Eliptical? yay or nay for weight loss

liittlebrunette
liittlebrunette Posts: 90 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
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!
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Replies

  • sweebum
    sweebum Posts: 1,060 Member
    I started with the elliptical because it's low impact. As long as you don't get bored, it's a great cardio workout :smile:
  • doughnutwretch
    doughnutwretch Posts: 498 Member
    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
    Lonewolf1507 Posts: 507 Member
    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
    Army_Love89 Posts: 30
    Love the elliptical!
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    Any exercise is good exercise. Just do what you like. Ellipticals are useful machines for this purpose.
  • maryjay51
    maryjay51 Posts: 742
    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
    zaph0d Posts: 1,172 Member
    The elliptical is an exercise machine. You use it for exercise. For weight loss, you implement a calorie deficit.
  • cominupmilhouse
    cominupmilhouse Posts: 257 Member
    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
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,371 Member
    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
    korygilliam Posts: 594 Member
    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
    BPayton27 Posts: 626 Member
    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
    IRollC30 Posts: 54 Member
    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
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
    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
    Ge0rgiana Posts: 1,649 Member
    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
    126siany Posts: 1,386 Member
    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
    sunshinesquared Posts: 2,733 Member
    My knees hate the eliptical! Not a fan, myself.
  • rllewell
    rllewell Posts: 234
    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
    GeekyGoddess Posts: 119
    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
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    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
    saracatherine89 Posts: 291 Member
    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!
  • jynxxxed
    jynxxxed Posts: 1,010 Member
    It makes me feel like I'm going to die, but it is an effective form of cardio for sure. As others said, it's lower impact which is nice as well.

    I prefer walking on a treadmill at around a 4.0 with a little bit of incline though.. just personal preference based on whatever you enjoy doing more.
  • Thena81
    Thena81 Posts: 1,265 Member
    we have both too and before i got my polar i swore that my ellip was better but the polar says i burn more on the treadmill so i gave up the ellip!! get a fit bit or a polar and see which burns more!
  • rileamoyer
    rileamoyer Posts: 2,412 Member
    I like elliptical over treadmill, but like them both. Best is doing my walking outside, but not practical many months of the year where I live.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    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.

    No, your weight loss was due to a caloric deficit. The tool you used to create the deficit was the elliptical, but you could have created the deficit with any machine, or with no cardio at all (just cutting calories). Everyone seems to get tools to getting a deficit with the cause of the weight loss, they are not the same.
  • alison0511
    alison0511 Posts: 32
    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.

    Agree. I think a mix of cardio activities keeps things fresh and your body doesn't get so used to it... and you don't get bored! :smile: When I had a gym membership, I enjoyed using the elliptical, stairclimber, hillclimber, bike, treadmill, etc... Now I have an elliptical at home and use that frequently, as well as walking/jogging outdoors, and sometimes throwing a workout dvd in the mix. I DEFINITELY got my endurance back up on the elliptical this time around though.. because it was easy on my knees/shins (low impact), and I liked that mine has resistance and incline settings for a challenge, not to mention you can go forwards or backwards! That's hard to do on a treadmill. I also like how with the option of moving your arms with the moving handles, it really gets the whole body involved more than the treadmill does. And now my knees definitely don't hurt so bad anymore, and I am actually able to start jogging again, and I am in the first week of C25K!

    This is all in addition to strength training a couple times a week, and sticking to my calorie deficit.
  • JMFresh
    JMFresh Posts: 76 Member
    Yay fo'sho!

    Love the elliptical! Easy on the knees which is awesome. Great for weight loss. I used it last year to get in shape for ski season. Built up endurance and strengthened my legs and abs.

    I use the treadmill as well - did week 3 workout 2 last night of C25K. I do this in conjunction with 30DS (on L2D8). I feel like it's a little much to be doing both... I think something with less impact would have been a wiser choice on my part. I've used the elliptical and done the 30DS before without knee issues. With C25K and 30DS, my knees kill.

    Ok... I'm rambling.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    A calorie deficit will lead to weight loss. How you create that deficit is up to you (diet only or a combination of diet and exercise). But don't be one of htose people who don't pay enough attention to diet. It's easy to out-eat a good exercise program, but it's almost impossible to out-lazy a good diet.
  • babyglock1
    babyglock1 Posts: 8
    I love the eliptical. I burn an average of 600-700 calories on it per hour versus the treadmill where I might burn 200 (I don't run on treadmill as my knees can't handle the running yet). I love the fact that I burn so much more on the eliptical. As far as the knees - there are a lot of different elipticals with different stride types. Some types I like and some I don't due to the stride. I've actually lost about 50 pounds (not included on here as I didn't start on this journal until about 2 weeks ago) and I've done about 95% of my cardio training on the eliptical.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    I love the eliptical. I burn an average of 600-700 calories on it per hour versus the treadmill where I might burn 200 (I don't run on treadmill as my knees can't handle the running yet). I love the fact that I burn so much more on the eliptical. As far as the knees - there are a lot of different elipticals with different stride types. Some types I like and some I don't due to the stride. I've actually lost about 50 pounds (not included on here as I didn't start on this journal until about 2 weeks ago) and I've done about 95% of my cardio training on the eliptical.

    How are you measuring those caloric burns? If you rely on the machine the elliptical are well known for over estimating burns.
  • kfdunn
    kfdunn Posts: 14
    The BEST exercise is one you'll actually do! Arguing the merits of a perfect exercise you don't actually do vs. an imperfect one that you regularly perform is no argument at all.

    If you're trying to decide the most time efficient exercise, it's hard to beat running (counting travel time, changing time & workout time). You can change in the nearest bathroom & leave your workplace by the nearest door.

    If you're trying to decide the best all around exercise, I'm going to suggest triathlons (but who has the time?).

    Personally, I think working out in the gym is cruel & unusual punishment; an elliptical is positively torture... so, for me, the answer is elliptical is BAD (because I'd either be miserable doing it or rationalize not doing it). If YOU will actually use the machine & not go stir crazy staring at a spot on the gym wall, then it's GOOD.

    I happen to like running & I LOVE being outside, so running down the road at lunch is awesome. For a person intimidated by traffic or dogs or encountering random people, running outside at lunch would be terrible.

    So... try elliptical (or a bunch of things) for youself & YOU decide!

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