How long on the elliptical?

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  • angiechimpanzee
    angiechimpanzee Posts: 536 Member
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    I do 30 minutes. It works up a sweat FAST but I prefer it way more than the treadmill. 1000x more.
  • vldarland4
    vldarland4 Posts: 1
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    The elliptical is just like running. So I would start at around 5 minutes, do that for a few days until it's easier, then go up to 8 minutes. And so on. It will get easier, just keep at it. The elliptical is a great way to burn calories!
  • Zexxa
    Zexxa Posts: 13 Member
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    I do 30 minutes now, but when I first started I was doing 5, 7, 10 minutes and that was it.

    It is hard, keep the settings on manual when you first start so you can adjust the intensity.

    I like the elliptical tons better than the treadmill. I'm a bit of accident prone and I get dangerously close to falling off the treadmill each time I use it, but on the elliptical I can just close my eyes and get lost in my own thoughts or listen to music and the time just flies by.

    Keep it up! You can do it!
  • edge_dragoncaller
    edge_dragoncaller Posts: 826 Member
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    When I first started it killed me....it was brutal.

    I've found a good way to break it up though so that I get about 15 minutes for my work out. 4 days a week I do strength training and make a circuit through the weights 1 set, 10 reps for each exercise (mix of machine and free-weights) and finish with 5 minutes on the Eliptical. I take a couple minutes to relax, then repeat the whole process twice more. It keeps the heart rate up for the Calorie Burn and breaks it up so that I don't consider the eliptical a tool of the devil by the end of my gym time.
  • Tracepa98
    Tracepa98 Posts: 219
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    2 years ago my aunt introduced me to the elliptical and i hated it! However the more I worked at it, the more I LOVED IT! My knees arent in the best of shape and thats because of a long time scenario when i was a kid. The treadmill for me is boring and has a harder impact on my knees. But i fell in love with the rolling motion of the elliptical. The longest Ive gone in a workout was 50 mins.

    Im sad though because my gym only has a few of these machines and twice as many treadmills.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
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    When I was losing weight I'd be on the elliptical for about 30-35 minutes. If your legs are shaking, could you possibly be dehydrated? Can you lower the resistance? Do some leg strength training exercises to go along with it?

    If it really is fatigue, can I suggest you try walking and building up to an elliptical or treadmill? Walking doesn't require you to be on a machine and you can slow down if it gets too intense
  • TJoVasquez
    TJoVasquez Posts: 6
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    I love my elliptical but just like you at first it was tough going! Once I would get off my legs felt like jello : /, now I'm happy to say I can go a full hour. It took time building up to that hour so don't rush yourself and remember that yesterday you did 5 minutes and just keeping moving your time up and you too will be cruising through before you know it. I either put my music on and get started and before you know it the time has passed. Wednesday's I watch "Survivor" on TV and I feel like a survivor after I finish my workout! Good luck and set short and long term goals and post them where you can see them it helps!
  • linderzoid
    linderzoid Posts: 13
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    this just makes me worry that the ellipticals i've used aren't doing enough for me, or that i'm really not burning the calories i think i am (i've used many, though, at a lot of different gyms, and i'd say i feel the same about all of them).

    the first time i ever went on one i did 30 minutes on the weight loss interval, and although it was difficult, i wouldn't say that i was "dying" or that my legs couldn't take it (i am overweight and not very fit...yet). now i do the 30 min. weight loss interval and up to another 30 min. with changing resistance and incline.

    are the machines i've been using all this time just too "easy" or are my legs stronger than i thought? i have noticed that certain machines at the gym seem to have less resistance than others.

    i also like them better than treadmills, simply because i cannot run for more than a few minutes at a time. but i have that nagging in the back of my mind that's telling me i like ellipticals more because they're "easier" and i'm really not burning as much as i could be.
  • linderzoid
    linderzoid Posts: 13
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    nothing like a post from me to bring a thread to a screeching halt!
  • Will210
    Will210 Posts: 201 Member
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    I use to do a steady 50 minutes every morning.

    Now I stick with 30 minutes but make it more challenging by changing the level and/or adding wind sprints in between. I also add a few minutes in reverse. Doing this really makes the time go by faster as you are changing it up and wind sprints really help with weight loss.

    Starting out I was at 10 minutes and incremented 5 minutes each week. Takes a while to get your cardio wind.
  • phoebefordreid
    phoebefordreid Posts: 2
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    I just started using the elliptical too and was shocked when I only lasted about 5 minutes. Now I'm up to 15 minutes after two weeks. Glad to know that I am not alone!
  • lsilly15
    lsilly15 Posts: 137 Member
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    I just had a GREAT workout on the elliptical. I did 35 minutes. that includes the 5 minute cool down. I did an HIIT intervel. I kep tmy incline on 10 but i changed up my resistance. After 54 minutes, i busted out 405 calories. it was a great feeling!

    you can do it :)
  • marz42
    marz42 Posts: 223 Member
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    ~ A few years ago I got on an elliptical machine and did 10 min ... thought I was going to die !

    ~ Today ... I am a fitness fanatic and up until three months ago, I never attempted this machine again ... well to my surprise, I found out I love it !!!!! Currently I do 60 min on a day I have to be some where ... I love doing 90 min ... and sometimes I have to make myself get off ! I use all the different levels ... fave is " random with hills " ...

    I never in a million years thought I would enjoy this machine ... but seriously ... I LOVE IT !

    Just start out slow and work yourself up to whatever you enjoy doing ! The benefits are incredible ... not that a treadmill can't be a healthy choice ... any movement is a better choice than doing nothing ... but the elliptical takes you to the next level ! The workout on your legs is amazing and well the muscles in my *kitten*, Hmmmmm ... yeah AMAZING !

    :flowerforyou:

    Do you do anything else while you are on it, like listen to music or watch tv?
  • stegs1983
    stegs1983 Posts: 11
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    I think ellipticals are harder when they're not gym grade. My boyfriend and I bought and elliptical...and it wasn't cheap..it was like $1200. I couldn't go longer than 7 minutes on it and my legs would be so sore that it made me not want to use it. Now, I use the elliptical at the gym and I have gone up to an hour on it. I think it just depends on the kind.
  • shapeup6
    shapeup6 Posts: 46 Member
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    I do a minimum of 30 minutes + 5 minutes of cool down or a maximum of 50 minutes + 5 minutes of cool down.
    I always mess with the resistance to keep it from boring me.
    If I do less than 30 I don't feel like it is enough and if I try and do more than 50 I feel like it is overkill!
  • Weezoh
    Weezoh Posts: 171 Member
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    Echoing what people have said when we got ours and I first started it was all I could do to make 8 - 12 minutes. Keep at it you'll get stronger at it, now I can do an hour but would hate to do that (I still call it the infernal machine)
  • matt1981g
    matt1981g Posts: 3 Member
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    My advise would be to train on the elliptical SMART work out your Maximum heart rate and then work out your 70-80% range and train in this zone, this may feel very easy to start with but aim to stay in zone for 30-45 minutes as you get fitter you will need to work harder as your cardio system become stronger and more efficient, you need to stick with this for a while, once you have a good base fitness level you can start interval and hill programs and bring on the PAIN!!!

    max HR calculation Approx
    Male 220-age in years = 100% max HR
    Female 200 - age in years
  • tracymat
    tracymat Posts: 296 Member
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    Stick with it and each day do a little more. 2 months ago I felt the same way... now I do 30 minutes most days of the week because that is all the time I have... but can do 60 minutes on the weekends now if I have time!

    I love the elliptical. I feel I get the most calorie burn in the shortest amount of time!!

    Good luck!
  • caramel1920
    caramel1920 Posts: 271
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    Honestly, when I started I only did 5 minutes, then each month I'd add 5 minutes until I worked up to a full hour! Listen to a great playlist or watch TV while you're on, it'll help you not to focus on the amount of time you're on. Listen to your body and gradually increase, trust me you'll get there!:happy:
  • mistikal13
    mistikal13 Posts: 1,457 Member
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    I go anywhere from 30-60 min, depending on what else I'm doing that day.

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