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NordicTrack knows that no running, cycling, or elliptical routine is complete without strength training. This review of the NordicTrack Fusion CST Studio uncovers why it’s perfect for building muscular endurance.
Updated: February 20, 2024
The NordicTrack Fusion CST Studio is a home gym that uses a cable, pulley, and flywheel system to create a smart training routine. The Fusion CST Studio is ideal for endurance athletes who need an at-home strength training solution to round out their routine. Endurance exercise is highly repetitive making athletes who participate in this type of exercise susceptible to overuse injuries. Strength training is the perfect way to combat these injuries. The Fusion CST Studio is great for building muscular endurance, upper body training, and core training. Additionally, the Fusion CST Studio may also be suitable for lower body training, and strength training for beginner to intermediate users.
The Fusion CST Studio is a very heavy machine. It weighs over 300 lbs to prevent it from moving at all even while you are working out at your hardest. That said, you should be particular about where you place the Fusion CST. Keep it somewhere away from children and where you plan to keep it for the long term. This machine is not on wheels, so it is best to provide it with a permanent location. You don’t want to move it if you can avoid it!
The NordicTrack Fusion CST Studio comes with NordicTrack’s standard warranty of 10 years for the frame and 1 year for everything else. This warranty could definitely be better. Because I have not tested the machine in person, I can’t speak to how durable the cables and other components might be, and that 1-year warranty isn’t too reassuring.
The resistance is created by a flywheel, cables, and pulleys. You have six different cables and pulleys you can use. Two are at the top of the machine, two a little further down, and two at the bottom. There are also additional squat pulleys. The cables can extend 95 inches from the machine.
The lowest cables can be used with the squat pulleys which bring the cables further away from the machine and change their angle. This allows you to more comfortably perform a squat and other exercises on the Fusion CST Studio.
Magnets create the resistance by braking the flywheel. Twenty magnetic resistance levels create up to 100 lbs of resistance total when two cables are used together (or about 50 lbs per cable). The resistance can be adjusted with buttons on the side of the Studio. While in an iFIT workout, they will automatically adjust. Before beginning a workout class, you will be asked to set your intensity level. This level will determine your load for each exercise in the class.
Unlike other flywheel-based strength training machines, the Studio’s flywheel spins as you pull the cable away from the machine, but it does not turn as you bring the cable back toward the machine. This means that the resistance only activates during the concentric part of the movement while there is not much resistance for the eccentric portion. In other words, when you bring the handle/cable away from the machine, it is hard but not when you bring it closer it is easy. I’ll discuss the impacts of this type of training below.
The Fusion CST Studio can be used for upper body, lower body, and core training. Advanced users may quickly surpass the Studio’s resistance capabilities, particularly for lower body exercises. Because of the Fusion CST Studio’s limited resistance range, it will be better suited to users performing high rep and set training. Unfortunately, this doesn’t apply to users going for maximum hypertrophy (or building bigger muscles). While you can see hypertrophy gains from this type of machine, it may take longer because there is not enough eccentric loading.
The Fusion CST Studio has a large footprint and is very heavy. It needs a permanent location and may be best for an indoor home gym area. The arms do not fold down.
The NordicTrack Fusion CST Studio is designed to pair with the iFIT training platform. As such, it has all the necessary features to ensure that your training experience is smart and smooth. NordicTrack has thrown in all the necessary attachments and accessories with your purchase to ensure you have everything you need to get a good workout.
There are two ways to change the resistance on the Fusion CST Studio. You can pair with the iFIT training app on the included tablet and use the onscreen controls. Alternatively, you can use the buttons located on the side of the Studio. Using the tablet with an active iFIT subscription allows the resistance levels to automatically adjust based on your chosen training level. The buttons require you to make manual adjustments for every exercise you would like to perform.
A mirror covers the front of the Fusion CST Studio, so the flywheel is positioned behind the machine. The mirror is very handy for checking in on your form while training. This is helpful for users at any fitness level, because it is helpful to know when there is a fault in your form. A mirror allows you to make corrections to faults you might otherwise miss.
A 10-inch tablet is included with Studio. The tablet works better than a built-in screen, because you can reposition it based on which direction you are facing during an exercise. A magnetic tablet rack sticks to the mirror and can be positioned wherever you can see it most easily. A stand is also included with the Studio. This stand can be positioned in front of the Studio, so when you are facing away from the mirror, you can still follow along with the training content. Depending on your training program, it may be a hassle to move the tablet around, but it is better than not being able to see it at all.
Six removable handles and two ankle straps are included with the Fusion CST Studio. The removable handles are plastic and knurled to help you grip them. The ankle straps are Velcro. These attachments should be suitable for most users. They are attached with a carabiner, so you could replace them with other attachments if you desired.
You can connect a heart rate monitor to the Fusion CST Studio. The Fusion CST Studio should pair with all Bluetooth heart rate monitors.
With any strength training equipment, there will be safety risks. The NordicTrack Fusion CST Studio is beginner-friendly, but it should not be used by children. The Fusion CST arguably has one safety measure, but I am not sure if NordicTrack intended it to be one. The lack of eccentric resistance keeps you from being overwhelmed by the resistance. If you can’t move the weight any further from the machine, you can bring the cable back toward the machine practically unweighted. This makes the Fusion CST Studio safer for users training by themselves, but you should still be diligent in making sure you and others around you are kept safe while training.
I have not had the opportunity to test the NordicTrack Fusion CST Studio, but I will update this review if I do get the opportunity to test the Studio for myself. The NordicTrack Fusion CST Studio can be used for HIIT training where you use low resistance and high reps. Depending on your current strength and fitness level, you can also increase the resistance for more traditional resistance training. The setup for each of the exercises seems pretty straightforward and beginner-friendly. I like that the machine is used with the iFIT platform, so beginners can have extra guidance toward getting a safe and effective workout.
iFIT is a training platform with thousands of classes filmed all around the world from over a hundred trainers. The unique thing about the Fusion CST Studio is that it does not use the main iFIT app. The tablet it comes with can be used to access a secondary app that has content specifically for this machine. You will need a full iFIT membership to use the Studio, so you still get access to the main app and can perform any of the workouts found there. Because it requires this full membership, I like the Studio best for exercisers who already have other NordicTrack or other iFIT-compatible equipment.
The major downside to the NordicTrack Fusion CST Studio is that the app does not seem to have as much content and is not updated as regularly as the main app. Hopefully, iFIT will continue to support the Fusion app or consider adding the content to the main app library. I would also like to see the content expanded more frequently.
The NordicTrack Fusion CST Studio is an all-in-one exercise solution for cardio exercisers who need to add some resistance training to their routine. I love this machine for users who already have an iFIT membership and other compatible equipment, because it helps you round out your full exercise regimen. As I runner myself, I know how prone to neglecting strength training we can be, and I like that the Fusion CST Studio’s training style complements the goals of endurance athletes. Yet, if your goals are geared more towards building a lot of strength or hypertrophy, the Studio may not be appropriate for these goals beyond a beginner level. While iFIT provides great exercise content, the Fusion app isn’t quite as robust as the offerings on the main app. Overall, the NordicTrack Fusion CST Studio could be a great solution for building muscular endurance but may be limited in other areas.
