Pro Fitter 3D Cross Trainer
- Since 1985, athletes and medical experts world wide have depended on Pro Fitter for maximizing sports performance
- Comes with Soft Ankle Board, which attaches to Pro Fitter to cover foot pads, for standing or sitting
- Includes 4 color exercise chart covering beginner to advanced exercises
- Comes with 29 minute instructional video
- Two-year limited warranty
Product Description
The Pro Fitter offers a dynamic approach to balance fitness and rehabilitation through “closed chain” exercise programs for the ankle, knee, hip, back and shoulder. Independent flexing/rotating foot pads are designed for dynamic ankle strengthening and muscle balancing. The rocking base enhances balance training and proprioceptive development. Includes rocking base with flexing/rotating foot pads and six adjustable tension settings, attachable padded platform, 29 minute video outlining applications, and laminated exercise chart with over 20 functional exercises. Maximum client weight capacity: 350 lb. (154kg). Shipped fully assembled.
Tagged with: Cross • Fitter • Trainer
Filed under: Balance Trainers
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This is a great piece of exercise equipment that the whole family uses, even the kids (12 & 13 years old). It’s easy on the joints, yet gives a good cardio workout and depending on your stance, you can work on toning different muscle groups. It takes up very little space and is pretty light and easy to move. We keep it put away in the closet, then bring it out to use while watching TV.
Rating: 5 / 6
I am research scientist, massage therapist, and a dancer who has had multiple ACL knee surgeries (squash injury, poor first & second surgeons). I was looking for a piece of equipment to maintain strength and fitness and enforce good proprioception. During physiotherapy, I had used a slide board and came upon the ProFitter Cross Trainer.
Despite its higher cost, I chose the Profitter (physio pack) over a slide board since one can work more muscle groups. Unlike a slide board, one can sit on the Profitter and focus on abdominals or use system as resistance training for arms, shoulders, and isolated leg muscles (hamstrings, quads). The other added bonus is because of its design, one can go from side to side as if one is skating or from back to front as if surfing or snowboarding.
The Profitter provides good low impact, cardio work, which due to the adjustable tension given by four cords, can be customised for one’s balance and strength abilities. In addition, using the machine for isolated muscle exercises like leg extensions, kick backs, ad/abductor swings, the Profitter will tell you whether you have a more dominant (or, from another prospective, more gimpy) side. And the exercises, once you get into the swing of things, are fun. I have to fight my husband (also a professional dancer) for time on it.
As the other dancer’s review mentions, posture and balance are key. We have the Profitter set in front of a large mirror so we can focus on form and check that the body weight’s center is over the working, pushing leg. It is good to start off doing small movements keeping on the center third of the Profitter first to get used to the movement. When making bigger side to side movements, relaxing the knees helps.
From a rehab perspective, when I first worked on the Profitter, I realised that my operated, right knee did not flex as easily as the other. Indeed, because of the extended straighten state of the right knee, my balance shifted incorrectly so my center no longer over the working, left foot. Balance was lost, and it was a good thing that I had the balancing poles that came with the physio pack. So one needs to make a concerted effort in having dodgy joints behave as closely to normal ones – but that is the point of rehab.
If the resistance is set low, one requires more balance and a faster shift of weight from left to right. Low resistance for the skiing movements is actually harder and requires more skill if going fully from side to side.
Lastly – remember to be in the middle of the board when getting on and off. If you try to get off while the sliding board is to one side or the other, it will spring back to the middle.
Overall, I recommend the Profitter for fun exercise as well as rehab, especially for lower joints. To get the most out of it, focus on keeping your weight’s center somewhere over the base created by your feet and on controlled, relaxed knee and hip movements. With all these in place, you will enjoy the Profitter.
Rating: 5 / 6
I purchased this to help me recover my strength from a hip injury, but I ski as well. It has been worth the investment on both counts.
While the motion on the board is pretty fixed, you can work a lot of different muscle groups by adjusting the tension and/or your posture. This particularly helped me work out my hip area, and I think it greatly aided my recovery. It is also fun to use!
Then I hit the slopes. Using the Fitter seems to have corrected a few bad habits I had gotten into on turns. While I am not ready for the giant slalom, I did notice an immediate difference in skiing faster and stronger than before.
Rating: 5 / 6
I am a dancer so balance and agility are not my weaknesses. I haven’t fallen in 15 years and that was on an icy inclined surface. My physical therapist has me used the Pro Fitter for therapy on my knee. I almost lost my balance going to the right one day. Two days later, I actually fell off going the right and hit the floor hard. As I fell, the foot holder moved to the left, but my right foot did not immediately release from it. Almost the entire right side of my body was affected. Lower leg, knee, hip, elbow and hand all slammed against either the floor or the equipment itself. Along with significant swelling and bruising at all of the previously mentioned body parts, there were a few cuts on the side of my knee which landed on the Pro Fitter. After the physical thereapist performed all of the stress tests to assess injuries, the right side of my body had to be iced down at the same time as my left knee (the one I was actually ther for).
As I look at photos of the Pro Fitter being advertised, I see that models are bent at the waist, lowering their center of gravity. I was not bent at the waist nearly that much. No one at physical therapy has every corrected my posture on the Pro Fitter. So posture may have certainly been a factor. However, in the interest of safety, there was nothing for me to hold on to when I lost my balance to prevent the fall. And as the movement is lateral and center of gravity is moving from side to side, stepping off to the front or back wasn’t an option. I was not a big fan of this piece of equipment before the fall, so I’m even less of a fan now.
Rating: 2 / 6