Elliptical vs. the Treadmill?

mcjurys
mcjurys Posts: 19
edited September 20 in Fitness and Exercise
I have just joined a gym and go 3 days a week. The elliptical is kicking my butt. Don't laugh but I am on level 1 and can only do it for 5 minutes.....then I feel as if I am going to die. I try to keep it at 120 like they said ( don't know if this is steps per minute) The trainer had me set at 7 min on the elliptical and 20 min on the treadmill going between 3.5-3.8 with an incline ever so often of 3. My question is since I can only do the elliptical for 5 min instead of 7, what would that same work out be on a treadmill? I hope I can build up my endurance and be on the elliptical longer. Seeing people on level 4 heavier than me and trucking away for 30 min on the thing and myself only being able to tolerate 5 min is a little disappointing to me.

Replies

  • Oompa_Loompa
    Oompa_Loompa Posts: 1,099 Member
    I have just joined a gym and go 3 days a week. The elliptical is kicking my butt. Don't laugh but I am on level 1 and can only do it for 5 minutes.....then I feel as if I am going to die. I try to keep it at 120 like they said ( don't know if this is steps per minute) The trainer had me set at 7 min on the elliptical and 20 min on the treadmill going between 3.5-3.8 with an incline ever so often of 3. My question is since I can only do the elliptical for 5 min instead of 7, what would that same work out be on a treadmill? I hope I can build up my endurance and be on the elliptical longer. Seeing people on level 4 heavier than me and trucking away for 30 min on the thing and myself only being able to tolerate 5 min is a little disappointing to me.

    Dont feel bad about the elipital..ughh i hate that thing it kicks my *kitten* also. And I cant stay on it for long. I like the arc trainer. Is the one that kinda looks like the gizelle. That Kicks my but wicked bad but I can stay on it longer and I feel like I sweat more on that anyways. you should ask your trainer about that which one is better.
    Theres just something about that damn eliptical..its awful.
  • rkascak
    rkascak Posts: 224 Member
    im not sure. But wen i do the elliptical, i am usually on level three but i go slower, staying around 70 reps/minutes. But i do this for an hour and it says i burn 300 calories
  • nirvanadaze
    nirvanadaze Posts: 7
    Will power is the key here - same thing happened to me when I first started out but I love the elliptical now. You can work just as hard on treadmill vs. elliptical. The key is that it should suck. If you're able to do it no problem and not really sweat or feel like you're working then you're not working hard enough. So if you get that feeling doing the treadmill then you'll be set. Of course this also depends on what your overall goals are. But cardio in general should not be a simple task if you want it to be effective.
  • Oompa_Loompa
    Oompa_Loompa Posts: 1,099 Member
    When i do the arc trainer. i do it for 30 minutes at level 15 which isnt hard AND after only 30 minutes the machine says i burn OVER 400 calories. Im not sure how accurate it is but still
  • DeeDeeLHF
    DeeDeeLHF Posts: 2,301 Member
    I have no great wisdom as to how to convert the numbers but I do have a couple of thoughts...

    First of all CONGRATULATIONS on going to the gym! Three times a week sound pretty perfect for starting out!

    Next, to increase your endurance, I wouldn't be as worried about the numbers yet I would just keep plugging away at what you can do without killing yourself. There is such a thing as "over excercising". Be proud of what you can do on the treadmill and just keep doing your best on the eliptical. Maybe you could ask and see if the resistance is set too high. It seems to me that if you can do the treadmill at 3.5-3.8 for 20 minutes you should be able to do a bit more on the eliptical if it is set right.

    Next, every little bit helps, so for the days that you do not go to the gym, do something at home. There are dozens of ideas. (excercise DVDs, walking DVD's, YouTube, or simply put on some music and dance!)

    Last, do NOT compare yourself to anyone else at the gym. Comparison is the death of contentment!! Focus on YOU and what you can do! Focus on how each time it is a teeny weeny bit easier. Your cardiovasuscular system is loving you!!

    Best of luck!

    DD
  • HEasom
    HEasom Posts: 16
    hello

    i find the treadmil boring so i dont tend to use it but i do alot of walking so it doesnt really interest me. but I love the elliptical as it burns so many calories. It is so hard in the beginning i started with at level 2 ten mins a day to start with about 3 weeks ago and now im doing level 5/6 30 minutes a day which burns 390 cals. keep doing both you will soon be finding it easier.and start to be able to push harder. It gives me such a buzz when i feel i can do it for longer.

    good luck and stick with it : )

    Helen
  • nickkehagias
    nickkehagias Posts: 51
    When i do the arc trainer. i do it for 30 minutes at level 15 which isnt hard AND after only 30 minutes the machine says i burn OVER 400 calories. Im not sure how accurate it is but still

    You have to remember though, that the programming for "calories burned" will read just about the same for anyone on that machine at a certain setting. Once you're in better shape, you can no longer rely on the calorie counter.

    If it's no longer physically taxing, it's no longer IMPROVING your cardio-vascular fitness.
  • mcjurys
    mcjurys Posts: 19
    Will power is the key here - same thing happened to me when I first started out but I love the elliptical now. You can work just as hard on treadmill vs. elliptical. The key is that it should suck. If you're able to do it no problem and not really sweat or feel like you're working then you're not working hard enough. So if you get that feeling doing the treadmill then you'll be set. Of course this also depends on what your overall goals are. But cardio in general should not be a simple task if you want it to be effective.

    I know it isn't supposed to feel that great when doing it, but I mean I have to stop the thing and have to rest. Can't feel my legs. Going 120 on the thing is soooo tiring. I could handle the treadmill so much more.
  • shanerylee
    shanerylee Posts: 298 Member
    Dont feel bad at all. Thats where I started and now I can do about 45 minutes. I do usually level 5. It takes time to build up. I work out on both and sometimes split the time in 1/2 between the treadmill. As long as your heartrate is up I dont think it matters. Just my opinion. Stick with it and dont be hard on yourself. It takes time. Its a hard one to get used to but you will eventually.
  • catherine1979
    catherine1979 Posts: 704 Member
    I burn about a third more calories on the eliptical vs. the treadmill. So to burn the same number of calories I'd have to do the treadmill (at 3.5 mph) for three times as long.
  • lanesa
    lanesa Posts: 5
    If your trainer has recommended this piece of equipment, then my suggestion to you is to stick with you. With time and consistency, you will build up your endurance and stamina. It is not the easiest thing to get accustomed to, but if you keep it up, you will begin to see a change because when I first started using it, I HATED IT as well, but it is somewhat easier now. You just have to remain consistent and hang in there!!! Best of luck!!
  • pannellkat
    pannellkat Posts: 709 Member
    I have just joined a gym and go 3 days a week. The elliptical is kicking my butt. Don't laugh but I am on level 1 and can only do it for 5 minutes.....then I feel as if I am going to die. I try to keep it at 120 like they said ( don't know if this is steps per minute) The trainer had me set at 7 min on the elliptical and 20 min on the treadmill going between 3.5-3.8 with an incline ever so often of 3. My question is since I can only do the elliptical for 5 min instead of 7, what would that same work out be on a treadmill? I hope I can build up my endurance and be on the elliptical longer. Seeing people on level 4 heavier than me and trucking away for 30 min on the thing and myself only being able to tolerate 5 min is a little disappointing to me.

    Elliptical gets better - don't give up and don't be discouraged. When I first got on elliptical - It killed me to do 5 minutes, I wanted to go longer but I just quit...and that was on level 1 lol. I would push myself to do 2 minutes more each time and now I can easily go 30 minutes on level 9 as the easiest for me and level 16 still kicks my butt! But I'm doing it. I think if I quit - I would still never be able to do elliptical...so please keep trying. Its a great tool for weight loss, you will see. You don't have to go fast - just pace yourself where you are comfortable and each time you get on - try a little longer - even if it is only 30 seconds longer each time.
  • 00trayn
    00trayn Posts: 1,849 Member
    I've found the the elliptical is a better workout for me. I started doing half treadmill/half elliptical, but the treadmill hurts (I have flat feet). The elliptical isn't as hard on them, and I just take a break halfway thru my 45 minutes to rest my feet and get water. It also definitely burns more calories. The one I use lets you enter weight and height so the calories burned are more accurate. I don't even go on the treadmill anymore and after 3 weeks at twice a week for 45 minute each time, I can do level 3-5 for the entire 45 minutes with the break. You don't need to do 100 RPM. I stay around 60 and it's definitely still a workout.
  • MattDustin
    MattDustin Posts: 23 Member
    Here is what the trainer I work with told me, and what I've pretty much found to be true. The elliptical burns way more calories, mainly because it uses your arms as well as your legs. It has resistance, so of course it is harder. On the treadmill, you simply move your feet through the air, like walking or running. However the elliptical provides resistance to all your limbs, almost like swimming. It is almost more of a workout then just a running simulator. So yeah, like swimming, it is harder because there is resistance, but that just makes it even more effective.

    Also long term, the treadmill can be hard on the knees, while the elliptical is nice and smooth. Every trainer at my gym recommends the elliptical for people trying to lose weight, because it burns more calories in a shorter amount of time.
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