Product Description

Are you tired of ineffective workouts? Looking for a faster way to get that killer body? Introducing the Agile Dynamic Motion Trainer (DMT): a revolutionary new exercise machine that produces dramatic cardiovascular and muscle toning results in the same workout. In only 30 minutes, three or four times a week, you won't believe the results. Say goodbye to two-hour workouts, lackluster results, joint stress, fat pants, circuit training, chub rub, expensive gym memberships, saddle bags and lame exercise tapes. Say hello to the Agile DMT. Go beyond Elliptical.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #201257 in Sports & Outdoors
• Brand: Smooth
• Model: SME-AGILE
• Dimensions: 65.00" h x 31.00" w x 73.00" l, 390.00 pounds

Features

• Three-Workouts-In-One: Burn calories, build muscle and strengthen your heart and lungs in the same session. You won't need two, three or four machines to get a full body workout
• With 12 motion levels and 20 intensity levels, your mind and muscles will never be bored again. The wide range of motions ensures that your body will remain challenged
• Patented Lite Touch Thumb Control: Simply and easily adjust the intensity and motion of your workout without taking your hands off the handlebars. You never have to interrupt your workout again
• Articulating, Shock-Absorbing, Foot Pedals: Smooth has concentrated its efforts on perfecting the elliptical trainer experience. The Agile DMT has patented ergonomic pivoting foot pedals that reduce joint stress
• Warranty: Lifetime warranty on the frame and braking system; 5-year warranty on all parts and one year of in-home service

Customer Reviews

Massive in size, expense and in results!
In my personal effort to keep our economy moving, I decided to make my otherwise unused living room (save for the 2 dog crates that is) into a home gym. I have an old stationary bike, so we moved that into the space from my bedroom. I set out then to buy a treadmill and elliptical. I researched what to buy for days. I've never owned an elliptical, but have used a friends and know they give good workouts. I was not intending to spend this much money on one, but I was intrigued by the reviews that the Agile was part of the new technology. It seems that the arc-type trainers can give many more muscle groups a workout, and Smooth Fitness touts that you can strength and cardio train at the same time. I decided to bite the proverbial bullet and ordered one from their website. They sent me emails detailing the common-carrier freight shipping. It took around 2 weeks from the order until delivery.

My first real comment, besides the fact that you drop a lot of cash to buy this thing, is that you'd better be prepared for it's arrival, both mentally and physically. Smooth has a video and the manual on it's website that outlines how to put the thing together. I watched the video prior to the arrival and felt I was prepared. WRONG. This thing is so big, I can't even describe it. There are 2 boxes it is shipped in. The SMALL box weighs nearly 150lbs. The large box is truly huge. I'm so glad I was putting it into my relatively empty living room. It weighs some 330pounds. Now, I'd like to take a moment to describe my ability to put things together. In my 39 years, I have successfully assembled literally hundreds of pieces of furniture. I've even lent myself out to friends who are assembly-impaired. I've done massive desks, cribs, bookshelves, tables, credenzas, I mean you name it, I've assembled it. I'm good at it and I like doing it. Most things I do all by myself because I'm a perfectionist and I follow directions to a T. Ok, so you get the idea. Now, despite the manual and the video (which I kept referencing religiously as things spiralled out of control) it took me 8 HOURS to put this thing together. No lie. It was absolutely the most horrific experience I've had. This thing is zip tied by some sadists when they pack it. Don't get me wrong, I know it needs to be secure for shipping, but I had real problems just cutting some of the ties. In the video they just touch them with their box cutter and they break. Not in reality. I used a combination of box cutter, wire cutters and sharp scissors and really struggled. Also, I feel the manual is not easy to follow. It refers to pieces by name but there is no diagrams that name the major pieces. There are diagrams with the whole thing blown apart, but it contains every piece, down to the last screw, so it's way too overwhelming to figure out what is what. In the end, I was able to assemble the entire thing by myself, but it is definitely not for the faint of heart. I consider this the Everest of assembly required.

Now, given that it took me 8 hours of literal blood, sweat and tears (and cursing), how is it? Well, mine is still on top of it's cardboard box in the middle of the living room. It's so heavy, I can't lift it to roll it on its handy wheels to move it. I'm waiting for an unsuspecting friend to visit and be recruited to help me. I have jumped on briefly, and I just in the two minutes I was trying it out I felt different muscle groups burning with each change on the "motion" button. Love the thumb "motion" and "intensity" controls. One other beef I have with the manual is it is horrible at describing how to operate the thing. I would like to know what each of the 11 different motions actually is or what muscle groups each one targets. I can't find that information anywhere. There are no youtube videos of people using this thing or workouts posted. I suppose it's price point keeps it from being a wide-spread product. Anyway, I'm looking forward to really using it. I'll post an update in a few weeks detailing how I've done with it.
******Update****** 12/13/08
So, I've been working out about 6x/week so far. I've lost 25 pounds since I started, and am clearly more fit than when I first began this new program. The first day I got on the Agile, I couldn't last more than a minute or two without stopping. Now I can go for as long as I want to on motion 1, intensity 1. I've gotten a polar HRM, which the Agile does pick up BTW, and if I get on the Agile and start at 1,1 it takes forever to get my HR up to my target...clearly I've improved! Generally, I'm doing 15 minutes on the agile and then I'm doing HIIT intervals on my bike for the rest of the time. I really like the Agile. First I warm up on my bike, then I jump on the Agile and go to motion 12, which is a very short stride length that is very deep--it's like high stepping and really gets my HR up to the target after a minute or so my quads are screaming. Then I usually go to motion 1 or 2. The lower the motion number, the longer the stride. Motion 1 is really comfortable for me and I can go all day on it. I'm having to increase the intensity at times to keep my HR where I want it. I also sometimes go backwards to work out my calves. I'm doing strength training too, and I'm really seeing the results in my leg muscles. I really love this machine...for a while, I had hurt my ankles..I think doing lunges with dumbells...and I couldn't do anything but the Agile and my bike. I really sweat with this workout and it feels great. Quibbles..still the readout on the machine. I don't like it much at all. But, I use my polar monitor to figure out how long I've been in my target zone, so I guess it doesn't matter. It is a very large machine, and dominates the room; however it looks good. I had one delivery guy say how impressed he was by the looks of the machine. So, overall still 5 stars! I highly recommend it if you have the desire and the savings to grab one of these!!
*****Update March 30, 2009*****
Ok, so it's now been a good 4 months since I bought this elliptical. I have lost 58 pounds so far! I still use the Agile nearly every day. I'm now at the point that I have to crank the resistance up to get my HR up; but I still have plenty of room on resistance levels to go before I max out. I start on motion 12 for 3 minutes, go to 8 for 3 then to 4 for 3; on motion 4 I have to go to a resistance of 4 to stay in my zone. Then I go to motion 1 and resistance 5. I'll sprint for 30 seconds on resistance 9, then drop back to resistance 5 for a minute. I alternate this sprint/regular for the rest of the workout. Talk about sweating! And it feels great! I've had no issues from this machine other than having to tighten a bolt on the right foot assembly. This is simply a great piece of equipment to workout on.

Smooth has it Right - Almost
Purchased this three weeks ago directly from Smooth Fitness, it was delivered on Feb 6. I chose to assemble it myself and used the coupon code 'smooth05' to save an extra 5%. It took my stepson and I about two hours to assemble. Not very difficult if you are handy. Here are a few tips:
1) Use your own tools, the tools Smooth sends are crap except for the allen wrenches.
2) Watch the assembly video a few times before assembling. You can call Smooth and they will send it to you on DVD, they do it for free.
3) Have two people available for assembly
4) Assemble in a large open space

The only reason my review is 4 stars is the use of plastic all over the place - I hate plastic components but the plastic parts are decorative so I can live with it although I'd rather see aluminum at this price point. A few push pins on the right exterior panel broke during shipment. The push pins help keep the panels together, when they seperate, the motion panel will rub against the exterior panel when it retracts (moves to a lower level). I called Smooth and they sent out two brand new panels no questions asked, at no expense to me - kind of overkill since I only needed one but they said a matched set would ensure a proper fit. While talking to the rep, he indicated these things are built and shipped from Taiwan so they do see some damage although they do package the plastic parts in a seperate box within the skid the DMT is shipped in. The control panel is also an extruded plastic but it doesn't look cheap and the display and functionality are great- more on that later.

There are two adults, two teenagers and one infant in our family, all but the infant have used the DMT since assembling. First observation while using the unit is it is extremely quiet - quieter than any other elliptical I have ever used (Precor, StarTrac, LifeFitness). We have a TV viewing area in the basement right next to this elliptical and you don't need to turn up the TV when someone is on the DMT. The unit's motion is very smooth through the up and down strokes. This thing is heavy and very stable no wobbling even when I'm on it and I am a pretty big guy (6'1", 215 lbs). It's a large foot print and has a good look to it. The unit requires a power outlet, I wish it were self powered. I don't like that I have to turn on a switch in the back of the unit then turn it off when I'm done but it's not that big a deal.

The pedals are very unique and take some getting us to - they pivot forward and back through your stride. At first I did not like them much but after 3-4 workouts, I found that my feet don't get numb and they stay in contact with the pedal much more so than a Precor or StarTrac unit. The only thing I dislike about the pedals is the housing around the front of the pedal - in other words they are not wide open, the front quarter of your foot is covered by this housing - and yes it's hard plastic. The pedals also come with a shock absorbing insert which also helps to keep my feet from going numb after 30 minutes of use. My feet use to get numb all the time on the StarTrac & Precor units, not with this unit.

The handle bars are great - the positioning of them keeps you upright and the resistance and motion adjustments at the top are innovative, you use your thumb to increase or decrease resistance(left) and motion(right), sounds strange but you don't have to hunt for the button, slide you thumb to the left to increase, slide it right to decrease your settings. There are pulse sensors built in and the unit comes with a Polar heart strap if you want to do pacing.

The control panel is fine - I don't like the feel of the buttons but they work fine. The display is bright, there is a scroll feature so which I like since I want to see all my stats throughout the workout. I do think they wasted some space with the layout of everyhing on the panel but it does not affect functionalit in any way - you get use to it but the panle is not like any of the commercial panels you might be use to. At the base of the panel is a hole for the water bottle they include but when the bottle is loaded in its holder, the angle is very strange and makes it cumbersome to remove. There are tons of programs - try the endurance program it will kick your butt like nothing you have experienced before.

I believe that is what makes this such a great unit - the ability to change to motion of the stroke. You have 12 motion levels as you increase the motion the pedal angle changes which creates a steeper and shorter stroke - like you are climbing a hill. All of us have said the same thing - this thing really works your muscle groups in an entirely different manner than any elliptical we have ever been on. I don't know why but on all other ellipticals it always felt like my upper body never got the benefits- not with this thing - it really works the upper body especially when the motion setting increases. I was on it yesterday for 40 minutes and at one point my settings moved to resistance 12, motion 10(using the endurance program) and I was suffering horribly. When I pedeled in reverse my quads burned. It took everything I had to get through the peak of the endurance program.

For the price it is a great value in my opinion and unlike the other reviewer who sent it back - the warranty is second to none. When I ordered from Smooth - there was a promotion that gave an extra year on in home repairs - 2 yrs instead of one.

If you are looking for a piece of equipment that is low impact but is really going to test you - look no further - this is it. It beats the Cybex Arc hands down as I had a chance to use that for a week before we got the DMT.

I'll write a follow up near the end of the year in the mean time if you are on the fence, consider pulling the trigger because this is one heck of a machine.

Awsome - that about explain it - except for one thing
We purchased this directly from Smooth Fitness on January 20 and received it on February 4. I had a problem with the ordering process and Keith, their VP of Sales knocked another 5 % off and threw in an extra heart monitor strap.

We opted to set the unit up ourselves which was not very difficult; here are some tips that made installation easy for us:

Be prepared to have a large space for assembly as there are three large boxes and parts need to be staged.

Use your own tools

Have an extra pair of hands

Have Smooth mail you the installation video on DVD prior to delivery (they do this free of charge) and watch it 2-3 times before opening anything.


It took us close two hours to assemble the unit. It goes to together relatively easily if you've watched the assembly video prior to doing anything. Most of the bolts are hex heads and the tolerances when fitting two or more pieces together was great. I did not have to push or pull to get any holes to line up. We did have one problem though - several of the outer panels were broke in transit, but that did not prevent us from continuing as these were cosmetic pieces. A call to Smooth and they had them in my hands in two days.

Once the unit was together I was amazed at the size of this thing, it takes up much more room than I anticipated even when I outlined the footprint for the wife with a chalk line. The unit is very stable, we have been using it for two weeks and there is no wobble in this thing at all.

My dislikes about the Agile DMT:

* Too much plastic for my liking. Everything that is cosmetic on this unit is plastic (outer panels, motion panels, console's outer shell, foot pedal covers).

* At this price point I expected stamped aluminum but when I called about the broken push pins on the outer panels I was told the units are manufactured in Taiwan then shipped around the world. More reason than ever to get away from plastic but then again there is the weight issue when it comes to shipping. In any event Smooth sent out new panels at no cost to me.

* I don't like the feel of the buttons on the console

* The water bottle holder is useless based on the angle the console sits at and its length, the bottle points toward your stomach and is too close to you while on the machine

* Don't care for the shrouded covers on the pedals that conceal your toes

* Requires you to use an on/off switch at the back of the unit, not a self powered unit

As far as the unit's ability to deliver a great workout, this machine does just that, it can make your life miserable during the time you are on it depending on how hard you want to push yourself. The motion arms are what really delivers a unique workout experience. As you increase the motion, the pedal rotates to a higher position which is akin to climbing steep terrain and the stride length shortens. If you really want an extreme workout, use the Endurance program and set the intensity level = 5 motion =4 at startup. I go 45 minutes on this program and at the peak of the workout the intensity level is at 12, motion=10 and my legs and lungs are screaming - it is not the type of workout you can get from the standard elliptical trainer.

The handlebars have built in pulse monitors that are pretty accurate. In addition, at the top of each handlebar is the resistance setting (left) and motion setting (right). You use your thumb to increase or decrease either setting and it is a very nice feature. I don't have to take my eyes off anything to change either setting, unlike some elliptical where you have to find the buttons then press them. The contour of these controllers makes finding and adjusting them a snap.

I am not sure why but I get a very good upper body workout with this machine compared to the Star Trac machines I use at the gym. My chest and back muscles really get worked and I can feel it for a period of time after my workout.

The console is fine; it serves it purpose although I do not like the feel of the buttons. There are plenty of programs although I wish you could save your favorite settings. There is a scroll feature which is a must for me. There is not a numeric keypad so you have to adjust your time, weight, age, etc. using the intensity buttons which means you go up or down one unit at a time. The units move fast but I would rather see a numeric keypad where I can punch in what I want rather than fiddle and hear all those beeps. There is a place for the water bottle they send you but the angle of the console is so steep that it makes it very cumbersome to use. On each side of the water bottle placeholder are two compartments that will hold your IPod, keys or anything else you would like to put in there.

The pedals take time to get use to. They articulate (forward and back) so your feet stay in constant contact with the pedal. I find my feet don't lift off the pedal because of this feature but for some reason - not sure if it is the pedal design or what - I can't get going as fast as I could on other units. On the Star Trac I could get the RPMs up to 206, on the Agile, the fastest I've been able to go is 188. I wish you had the option of removing the shrouded covers that conceal your toes. I like to raise my toes and put more force on my heels now and then but these shrouds get in the way of me doing that.

As mentioned earlier, the unit is heavy and very stable. I am 6'1" tall and weigh 215 lbs and there is no wobble at all. I have no balance problems when I use this without my hands placed on the unit. Going backwards - be prepared, it's harder than other units, especially if you have the motion setting > 5.

I have not tried the heart monitor yet with the heart pacing program so I can't say anything about that other than one exists.

All in all, we really enjoy this unit, it looks mean and delivers an awesome workout. It is flexible enough to give my wife a controlled workout and I can really beat myself up with it when I want to. I cannot place all settings at maximum and work out on the thing, it is just too tough and that's what I like about this machine the most. It has a lot a reserve so as you increase your fitness level, there is plenty of space in the upper end of this machine to accommodate those of us who really like to take things to the next level.

If you are considering a fitness machine I would give this one serious consideration, even with all the plastic components. Most of the complaints I have are minor and don't impact functionality. We have a treadmill by Smooth and they stand behind their products. They go above and beyond to make things right contrary to a previous review.

This machine is built strong where it counts and it has a wide range to accommodate the fitness level of almost anyone or this I give it 5 stars. The only reason this overall review gets four stars is for the plastic components at this price point.