The Proform 505 CST Treadmill: The Best Way To Work Up A Sweat

Even with an excellent machine like the Proform 505 CST treadmill, squeezing in a busy day can be difficult. Trying to juggle kids, jobs, and all that life throws at you leaves little time for an hour on the treadmill. It is exhausting to even think about it. Modern treadmills, however, come with incredible features that make your workout more productive and enjoyable.

Treadmills used to be bulky machines, but that is no longer the case. In 1952, Dr. Robert Bruce used the first ever medical treadmill to evaluate patients cardiac functions using the Bruce protocol which is still in use today. That is where he earned himself the title “The Father of Exercise.” By the early 1990s, some of the modern treadmills began to emerge, but they took a long time to assemble and they were huge. Current treadmills, on the other hand, are slimmer and loaded with helpful features to make exercising fun and entertaining. They can include USB ports, connectivity via blue tooth as well as WiFi, LED lights, and displays that show your vital information such as distance, your speed, and even your heart rate.

Why Are Entry Level Treadmills Popular

Simply put, because more people want to stay healthy without depleting their bank account. The Proform 505 is the perfect example of an excellent home treadmill. It has all the features to make exercise fun, effective, and consistent.

Convenient

Space can be a bit of an issue in most homes, but the Proform 505 CST treadmill is built to address both space and aesthetic concerns. The design has plenty of running room. However, once you finish with your workout, the folding design enables you to stow your treadmill away with ease.

Integrated tablet holder

The Proform 505 CST treadmill comes fitted with excellent technology. To begin with, the design includes a tablet holder for your device. This gives you access to your favorite apps, podcasts, music, and training tools that keep you entertained as you workout. It also has two inbuilt audio auxiliary speakers that offer you the option of a louder and better sound system without wearing earphones.

Size doesn’t matter

This treadmill accommodates up to 325 pounds, appealing to a wide range of users. It also can absorb impact during your walk or run — helping your knees, ankles, and hips to endure longer exercise periods and better recovery times.

Adequate space

When fully assembled it stands at 61 inches high by 36.5 inches in width and a depth of 73.5 inches. This allows you plenty of space to run or walk comfortably even for those with a longer stride. With these dimensions, you can use it in a small apartment, your bedroom, or your garage.

What to Look for in a Treadmill

For most people, the priority when shopping for a treadmill is the brand. However, there are additional features to look out for that impact your exercise and keep you safe.

Size and build

The size and build are important for obvious reasons. You want something that fits in your home, suits your aesthetic, and stores quickly and efficiently. Taking measurements of the space you have available is a crucial step in buying a treadmill.

Shock absorption

One of the major benefits of a good treadmill is its ability to absorb shock going easy on your joints. Always check to see what shock absorbing qualities a treadmill might have. Depending on the brand look for treadmill shock absorbing technologies like ProShox Adjustable Cushioning system or the Im-Pression Shock Absorption Cushioning System.

Maintenance

Maintenance is usually an afterthought for most buyers when it should be a priority. Check the balance and size of the non-flex roller on the machine. Medium sized rollers are great as they decrease tension which helps reduce wear and tear. They also have less noise, better grip and are easier to maintain.

Difficulty level

You want a treadmill that has options to challenge and push you to higher levels of fitness. For this reason, you want adjustable difficulty levels that suit your needs. Treadmills that auto-adjust for incline during your workout offer the best range of exercise and a more authentic walking experience.

Display panels and features

Find out what information the display panel can show you. Speed, difficulty level, heart rate, time, resistance level, and distance are a few useful pieces of information that a treadmill should display. Additional features such a tablet holder, USB, Bluetooth, and WiFi are also beneficial as they allow you to enjoy downtime while working out.

How We Reviewed

We looked at the build and shock absorbing ability of the Proform 505 CST Treadmill. We also looked at the difficulty levels and what information the display panel can convey to you. Finally, we looked for useful features, useful technology, customer reviews, and overall performance.

The Proform 505 CST Treadmill Review

This is a well-crafted treadmill machine that is likely to suit almost every busy person’s exercise needs. It has a sturdy construction that works great for people who weigh up to 325 pounds. The design is sleek and modern while the features are on point for a great workout. The belt is 55 inches long by 20 inches wide.

The handlebars are deliberately short allowing you space for free elbow movement while offering a firm grip when you need to get on or off the treadmill. They also have EKG heart rate monitors, which read your heart rate within seconds every time you grab them.

The motor of this treadmill is 2.5 CPH so when it is running at peak revolution, it delivers speeds of 10 miles per hour on your tread. While you may not need such speeds, it is good to know that this machine is capable. The motor is silent, and even at the highest difficulty levels such as the 10 percent incline or higher speeds, it does not overheat. The motor alone comes with a 25-year motor warranty.

The Proform 505 CST treadmill comes with 18 onboard training programs that challenge you with each use. To keep things fresh, this treadmill is compatible with an iFit coach. It’s a collection of expansive and ever-growing Global Trek workouts with classes that feature a live cast. They will help you have fresh ideas to incorporate in your daily routine. With this work out equipment and its programming, boredom and monotony come to an end.

Getting the most out of the Proform 505 CST Treadmill

When you are all warmed up and need a bit of burn in those legs all you have to do is press a button for the tread to gradually adjust to an incline of 10 degrees. Imagine being able to add power to your legs with your cardio going at full tilt by running up a gentle incline for as long as you can last, all in the comfort of your home.

Working out on this treadmill is gentler on your joints because it has ProBox cushioning all through the deck area. However, you must make sure you have on the right workout shoes, and a physician has given you the green light. This treadmill’s LCD provides vital information that is pertinent to your fitness such as heart rate, calorie burn, mileage, speed and time. Pay attention to this information to enhance your workouts.

Features

• Roomy deck area
• EKG heart rate monitor
• Maintainance free tread belt
• Powerful, reliable motor
• ProBox Cushioning
• Two Auxillary Audio speakers
• 10-degree incline for difficulty
• 18 Inbuilt workout programs
• iFit Global travel fitness library

Exercising consistently can be a challenge as morale can fluctuate from time to time. Entertainment features such as the tablet holder that allow you access to music, USB port compatible with most devices, and auxiliary speakers can have you listening to whatever gets you going.

The foldable, locking design assures easy storage as an added advantage. Consumers on Amazon have rated this product 3.5 out of 5 stars. You can buy it for $700 to $1,000.

How Do Other Brands Compare?

With quite a number of brands offering a home treadmill, the Proform 505 CST faces a lot of competition. Here are other highly regarded treadmill brands in the market and their entry-level products.

Weslo Cadence G 5.9

This treadmill is a space saver. However, the size does not detract from providing a roomy deck as well as ample space for upper body movement during a workout. The dimensions are 68 inches long by 31 inches wide by 10 inches deep.

It has two difficulty levels to provide a higher challenge, and it also comes with six built-in workout programs. Thumb sensors keep track of your heart rate. Other vital information relayed by the LCD control panel includes time, speed, distance, and the number of calories burnt. A run is comfortable on your joints thanks to a comfort cell cushioning.

Features

• Space saving design
• Two difficulty levels
• Multiple built-in workout programs
• Cell cushioning
• LCD panel

Although this machine is far much cheaper the features on the Proform 505 CST Treadmill are far superior from technology like the iFit Coach to features such 18 built-in programs. It is a great entry-level option but it has limitations to your work out. Consumers give the Weslo Cadence G 5.9 3.6 out of 5 stars on Amazon. You can buy it for between $200 and $300.

Confidence Power Trac Pro Motorized Treadmill

This treadmill has an exceptionally thin build improving ease of assembly, disassembling and storage. The slim design should not fool you into thinking it’s delicate. It can accommodate a maximum weight of 265 pounds on the sturdy frame.

It comes with an LCD to help you monitor speed, time, distance as well as heart rate. The motor that powers the tread runs at 1 CPH and can achieve a maximum speed of 10 kilometers (roughly 6 miles) per hour. That is sufficient speed to meet a moderate to high cardio workout. With dimensions of 49 inches long by 24 inches wide by 47 inches high when fully assembled, it is comfortable for most users. However, if you have a long stride, this is not a great option for you.

Features

• LCD
• Up to 265 pounds
• Three incline levels
• Emergency stop clip
• Adjustable manual incline of two, three and five degrees

Compared to the Proform 505 CST treadmill, which can accommodate up to 325 pounds and has a longer tread of 55 inches, the performance is limiting. You also have the option of a 10-degree difficulty angle with the Proform 505 CST making it more suitable for most body types and weights. Consumers rate the Power Trac treadmill 4.2 out of 5 stars on Amazon. You can buy it for between $220 and $250.

 Merit Fitness 715T Plus

This treadmill features a sturdy, durable metal frame. It is foldable — which is always a plus — and stores away nicely. The treadmill runs on 1.5 CHP motor that can achieve speeds of 10 miles per hour. The dimension stands at 56 inches high by 31 inches wide by 64 inches long, allowing a relatively roomy deck.

It has four built-in workout programs and three incline positions ranging from 0 to 5 percent. It also has an Aerosoft cushioning system. The display panel helps you monitor speed, distance, time, and resistance levels.

Features

• Aerosoft cushioning
• Three incline levels
• Display panel
• Space saver design

With a maximum capacity of only 250 pounds and 1.5 CHP, it can look underwhelming compared to 325 pounds and 2.5 CHP of the Proform 505 CST Treadmill. However, it only means it works exceptionally for small-bodied people while the Proform 505 CST is appropriate for taller and heavier body types. The difficulty levels are decent, but they can quickly get boring. Consumers rate this item 3.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon. The price range is from $470 to $550.

Going Home to the Proform 505 CST Treadmill

The Proform 505 CST Treadmill will deliver on heavy usage and extensive features keeping any fitness enthusiast on their toes for years to come. You can actually turn it into the place where you take long de-stressing walks. Access to the iFit coach gives you plenty of varied exercise programs from Global Trek to keep you moving. The space saving and foldable design ensure you store it easily once done with your workouts. With this in your house, working out will be a far more manageable ritual.