MaxiClimber XL Review

Our Rating

Rating: 80/100. The MaxiClimber XLs are unique pieces of fitness equipment with some serious benefits, but a few drawbacks as well. First, it will provide a fantastic workout. This machine has you using both the upper as well as the lower body and will also bring your core into engagement.

Because of the way your body is positioned while using this machine, you’ll find that your core contracts every single second of the workout. It may, in fact, be the piece of cardio equipment to most challenge those muscles. If flat abs and avoiding lower back pain are your goals, this is the machine for you. Again, this no light-weight workout. I’m exhausted pretty quickly by the machine, which of course is the goal.

It’s also great that this machine is low impact. Just like the elliptical or the stepper, there will be no additional stress placed on the knee joints. This said, do note that you are climbing up at a steep incline, so if you are prone to knee related issues, this may aggravate your condition.

As you do the climbing, you’ll also be pulling up with the upper body. You can adjust what muscles are worked simply by adjusting how you place your hands on the handlebars.

Another benefit about the MaxiClimber XLs are that they’re extra light. You can easily fold it up and carry it out of the room with you if needed. This is because there’s no motor in this machine. It’s entirely user powered and works off a bodyweight and hydraulics system. This keeps it small and means that it should require less maintenance.

This machine also comes 90% fully assembled, so don’t let the set-up scare you. It’s easy to get going with it nearly immediately out of the box. The unit does bring a maximum user height of 6’6″ and takes up 14.17″ x 25.78″ when folded. The only real difference between the MaxiClimber XL 1000 and 2000 is former uses your bodyweight as resistance, while the more advanced model offers 12 levels of hydraulic resistance. Both machines sport up to 300 pounds of user weight. Depending on your conditioning and bodyweight, the MaxiClimber XL 1000 may be more than enough. Both machines come with the free MaxiClimber Fitness App which offers workout videos and guidelines. You’ll have to download it onto a device though, whether a phone or tablet, and place it somewhere nearby. One drawback to this machine is you can’t affix the screen to the unit very easily. I just roll it in front of a television. Or you could just listen to music and build your workouts around time increments.

This may be a potential issue for some: lack of programming. You really don’t have programs to follow. If you’re someone who likes a bit of extra guidance with your workout sessions, you’ll be unfortunately out of luck here. The display console is rather simple in that all you get there is a timer that tracks how long you’ve been going for, as well as a step counter and a calorie estimator. And remember that the calorie estimator is just that: a calorie estimator. Don’t take it as the exact number of calories you are burning as it can be quite off depending on a number of other additional factors. But what I like to do is simply workout on the MaxiClimber for a set number of minutes and try to advance incrementally. You can build your own High Intensity Interval Training circuits here, like 60 seconds on, 30 seconds rest, and so forth.

The MaxiClimbers are easy to set up and use anywhere. Photo by MaxiClimber

Pros:

• Is not powered by a motor so there is less risk of breakdown.
• Uses no electricity so can be placed anywhere in your home as need.
• Is ideal for building both upper as well as lower body strength, unlike some cardio machines that only focus on lower body strength.
• Is going to burn an average of 500 calories per hour – much faster than many other forms of cardio.
• Is easy on the joints – you can exercise pain-free with this machine since there is no impact.
• Builds strength, endurance, and stamina all at the same time.
• Does include a timer and a calorie and step counter. While there are no other tracking metrics, you can count steps and try and beat your step count for a designated time frame next workout.
• Is cost effective at under $500. This makes it far cheaper than just about any other motor-powered fitness equipment out there.

Cons:

• Does not provide much by way of programming. If you’re someone who needs some guidance with your exercise routine, this could be quite frustrating.
• Does not offer different resistance levels. This works off your own bodyweight and hydraulics, so while if your body weight changes, that may alter the resistance, this isn’t always for the better. Generally speaking, the more fit you become and the more weight you lose, the stronger the resistance should be. This machine works in the opposite direction. This could be overcome, however, by wearing a weighted vest if desired.
• Offers only a one-year warranty. While it’s nice that it has a warranty, if something breaks down on this piece of equipment after that, it’s highly likely that you’ll just need to purchase a new one. Although at the price point it’s at, this may not be that big of an issue to many people.