 elliptical your fitness level is compared with the official fitness test of the IAF or International Association of Firefighters.

Precor AMT 835 Elliptical Warranty

The Precor AMT 835 offers a lifetime warranty on the frame, 10-year warranty on parts and a 1-year warranty on labor.

Precor AMT 835 Elliptical Pros and Cons

Verdict

Yes, the Precor AMT 835 is loved due to its adaptability and the fact that it is a 3-in-one machine! You do not have to purchase a treadmill, an elliptical and a stepper. It is indeed one of the best ellipticals over $5000, however, for the price tag, the features are quite limited.

It is good for commercial use and especially if you own a gym or you have the money to invest in a good machine. The elliptical does not offer Bluetooth and wireless connection in contrast to ellipticals like Sole E95, the NordicTrack FreeStride Trainer FS7i or even the Bowflex Max Trainer M5.

And the console does not store the user profile data. These features are quite important in any fitness machine these days, as everyone wants to access their data online and would also love to compare their performance on a weekly or monthly basis. In addition to this, it comes with only 6 preset-programs.

However, if you are to purchase three different fitness equipment, like the treadmill, the elliptical and a stepper, the package would cost you more than $10000. If you do not have a limit on your budget, and the lack of few features do not bother you, the Precor AMT 835 elliptical is a great option.

But, if you are looking for a machine that is less expensive but of good quality and which ensures the workouts have a low-impact, you can have a look at the Octane ZR8 Trainer.