Stigma around elliptical machines

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  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Jruzer wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I'm still not getting the whole "stigma" thing...what is this "stigma?"

    Preface: I think the elliptical is great. I've got bum knees so I can't run, and the elliptical is one of the the most intense exercises I can do.

    But there is plenty of stigma out there against ellipticals. Don't kid yourself. Just have a look at the following excerpts. Note that these people are all wrong and misguided, and many straw men are slain. But the cumulative effect of seeing this stuff can certainly scare people like OP off of a good workout:

    http://thisgirltrains.com/why-elliptical-bunnies-never-reach-their-goals/
    This is why I hate elliptical trainers. In my opinion, they’re useless pieces of equipment. No other cardio machine allows people to fake workouts and lies about how hard they’re working like ellipticals (and before you start whining about how bad your knees are and that the elliptical is your only option, allow me to introduce you to swimming and biking).

    http://www.bradkanus.com/2012/08/people-we-hate-users-of-the-elliptical-machine.html
    Nobody looks dumber in the gym than the rows of elliptical riders awkwardly paddling their feet back and forth trying to both ski and run at the same time. Never has someone ever looked at someone on an elliptical machine and thought "now that's athletic, that's a workout." ... Straight men should stay the hell off of these machines if they want to retain any shred of dignity.

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/thread72293.html
    The eliptical is one of the most useless things in the gym. I hate people going on that thing trying to lose fat. Mite as well go sit on the sitdown recumbant bike and go at a snails pace while you read your kindle.

    http://elitedaily.com/wellness/jillian-michaels-skip-elliptical/1588536/
    When asked about “one exercise people should stop wasting their time doing,” (Jillian) Michaels responds,
    "The elliptical. Ugh."

    https://www.t-nation.com/training/4-dumbest-forms-of-cardio
    The elliptical machine is too easy. However, it's great for mental zombies who enjoy pretending to exercise.

    http://www.chicagonow.com/get-fit-chicago/2014/04/the-6-biggest-workout-mistakes/
    If you're workout regularly consists of riding on an elliptical machine for 45 minutes or jogging on a treadmill to bank 4 or 5 miles, you're doing your body a disservice. While there is nothing wrong with working out at an easy/moderate pace every now and then - even once a week - continuous steady state cardio puts your body on the fast track for storing fat.

    https://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=1&f=113&t=1649107
    What worthless stupid stuff did you see at the gym today? ... People on cardio machines, especially the stairclimber and elliptical. I hate that whole part of the gym, especially considering there's a 300m indoor track in my gym and two Olympic lap pools that nobody uses while fatties kill themselves on these machines because for some reason the elliptical has been society's image of how you lose weight. Not saying it's completely worthless but if we're talking effectiveness, well it's not.

    OK...but I guess I could say that about any machine in the gym...or rather, my critique would be of many individuals using these machines. I have been in and out of gyms most of my life and while there are plenty of people putting in the effort, there are that many more who are doing a little better than nothing which isn't going to do a whole in regards to improving one's fitness. IMO, if you can sit there and read a book or kindle or magazine or whatever, there's not much in the way of effort being made...personally, I'd just go for a walk at that point and enjoy a nice low impact activity...but I wouldn't expect a whole lot out of it.

    The only thing I can say about the elliptical that I don't particularly like is that it's not particularly beneficial in regards to functional training...you can get a good cardiovascular workout doing pretty much anything provided the effort is there...but if you want to be a better cyclist, you need to cycle...if you want to be a better runner, you need to run, etc, etc...in that regard, the elliptical doesn't really translate to being all that beneficial functionally.

    Like I said, I still use it from time to time, but it's definitely not my go to considering I'm a cycling enthusiast...it's really not going to do much for me as a cyclist other than help me maintain a base line of cardiovascular fitness.

    That's pretty much what I was going to say- there's plenty of that type of "hate" for all sorts of equipment in the gym.

    I won't get on an elliptical personal- I don't find them as effective as a stair master- or running sprints- and it also truly hurts the ball of my foot. So hard pass for me.

    But meh. whatever.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    Clearly the most useless piece of equipment in the gym is the Smith machine, closely followed by the manager who always responds "we are looking into it"...quit looking and do something you big *kittening* kittenkitten kittenhead*
  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,140 Member
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    Sued0nim wrote: »
    Clearly the most useless piece of equipment in the gym is the Smith machine, closely followed by the manager who always responds "we are looking into it"...quit looking and do something you big *kittening* kittenkitten kittenhead*

    Useless for you, that's all. Please don't generalize about the usefulness or not, of gym equipment and do not start a controversy about another piece of equipment not even mentioned in the original OP.

    If you want to talk about or discredit Smith machines, start your own thread.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    Gisel2015 wrote: »
    Sued0nim wrote: »
    Clearly the most useless piece of equipment in the gym is the Smith machine, closely followed by the manager who always responds "we are looking into it"...quit looking and do something you big *kittening* kittenkitten kittenhead*

    Useless for you, that's all. Please don't generalize about the usefulness or not, of gym equipment and do not start a controversy about another piece of equipment not even mentioned in the original OP.

    If you want to talk about or discredit Smith machines, start your own thread.

    LOL..shan't

    And I will stand by my comment. The Smith is useless for everyone, apart from shoulder shrugs..I'll give you that..otherwise the forced track of movement can actually cause injury and certainly doesn't help you with form .

    I note you don't care about gym managers though
  • Anvil_Head
    Anvil_Head Posts: 251 Member
    edited October 2016
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    Sued0nim wrote: »
    Clearly the most useless piece of equipment in the gym is the Smith machine, closely followed by the manager who always responds "we are looking into it"...quit looking and do something you big *kittening* kittenkitten kittenhead*

    Smith machines are useful - for hanging my towel on. :D

    And I perceive more of a stigma around Smith machine use than I do elliptical use - so there's that.
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
    edited October 2016
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    Sued0nim wrote: »
    Clearly the most useless piece of equipment in the gym is the Smith machine, closely followed by the manager who always responds "we are looking into it"...quit looking and do something you big *kittening* kittenkitten kittenhead*

    I'll be a thread outcast with you as I agree with you about the Elliptical. Jruzer's links in his post pretty much sum up my thoughts.



  • mburgess458
    mburgess458 Posts: 480 Member
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    GauchoMark wrote: »
    ...
    3) You HAVE to up the resistance. I think this is where ellipticals get a bad rap. Most people jump on and just start going. The problem is that these machines assist your stride, so you are tricking yourself on how hard you are working out. If you are using a fitbit, it counts steps, not energy output, so low resistance on an elliptical will give you a false count on your fitbit too. I set the resistance on a variable incline program and then put it on a resistance level that I can barely keep pace when the incline gets to the steepest part. My legs are jelly after 45 minutes on it. I walk funny!
    ...

    This! If you don't increase the resistance you're just flapping your arms and legs around and not really working out at all. Too many people at the gym jump on them (same thing on exercise bikes), set resistance at the minimum, and start. If you look as fresh at the end of your workout as you did at the beginning then it wasn't a workout. Up the resistance and get a sweat going.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
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    I would agree that there is a stigma to the idiots out there. Whatever gets you moving is what matters here. If it results in a net benefit, then go for it and screw the detractors.

    Everyone has a different goal.
  • ChrisNels1
    ChrisNels1 Posts: 16,638 Member
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    Try using it while in a slight crouch or leaning back a bit. And you can use more arm movement to push and pull. Your muscles will be screaming.
  • GaryRuns
    GaryRuns Posts: 508 Member
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    If you cared about what most of the dudes in the gym thought you'd be doing nothing but weight training for your chest and arms! lol.

    Seriously, if you're just interested in some low-impact cardio then they are fantastic. Slap on a heart-rate monitor, if the machine you're using doesn't have one built in, to help you gauge how hard you're working and go for it.
  • irtrail
    irtrail Posts: 18 Member
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    I hate ellipticals. Really. They make me sweat like a lawn sprinkler, make my quads and calves burn and my glutes sore.

    Treadmill doesn't do that for me.

    Of course, turning up the incline on a treadmill isn't the same as turning up the resistance on an elliptical. Not sure about the actual calories, but I only rely on the consistency between sessions to ensure I am performing harder than last week.

    In conclusion, I don't think I would use a gym machine I like. It would be strangely similar to a La-z-boy...
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    edited October 2016
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    I definitely am down with a stigma towards ellipticals. Because I personally feel like a drunk octopus on the fool things. :p I don't know what it is, I just can't feel coordinated on them no matter what type I try. Obviously, this is sarcasm.

    I'd love to be able to get over this, because I have two kinds of arthritis and am sure that my days as a runner are numbered, but I think I'll just have to content myself with speed walking when my knees and hips finally give out.

    Oh and Smith machines? Some of the people in my gym use them for hip thrusts. I don't see too much wrong with that use of them myself. I just use a weight plate personally, though and do them from the floor like glute bridges.
  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,466 Member
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    Only criteria is whether or not it works for you. Decide on your program. Once you've decided, pay no attention to what others are doing.

    Worrying about what others are thinking about what you do at the gym is how people get injured lifting. Use the right weight to get good form. Lots of guys are throwing 20lb dumbbells around because of the "stigma" of 10s. To quote Arnold, "Forget your ego."
  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,466 Member
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    & agree, calorie counters on machines are not reliable. Get the HRM.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited October 2016
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    88olds wrote: »
    & agree, calorie counters on machines are not reliable. Get the HRM.

    Also not reliable cos designed for steady state cardio not gym workouts that are more stop and start based..raised heart rate does not convert to calorie burn in all states

    Best to just check a METS chart ...or take a percentage and see your body feedback
    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
    I definitely am down with a stigma towards ellipticals. Because I personally feel like a drunk octopus on the fool things. :p I don't know what it is, I just can't feel coordinated on them no matter what type I try. Obviously, this is sarcasm.

    I'd love to be able to get over this, because I have two kinds of arthritis and am sure that my days as a runner are numbered, but I think I'll just have to content myself with speed walking when my knees and hips finally give out.

    Oh and Smith machines? Some of the people in my gym use them for hip thrusts. I don't see too much wrong with that use of them myself. I just use a weight plate personally, though and do them from the floor like glute bridges.

    I'd suggest range of motion on a glute bridge is too far for a smith to be a useful machine ..the forced track will again impact on form, results and give a false reading on max weight and reduce stabiliser muscle involvement.

    But thinking about it I'd probably add developing to full pull up and push up to the shoulder shrugs

    Anyway I'm cross at smith machines as it is responsible for me sustaining a pretty nasty head injury this week ...48 hour headache and huge lump on my noggin (our gym was refurbed and not enough space between smith and rack, when I put plates on my bar and stood up to step forward I got shocked by how close smith bar was and ducked out the way only to side headbutt my own bar...ended up leaving the gym after complaining vociferously to staff ..have already mentioned proximity 4 weeks ago and put it in writing)
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
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    Not a glute bridge from the floor where you're lying on your back, but hip thrusts where you're sitting and leaning on a bench. That range of motion is pretty much just up and down and fine in the Smith machine from what I can see.

    It's funny, I'm too short to do hip thrusts because my back doesn't hit the bench in the right place to do them properly. I've done them with aerobic steps and pre-weighted barbells, though, since I can set up the aerobic steps to be shorter.

    I usually end up doing the floor glute bridges with the plate because I'm too lazy to set up the steps and they're usually being used anyway. Ho-hum.

    Sorry about your head bump!
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
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    Oof... found a post from Mr. Glute himself. Smith Machines are cool by him for hip thrusting:

    https://bretcontreras.com/b-t-always-thrusting/
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
    Oof... found a post from Mr. Glute himself. Smith Machines are cool by him for hip thrusting:

    https://bretcontreras.com/b-t-always-thrusting/

    Dude, did you just oneup me with Contreras :bigsmile: @GottaBurnEmAll
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
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    Sued0nim wrote: »
    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
    Oof... found a post from Mr. Glute himself. Smith Machines are cool by him for hip thrusting:

    https://bretcontreras.com/b-t-always-thrusting/

    Dude, did you just oneup me with Contreras :bigsmile: @GottaBurnEmAll

    : :p
  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
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    Bad knees here. Love the elliptical. Use it everyday at the gym and got one for at home when I am watching tv. I don't care about the calorie burn that much. My resting HR went from 74 when I started MFP to 49-52 now, so I know it is working. I also walk a lot.
    My best advice, don't worry about what anyone thinks. I see a lot of men, of all ages, using the elliptical at the gym I go to.

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