Elliptical Or Exercise Bike?

SaishaLea

I am a stay at home mom of two kids under 2. I want to buy a piece of exercise equipment for weight loss. I already have a treadmill. Which would you recommend???

Juliebean_1027

Elliptical, hands down. I love mine! It burns more than the exercise bike, too. (At least I'm pretty sure) Anyway, check Craigs List and things like that, because you can usually get a good deal on stuff like this. Good luck and happy exercising!

heathersmilez

Your burn more cals on the elliptical b/c it is a standing exercise and works the entire body.

erickirb

If you bike in the summer I would go for the bike to improve your performance. If you don't bike, I would go with the elliptical, as you get a better burn as you are not seated.

jayliospecky

I recently got a new recumbent stationary bike and I love it. It has a built in heart rate monitor, too, which is great. I had an elliptical a few years ago and ended up getting rid of it at a garage sale. It was too similar to my treadmill and I didn't think it was worth it.

greeneyedellen

Definitely elliptical!

King_Bee

I would say try them out first if you haven't already and see what you like. Nothing sucks more then laying down some cash for a piece of equipment and then finding out you don't like it later.

smpreston

If you get a spin bike, you can buy various DVD's to workout with. You can burn more calories with interval training and using multiple DVDs will give you a nice variety.

Sidesteal

I would say try them out first if you haven't already and see what you like. Nothing sucks more then laying down some cash for a piece of equipment and then finding out you don't like it later.

^ Winner IMO. I think cardio preference (doing what you enjoy the most or hate the least) will trump calories per hour in most cases.

MzMiller1215

My preference is the elliptical but, I suggest you do what works best for you.

tomomatic

I have both but I use the exercise bike more. The bike gets more use because I have bad feet, ankle and knees. I have flat feet so I have enough problems with just standing up. I still use the elliptical for a change of pace.

As far as calories burned, that's more of a function of how a person gets their heart rate up. I sometimes use light weights when I'm on the bike to challenge myself. Sometimes a ratchet up the resistance.

Rachaelluvszipped

Elliptical...cause you do burn quite a bit...unless your planning on standing while riding your bike...lol, I only do those during my classes..otherwise I'd just sit and pedal...

Michelle9939

I have an elliptical. I really like it. But now I want a recumbent bike.

tomomatic

I have an elliptical. I really like it. But now I want a recumbent bike.

I had a recumbent bike. It didn't work for me because my butt kept going numb. I'm not sure if it was cutting off circulation or sitting on a nerve. It happened at the gym, too.

feydruss

I have an elliptical, and the next piece of large equipment I plan to purchase is a rowing machine (ergometer). Both are full body workouts if you do them right!

I'm not sure what you have in your home gym right now, but instead of buying another cardio piece I'd recommend building your strength components if you haven't already. I have a balance ball, TRX, BOSU, various bands, a pull-up bar, and some PowerBlocks. Love them all.

amandavictoria80

ELLIPTICAL!!!! This is what I bought when I started my journey. And just like you, I already had a treadmill.
I fell in love! It is very challenging at first that's for sure. But once you get the hang of it, it's great!

Just some advice. an elliptical is a great calorie burning piece of equipment, especially when compared to a bike.
HOWEVER, nothing beats running on a treadmill! My treadmill is broken right now and I can't wait to get it fixed for this reason. It's all I hear about.
As most runners will say, it's the best way to burn calories and shed weight.

If you do decide on getting a elliptical, just make sure you get one with a good stride length. And resistance is a good idea as well.
My friend bought a elliptical but didn't pay attention to the stride length. Now it no longer challenges her muscles and it's far too easy.

Hope this all helps! Take care.

SaishaLea

Thanks for all the great advice!!! Love this site!

wolfchild59

A treadmill, elliptical and bike all work essentially the same major muscles. So all three are very similar in what you're exercising in your body. If it were me, I'd get the bike because biking is a common cross-train for runners because they strengthen the same muscles so they benefit each other, but the bike takes you off your feet. This creates a larger difference in how tour body recovers between workouts. Despite an elliptical being super low impact, it's still a body weight supporting workout. Which means that if you have a injury that prevents you from running you're more likely to have more benefits from having a bike to turn to instead of an elliptical.

And don't discount calorie burn on a bike. If you have an upright one you can get some spinning DVDs or just work intervals yourself. This can mean standing on the pedals and getting your butt off the seat to push stronger and harder. Plus, if you build up a good strength with a stationary bike, you can look to move that outdoors and be able to enjoy riding on trails and around your city, the elliptical doesn't give you that transition.

But if I had the option of anything to add to a home gym, I'd go for some free weights, dumb bells and a bar. Strength training will build muscle, help lean out your body as you lose fat, help your running and give you overall better body health.