do ellipitical machines help tone and lose weight?

Matt_Wild

Diet will help you lose weight. Cardio simply burns some of the calories you take in and using EPOC (post exercise oxygen conusumption) causes the metabolism to burn some extra calories for 12-24 hours afterwards.

You cannot tone - what exactly are you toning? You build muscle or lose fat. A cross trainer will not build any muscle, other than the heart if used HARD, which is precisely which most people do not.

Matt_Wild

pipped to the post by [notthatthis]
When I've used elliptical machines before they've had big levers for your hands to pull on, you can get a decent burn using your arms to augment your legs.
If i do a 'sprint' on the eliptic my arms are burning almost as much as my legs. So i guess there must be some merit wrt upper body workout.
Legs burned out? ease up on the legs and use more arm.

Obviously it's no replacement for a strength program, but just seems odd that nobody's mentions this.

The burn is lactic acid, your muscle in the said body part having run out of energy to power itself. The body prefers to generate most of its energy using aerobic methods, meaning with oxygen.

Sometimes we require energy production faster than our bodies can adequately deliver oxygen. In those cases, the working muscles generate energy anaerobically. This energy comes from glucose through a process called glycolysis, in which glucose is broken down or metabolized into a substance called pyruvate. When oxygen is limited, the body temporarily converts pyruvate into a substance called lactate, which allows glucose breakdown--and thus energy production--to continue.

The burn is simply a build up of lactate in the muscle because side effect of high lactate levels is an increase in the acidity of the muscle cells.

ladymiseryali

When my fiance gets his tax refund, we're getting an elliptical off of amazon. I don't like to run and I've never used an elliptical, so it might be just what I'm looking for. It's only 60 bucks, plus 44 for shipping so I'd say it's a good price! If we don't like it, we can always send it back.

If you want an elliptical, go for it. There's no harm in trying something new.

Sujit8383

lost 24 kg's in 28 weeks using elliptical................ :laugh: :happy: :flowerforyou: :glasses: :smokin: :smooched: :drinker: :bigsmile: :blushing:

Keto_T

I use an elliptical 2-4 times a week. I like it and it burns calories according to my HRM but I also do a boot camp (weights + cardio). I have a home elliptical that someone gave me and it was not a cheap brand but the ones at the gym are so much nicer, larger, and more stable. You may not be satisfied with a home model. If you want to work out at home I suggest dumbbells, resistance bands and an assortment of videos. Ellipticals work lower body, can work core but do very little for my arms, even using the arm handles. The focus is lower body.

SFBJaye

I use elliptical 7 days per week. I walk 60 minutes on Precor 546 at maximum setting of incline of 20 and resistance of 25. I am 50 years old and my target heart rate should be 138. When I started my exercise routine 18 months ago, my heart rate was just over 161 BPM. Today I my heart rate is 130 for the entire 60 minute workout. I burn around 1000 calories and walk 4.2 miles (that's what the machine shows)

In result, I am down 77 pounds and back to my college size clothes of 30 size weight.

Wait, what was your question?
Edited by alexveksler on Tue 01/22/13 03:21 AM [\quote]





Great info... Way to go BTW!

notthatthis

I use an elliptical 2-4 times a week. I like it and it burns calories according to my HRM but I also do a boot camp (weights + cardio). I have a home elliptical that someone gave me and it was not a cheap brand but the ones at the gym are so much nicer, larger, and more stable. You may not be satisfied with a home model. If you want to work out at home I suggest dumbbells, resistance bands and an assortment of videos. Ellipticals work lower body, can work core but do very little for my arms, even using the arm handles. The focus is lower body.

If the gym machine is a lifefitness model and has workout selector, go to X-Train and do a 30 minute workout as the machine tells you which body part to work, assuming that the resistance is correct for your level of fitness then I assure you that when the machine says, "Push with your arms" and then "pull with your arms" then your upper body is getting a workout - fact.

lovelyMYlovely

ok guys .. i ALREADY am on a restricted calorie intake.. i have so far being on this site for about 2 months.... so i really want an ellipitical machine to help me lose more fat.....

i already have lovely legs though.. they are very skinny already and i am just worried that the ellipitical will ONLY help lose fat in my legs? is this true or is it asn all around body fat loss machine?.... ( while im on a restricted calorie intake) ???

jlt1968

bump

jacksonpt

hmmmm well i really wanted to try to see if i could lose the 10 pounds with the ellipitical machine.... that is just somethin i would enjoy doing rather than it feeling like a chore... but if it doesnt help me lose my belly idk what i should do

Put more emphasis on dialing in your diet.

jacksonpt

ok guys .. i ALREADY am on a restricted calorie intake.. i have so far being on this site for about 2 months.... so i really want an ellipitical machine to help me lose more fat.....

i already have lovely legs though.. they are very skinny already and i am just worried that the ellipitical will ONLY help lose fat in my legs? is this true or is it asn all around body fat loss machine?.... ( while im on a restricted calorie intake) ???

First...
2 months isn't that long. When you get down towards the end, think about losing about .5lb per week, so only 2 lbs per month. At that rate, losing the last 10lbs would take about 5 months.

Second...
No, it doesn't work that way. You lose weight where ever your body wants to lose weight. It has nothing to do with how you exercise or what muscles/body parts you work. You can't control how/where you lose, only IF you lose.

zmzmzm19

Personally, I LOVE my elliptical, I do that along with weights, and I've been successful toning/losing. Good Luck to you!!:happy:

asamuels85

pipped to the post by [notthatthis]
When I've used elliptical machines before they've had big levers for your hands to pull on, you can get a decent burn using your arms to augment your legs.
If i do a 'sprint' on the eliptic my arms are burning almost as much as my legs. So i guess there must be some merit wrt upper body workout.
Legs burned out? ease up on the legs and use more arm.

Obviously it's no replacement for a strength program, but just seems odd that nobody's mentions this.

The burn is lactic acid, your muscle in the said body part having run out of energy to power itself. The body prefers to generate most of its energy using aerobic methods, meaning with oxygen.

Sometimes we require energy production faster than our bodies can adequately deliver oxygen. In those cases, the working muscles generate energy anaerobically. This energy comes from glucose through a process called glycolysis, in which glucose is broken down or metabolized into a substance called pyruvate. When oxygen is limited, the body temporarily converts pyruvate into a substance called lactate, which allows glucose breakdown--and thus energy production--to continue.

The burn is simply a build up of lactate in the muscle because side effect of high lactate levels is an increase in the acidity of the muscle cells.

@ Matt is this conversion to lactate.. and the build up of it for that matter, detrimental to muscle building/strengthening? or beneficial? neutral?

lovelyMYlovely

hmm ahhh i see.. alright so obviously the body only loses in the places it HAS fat... ok ok.....

my calorie intake is 1200 as of right now.. but thats because im a small girl.... and i dont have a job or anything.... so thats how mych MFP put me under... it says ill be losing about .5 pounds a week... BUT sometimes i do go over and sometimes i am way under if i just dont have an appetite....

soo as of right now im highly thinking of buying an ellipitical machine... but thats strange because i also heard they can add muscle aswell if you put it on a higher resistance level.....

Matt_Wild

pipped to the post by [notthatthis]
When I've used elliptical machines before they've had big levers for your hands to pull on, you can get a decent burn using your arms to augment your legs.
If i do a 'sprint' on the eliptic my arms are burning almost as much as my legs. So i guess there must be some merit wrt upper body workout.
Legs burned out? ease up on the legs and use more arm.

Obviously it's no replacement for a strength program, but just seems odd that nobody's mentions this.

The burn is lactic acid, your muscle in the said body part having run out of energy to power itself. The body prefers to generate most of its energy using aerobic methods, meaning with oxygen.

Sometimes we require energy production faster than our bodies can adequately deliver oxygen. In those cases, the working muscles generate energy anaerobically. This energy comes from glucose through a process called glycolysis, in which glucose is broken down or metabolized into a substance called pyruvate. When oxygen is limited, the body temporarily converts pyruvate into a substance called lactate, which allows glucose breakdown--and thus energy production--to continue.

The burn is simply a build up of lactate in the muscle because side effect of high lactate levels is an increase in the acidity of the muscle cells.

@ Matt is this conversion to lactate.. and the build up of it for that matter, detrimental to muscle building/strengthening? or beneficial? neutral?

It is the burn you feel when lifting weights or doing cardio to a degree that makes your muscle burn. It is normal.

If you've ever heard the phrase "feel the burn" this is ot what they refer.

Espressocycle

Judging from my heart rate monitor, my Tony Little Gazelle, which is similar to an elliptical, burns about 700 calories/hr for me, which is more than I burn cycling or getting more sweaty and tired on the treadmill. I can only assume it's because i really put my arms into it. They are certainly a little sore sometimes.

fbmandy55

All I know is when I use one I feel it in my arms and back. But I wouldn't use it for that purpose.

Treadmills through off my equilibrium so I find an elliptical to be a good substitute.

taso42

Weight loss comes from calorie deficit.
Elliptical is an exercise machine. It provides you a cardio workout.
Cardio is good for your heart.
Toning up is a vague term that generally mean "reducing body fat"
To reduce body fat, you have to maintain lean body mass, or minimize how much is lost
Strength training and a good diet (good macros) is the best way to maintain lean body mass.

Clear as mud?

coe28

i have an elliptical and love my machine. but i also have a pricey gym model. dont waste the 250 on one! the cheap ones break quickly. my sister in law has already had to replace her cheap 300 model in a week. i have a large amount of weight to lose and i only use the elliptical. 25 pounds in less then a month. but if your only looking to lose 10, then im not sure if you would get the same results i have so far.

Disagree. I paid $275 for mine, have been using it for a year and a half and I love it. Have never had an issue with it and I lost 15 lbs using it.

groversa

I love the elliptical, 10 pounds in a month using it. It burns a lot of calories- leading to a deficit- leading to weight loss. For the toning, you don't really need to buy big equipment. Get some dumbbells, do pushups, plants, wall-sits, arm circles, etc. Doing little things a lot really add up.