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Precor Elliptical Aerobic Machine

The Best Cardio Machines in 2020:
Made in the USA

By Matt Mullins   updated April 7, 2020

Trying to find the best cardio equipment among countless fitness brands can be frustrating. Many brands offer cheaply made imports that don’t last for simple home use and much less under the stress of a commercial gym. This guide helps narrow down the choices to the top brands manufacturing aerobic equipment in the USA.

Best Aerobic Machines

Concept2 Rower

If I could only have one cardio machine then a Concept2 Rower would be my choice (I can run outside). They provide a great full body workout and they cost significantly less than most commercial grade fitness machines. These are the reliable rowers used in the Crossfit Games, British Indoor Rowing Championships, and the CRASH-B Sprints. Concept2 also builds an excellent stationary bike, the BikeErg, which is often found in crossfit gyms along with their rowers. Concept2 equipment is built in Morrisville, Vermont, USA.

Precor

Precor manufactures a variety of commercial cardio trainers in the USA. This includes their Adaptive Motion Trainer which creatively adjusts to work more like a stairmaster or an elliptical. They also produce premium ellipticals, rowers, treadmills, stationary bikes, and climber machines. I have personally used their treadmills, ellipticals, and AMT machines in commercial gyms and highly recommend them from experience. Precor recently built a new state of the art manufacturing facility in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA.

Life Fitness

All of the Life Fitness strength and fitness machines that I’ve used have felt excellent. Like other top brands, Life Fitness has an enormous catalog of products but some of those products are not made in the USA. I knew they had manufacturing in the USA, so I called one of their representatives about which products are American made. They told me that their top of the line commercial equipment is made in the USA yet their rowing machines and most cycles are not.

Life Fitness is headquartered in Rosemont, Illinois and has manufacturing facilities in Franklin Park, Illinois; Ramsey, Minnesota; Falmouth, Kentucky; and Delavan, Wisconsin

FREEMOTION

Freemotion produces many innovative cardio and strength equipment designs including one of the best incline trainers and the first inclining and declining indoor cycle, their Tour de France bike. Like the other brands on my list, I’ve enjoyed every piece of Freemotion equipment that I’ve used. Freemotion is owned by ICON Health and Fitness. Their manufacturing takes place in a factory nestled between the mountains of Logan, Utah, USA where I earned my Masters degree… and worked out using Freemotion equipment. 

Cybex

Another great manufacturer whose equipment I enjoy. One of their better known machines is the Arc Trainer, a total body workout machine which according to them burns more calories than any other tested crosstrainer. In addition to burning more calories than ellipticals it also builds strength and muscle mass unlike most aerobic machines. Cybex manufactures over 150 fitness equipment models in two factories located in Franklin Park, Illinois, and Owatonna, Minnesota. Note, Cybex International now belongs to the Life Fitness brand family.

Best Gym Flooring

The same 5/16″ rubber flooring found in commercial gyms, this allows you to easily build the ultimate home gym floor in short order. Made of recycled tire rubber, this makes the perfect home gym flooring

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