Elliptical........... What do you LOVE?

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doobabe
doobabe Posts: 436 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am in the market for a new elliptical and I would LOVE some feedback. I already have a treadmill & treadclimber, but I would like to add an elliptical to mix it up some days. Also, my hubby said he would use it.......... (MmmmmHmmmm)

So, I dont know a whole lot about them- tell me what you have and what you like and dislike about it PLEASE! I am a desperate woman lol

Thanks in advance!! XO

Replies

  • JennaM222
    JennaM222 Posts: 1,996 Member
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    It is a nice break from the treadmill I find, and Also, a great warm up before a run on the treadmill!! I love it :) some have alot of diff. set programs to follow like intervalls, fat burn, random, hills, etc. good luck :)
  • thetrishwarp
    thetrishwarp Posts: 838 Member
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    I find that I get a good burn on them! I prefer it to the bike - but I can't really say what I LOVE about the elliptical because I don't really love it at all :p when i do go to a gym though, that's what I use - I feel like I get more of a body workout than I do with a bike.
  • AHealthierRhonda
    AHealthierRhonda Posts: 881 Member
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    We have a Pro Form i Series elliptical. In general I like it. I did find out that the calories it says I burn are way off, as in more than double what I really burn. For the price though, it was a great investment when we bought it 4 years ago. It definitely gives me a great workout and I lost about 20 lbs in the past just using it 3 times a week and using dvds 2-3 times a week. It is noisy, but ours may need to be oiled which would quiet it back down again. I leave that stuff to hubby. I am 5' 5.5" tall and find the strides small for me but I easily adjusted to them. Hubby who is 6' 2" tall hates the small stride and refuses to use it because of that (can you say just another excuse!!)
    The one we ahve has a fan built in to it, a plug where you could plug in your MP3 player iPod... instead of plugging in your earbuds. The readout informs you of your speed, miles, time left, level of workout, upcoming levels of workout, and cals (wrong along with heart rate reading) Lots of choices for workouts, levels and times. Incline can be adjusted to 3 levels.
    I love ellipticals and would invest in another one when this one dies!
  • devilwhiterose
    devilwhiterose Posts: 1,157 Member
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    I have the Gold's Gym Stridetrainer 595. It has an 18" stride length, 3 adjustable height levels and rolls super smooth and is pretty quiet. It has a cupholder, ummmm...I think 12 programs, and a built-in fan. It has an IPOD/MP3 port too (but I've never used it).

    I LOVE it. Took me about 2 hours to put together, but I LOVE it.
  • ZebraHead
    ZebraHead Posts: 15,207 Member
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    I have a Vision Fitness X30:

    http://home.visionfitness.com/elliptical-trainers/x30/simple/


    It has a long stride (19 to 20 inches) well made. This is the mid-range model in the series. LOVE IT!!

    I got the simple computer head, didn't need (or want) all the crap on it I would never use.

    Some tips:

    Some folks report a numbing of the toes after a while. Watch your foot placement and don't get up on your toes (this worked for me).

    When you first get on an elliptical you may find that you are 'done' after only a few minutes. Don't panic, you will build up over time until you are working it for extended periods.

    I burn a lot more calories (by my own HRM, not machines) on the elliptical than some other cardio machines.

    DON'T BY CRAP!! Get the best you can afford. (If you buy cheap and it sucks you are out all of your money)

    Try out whatever you are going to buy before hand, some places will have many models set up. Go try them all don't let the salesman push you. If you get on the very best machine the industry has to offer and 'ride' it for a few minutes then you will be able to tell the difference when you get on a piece of junk...

    Good luck to you ☺
  • staceyGO
    staceyGO Posts: 376
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    I have a proform and it's broken and has been for years... have you ever tried an arc trainer? They're super fun and attack trouble spots around the hips and depending on the tilt you have it on you get a good back burn too!

    http://www.cybexintl.com/products/cardio/ArcTrainers.aspx

    Its kind of like an elliptical but upgraded! :)
  • Mkleder
    Mkleder Posts: 289
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    I love them, particularly the ones with the arm poles. That feature alone helps me get my work out in even on those days when knees and hamstrings are not in proper working order.

    One thing, Ceiling alert: be aware of the height of the household's tallest user plus the foot pedals....a small factor I overlooked when shopping for mine. I'm OK, but turn off the ceiling fan just to be safe.

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