Life Fitness E5 Cross-Trainer Review

Our Rating

Rating: 89.5/100. The E5 is top-of-the-line in the Life Fitness E Series of elliptical cross-trainers. All E Series ellipticals earn great reviews, but only the E5 has a power-adjustable stride of 18″ to 24″. This feature brings two big benefits. First, the stride length can be set to match almost any trainee’s natural walking gait. (This includes very short adults, very tall adults and everyone in between.) Second, the stride can be adjusted for targeted muscle toning. Special programming helps you make the most of this body-sculpting feature.

Like other Life Fitness ellipticals the E5 Cross-Trainer is sold with a choice of consoles named Go and Track+. The Go console is “no nonsense” and delivers 12 useful workout programs… but if you prefer some nonsense like we do, then the Track+ console is for you! It’s enhanced with wireless connectivity. You can dock an Android or iOS phone/tablet and use mobile apps for real-time fitness tracking, extra workout programming and entertainment. Additionally the Track+ console is iPod-compatible.

The Life Fitness E5 is an all-around winner for shoppers with bigger budgets. Is it the best elliptical for your home gym? Here are points to consider. Details follow these lists of pros and cons.

Here are points to consider.

Pros:

• Durable rear drive design  – Comfortable motion for upper and lower body
• 18″ to 24″ stride
• Reversible motion
• Movable handlebars with multiple grip positions
• Choice of consoles
• Wireless heart rate monitoring
• Contact heart rate monitoring
• Cushioned pedals
• Preset workout variety
• Activity Zone coaching
• 2 or 4 user profiles (Depending on console)
• Two cup holders
• Virtually silent
• Good warranty

Cons:

• High price (Track+ console costs extra)– No cooling fan

Introduction

The Life Fitness E5 Cross-Trainer lives up to high standards. It shows off three traits that explain Life Fitness’s good name: excellent ergonomics, impressive durability and programmable workouts.

Its rear drive design contributes to comfortable motion and reliable performance… and even better, it has an 18″-24″ adjustable stride. The adjustable stride makes the E5 ideal for shared use, plus it lets each user vary the elliptical footpath to target different muscle groups. Shoppers choose between two consoles. Both have preset workout programs and can save user-designed programs. One console is iPod compatible and can connect with mobile apps for fitness and entertainment. Read on for details…

Workout Programs

Two consoles are available with the E5. These are named Go and Track+.

The simpler console is named “Go” because it makes training easy. Just push a program button and start exercising! Choose from 12 preloaded workouts or a custom-made program. The Go console can hold two user profiles and lets each profile save two customized workouts.

The Track+ console supports four user profiles and is named for its tracking technology: It has wireless connectivity with Android and iOS, which lets you track your workout progress in real-time and automatically share the data with fitness apps and/or social media. The Track+ console is also compatible with iPod. As for preset workout programs, 14 are provided. Each user can save 12 custom-made programs.

An Activity Zone on each console provides two special workout modes: Leg Sculptor and Total Body Training. These can be combined with any other console program (e.g., Hill Climb).  Leg Sculptor mode leaves the arm bars stationary. Total Body Training mode prompts you to use the arm bars intermittently.