YMCAs – Helix Lateral Trainer

Buns Of Steel – The Members Love It

Michael Gonzales 
McCook YMCA, McCook, NE

The members love it – it makes them sore but they love it. People like it because it’s a challenge for them, and it definitely hits a muscle group that they can’t work on with other equipment.

It’s definitely a positive in maintaining our membership – takes a while for them to get familiar with it but once they get going they really like it. We have quite a few guys who use it but most of the users are women. I tell them they’ll have trouble going through airports because they’ll have Buns of Steel. Once they hear that they jump on because I think that’s an important area they’re trying to target.

One Of Our Top Machines

Austin Scisciani 
Licking County YMCA, Newark, OH

We’ve had the Helix for about six months and I’d say it’s one of our top machines in terms of popularity with the members. People are wary at first because they’ve never seen anything like it, but once they’ve tried it they really enjoy it because it does something so different – even though it tires them out a lot quicker.

The Helix is popular with all types of members – every age group and every level of athleticism – so it’s not just the younger athletes who are using it. And it’s a machine that people aren’t used to seeing in other gyms, so it has that exotic appeal that helps attract potential new members.

Everyone Who Uses It Loves It

Wendy Holland 
Mattoon YMCA, Mattoon, IL

We’ve only had the Helix for about three months but we love it – everyone who uses it loves it. People like the left-and-right motion rather than front & back, so working on those different muscles is a factor in attracting users. Members have commented that it doesn’t bother their knees and I know they like being able to adjust it to the fitness level that they want, so I think there’s going to be a lot of reasons that people like it.

It’s Different, It’s Unique

Brett Mayer 
Reading YMCA, Sinking Spring, PA

People are using it because it’s different, it’s unique. It gives people a different motion than other equipment, especially other cardio equipment. Our experience has been that it’s getting used the most by younger females in their 20s and 30s who are more athletic.

Hits Muscles Other Machines Don’t

Cyndee Goodinson 
YMCA of Attleboro, Attleboro, MA

Our overall experience has been very positive. It’s a hard workout, the members like it. It’s challenging because it’s a different workout due to the movement of the machine, so they like the experience because they’re hitting muscles that they don’t normally work on with cardio machines. It gets them to a cardio-vascular level that the other machines really don’t hit. It’s definitely a compliment to what we offer – we have two.

Awesome Overall Experience



Betty Linko 
Indian Valley YMCA, Harleysville, PA

Our overall experience with the Helix has been awesome, the members love it! A lot of members used to use the elliptical but they like the different motion and the work it does on the lower body.

As far as what the gym is offering, the Helix helps give us variety by being one more piece that helps members from getting bored with their workouts. We show prospective members the Helix and it helps show the range of things we offer, so it’s a plus in attracting new members. Once they join people love it and I think the Helix definitely helps in satisfying & retaining members.

Both Cardio Workout & Resistance Trainer

Amanda McFerren 
Lancaster YMCA, Lancaster, PA

We’ve had the Helix for about 3 years and our overall experience has been very good. From the maintenance side, it doesn’t break and from the functional side it really accesses the muscles that you can’t get to on any of the other cardio machines.

I’d say it’s used mostly by women that are already in athletic shape. I think that the members using the Helix regularly already have a good understanding of their bodies and realize that this is a motion that you can’t get on any other machine because of the planes you are moving in. When I train people on it I actually tell them you can do two different things: you can go fast and get a nice cardio workout or you can use it as more of a resistance trainer where you’re able to train and tone the muscles it targets.

The Helix has proven to be a good selling point with potential members – I’ve worked in several facilities and I tell people that we are the only one I’ve seen with a Helix, and that really does kind of draw them into the advantages of our club.

Great for Sports Training

Suzanne Porticello
Darien YMCA, Darien, CT

Our overall experience with the Helix has been great. A wide variety of our members are using it and everyone’s been pleased. We train a lot of athletes, and we’ve been using it in sports-specific training – field hockey, lacrosse, ice hockey, football. These sports require a lot of lateral movement and typical cardio equipment just doesn’t help, so the Helix is certainly unique.

I’d say it’s helpful in attracting & retaining members – a lot of people walk in and have never seen it before, so that in-and-of itself is a positive since we have a lot of competition in the area and the Helix is definitely a unique piece for us to have.