Stamina Body Trac Glider 1050 Rowing Machine Review

Getting fit and losing weight can be an expensive undertaking. Joining a gym is often accompanied by a high monthly fee, and you may even find yourself tied into a long-term contract that’s hard to break. You’ll also have to keep paying even if you don’t want to go – such as while you’re ill or on vacation.

You could save money by working out at home. However, setting up a home gym can be a costly endeavor too. After all, you’ll need to buy at least a few basic items so you can enjoy productive workouts in your garage or spare room.

Thankfully, there are some viable low-cost home workout options, and some manufacturers specialize in making budget-friendly home exercise machines. While these machines aren’t as advanced or as sturdy as their commercial counterparts, it’s a case of you get what you pay for, and despite their lower prices, these machines are still reasonably effective.

In this article, we’re going to explore and review the Stamina BodyTrac Glider 1050 rowing machine so you can decide if it’s right for your home gym.

Learn how to use a rowing machine here, and some beginner rowing machine workouts here.

Stamina Body Trac Glider 1050 Rowing Machine Review

Key Features

The Stamina BodyTrac Glider 1050 rowing machine is a very budget-friendly exerciser aimed squarely at the home workout market. As such, it lacks some of the features you’d expect on a light or full commercial product. That said, it does have several notable features:

• Steel frame construction
• Independent arm movement for a realistic rowing action
• Hydraulic resistance for near-silent operation
• Foldable arms for easy storage
• Molded seat
• Footplates with adjustable straps
• Padded, non-slip hand grips
• 12 resistance levels
• Molded seat
• Multifunction LCD performance monitor

Dimensions and Specifications

Rowing machines are often big and bulky, making them less than ideal for home exercisers. The Stamina BodyTrac Glider 1050 rowing machine is much more compact and lightweight, making it ideally suited for small workout spaces. It also folds flat, so it can be stored under a bed when or not in use, and it’s light enough that it’s easy to move from place to place.

The dimensions of the Stamina BodyTrac Glider 1050 rowing machine are:

• Length: 5’ 10”
• Width: 3’ 7”
• Weight: 39lbs
• Storage space: 46” x 26” x 19”
• Maximum user weight: 250lbs

Rowing Machine Design

The Stamina BodyTrac Glider 1050 rowing machine is something of a workout throwback. Most modern rowing machines use fans or electromagnetism for resistance, and a few even use tanks filled with water to create a lifelike rowing workout. The BodyTrac Glider is much more old-school and relies on a single hydraulic cylinder for resistance.

It’s built using a steel frame, and the seat slides up and down on rollers along an easy-glide track to deliver a smooth workout.

Most rowers have a single handle connected to whatever form of resistance is used. The Stamina BodyTrac Glider 1050 rowing machine is a little different in that there are two handles, so it looks and feels a little more like a “real” rowing boat with oars.

Once your feet are strapped in, this rowing machine works like most other models; you drive off with your legs and pull with your arms. You can adjust the difficulty of your workout by changing the setting on the hydraulic cylinder beneath your seat. There are 12 levels of resistance.

The battery-powered LCD console comes to life as soon as you start rowing and displays your speed, workout duration, and an estimate of the number of calories burned.

Once you are finished with your workout, you can simply fold the arms down and away and slide the rower under a bed. At only 39lbs, you can also easily pick it up and stash it in a closet. This is a good design feature for users with limited exercise space, such as apartment dwellers.

Computer Features

While the Stamina BodyTrac Glider 1050 rowing machine DOES have an onboard computer to monitor your workout performance, it’s very basic. However, it’s not too bad for the price and provides you with most of the information you need to track your workout progress. The functions of the Stamina BodyTrac Glider 1050 rowing machine display console are:

• Distance
• Time
• Calories

The computer has no Bluetooth connectivity, and there are no pre-programmed workouts to follow.

Ease of Use

Rowing machines are generally easier to use than spinning bikes as you don’t need to adjust things like the seat or handlebar height to get a comfortable workout. The Stamina BodyTrac Glider 1050 rowing machine is even easier to use because the computer doesn’t need to be programmed before you start your workout.

All you need to do to use this machine is put your feet on the footplates and cinch up the straps. Then, just grab the handles and get to work, keeping an eye on the computer screen, so you know how far you’ve rowed or how long you’ve been exercising.

If you like low-tech workouts or want a very easy-to-use rowing machine, the Stamina BodyTrac Glider should appeal to you.

Drawbacks

There is no escaping the fact that the Stamina BodyTrac Glider 1050 is a budget-friendly rowing machine. It’s reasonably well made and delivers a decent workout, but there are drawbacks to consider before buying this particular rowing machine.

• Footrests are not adjustable
• Very basic performance monitor
• Uncomfortable molded, not padded seat
• Not suitable for very tall users (over 6’ 6”)
• Loses resistance with regular use

Regarding this final point, hydraulic cylinders have a tendency to lose their strength with repeated use. People who own this rower have reported that after a few months of use, even the highest resistance level is too easy. This is no problem if the cylinder starts to fail within the 90-day warranty period but could render your rower all-but useless if it happens after this time.

Assembly

The Stamina BodyTrac Glider 1050 rowing machine requires some assembly, but because it’s such a simple machine, this is a straightforward process. Most users were able to put their rowing machine together in about 30 minutes. All tools for assembly are provided.

Warranty

Despite being a budget-friendly rowing machine, the Stamina BodyTrac Glider is backed by a reasonable warranty, so you can buy with confidence:

• 90-day warranty for parts
• 1 year for the frame

Some rowers are also backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can buy and try your product, returning it if you are in any way unsatisfied. The Stamina BodyTrac Glider does not appear to have this feature.

Bottom Line

The Stamina BodyTrac Glider 1050 rowing machine is good value for money and is ideally suited to beginners and exercisers who are happy with the occasional low-intensity workout.

It’s smooth and comfortable to use, and the independent arm action makes a nice alternative to the more common bilateral action featured on most other rowers. However, the resistance is quite low, and the LCD console doesn’t offer a lot of workout feedback. This is a very no-frills workout machine.

However, if you don’t want to spend a lot of money on a rowing machine, the Stamina BodyTrac Glider 1050 is a decent choice, but just don’t expect it to provide years of use. This is a budget workout machine, and you very much get what you pay for.