cross trainer & excercise bike to loose weight

GayleCryer
GayleCryer Posts: 6
in Fitness and Exercise
Im going to stop using the treadmill and other machines that cause high impact on my joints. Does anyone have any advice or training tips for using cross trainer {elliptical trainer} ? I will also be using a excercise bike and would like tips on that too. I talking about distances/ resistance/ long and slow or fast and short etc.

Replies

  • Gunsentry
    Gunsentry Posts: 121 Member
    Elliptical trainers are excellent low impact machines, I used one for loose majority of my weight last year.

    Start off on the low setting and do as much workout as you can, next session try and beat your time and repeat each session till you can do your target session time (say 45mins).

    Once you reach your 45 mins move onto the next setting and repeat.

    When you get comfortable using the machine try out the different programs it has and also a HIIT session.

    But you need to control calories to loses weight, Remember weight loss is done in the kitchen.
  • maegmez
    maegmez Posts: 341 Member
    I love using my elliptical! I started off slow like mentioned above because I was new to exercise but if you are already conditioned, I would start higher up the levels.

    I do the varied workout twice a day for 30-35 mins and burn about 460 calories, I get to 500 while my heart rate comes back down to 100. So about 1000 calories a day. Compared to my speed walking running, I burn the same.
  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
    I would also add in strength training to improve those joints.
  • adamcheck
    adamcheck Posts: 5 Member
    I generally stick to the Hill settings on cross trainers, most of the machines have them now and it varies the exercise enough to save it getting tedious. Stick a tv series on while doing it and just lose all track of time.
  • Hbazzell
    Hbazzell Posts: 899 Member
    I use the "random hill setting". It works well. Just when I don't think I can go any longer, the resistance goes down for a bit
  • paulahunter3
    paulahunter3 Posts: 27
    this is useful for me as I have a cross trainer sitting gathering dust and it wasnt until the other day when I checked how many calories I could burn on it and was amazed!

    I have been doing excercise DVDS and not burning as many calories as on my trainer.

    I will now be doing 30 minutes 3 times this week on the cross trainer.
  • Growtinymusclesgrow
    Growtinymusclesgrow Posts: 152 Member
    As a Soldier who has been in for a long time, my knees are shot! I can't run. All I have is the elliptical and stationary bike. And yes "girlinahat", I do weight train my *kitten* off. Let me tell you, you can achieve a great workout on either of them. Gunsentry suggests you do steady state cardio. Getting on a bike or elliptical for 45 mins and calling it a day. What I would suggest you do (and works for me very well) is HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). Basically, you go at your normal pace for 60 seconds and then go as hard as you can for 30 and keep doing that for 30 minutes. Don't worry, if you can only go all out for 10-15, that is fine, soon enough you will be able to do it. Make sure you incorporate weight training as well, the benefits are numerous. My suggestion (I am no expert), would be to work out at least three days per week with weights followed by a 30 minute HIIT session. On the days you are not working out with weights, just do the HIIT. Saturday (at least for me, since I don't lift) just do your 45 minute steady state cardio session. Hopefully I have at least gave you something to ponder. Train hard, eat right and most importantly...HAVE FUN!

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