Eliptical? yay or nay for weight loss

liittlebrunette

We have a home gym that includes an eliptical (I'm more of a treadmill girl but my boyfriend likes the eliptical). I've heard good and bad things about using it for weight loss and more so building leg muscles more than anything.

Is anyone or has anyone had great weight loss using the eliptical? I want to start the C25K but would like to first maybe use the eliptical for 2 weeks prior to build up my cardio which is really poor right now.

Yay or Nay?

what are your weight loss results??

Thanks everyone!

sweebum

I started with the elliptical because it's low impact. As long as you don't get bored, it's a great cardio workout

doughnutwretch

It's a cardio machine so it's meant to improve endurance and help aid in fat loss, not build leg muscles. It can be a good option, especially for those who have joint pain.

I use an elliptical multiple times a week in the morning for fasted cardio (before eating breakfast).

Lonewolf1507

I would say that using them in combination will do you more good than harm. I have used them together along with a stationary bike which combined with calorie control has resulted in the loss below :happy:

Andy

Army_Love89

Love the elliptical!

DopeItUp

Any exercise is good exercise. Just do what you like. Ellipticals are useful machines for this purpose.

maryjay51

i found that mixing up the type of cardios i do brings better results. today i will be mixing up my cardio with ten minutes of each on elyptical, rower , stationary bike and then a half hour of up and down hill on the treadmill.

zaph0d

The elliptical is an exercise machine. You use it for exercise. For weight loss, you implement a calorie deficit.

cominupmilhouse

The elliptical is pretty awesome because it's a great low-impact workout. You can make it even more awesome for weight loss by doing interval training with it (this goes for all cardio exercise)

After a nice breezy 3 minute warm up, go hard (increase resistance/crossramp) for one minute then give yourself a break (go down to an easier level) for two minutes. Repeat this for 15-20 min total and you've got yourself an awesome workout that will make your body really lean and strong!

WaterBunnie

I hate it but it's a quick way to burn calories. I burn 200 in 15 mins whereas it's just under 100 on a bike in the same time.

korygilliam

Almost all of my loss is due to my elliptical. I LOVE IT! Just make sure and mix it up, doing HIIT somedays and continuous level others. My downfall was that I didn't include strength training early in my journey, so now close to goal weight, but still a lot of fluff that I need to do strength training to get rid of.

I loved that I could watch TV or read a book while doing the elliptical. It didn't realy do any abnormal loss/build to my legs, but I have big hips/thighs anyways, so probably wouldn't be able to tell. I think you would have to really up the resistance to cause building of leg muscles.

BPayton27

I lost my first 50 lbs using primarily the elliptical and arc trainer. If you have knee issues, they are ideal. Both are low impact and produce pretty big burns depending on your pace, resistance, etc.

I have begun including strength training and running in my routine now, but I still use the arc every time I'm at the gym.

IRollC30

I say YAY. I have had an elliptical for a few years and it has really helped me loose weight and keep it off. I exercise on a moderate setting (11) for 60 minutes 6-7 days a week (I will allow myself to go one day without exercising and not feel guilty). My personal opinion is that the elliptical is the best way to get your aerobic exercise in because it's low impact and a lot of fun.

One thing, ellipticals are expensive... The cheap ones will not last long - a decent one will run you $1200 minimum, unless you can find one on Craigslist. I purchased a Sole E34 (I believe) from Craigslist for $600 (they are typically around $1200 new). It has been great, especially after all of the working out I do with it.

Bottom line - I think you'll love it and if you give it a month of real working out you will see results. I have been very happy with my machine.

californiagirl2012

The only thing that causes weight loss is eating less.

Exercise is only to maintain health and lean body mass.

Once you learn to separate the two, and value them both as necessary you will win the game.

Ge0rgiana

Those things tear up my bad knee. Unless you have some unusual genetics, you will not get leg muscle from an elliptical. If you want those, pick up your barbell and squat.

126siany

I happen to love ellipticals, especially the ones on which you can significantly vary the incline. Perceived exertion is pretty low at the same heart rate when compared to something like running, it's no impact, and if it has variable incline you sure as heck can build some muscle!

Even if you don't use it every day, it can be a nice alternate to things that are harder on your knees like running or aerobics classes.

ETA: I probably should have said increase strength, not build muscle. The two are different for the literal among us.

sunshinesquared

My knees hate the eliptical! Not a fan, myself.

rllewell

As many have said, weight loss STARTS with nutrition not exercise. I'm proof of that because I was 40 lbs heavier 2 years ago and worked out 4-6 days a week.

That said I love elliptical machines over the treadmill. At Gold's I rotate cardio workouts between 2-3 different styles. The key is to do interval training on them or at least increase the tension. A big reason I like my machines is they are NO impact compared to the treadmill. The best machines have you moving your arms right along with your legs for a more full body cardio workout. However this should not replace strength training which is another topic.

GeekyGoddess

After I had my son I lost 100 lbs using diet and a trusty elliptical. I also weight trained though, so you may add that in as you go along. I am at it again, trying to lose that 100 lbs again and I will keep on using an elliptical. They are better on my joints then the treadmill but I use that too when I want to switch it up and don't mind the extra time for the same calorie burn.

erickirb

You will not build muscle doing cardio. And will probably actually lose muscle unless you incorporate strength training.

FYI cardio does not make you lose weight. It burns calories, allowing you to eat more and still have a deficit to lose weight. the deficit causes the weight loss and can be done with diet alone.

That said cardio is great for increasing endurance and for heart health. I agree with you re: the treadmill though. The elliptical motion does not translate into a real world moment so it is far inferior to jogging/running as that is a natural movement that can translate off of the machine itself.

saracatherine89

I would suggest using the elliptical AND trying to run. I have noticed that when I run BEFORE I do the elliptical, I am nice and warmed up and have a much easier time keeping my heart rate up and burning a ton more calories than when I do only the elliptical. Even if it means going outside, running for 5-10 minutes and then doing the elliptical, I think that would be the best option to increase stamina and to burn maximum calories!