Elliptical VS Treadmill

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laurenleola
laurenleola Posts: 8 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
In your opinion what's the better workout?
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Replies

  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
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    Whichever one seems to fit you better (try both), determine what you like and can fully commit yourself to. If you can't commit to it then the subtle differences in movement pattern don't really matter.
  • sfbaumgarten
    sfbaumgarten Posts: 912 Member
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    For me it'd be the treadmill because I burn more calories running at a constant speed than I do moving the pedals on the elliptical on my own. Basically, the treadmill forces me to maintain my level of effort and the ellipitcal doesn't.
  • Riffraft1960
    Riffraft1960 Posts: 1,984 Member
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    I use a treadmill, I can seem to get coordinated on a ellipitical (I find it awkward)
  • gardnerkennedy
    gardnerkennedy Posts: 69 Member
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    "For me it'd be the treadmill because I burn more calories running at a constant speed than I do moving the pedals on the elliptical on my own. Basically, the treadmill forces me to maintain my level of effort and the ellipitcal doesn't."

    --x2.
  • iwannabinnarnia
    iwannabinnarnia Posts: 179 Member
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    Treadmill because it's more calories burned when I use it.. BUT.. the elliptical is not as hard on the knees/legs....
  • becky10rp
    becky10rp Posts: 573 Member
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    I have both - and I prefer my treadmill.

    Everyone told me I'd get to LOVE my elliptical.

    That hasn't happened yet.
  • pinupgal123
    pinupgal123 Posts: 65
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    I love my elliptical and can't stand the "dreadmill"! It's all personal preference I think.
  • Rowood101
    Rowood101 Posts: 98 Member
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    Elliptical for me. Although I'm hoping to love the treadmill once I learn how to run.
  • beckimoore39
    beckimoore39 Posts: 1 Member
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    I love my elliptical. Since I can't run because of knee issues I burn more calories using the elliptical.
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
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    Depends on my goal for that day.
  • LifeOfBrian78
    LifeOfBrian78 Posts: 397 Member
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    I use the elliptical because I have some knee issues that I don't want to make worse.
  • kmash32
    kmash32 Posts: 275 Member
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    I love my elliptical. Since I can't run because of knee issues I burn more calories using the elliptical.

    This^
  • TMagical
    TMagical Posts: 37 Member
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    I love the elliptical! I like to speed up, slow down, go backwards, take 1 foot off a pedal & use my arms to pump and try to keep the RPM constant, "run" w/ no hands. All kinds of things.

    I feel uncoordinated and graceless on the treadmill and can't really walk straight so I always feel like I'm about to fall off.

    For me, the elliptical is much more forgiving, I can bop around to my music or get engrossed in a movie and not worry about ending up on a "Gym Fails" Youtube video.
  • rachelrb85
    rachelrb85 Posts: 579 Member
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    I hate both. I want to love the treadmill but the impact hurts my shins. I use the elliptical but it's so boring. Running outside works best for me!
  • EvanKeel
    EvanKeel Posts: 1,904 Member
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    I seem to be prone to joint problems in my knees and ankles. I like the burn of the treadmill a bit more, but I always regret choosing it over the elliptical eventually.
  • TheWorstHorse
    TheWorstHorse Posts: 185
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    dump them both for a rowing machine.

    wait, that's not the question... okay, sorry.

    i prefer the eliptical to a treadmill because i have a bum knee but i prefer my old concept two rower to both of them for quality and intensity of the workout i am able to do.
  • Grumpsandwich
    Grumpsandwich Posts: 368 Member
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    Elliptical for me. I get terrible shin pain just walking on a treadmill yet alone running ( and oddly i don't when walking irl)
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    elliptical will help endurance out a bit, but nothing else about the machine can translate to the real world as the motion is not something you would ever do if not on the elliptical. Treadmill on the other hand is a "normal" motion (walking, running, jogging) and can help improve performance in any activity that uses that, and will increase overal endurance.

    If you are going on calorie burn, don't compare what the readout on the machines say, treadmills tend to be fairly accurate, if you enter, age, gender, weight, elliptical, even with that info can be way off as the calculation of work done used by the machine has not been tested and verified as the one use on treadmills.

    Another issue with elliptical is that if the stride pattern is not your natural length it can overtime cause injury to hips and knees as your body is not "supposed to" move like that.
  • valynn0312
    valynn0312 Posts: 27
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    I like them both for different reasons.

    I like the treadmill for running… that's pretty much it.
    I like the elliptical if I'm not in the mood to straight run. I usually put it on the highest resistance and walk. It's a good burn in my legs.
  • shmulyeng
    shmulyeng Posts: 472 Member
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    Since I hate indoor exercise, I stick to the treadmill when I'm indoors. It translates better to outdoor exercise.

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