| Brand: | Yowza Fitness |
| Expert Rating: |  |
CardioCore Technology for a Superior Workout
Due to the popularity of the CardioCore and Variable Motion features found on the Captiva, Yowza Fitness decided to produce a higher end model, called the Yowza Islamorada. I believe all the names are based on beaches in Florida, where the company headquarters are located.
The Islamorado has much of the same technology and design as the Captiva. In fact, our team is one of the few reviewers of elliptical trainers that has actually been on the Yowza products. They are only available online so you can’t go to a retail outlet and test the equipment. Most reviews are just rewrites of the content on the Yowza website.
Yowza Fitness is OUT OF BUSINESS.
We are still waiting to hear more information about this company but it seems they are no longer producing machines.
NOTE: The CardioCore machines are certainly unique, but this company has done less than impress us the past few months. Check out a machine from another recommended company like Sole Fitness insteadThe Yowza Islamorada elliptical trainer assist you in reaching your fitness goals by offering two of the most innovative features that you will find.
CardioCore Motion – Yowza introduced, what I consider, one of most innovative features to come out on an elliptical trainer in a number of years, the CardioCore Motion. Rather than having the standard upper body workout that moves back and forth, the CardioCore Motion gives a left to right twisting motion. There are two advantages over the typical elliptical upper body workout.
The CardioCore targets all of your muscles in the abdominal region and your arms, which most of us want to target. When I first got on the Captiva I noticed instantly the workout in my abs. Your standard elliptical only targets your arm. The CardioCore Motion is similar to twisting my body left and right with weights.
The CardioCore Motion tends to better distribute the resistance. So often with your typical elliptical trainer, people often go through the motions with the upper body workout. They rely on their legs to do most of the work. Consequently, they are getting not getting the full benefits to their upper body.
Variable Motion Elliptical – Many elliptical trainers have an incline feature that allows you to incline the elliptical motion. It has the benefit of offering a more intense workout and targeting more muscles. But as you raise the incline it can cause more stress to your joints and potential knee shear. The Islamorada offer a more inventive approach that is more beneficial.
You have a 19”-30” adjustable stride that varies the motion as you increase the stride, thus the name “Variable Motion”. The motion goes from a traditional elliptical stride to more of a stair stepper path. This variable motion targets more lower body muscles in comparison to a typical elliptical and it reduces stress and strain to your joints.
In addition, it works on the muscle confusion theory. It is common knowledge that repetitive exercising will have limited benefits over time. And with a typical elliptical trainer with a fix stride length, the workout can be very repetitive. The variable motion on the Islamorada gives you a more extensive range of motions and resistances, which helps to prevent your body from getting acclimated to any one particular motion.
IWM Weight Management – You get a Wi-Fi scale and weight management software that allows you to monitor your progress and keep you on track to your fitness goals. By defining your weight goal the IWM will define workouts to achieve that goal. User simply stand on the weight scale prior to exercising, the real time weight will be transferred to the console through Wi-Fi and offer user a unique workout program to burn the right amount of calories per workout.
Pivoting Foot Pedals – Unlike foot pedals that have a fixed angle with the elliptical stride, the pivoting foot pedals found on the Islamorada pedals angle based on the pressure applied. This not reduces stress to your feel, but also limits heal lift.
Soft Gel Pedal – Further reduces the stress and impact to your joints.
Speakers and MP3 Input – The Islamorada is equipped with speakers that produce above average sound in comparison to most elliptical machines. It has a USB port to accommodate both Apple and Android devices.
12 Pre-Set Programs and 9 Custom Programs – You have a decent selection of installed challenges and the ability to create and store 9 custom programs. You also get nine user memory profiles which store the weight, height and sex for each user.
Heart Rate Control – The Yowza Islamorada comes with wireless heart rate control, allowing you to determine your exertion based on your heart rate. This is a method of exercise utilized by many professional athletes.
Eddy Braking System — The commercial grade electro magnetic brake system results in a very smooth elliptical motion and is super quiet. In fact, the system is so durable it is being used in light commercial applications which speaks to the abuse it can withstand.
Warranty – The lifetime frame and braking system and the 2-year labor coverage are fairly standard, but the 5-year parts warranty is above average. Which is a reflection on the durability of the machine.
Low Maintenance – Being a rear drive machine, it is roller less and has less moving parts, consequently requiring less maintenance and service.
The Yowza Islamorada is their most popular model for a number of reasons including…
The feedback I get is that both the Cardio Core Training and the Variable Motion are a big hits with customers. Both these features have taken the crosstrainer concept to the next level. You need to take a “leap of faith” in spending this kind of money on a machine that you never physically tested.
