Top 10 Mistakes in an Article About Mistakes People Make on

Azdak

This article was posted in another thread. It was about "mistake" than people make when using elliptical trainers. Whoever posted it originally went to the trouble of finding something they thought was useful and sharing it with the group.

Ironically, an article about "workout mistakes" contained what I feel was a lot of inaccurate information. Rather than place my comments in another person's topic, I thought I would start my own on the subject.

One of the reasons I am singling this out is because, unfortunately, this type of article is all too common in the world of fitness. Big on cliches, short on facts.

So, this is an article about the top 10 "mistakes" people make when exercising on an elliptical trainer--I believe it was published on a site called fitbie.com--with my comments:

1. You’re too lazy to enter your information.
Most machines are calibrated for a 150-pound person—but personalizing your stats will help you get a more accurate calorie read. Aim to burn around 100 calories per 10 minutes, says Jennifer Cassetty, an exercise physiologist.

It's always a good idea to personalize your information on any machine, but whether you do or do not on an elliptical might not make much difference. With the exception of some particular models of one manufacturer (Life Fitness), most elliptical calorie readouts are way off under any circumstances.

To make a general statement like "aim to burn 100 calories in 10 minutes" is too broad. Your calorie burn depends on body weight and intensity. For some people, working at an effort that would burn 10 calories a minute could be ridiculously easy and for others it could be impossibly hard.

2. Your resistance is zero.
You might feel like a million bucks spinning at a mile a minute, but without resistance, you’re not going to see results, says Röbynn Europe, a personal trainer at Chelsea Piers in New York City. Make sure that you’re using enough resistance to push and pull through the stride. Then, continue at a moderate pace until you feel like you’ve done all you can do. “You shouldn’t feel like you have even 5 minutes left in you when you step off,” she says.

While it's true that, for most people, some resistance will be necessary, the fact is that your exercise intensity when working on an elliptical is a product of speed x resistance. Any exerciser needs to work at the intensity that is appropriate for them, and that can include a number of different combinations of speed and resistance. . In most cases, people will find a comfortable "cruising speed" and any further increases will come via increased resistance only. However, an unfit beginner could very easily see training results with little or no resistance. In that instance, going at a higher speed with less resistance would actually be more productive, less stressful and would likely allow them to go for a longer duration. To say that you should always work until you can hardly do any more exercise is beyond absurd.

3. You’re a sloucher.
Standing up straight helps to lengthen your abs, giving you a chance to engage your core and even work your upper body muscles, Cassetty says. Certified personal trainer Neal I. Pire, MA, CSCS, president of Inspire Training Systems in New Jersey, recommends hopping on a machine with an upper body component so you can engage even more muscles—and blast more fat. Can't find a machine that lets you pump your arms? Let go: Some research suggests that leaning on machine armrests during exercise reduces calorie burning.

Nothing too bad here, except for the idea that an upper body component "blasts more fat". First of all, NOTHING "blasts fat" -that is one of the most inane phrases around. Secondly, fat is burned by maintaining a calorie deficit--exercise helps by burning calories. Calorie burn is determined by intensity--equivalent intensities result in equivalent levels of calorie burn, whether there is an "upper body component" or not.

4. Your machine sounds like it’s going to take off.
If you can hear the purr of the machine while you’re exercising, it means that you’re going too fast without enough resistance—which means you’re not getting the most calorie burn out of your time, Cassetty says. Keeping a steady, moderate pace at a resistance that forces you to use your muscles will get, and keep, your heart rate up.

See my remarks for #1

5. You don’t change directions.
Going backwards doesn’t just stop you from getting bored, it also changes which large muscle groups are working hardest, according to Europe. While moving forward fatigues your quads, backwards puts emphasis on your hamstrings and glutes. To max out the effect, sit back slightly, keeping your knees at a 90-degree angle as you stride.

Some people might feel that changing directions relieves some of the monotony of their cardio workouts, but it has no physiological benefit. The resistance on cardio machines is so low that there is little muscle conditioning--there really is no need to change directions just to "work other muscles". Many people will find it awkward to go backwards which could either put them at higher risk for an overuse injury or decrease the quality (and calorie burn) of their workout because they can't push themselves as hard. There is nothing wrong with going backwards--but there are no benefits that justify making it a general recommendation.

6. You haven’t changed your workout in months.
Intervals are a great way to break up the monotony of the machine and boost your calorie burn, says Europe. You can do this in one of two ways: Leave the resistance steady and change your pace (fast for 1 minute; moderate for 4) or maintain your speed and change your resistance (challenging resistance for 1 minute; moderate for 4).

This is true--and it's true for any cardio workout. Although I would not wait months, weeks, or even days to change your workout. Your weekly routine should include a variety of intensities and durations.

7. You spin until you can’t feel your feet.
One of the most common elliptical mistakes is putting too much pressure on your toes, which can make your feet go numb and cut your workout short. Instead, sit back into your heels, which allows large muscle groups to work harder and gives you the stamina to go for longer, according to Cassetty.

This might be true--although I think it is more a function of people working out on ellipticals/cross trainers that have a poor biomechanical design -- like Precor, Technogym, Star Trac, etc, etc.

8. You don’t work your upper half.
Incorporate the moving handles two days a week to put your upper body to work, and hang on to the stable handles on the others, says Cassetty. When you’re working your arms and legs, try intervals—focus on your arms for 1 minute, then pump your legs for 4, and repeat through your workout.

See earlier remarks before about cardio being cardio and intensity being intensity. Whether you do it with arms or without makes no real difference (although it is likely easier to do with arms). There is no difference/benefits to alternating "upper body" and "no upper body" workouts.

9. You spin your way up a hill.
Some models have a ramp incline, similar to a treadmill. But, unlike a treadmill, a large incline won’t increase the difficulty—instead, it’s easier for your legs to push and pull through the stride.

My only comment on this is that if you are using an elliptical with a ramp incline, IMO, you are on the wrong machine to begin with.

10. You’re an elliptical junkie.
As tempting as it may be to shoot straight to the elliptical every time you enter the gym, you should never be using one machine exclusively, says Europe. Supplement your routine with weight training and other cardio equipment, such as the rower. Making sure you incorporate variety keeps your body from getting used to a single movement and also continues to help you build muscle mass—which, in turn, will keep your metabolism boosted.

This is kind of a jumbled mess. Yes, you should include cardio and strength training in your workout routine. Doing more than one type of cardio is likely better for a number of reasons--avoiding overtraining, including "active rest" days (i.e. days that you still exercise but work different muscles so that you can work out more frequently), keeping things interesting. However, varying your cardio won't do a thing to "build muscle mass" or "keep your metabolism boosted".

millerll

Good info here, as always, Azdak! Thanks for the clarification. :drinker:

LolaGotThin

Number 5 and 8 are especially interesting to me. I always see people going "backwards" on ellipticals and wonder why and 8, well. I thought the same as you! That cardio is cardio. I work the other parts of my body with the strength training.

schaapj2

Bump to read for later!

3dogsrunning

Great. Thanks.

One question - which models of Life Fitness are the exception or where can I find out? They happen to be the ones at my gym, just wondering if those models are the more accurate ones.

Scarlett_S

Thanks for the info. I have often wondered why my toes go numb on the elliptical, and it keeps me from going longer.

LadyGhostDuchess

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/438406-top-10-mistakes-you-make-on-the-elliptical-trainer

I actually just posted this topic yesterday
I am glad it is spreading around though

Purpleflipflops

Very appreciated! I really do enjoy the Elliptical, so these were good to know, and your imput was even better!

Azdak

Great. Thanks.

One question - which models of Life Fitness are the exception or where can I find out? They happen to be the ones at my gym, just wondering if those models are the more accurate ones.

The older Life Fitness models (known as the 91X, CT9500HRR, and the CLSX models) tend to have older software than inflates the calorie numbers by 25% or so. A lot of clubs still have these models since they were very popular, and very durable. In 2004, Life Fitness updated the design--unfortunately the early models had some mechanical issues and, out of self preservation, many of the sales reps who work the clubs refused to sell the model--they kept pushing the old one.

A 95X cross trainer that is less than 5 years old or a new "Elevation" series cross trainer (with a radically designed rear drive) would have the updated software that gives what I consider to be a very accurate calorie burn estimate. Those models were tested after LF built their own human performance laboratory and started to develop their own machine-specific algorithms for calories. (I know of no effort to go back and "retrofit" the older software--to be honest, it takes a huge effort to do a validation study from scratch and it's hard to justify the cost and man-hours).

You can usually tell which model you have -- I think the inflated numbers are pretty obvious.

3dogsrunning

This gym is just over a year old, so I am guesing they have the newer models, but i will check it out. Thanks again.

sdailey4

I go back wards to give my muscles a break for a minute, it does help but I only do it for about a minute of the entire 45 I am on.

Azdak

I go back wards to give my muscles a break for a minute, it does help but I only do it for about a minute of the entire 45 I am on.

Again, I want to emphasize that there is absolutely nothing wrong with going backwards. My only point in criticizing that statement in the article was that the "trainer" was making a blanket statement that EVERYONE should do it, and claiming "benefits" that are not supported by physiology.