Eliptical trainers

[dbk]

i'd rather have a spin bike

 

[lokiju]

I got this one for $500 in 2008 which was half price at the time with free shipping from Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ef=oss_product

Had great reviews, and was a great price at the time.

I used it once.

My wife is the one that wanted it, she used it maybe 4 times.

It's now sitting in the garage with stuff all around and on top of it.

 

[Red Squirrel]

If you really wanted to run you could just go outside. I like using the elliptical for interval training when I'm short on time.

I could be wrong, but I don't think -20C and colder air is good for the lungs when running. Also risk ankle injuries running in rough uneven snowy roads. In regions where it's winter most of the year it's practical to be able to do cardio indoors.

I've been debating on getting a cardio machine myself so the days I don't go to the gym I can do cardio at home. Not yet sure what I want though. I would like a bicycle as I want to see how much energy I can produce, would be fun. When I make enough to power a TV I know I'm doing very well. :awe: Think the human body can only produce like 300ish watts though.

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

I could be wrong, but I don't think -20C and colder air is good for the lungs when running. Also risk ankle injuries running in rough uneven snowy roads. In regions where it's winter most of the year it's practical to be able to do cardio indoors.

I've been debating on getting a cardio machine myself so the days I don't go to the gym I can do cardio at home. Not yet sure what I want though. I would like a bicycle as I want to see how much energy I can produce, would be fun. When I make enough to power a TV I know I'm doing very well. :awe: Think the human body can only produce like 300ish watts though.

Definitely agree running out in the cold sucks. If you're limited to doing cardio indoors I would pick whatever is most likely to keep you interested. If you can run outside then I think an elliptical/bike would give you more options than a treadmill. I trained for a marathon entirely on the treadmill so I could watch tv because I hate running.

 

[troytime]

They require almost no effort, so people who don't like exercising like them. It's exercising for lazy people.

i think you're full of shit.
maybe if you're used to running 10 miles at a time the elliptical requires no effort, but for anyone else it will likely be just as, or even more effective than plodding along on a treadmill

 

[nonameo]

wtf. Get a pool. swimming is best. Better yet, just be a man and swim against the river.

 

[Cdubneeddeal]

uggh..hate running and its always raining. not to mention dogs chasing you and inhaling carbon monoxide as cars race by you.

You do realize that's just an excuse to not run correct? Can't stand that "Can't do it" attitude. JFDI.

 

[kindest]

running is dangerous... ask Tiger. guy tore his acl from jogging around his neigherhood.

 

[HannibalX]

i think you're full of shit.
maybe if you're used to running 10 miles at a time the elliptical requires no effort, but for anyone else it will likely be just as, or even more effective than plodding along on a treadmill

You can think whatever you want, I don't care. The facts are these machines use momentum to keep you going with almost no effort on the operator's part. Here's a test. Get on the machine, get up to speed and then stop trying. See how long it takes you to naturally stop.

 

[ebaycj]

You can think whatever you want, I don't care. The facts are these machines use momentum to keep you going with almost no effort on the operator's part. Here's a test. Get on the machine, get up to speed and then stop trying. See how long it takes you to naturally stop.

iFX might be right if you are using the elliptical with it's internal magnetic resistance set to zero. Most *GOOD* ellipticals are capable of putting down so much resistance that it's difficult to get the thing moving. And that makes each step difficult.

 

[shabby]

whats your thoughts?

Too expensive, get a cheap one for starters and see if a) you'll like doing this and b) if you'll even continue doing this on a daily/weekly basis.
I used to do an hour on an eliptical trainer and found i didn't even get a sweat running or exhaust myself, then i tried the p90x cardio routine and i was sweating bullets at the end, felt like much better than running in place on an eliptical trainer.

 

[darkxshade]

A pair of sneakers and the open road will do you more good and save you more money.

 

[RoloMather]

WTF with people saying it uses momentum?

Just up the resistance noob.

Elliptical is an excellent way to get cardio. Low impact so it won't tear up your knees and ankles after years of doing it.

 

[darkxshade]

Rowing > Running > Elliptical

Since you're all on the topic of losing weight, the rowing machine will work more muscle groups and burn more calories.

And the elliptical is not useless, I do all of the 3 above. You can set an ellipticals resistance just like you can set the speed on a treadmill. Saying the elliptical requires no effort because it uses momentum is like saying the treadmill requires no effort because you're walking on it at 1mph. Both can be set to a level that will burn calories. I sweat just as much as I run... I usually set it to a resistance of 13-15 whereas I run at an avg 6.5mph @ 2.5incline. And yes I use "impact" as my excuse to go on an elliptical because I don't want to run 5 days in a row, so I'd run every other day and do rowing/elliptical/stairs on the days in between.