It’s obvious, commercial treadmills should have different features than standard residential treadmills because the needs are different. Most of these features are designed to make your life easier with less maintenance required and features that make these trainers super versatile.
What is the Difference?
These are high performance, heavy duty treadmills. They are used in health clubs, recreation centres, pro sports training rooms, and apartment/condo club houses, as well as hospitals and schools. They are the most expensive type of treadmill and are required to hold up against very high usage: many gyms are open 24/7 and the machines are constantly in use with a mix of light and heavy users.
What to Look for in Commercial Treadmills?
Home owners are getting in on the rush to buy a health club treadmill, which may or may not have a sibling model in the maker’s residential line. Whichever type you’re looking for, commercial, light commercial, or residential — we’ve put together a brief buyer’s guide to give you an idea of the desirable features to look for in a treadmill:
Motor Horsepower
Motor
A treadmill is only as good as its motor; the larger and heavier the motor, the longer the treadmill will last.
Motorized treadmills have one motor that drives the belt and another (the lift motor) that raises and lowers the running bed to create an incline
The transfer of power should feel smooth. You should not hear the motor. Most commercial treadmills come equipped with a large CHP (Continuous Horsepower) motor that will be self-cooling and run at lower RPMs. A larger motor (i.e., 3.5 – 4 CHP) will also provide a smoother ride.
Many treadmill manufacturers advertise their motors’ power as “continuous horsepower” or CHP. This provides a better idea than does a simple horsepower rating, because it indicates the machine’s capability under conditions of regular use instead of its peak capability.
Horsepower
Horsepower is the measurement of power of a treadmill motor; manufacturers use two measurements for horsepower : continuous and peak
Continuous horsepower is how powerful a treadmill can continually operate without dropping off
Peak horsepower is the maximum horsepower a treadmill can generate for a short period of time
Since peak horsepower is usually significantly higher than a motor’s continuous capability, continuous horsepower better helps you determine which treadmill will accommodate your intended exercise use
Generally speaking, the larger the motor the more powerful it can operate at a continuous rate
Powermax Fitness recommend following continuous motor rating: Home treadmills have a Continuous horsepower between 1.5 – 2.5 HP (1100 – 1900 W), the light commercial running machines have 2.8 -3.0 HP (2100 – 2200 W) and the fully commercial treadmills are between 3.0 (2200 W) and 3.8 HP (2800 W)
Noise
All treadmill make noise, but a reasonably quiet machine generally means less friction and wear on the treadmill. However, that does not mean that it is perfect either.
Rollers
These aren’t something most people think about but they are important for extending the life of the belt; that is, the larger the rollers, the less friction and tension, and the longer the tread belt will last.
Generally speaking, rollers sized 60mm or larger are fine, but commercial treadmills usually come equipped with 80mm to 100mm rollers. Steel tapered rollers keep the belt centred to reduce maintenance and noise. The rollers need to have the proper bearings.
Shock absorption and Deck
Track cushioning helps to protect treadmill users’ joints from the impact of exercise. Compared with road running, cushioned treadmill running typically reduces impact by about 15%-40%. Cushioning is most important for runners, but it also reduces impact upon walkers’ bodies and thereby helps to improve their stamina. Furthermore, the more advanced running tracks have differential cushioning that supports the back foot and front foot differently; feet get more support as they push off the track, and they get more cushioning as they land.
Heavy duty commercial treadmills are very high tech in terms of advanced cushioning and deck thickness. 25- 30mm thickness board composed of high density fibreboard core with phenolic laminate bonded and waxcoated decks offer the longest life: In addition, a commercial treadmill will have shock absorbers located in 6 different spots for better shock absorption to reduce stress on your joints by giving areas of the deck optimal amounts of underfoot cushioning and rigidity for the most comfort throughout your stride. Make sure the running deck has a shock absorption system with a minimum of 6 pads.
Track Size
Treadmill tracks vary in size from about 20″ – 24″ (510-610mm) wide and 54″ to 64″ (1370 -1625mm) long. Track length may not be of great importance to petite walkers, but it’s important to users who are tall and/or who take relatively long strides when running. Most walkers will be satisfied with a 20″ x 54″(510x1370mm)track.
For commercial gym we recommend 22″ x 59″ (560-1500mm) deck so that tall people are covered. Track width might be important to larger runners and people who move their arms significantly when running. A standard comfortable track width for runners is 22″ (560mm)
Belt
Belts that are 2-ply or 4-ply are thicker and more durable than those that are one-ply. Using a four-ply belt on your treadmill is the best bet. Thicker belts also tend to be quieter. Belt of 2.5mm to 3 mm thickness and multi-ply is recommended.
We don’t recommend an orthopaedic belt since a good pair of running shoes provides all the cushioning you need. Also, orthos weigh more and put more strain on the rollers which shortens the life of the bearings. Using a four-ply belt on your treadmill is the best bet.
Frame
The frames on commercial quality treadmills are welded (rather than assembled with nuts and bolts) and composed of high alloy steel or aircraft aluminium. They’ll come with lifetime warranties against any cracking or breakage. The machine should also allow for a max user weight of 159 Kg. (350 lbs)or
Incline
One of the benefits of using inclination is that you will burn calories much quicker than when they train on a flat surface. Treadmill incline mimics walking or running up hills, making your workout more challenging, burning more calories and further increasing muscle tone.
There are two types of inclination
Manual
Manual incline means you change the incline yourself; this is usually offered in 4 different placements, such as 3% incline, 5% incline, 7% incline and 9% incline; treadmills with manual incline are less expensive than those with powered incline. Every time you use the treadmill you should manually adjust it to change the level.
Automatic
Use a motor that change the inclination for degree with a variation between 0-16% for home and light commercial use. The inclination on the fully commercial treadmill goes from 0 to 22%, depending of the machines you pick up.