Thoughts on elliptical machines?

Brocksterdanza

I am tweaking my training for the next several months to continue to train for more spartan races and specifically to lose the remaining 30 pounds I'm carrying. We have a gym style elliptical upstairs thatbis readily available at any time for me. I am hitting the gym and want to lose those extra 30 pounds by march or early april... i know running is best in the longrun... how do ellipticals stack up? Can i get quality results using it as my cardio this winter? Thanks all

astronaught

I found that the elliptical was great for me losing weight, but it didn't translate into running ability. So you may want to work in some outdoor runs if possible.

Brocksterdanza

Yeah i still plan on hitting trails etc... just looking to improve my cardio endurance so i can lower mile time.... also to drop the 30ish pounds.

NorthCascades

We have an elliptical machine at home, and I use it all the time to hang my clothes on.

Any exercise will burn calories. The more time you spend doing it, the more you'll burn. On the other hand you can lose weight without exercising. Remember that all the calories you eat come from food, only a fraction (usually a pretty small fraction) of the ones you burn come from exercise.

If you want to be in shape for a race, a lot of people think the best training style is "specificity." An elliptical would be a great way to train for an elliptical race, in other words. Cross training helps up to a certain level, but nothing is like getting ready for what you're going to be doing.

Brocksterdanza

Oh I've done several spartans... im just looking to add some quick cardio when I'm bored at home or if its early in morning or very late... iam just looking at efficiency.

riffraff2112

while i was suffering from foot and knee pain, I had to cut back on the running. I found the elliptical a pretty good compromise. Impact pain went away and I find it so easy to do in the winter when our climate gets very cold.
You can certainly burn the calories by picking up the intensity and resistance.

sarko15

Cardio is cardio...there's ways to make it more efficient, I think, like bumping up the resistance or peddling backwards. The biggest difference is that while it's a similar movement, it takes out a lot of the impact. Which is nice if you have sore knees or are prone to stress injuries like I am, but if "efficient" means helping you train, it's probably not going to help all that much getting your body used to the actual stress of running.

megan_elizabeth8

Nothing wrong with using it for cardio. Personally I don't because I find the stride arkward and uncomfortable... but if it keeps you moving that's the main thing!

ashcky

I love doing the hills setting on the elliptical but I also run outdoors as well.

CatherineLaurel

Using the elliptical for two months built up my leg muscle and endurance and helped me run longer and faster!

CatherineLaurel

I didn't do it on a very high level or incline either

Azdak

While the elliptical might not mimic the "stress" of running, it can be a nice cross training alternative. For this, I am referring primarily to the Life Fitness elliptical cross trainers. The movement is based off a running gait, so it has greater hip extension and a more natural arm movement compared to most other ellipticals (e.g. Precor).

For an elite or professional athlete, it makes sense for training to be as specific as possible. For a recreational athlete, a steady diet of running only might not be the best choice. Often, substituting a lower-impact, "cross training" for the shorter recovery runs can be a good idea. Ideally, the cross training activity should focus more on the quads (e.g. Cycling, stairclimbing), since those muscles are underused in cycling, but ellipticals can benefit as well.

JustMissTracy

I love/hate mine. I love it as it burns massive calories compared to the treadmill, but I hate it because it's really tough for me.....so I tend to avoid it, actually, I don't think I've used mine in two weeks now!

Azdak

Azdak wrote: »

While the elliptical might not mimic the "stress" of running, it can be a nice cross training alternative. For this, I am referring primarily to the Life Fitness elliptical cross trainers. The movement is based off a running gait, so it has greater hip extension and a more natural arm movement compared to most other ellipticals (e.g. Precor).

For an elite or professional athlete, it makes sense for training to be as specific as possible. For a recreational athlete, a steady diet of running only might not be the best choice. Often, substituting a lower-impact, "cross training" for the shorter recovery runs can be a good idea. Ideally, the cross training activity should focus more on the quads (e.g. Cycling, stairclimbing), since those muscles are underused in cycling, but ellipticals can benefit as well.

Whoops--I meant underused in RUNNING, not cycling