Exercise for Dummies

PrincessLou71186

Hey,

First of all, I am a complete IDIOT when it comes to exercise/fitness machines so please bare with me. I plan on joining a gym in the next month or two but for the moment it's not an option.

Right, my question:

What is the difference between an elliptical and a cross trainer?

Like I say, I am a COMPLETE IDIOT with these things.

The reason I ask is my hubby bought me a Reebok rev-11101 fusion cross trainer and after an hour, I am dripping with sweat, heart rate is usually around 115 (normal heart rate is 76) and I burn 300 calories (going from the machines censors, I am waiting for my HRM) yet I see people using an elliptical and burning nearly four times that in the same time, I'm thinking I need one of them.

So, SO confused. Please help. :-D

6wwe1fan9

I was wondering this too.

PrincessLou71186

Anyone?

There must be someone out there that knows the answer to what I am asking.

PrincessLou71186

Bump

taxidermist15

they are the same thing, different counties have different names on them, well that's what it is where I come from, I regard them as the same.

clairabell2024

Same thing- they just have different names like egg plant & Aubergine!

Ive read in a few topics that my fitness pal calcs the wrong amount calories for this machine if you just put in how many minutes you worked out.

So some people maybe over stating the calorie burn and therefore over eating (if eating back there exercise cals.)

Its better to under record your burn than over any how!

xx

WickedMouse

THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ELLIPTICAL & CROSS TRAINERS
The term "elliptical" may refer to three different cardio machines. An elliptical trainer, elliptical glider and elliptical cross trainer are all sometimes lumped together as ellipticals. The elliptical cross trainer has one major difference that sets it apart with one glance: arm handles that move. There are other differences between the machines as well that may make one of these machines more enticing to you.

Design Differences
An elliptical cross trainer has arms that move but the incline of the leg pedals is not adjustable. The moving arms allows you to tone your upper body by pushing and pulling the arms while pedaling. Controlling the incline, however, lets you choose to emphasize the hamstrings and glutes more. If you want to increase your intensity while exercising, you can increase your speed or resistance level from the pedals on all the machines, but the cross-trainer increases intensity in the arms too. Raise the incline to increase intensity on the elliptical glider and elliptical trainer. Because there are options to control your intensity with each of the machines, you cannot truly say that one burns more calories than the other. On average though, ShapeFit.com says that a 145 lb. person can burn 300 calories in 30 minutes on an elliptical.

Differences in Muscles Used
The cross trainer will use muscles in the upper body that the elliptical trainer or glider will not. All three machines require hip and knee extension from using the pedals. Hip extension happens courtesy of the thigh and buttocks muscles, including the gluteus maximus, biceps femoris, semitendiunosus, semimembranosus and adductor magnus. The quads are responsible for knee extension. These muscles work with all three machines, but the body must also perform shoulder flexion and extension, elbow flexion and extension, and protraction and retraction of the shoulder blades to move the arms. This is going to involve the back, shoulder, chest and forearm and upper arm muscles including the traps, rhomboids, lats, pecs, serratus anterior, levator scapulae, biceps, brachialis, brachioradialis, triceps, anconeus, teres major and coracobrachialis. None of those upper body muscles work when using an elliptical trainer or glider.
Difficulty of Use
When used as intended, the elliptical cross trainer will be more challenging to your balance and coordination than elliptical trainers or gliders. The challenge to your balance occurs because there is no point of contact between your body and the machine that does not move. You can hold onto the stationary handlebars of a cross trainer to get around this, but that defeats the purpose of using a cross trainer instead of an elliptical glider or elliptical trainer. The coordination is harder because as your right arm goes forward your right foot goes backwards, and the left side of your body is doing the opposite motions. Disabled or elderly individuals may find elliptical gliders and trainers easier to use because of the handlebars that do not move, but if you want to improve your balance and coordination try the elliptical cross trainer.


:flowerforyou:

Novikay

yeah, pretty much the same thing.

try bumping up the resistance to increase your heart rate and burn more calories. If you're gonna go for an entire hour,you might as well try to burn a few more!

and yeah, when you get your HRM, you'll have a much more accurate count of calories burned. After I got mine, I would compare the HRM to the machine and it was sometimes a difference of 200 calories.

PrincessLou71186

If I do 60 minutes going through the levels at 1232112321 I burn the same calories (give or take 1 or 2) by doing 1234565432. (They are set for ten minute workouts.) So I really don't understand. I sweat more and find it more tiring doing the latter but if I burn the same, why not just do the first? In a month I have built up endurance on it and gone from only being able to do it for 5 minutes to 70 minutes (last night) and now I am working on building up my 'distance'. Before I was averaging 16kmph and now 19.4. But I still only burn around 300, all on the first, but I do vary the workkouts. It's very, very frustrating. Why bother pushing myself if I'm not going to see better results? Argh.

PrincessLou71186

BUMP

(Only place I can get the answers I need until I can join a gym and speak to 'the pros' or get my HRM.)

Articeluvsmemphis

Okay, we have quite a few "elliptical(s)" at my school's gym.

1: One is a cross trainer with handles

2: another just has the pedals, no arm handles, with sensors on the bar to hold on to

3: another is a complete beast and I know the brand but not the name, Precor. it really targets your quads, but is not fluid like a standard elliptical, you REALLY have to work on this one. now if you ever make a mistake and think them the same thing, you will quickly find out that that is not the case, lol

4: then there's another one similar to 3 which is bit more of a stair stepper kind of deal.

-good you're getting a HRM, i think they're a better indication of what's going on.

-also as for calorie burn, the bigger you are, the more you can burn, especially if you are newer to the exercise. i burned over 1,000calories my first time doing a complete hour on the elliptical and the settings were standard (10crossramp, 1resistance) if I ever go back down that low, my heart rate plummets b/c that just isn't a challenge for me anymore.

hope this helps