Elliptical vs. Treadmill

Delaina1
Delaina1 Posts: 168 Member
edited September 20 in Fitness and Exercise
I was just wondering if anyone knows why you burn so many calories on the elliptical when you feel like you aren't doing anything and you burn nearly the same and sometimes less on the treadmill and you are running yourself to death! Is there a reason for this?

Replies

  • kellygirl5538
    kellygirl5538 Posts: 597 Member
    Depends what you are doing? You running or walking on the mill?
  • kellygirl5538
    kellygirl5538 Posts: 597 Member
    Depends what you are doing? You running or walking on the mill?
  • VballLeash
    VballLeash Posts: 2,456 Member
    Thats not necessarily true. Do you wear a heart rate monitor? ... cause the machines can be very inaccurate. I wear a hrm usually and I burn more running because my heart rate gets much higher then when I'm on the elliptical... increase your resistance on the elliptical if you don't feel like your doing anything. Good luck!

    ~Leash :heart:
  • Carleybby
    Carleybby Posts: 158
    I was also wondering this, even going 7mph + on the elliptical you don't really feel the burn.
  • xtremelifter
    xtremelifter Posts: 7
    treadmill is the best means to burn calories. put the treadmill at an elevated height and go as fast as you can for as long as you can. will burn far more calories that way than an elliptical. The only way a elliptical is better is if your knees can't bear the weight of running or walking very much.
  • waggonerdj
    waggonerdj Posts: 1
    It really depends on the brand of the elliptical machine also. A lot of the ellipticals are plugged into an electrical socket. This means that the machine doesn't require you to start pumping your legs/arms to get it to turn on. The ones that require you to actually keep moving to stay on (aka self propelled) can give you a considerably greater workout from what Ive seen. The natural resistance from the machine needing you to keep the juices flowing through it seem to make a big difference for me.

    Also, the HBM was a great idea. A lot of people don't always keep their hands on the hand readers, so their readings towards the end can be pretty far off from what they should actually read. Make sure to always have a HBM plugged in and working or atleast check your HB every 2-3 minutes or so to make sure that you are getting the workout you desire.
  • Delaina1
    Delaina1 Posts: 168 Member
    Depends what you are doing? You running or walking on the mill?

    I"m running and walking in intervals but mostly running!
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