Ascent Trainers are unique pieces of exercise equipment which can help you achieve your fitness goals. Learn more about how the Ascent Trainer works and what the best Ascent Trainers are on the market in this article.

Ascent Trainers

Having sold exercise equipment for years, I have had the chance to try out various brands and models of ellipticals. From the standard elliptical such as the Horizon 7.0 to top of the line models like the Matrix A50, I have had my fair of experience with ellipticals, steppers, and stair climbers.

What Are Ascent Trainers?

Matrix Fitness came out with their line of Ascent Trainer's with the goal of offering fitness enthusiasts a way to get the benefits of an elliptical, a stepper, and a stair climber all in one machine.

With the suspension elliptical design, Ascent Trainers offer a remarkably smooth and quiet operation, allowing you to get your workout done without being distracted by noisy or rough movements that are common with track-based ellipticals.

Additionally, Ascent Trainers have a leg up on other ellipticals due to the adjustable stride length and angle of the pedal movement. With the Matrix Ascent trainer, you can change the stride length from 20" to 24", which helps accommodate users of different heights and leg length.

Along with versatility, the adjustable stride not only changes in length, but also in incline. As you increase the stride length of the Ascent Trainer, the angle that the pedals move through will increase to where it feels more like a stepper or stair climber than simply a flat elliptical.

This adjustment allows you to focus on targeting different muscle groups, to prevent chronic overuse injuries, and to help increase how many calories you burn in your workout. These Ascent Trainers incline from a range of 24% to 54%, giving you a wide range of options when it comes to performing your workouts.

What Are The Different Ascent Trainer Models Available?

Matrix Fitness offers multiple variants of the Ascent Trainer, with slightly different features and options which allows for people of different needs and budgets to find the Ascent Trainer that is best for their situation.

Matrix Fitness equipment allows you to choose both the base model and the console (screen) that you prefer, so you can mix and match to create the machine that is most optimal for your uses.

Matrix Ascent Trainer Bases:

• Matrix A30
• Matrix A50

Matrix A50 vs Matrix A30

Both Ascent Trainers, including the A50 and the A30 will come with the same basic features, including the suspension elliptical design, the adjustable stride length, and adjustable resistance.

While the main features of the Matrix Ascent Trainers are the same, there are some differences:

• The Matrix A50 Ascent Trainer utilizes an induction brake, which allows for instantaneous, quiet, and smooth resistance changes. The Matrix A30 uses an eddy current brake, which takes a few seconds to adjust the resistance. Either way you go, the resistance is smooth, but the A50 will adjust much more rapidly than the A30.
• The Matrix A50 comes with multi-grip handles, allowing you to find the right grip for whatever position you are trying to target in your workout. The different grips also help accommodate users of different heights and arm lengths. The A50 handles also have a durable rubber coating. The A30 utilizes a single, straight handle bar, and is covered in soft, durable foam.
• The Matrix A50 comes with rubber inserts in the pedals, which help improve grip and give you added shock absorption. The A30 uses the same pedal, but without the rubber insert.
• The Matrix A50 comes with a 7 year parts warranty and 2 years of labor coverage, while the A30 comes with a 5 year parts, 2 year labor warranty.

Regardless of the differences, most users find the the Matrix A30 XR gives them all of the features they need, but at the lowest price of all Ascent Trainers.

Ascent Trainer Console Options

In addition to the different options for base models, the Ascent Trainers also allow you to choose which console screen is best for your needs.

Matrix Ascent Trainer Consoles:

• Matrix XUR Console: The XUR console is a 22" class HD touchscreen, which comes with both Bluetooth, WiFi, and 13 different workout programs. With this screen you can connect to Netflix, Spotify, YouTube, and more. This is the top of the line console option available on Ascent Trainers.
• Matrix XIR Console: Similar to the XUR, the XIR console comes with the same features, but the screen is a 16" class HD screen, making it slightly smaller and less expensive than the XUR.
• Matrix XER Console: The XER console is a 10 inch class HD screen which comes with 12 workouts instead of 13, but still allows for app use and wireless connectivity. This is the most affordable touch screen option for Matrix Ascent Trainers.
• Matrix XR Console: The XR console is the entry-level option for Matrix Fitness equipment. The XR console uses a blue LED screen, comes with Bluetooth, and has 5 different workout programs included.

When I was selling Ascent Trainers, I would typically either sell the XR console or the XIR console, but this was before the XUR console came out. Depending on your budget, I would likely go the same route, either buying the best console or the most affordable one.

My reasoning here is that if you want to use the touch screen, it is best to get the largest, brightest, and most capable screen available. The smaller screen of the XER console makes it useful but limited for watching videos, and in my experience it was not as bright as the upgraded consoles. The XR console works well for people who do not need extra features or many different workout modes, and can help you save a lot of money on your Ascent Trainer.

With this in mind I would likely look at either the XUR, XIR, or XR consoles as my main choice. The XER works just fine, but I think the other options are better either in price or in feature set.

Ascent Trainer Features

To recap, here are some of the main features of the Matrix Ascent Trainers.