The Gold’s Gym Trainer 1190 – Decent Machine, But Expensive

At the right price, purchasing a Gold’s Gym Trainer 1190 makes sense. However, it terms of weighing a value-to-price comparison, it falls in the middle to lower end of a very competitive price range.

The Machine

The oversized green LED display features a 7x10 workout matrix to show your workout stats graphically. Readouts on the Gold’s Gym Trainer 1190 include speed, time, distance, pulse, and calories burned. The programming also includes 4 Create & Save™ Workouts; you pick the speed, incline, and time for a personalized workout.

The specs include:

• 2.5 HP G-Force 2™ Commercial Plus Motor
• 1 - 12 mph QuickSelect™ Speed
• 0 - 12% QuickSelect™ Incline
• In-handle QuickSelect™ Controls
• 20" x 60" Tread Belt
• AirStride™ Adjustable Cushioning
• 20 workouts
• Dual-Grip PowerPulse™ Heart Rate Monitor
• iFit® Workout Card Technology
• iPod® or mp3 music port
• Intermix Acoustics™ 2.0 sound system
• CoolAire™ Workout Fan
• 325-lb. User Capacity
• Warranty: Lifetime frame, 25 years motor, 1 year parts & labor

The Buzz

UPDATE:  The Club Trainer 1190 treadmill has been discontinued. You can take a look at all of the most popular models for sale here to compare specs and prices of current Gold's Gym treadmills.

The $1,299 Gold’s Gym Trainer 1190 treadmill is equipped with a 2.5 hp motor, AirStride™ isolator cushioning to reduce impact on joints during exercise, iFit™ Workout Card Technology (cards are sold separately) for audio coached and goal-specific workouts, an iPod® plug-in port, good speakers, and a big 325-pound user capacity.

There are very few treadmill reviews on this model since it isn’t a standout machine when compared to other treadmills at this price. For $1,299, you can find a better quality machine with a larger motor.

What We Say

Gold’s Gym is made by Icon Fitness, the giant fitness equipment conglomerate that also makes NordicTrack, Proform, Image, Reebok, and Weslo treadmills.

They share the same features and parts – which is why Gold’s Gym treadmills look much like the others. (In fact, many are the exact same machine but with different brand names.)

Icon sells to several box store retailers who want some kind of exclusive brand, so you’ll find Reebok at Costco, ProForm at Dick’s and Sports Authority, and most of the rest of the Icon brands at Wal-mart and Sears.

In other words, don’t think a NordicTrack or a Proform is a better treadmill than a Gold’s Gym model. They are the same: solid built little tanks that are affordably priced.

The Gold’s Gym Trainer 1190 is a decent machine, but the price is a turn-off. We recommend that you don’t pay full price for it; wait until it sells for under $1000 in order to get the value in line with treadmills from Epic, Reebok, Proform, and NordicTrack.

Otherwise, if you are planning to spend $1299, you will get better value if you go with one of the best buy models for 2010, including the Livestrong LS12.9T or the Sole F80.

Show me other Gold’s Gym Treadmills