What's your favourite cardio machine?

RepswithRyan
RepswithRyan Posts: 171 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
What's your favourite cardio machine?

For me, I would have to say the rowing machine as it is low impact but it also recruits both upper and lower body muscles.

Replies

  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
    edited January 2020
    Right now: treadmill and stationary bike. I have also used elliptical a lot in the past.

    In general, In general, I think it's best to mix it up.
  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,186 Member
    Rowing and ARC Fitness.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I loath indoor cardio machines and would much prefer to be on my road bike or mountain bike. It's winter right now so that makes things more difficult as it is dark in the morning and evening when I have available time, so I take a spin class once per week and use the spin bikes at the gym to do some moderate indoor cycling on another night. On weekends I like to get outside and ride if it's nice enough (usually is). I prefer the spin bikes to the usual indoor bikes.
  • PennyP312
    PennyP312 Posts: 161 Member
    Spin bike
  • Joanna2012B
    Joanna2012B Posts: 1,448 Member
    I am not a big fan of indoor cardio. If I absolutely can't run or cycle outside I will run on the dreadmill or go to spin class.
  • liftingbro
    liftingbro Posts: 2,029 Member
    I like bikes and treadmill the best. But tried and Arc Trainer last time I was a the gym for the first time and like that too.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Outdoor bicycles for preference, indoor bikes for training and avoiding poor weather conditions.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    Outdoor bike.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,204 Member
    I can't say I like my rowing machine, but it helps keep me in adequate shape to row my rowing shell, once the river thaws out (then it sits idle all summer ;) ). Spinning is fun, too, when stuck indoors.

    You're right, the rowing machine uses lots of muscle groups. A thing to be aware of, though, if you do a lot of it, is that it's unbalanced: All lower body push, upper body pull. It's a good plan to add other exercise to balance out the muscle groups. Doing more with upper body push, particularly around the shoulders (for rotator cuff benefits), is especially important for injury avoidance long-term.
  • Mr_Healthy_Habits
    Mr_Healthy_Habits Posts: 12,588 Member
    My bowflex max trainer...

    It's been a game changer and a knee saver
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    My road bike!
  • Katmary71
    Katmary71 Posts: 7,078 Member
    I just tried and fell in love with the stair treadmill, I've done it every time I've been to the gym lately. My main cardio is my exercise bike at home, I can read novels and get a good workout at the same time.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,611 Member
    My bicycle. :) Outside.
  • Spencerport
    Spencerport Posts: 270 Member
    Indoors: Elliptical or Recumbent Bike
    Outdoors: Kayak or Stand Up Paddleboard
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,446 Member
    My feet.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    Mr_Healthy_Habits wrote: »
    My bowflex max trainer...

    It's been a game changer and a knee saver

    Yesss!!! Love mine too
  • SwindonJogger
    SwindonJogger Posts: 325 Member
    Stairmaster. nothing else gets my heart rate up so quickly. try walking quickly up a long flight of stairs and see how winded you get.
  • chris89topher
    chris89topher Posts: 389 Member
    Mr_Healthy_Habits wrote: »
    My bowflex max trainer...

    It's been a game changer and a knee saver

    Same here. I've had my M5 for 3 years and have used it almost every single day since. It's still hard!! Lol. But it is a great workout.
  • nighthawk584
    nighthawk584 Posts: 2,023 Member
    my 20 year old spin bike. (it sat lonely for 16 years)
  • Mr_Healthy_Habits
    Mr_Healthy_Habits Posts: 12,588 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    Mr_Healthy_Habits wrote: »
    My bowflex max trainer...

    It's been a game changer and a knee saver

    Yesss!!! Love mine too
    chris89topher wrote: »
    Mr_Healthy_Habits wrote: »
    My bowflex max trainer...

    It's been a game changer and a knee saver

    Same here. I've had my M5 for 3 years and have used it almost every single day since. It's still hard!! Lol. But it is a great workout.

    th?id=OGC.3d92cdefecf950fe3ac71ce7ba0e4d56&pid=Api&rurl=https%3a%2f%2fmedia.giphy.com%2fmedia%2fa3pE20V9aadKU%2fgiphy.gif&ehk=s5egOSB5fEpFm%2f2R0eBfbUClLDtLAvez%2fy6bSluqLyA%3d
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    In winter my bike goes on the trainer so I guess that's a "cardio machine", a close second in my C2 rower.
  • katermari
    katermari Posts: 137 Member
    stairmill! and biking, and hiking.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,984 Member
    LvlUpStr wrote: »
    What's your favourite cardio machine?

    For me, I would have to say the rowing machine as it is low impact but it also recruits both upper and lower body muscles.
    Minimal on the lower body though. And the lower body has the largest muscles to recruit.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,984 Member
    I have no favorite since I hate them all the same. I'd rather be outside walking, jogging, biking, hiking, etc.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,204 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    LvlUpStr wrote: »
    What's your favourite cardio machine?

    For me, I would have to say the rowing machine as it is low impact but it also recruits both upper and lower body muscles.
    Minimal on the lower body though. And the lower body has the largest muscles to recruit.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

    I hate to disagree with a trainer, but this time I do.

    Properly done, it's predominantly leg strength that powers the stroke.

    Certainly, it's not anywhere near as efficient or progressive as weight training, for building leg strength. I'd never argue that.

    But 1000+ reps of bodyweight** leg press, done routinely, does not achieve "minimal" leg benefit.

    Optimally, bodyweight is not fully on the seat: That's doing it wrong. And it's what most people at gyms do, among other sub-ideal details.

    ** Bodyweight + share of boat weight/water-friction, on water
  • gradchica27
    gradchica27 Posts: 777 Member
    Stair mill. Fiendishly hard but less taxing on my hips than running. Also, the arc trainer type ellipticals (the manual ones where you adjust the incline with a stick on the side, with big range of motion).

    Years of erg sprints in college make me instinctively loathe the rower, but it’s my favorite for adding in to my light weight HIIT days.
  • Viktorija34
    Viktorija34 Posts: 41 Member
    I like rowing machine and stationary bike. I also like fast walking on the treadmill (I can't run..)
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