Bells of Steel Dreadmill Review | You’ll Still Hate Cardio

Dimensions/Storability

I can move most of the exercise equipment we receive around without any help. Unfortunately, the Bells of Steel Dreadmill is not one of those machines. While it weighs 200 lbs, which is not the heaviest treadmill we have in our studio, its dimensions make it a little harder to get the right leverage for moving it.

I can’t move the Bells of Steel Dreadmill without help.

Many of you should be able to move the Dreadmill on its transport wheels, but if you are smaller (and maybe weaker) like I am, it’s going to be a bit harder.

The Bells of Steel Dreadmill measures 61.7” long x 58” wide x 52.1” tall. The step-up height to this machine is only about 7 to 9”, depending on the incline setting. At the top of the deck, the height is about 14”, so you will need about 1.5” more than your height for the minimum ceiling height. That means if you are 6’ tall, you need a 7.5’ ceiling, at least. That gives you a little extra room overhead, too.

Fortunately, the Dreadmill’s treadmill deck folds up using a pneumatic arm to support the deck and let it softly lower to the ground. It’s not too heavy to fold, and unfolding it just requires you to press the kick-release with your foot.

Onboard Workouts & Apps

No subscriptions to see here! The Bells of Steel Dreadmill is focused on old-school blood, sweat, and tears with no techy gimmicks to ease your pain. The minimal console has just four training programs: manual and target time, distance, and calories. As for workouts with the other components on the treadmill, you’ll have to design your own.

Console

The console on the Bells of Steel Dreadmill is a battery-powered digital display. It shows your time, speed, distance, and calories. If you hold the EKG pulse grips on the handles, it will also show your heart rate.

The console placement is a little awkward because it can be hard to see while doing many of the exercises.

You can also get a body composition measurement from the Bells of Steel Dreadmill. I have to admit that the reading does not seem very accurate. Maybe I need to get my body fat percentage reevaluated, but it’s reading a lot higher than I would expect as I taper for my upcoming marathon. So, beware if you decide to test this feature for yourself.

The console also has a phone holder. Your phone will cover up the console, but it’s nice to have a place to put it. Honestly, I don’t pay much attention to the console, and I would rather have a place to put my phone.

You get one other storage compartment on the Dreadmill, and that’s the water bottle holder. It’s super basic but a nice thing to have on hand if you are going for a long sled push or resistance walk.

The EKG pulse grips on the sides of the Dreadmill are not my favorite. They don’t seem very accurate for body composition, and they were super far off my heart rate. I recommend using a heart rate monitor instead.

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Build Quality

The use of plastic on the Bells of Steel Dreadmill is very minimal. As the brand name suggests, most of the frame and components are made of steel. I really appreciate this attention to quality.

Though the Dreadmill is a little smaller than I expected, it is very sturdy.

I assembled the Dreadmill and only had problems with the folding mechanism. Everything else went together very well. The treadmill has a 330-lb weight capacity on the deck and can support up to 165 lbs on each of the weight horns.

Deck

The belt measures 19.5” wide and 55” long. For reference, a typical running treadmill is 20 to 22” wide and 60” long. In general, the deck is long enough. The only issue I had with the deck length had more to do with the handle placement. They just feel a little far back on the deck.

I had plenty of room to walk, walk backward, sled push, and whatnot on the Bells of Steel Dreadmill. I didn’t feel like I was running out of space. Since this treadmill is manual and does not have a motor hood, you have even more space at the front of the deck.

There’s no motor hood and no motor.

Resistance

The Dreadmill has eight levels of resistance. The easiest resistance level allows you to walk pretty easily. Once you get the belt moving, you can even jog a little bit at the lowest resistance level. I don’t recommend it for endurance running, but you can get it moving pretty quickly for short periods of time.

I don’t recommend the Dreadmill for endurance running because faster speeds may require you to push against the treadmill frame, but it’s great for so much more.

Since the Dreadmill is designed for sled pushing, I expected the resistance on the belt to be pretty heavy. In my opinion, the model we received was a little too easy. I’m a marathon runner who strength trains infrequently and prefers pilates most days—that’s all to say I’m not the target audience for this treadmill. If I think the resistance is too light, it’s probably too light.

You can adjust the resistance on the side of the treadmill frame.

The resistance adjusts using a lever on the right side of the frame. It’s magnetic resistance, so a magnet adjusts within the flywheel to apply more or less resistance. I can feel the difference between the incline levels when training.

Sled Pads and Handles

There are handles for resistance walks and pads for sled pushing. I like both of these. They are suitable for a wide range of heights, so they should work for most people.

I feel pretty comfortable doing sled pushes on the Dreadmill, or as comfortable as one can be while doing this exercise.

Incline

A manual incline feature allows you to adjust the treadmill deck to three different incline positions. I measured the settings to be about 16.5%, 13.8%, and 13%, but keep in mind that our uneven floor could make the measurements a little different than what they might measure in your face.

The incline mechanism can be adjusted when the treadmill deck is in its upright, folded position. You have to pull on the bar and adjust it into one of the three notches on each side of the deck. Be careful not to adjust only one side.

To adjust the incline, pull the bar out with both hands and manually fix it into place.

There is no option to set the treadmill to flat. Since this is a manual treadmill, the belt moves with the help of the force of your feet and gravity.

Handles and Lever Arms

There is a handle on either side of the Dreadmill. These attach to lever arms with a weight horn. You can load the weight horns up with plates to do farmer’s carry walks. The handles are not adjustable, and they feel like they are a little far back on the deck, but I don’t think you are in any real danger of stepping off the back.

There are safety pins that keep the levers from rotating all the way around while you farmer’s carry.

Keep the safety pins in place when you are walking on the treadmill, but you can remove them to do other exercises.

To keep the handles at a comfortable height, there are adjustable J-hooks that you can move through four different positions. You can also remove them completely for exercises off the treadmill.

You can set up the handles in various positions to do different types of exercises.

When I’m working out on the Dreadmill with the treadmill deck folded up, I sometimes remove the safety pins and J-hooks to get a better range of motion. If you do this, be careful and remember to put them back in place when you are done.

Off the deck, you can do rows and presses on the Dreadmill. My favorite exercises are landmine presses and bent-over rows.

My biggest complaint about the Dreadmill is that the handle width is fixed. I can’t do a farmer’s carry walk on the Dreadmill because the handles are too wide for my frame. While this treadmill will work for a lot of people, as it is, I don’t recommend it for more petite exercisers. The handles are 38.5” apart, and that’s too wide for me to do all the two-handed exercises.

If you have broader shoulders than I do, the Dreadmill will probably be just fine for you.

Warranty

The Dreadmill has a limited lifetime warranty on its frame. This warranty covers manufacturer defects, not damage from abuse or misuse. The parts are covered for one year.

Assembly of this machine requires two people. Trust me, I tried to do it by myself, but some of the steps are impossible with only two hands.

Should You Buy the Bells of Steel Dreadmill

The Dreadmill is worth it if you are looking for a treadmill you can use for farmer’s carry/wheelbarrow walk, walking backward on an incline, and sled push. Those are its best uses. The additional training options you can do with just the lever arms are the cherry on top.

With eight levels of magnetic resistance, a manual belt, and an adjustable incline, you can make your workout on the Dreadmill your own. The console is minimal, with target programs and the most essential metrics, so the power is really in your hands.

The Dreadmill may not be the best match for you if you have narrow shoulders, want to do endurance runs, and need very heavy sled resistance. However, if you are looking for an innovative cardio workout, want to do some Knees Over Toes training, and don’t have much space for farmer’s carries, the Dreadmill is great!

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Bells of Steel Dreadmill Q&A / FAQ

Can the Bells of Steel Dreadmill replace a sled?

The Bells of Steel Dreadmill is a good replacement for a traditional sled. It requires less space and has adjustable resistance so you can control how difficult the movement is. The Dreadmill may not be challenging enough for athletes looking for a very heavy sled push. It’s better for beginner to intermediate users.

Can you run on the Bells of Steel Dreadmill?

You can do resistance sprints on the Bells of Steel Dreadmill. While you can jog or run some, I don’t recommend it for endurance running. It feels awkward and is difficult to keep the belt moving at a good speed for running.

Can you walk backward on the Dreadmill for Knees Over Toes?

Yes, you can walk backward on the Dreadmill. It has three incline settings to add more variety to your workout. The eight resistance levels allow you to challenge your quads even more.

Is this a paid review?

No, this is not a paid review. We were sent the Dreadmill by Bells of Steel for free to review, but we were not paid for the review. What we have to say in these reviews is from our own experience with the machine.

However, we earn a commission if you purchase the treadmill using our link. Since we have this same relationship with multiple brands, we are able to recommend a variety of products. Our aim is to match you to the right equipment so you trust us with all your future home gym shopping!

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