Keiser M3i Total Body Trainer Review

By Robbie Ferri

Personal Trainer & Cycling Instructor

Robbie from “Riding with Robbie” is a Personal Trainer living in in Norfolk, UK. He has bikepacked all over the World, and also raced ultra distance at a top-level. He has worked closely with industry leaders such as Shimano.

When it comes to getting your fitness fix, you can do it in many ways. You might want to go for a run or even jump on a spinning bike and dig into those pedals for a while. For many of us, we were looking to make the most out of the short time we might have training. To do this, we use all-body workout machines.

There are many on the market available to choose from, and getting one that is going to be right for you is challenging. We have been lucky enough to be around a lot of exercise equipment and know what to look for regarding quality goods. 

There’s a lot of hype currently about the Keiser M3i total body trainer, and in this article today, we will be telling you all about it and why you might consider it for your home fitness fix. In this article, we’re going to be discussing the following:

• The Short Answer
• Pros and Cons
• Who Are Keiser?
• What Is The Keiser M3i Total Body Trainer?
• The Keiser M3i Total Body Trainer In Detail
• Our Verdict
• Alternatives

The Short Answer

The Keiser M3i Total Body Trainer is an amazing piece of fitness equipment. It is amazing at working a lot of muscles in a single session and burning many calories. On top of all that, it’s low impact and a very comfortable way to exercise. 

We highly recommend it, but it is a very unique piece of equipment. We feel it offers a great workout, and we recommend it for someone with experience with fitness equipment, not a beginner.

What Is The Keiser M3i Total Body Trainer?

The Keiser M3i Total Body Trainer is a cardiovascular machine that is designed for a full-body workout. It’s very much like a cross trainer, but instead of standing, you are sitting. It has the base of an exercise bike, but the upper body is like a cross trainer. These are often known as air bikes or assault bikes.

Bikes like these are becoming very popular. They are commonly used not just in gyms but also it is a common piece of equipment when it comes to certain cross-fit routines. We are seeing more and more turn up in gyms regularly and are waiting for more to break into the home gym market. 

The Keiser is unique because it is a much more refined version of a general all-body trainer and assault bike. It has gearing, can provide much more data, and is generally a better build quality. 

What Are The Benefits Of The M3i Total Body Trainer?

The Keiser M3i is very different from many machines you will see, and because of that comes some amazing benefits. 

All Body Work

Very few machines have the ability to work nearly all the muscles at once, but the Keiser M3i Total Body does just that. You get a great workout from the upper and lower of the body, and it is a natural movement. 

Low Impact

The Keiser M3i is not only excellent because it uses all the body, but it also is very low impact. It’s not like a treadmill, which can take its toll on the knees. It all feels much more natural. Many people who struggle with joint issues look for low-impact exercise machines such as these.

Comfortable

Exercising generally isn’t the most comfortable experience for everyone. Cardiovascular exercises such as running and spinning can sometimes be uncomfortable and difficult on those long workouts. The Keiser M3i is incredibly comfortable compared to other machines, and longer workouts are easy.

Exercise Variety

What we really like about the Keiser M3i is the fact you can vary the workout easily. You can just use your legs and get a lower body workout, or you can switch it up and just use your hands instead, or both together. 

How Is M3i Total Body Different From A Spin Bike?

The M3i is very similar to a spinning bike, but it also gives you the opportunity to use your arms. It’s a great way of combining upper and lower body work while still being very comfortable and in a natural movement pattern. 

Although it may look quite similar to an exercise bike, there are a lot of differences, such as the large arms that come out for you to use. The foot pegs to rest your feet on if you just want to work the upper body. It also comes with a wider seat and sports clipless pedals too. 

What Muscles Can You Work With The M3i Body Trainer?

The M3i works a lot of muscles that are all over the body. Let’s break it down to the upper and lower body.

Upper

On the upper side of things, you have the pecs and triceps pushing the arm forwards and the back and biceps bringing it back. Alongside all the muscles in the core stabilizing and in the hand and forearm holding the grip.

Lower

On the lower side, we have a lot going on. You are generally using all the muscles you use when cycling. So in the front of the legs, we have the quads firing predominantly, and in the rear, you have the glutes, hamstrings, and calves. 

Overall though, you are using everything in the body to keep yourself supported and to push the pedals down and arms back and forwards.  

The Keiser M3i Total Body In Detail

So now you know a little bit about what the bike can do, let’s break it down and tell you all about it in our detailed review:

Key Specifications

• Type: Stationary Bike With Arms
• Cost: $2390
• Size: 54” x 24” x 49”
• Weight: 112 lbs
• Resistance: Magnetic 
• Drive: Belt
• Flywheel: Rear Facing
• Display: LCD
• Connectivity: Bluetooth
• Max Weight: 350 lbs
• Height Range: 4ft 10” to 6ft 10”

The Breakdown

Design

Let’s start with the design, and there’s no denying it is an interesting-looking piece of fitness equipment. It looks like a spinning bike but with these giant arms coming out from the front. I personally really like it. There are a lot of all-body machines, and nothing has the looks of the M3i. 

It’s got a huge amount of little details which really impressed us, such as the rear-facing flywheel with a protective cover and matte black finish combined with chrome components. Coming in at only 54” x 24” x 49”, it’s incredibly small compared to anything that can work the same muscles. 

For us, it’s the little details that make this bike. The stretch pads on the rear feet, the wider saddle to compensate for the extra weight on the seat, and even the fact you can’t see any cables are hidden inside.

Usability

The M3i Total Body can cater to a wide range of different users. It has a maximum weight limit of 350 lbs and a height range of 4ft 10” to 6ft 10”. This means it will work for the whole family, and it’s very easy to adjust. 

Resistance

Then we have the resistance, and you can only expect the best from Keiser. It’s a belt drive system that uses magnetic resistance. It’s incredibly smooth, and even when you’re giving everything, it responds well and feels sturdy. 

It has 24 levels of resistance which will work with anyone from a beginner just using their arms to a professional athlete going flat out on both arms and legs. Once you find the right gear for you, it’s fun to challenge yourself further with a higher gear. 

What’s incredible about the resistance system on this bike is that it’s self-tensioning and doesn’t require maintenance. On top of that, the flywheel being on the rear also helps keep the sweat away and stops corrosion. 

You have a lever, unlike most bikes that use a dial or buttons to change resistance. By pushing it up and down, you can change the level of resistance and see the level displayed on the screen we will be speaking about next. 

Display

Unlike many other machines, this bike doesn’t have an all-singing and all-dancing display. It just has a simple LCD screen which, for many, is the route they want to go down. It gives you all the data you need from RPM, Watts, Heart Rate, Gear, Time, Distance, and Trip. 

Having the watts is a great way of understanding how hard you are working, and it’s a great way to see if you are getting fitter and how hard you can push those intervals. Although basic, this LCD screen gives you enough for a workout and has some connectivity we will discuss next. 

Connectivity

Then we have connectivity, and surprisingly, although the screen may look basic, it does have a Bluetooth connection inside. You can use this for accessories and connect it to applications such as Keiser M Series, Goind, Ride Buddy Buckets, Empowered, and Betrained. 

This takes this machine to the next level knowing you can get properly structured workouts that are going to keep you challenged. We do feel in the future, there will be lots of other options to choose from. 

Special Features

Then we have the special features. Although this bike may look quite basic, it has a lot going for it. From the self-tensioning belt to the stretch pads and Bluetooth connectivity. It’s not fully loaded, but it has more than other machines like this.

Another amazing feature is that it runs off your power, so it doesn’t require plugging in. It doesn’t sound like much, but it makes such a difference when it comes to moving the bike around and setting it up. 

Our Verdict!

The Keiser M3i Total Body is an amazing machine you can use to work out. It’s got some amazing features, and very little else on the market could offer the same experience. We appreciate that it’s not cheap, but it’s built to last and requires no maintenance.

Is It For You?

If you’re looking for a machine that is going to offer a full-body workout and something different from a spinning bike or a treadmill, then this is for you. If you are new to indoor exercise, we recommend starting with a bike like the M3i Indoor Cycle we speak about below instead of jumping straight to something as unique as this. 

Alternatives 

With the Keiser being such a unique machine, what are the other alternatives? Well, we have some here and wanted to tell you all about how they compare. 

M3i Indoor Cycle

The sibling to the M3i Total Body is the M3i Stationary bike. This is basically the same machine without the arms and footrests. It’s an incredible stationary bike to own and, in our opinion, one of the best. 

If you plan to go down this route, you will be missing out on the upper body workouts. You can do some upper body exercises on the bike, but it isn’t going to give you the same experience, in our opinion. 

Blitz Air Bike 2.0

The Blitz Air Bike 2.0 uses a similar motion to the Keiser, but it isn’t going to give you the same experience again. The first thing to mention is that it only has one single gear, which comes from the air resistance in the fan. 

Unless you are going really slow, you need to be giving it your all. It is not something you will spend a long time on generally. With the fan, it is also incredibly noisy. You might save yourself some money, but you won’t have the best cardio experience compared to the Keiser.

Assault Bike Classic

The Assault Bike Classic is just like the Blitz Air, and you will face the same challenges. It’s going to have one single gear and be very noisy. It won’t be the same experience.

I recommend this if you want to use it as just a quick bit of intense exercise in a circuit or as a short cardio block in a workout. Aside from that, it’s not the bike you’ll be able to sit on for 30 minutes plus easily. 

Teeter FreeStep LT3

Finally, we have the Teeter Freestep LT3, and this is one of the only cross-recumbents you will ever see. It works in a completely different way from the Keiser in the fact it’s more like a sitting cross-trainer. It’s easy to use and great if you lack mobility or recovering from injury. We like it, but it doesn’t offer the quality of the Keiser, it’s a very large machine that can take up a lot of room, and it is tougher to get your heart rate up in a machine like this.  

Similar to the LT3 is the Teeter LT1, a cheaper version of the series. You can find more information in our detailed comparison of LT1 vs LT3.

A Final Note

We hope you enjoyed our review of the Keiser M3i Total Body. It is an incredible machine and offers a great fitness fix. It’s very well designed, and we think in a perfect world, every home gym should have one. 

Who Are Keiser?

Keiser is a big brand when it comes to exercise equipment. They make some incredible quality machines, and they are built to last. Not only will you see them in people’s homes, but they are that good they are even the choice for many gyms. It was founded in 1976 in California by Dennis Keiser. What makes Kesier a special brand is they think outside the box and seem to differ from their competitors’ designs. 

A piece of equipment that put them on the map for many was the Keiser M3i spinning bike. It not only was incredibly low maintenance compared to other brands, but it was also smaller, more technologically advanced, and was a very sleek design. They continue to work on this basis and offer a wide range of excellent machines to help you improve your health and fitness.