not breaking a sweat on elliptical

slemonfit
slemonfit Posts: 97 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
when i exercise on the elliptical, it seems like i can do it for a long time and not get tired
after 2 hours it says ive lost 600 calories and im not sweating

but if i run on the treadmill, after only 10 minutes i am sweating a lot, after 30 minutes even if i put in a lot of effort, i lose maybe only 200 calories

is the elliptical accurate? im not sure why if im really losing so much calories if im not breaking a sweat
if its not accurate how many calories am i really losing after 2 hours?
thanks!

Replies

  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    The Ellipticals at our gym have a resistance up to 10 and a crossramp up to 10 and if you run that up and down a few times you can definitely work up a good sweat..... What level are you using yours at??
  • rbiss
    rbiss Posts: 422 Member
    Wear a heart rate monitor. If that says 600, I would believe it.
  • Wilson929
    Wilson929 Posts: 100
    I am the exact same way. I just got off the elliptical after a 1/2 hour and nothing... not even warm, but yet I burned a little over 200 cals. That is what my Fitbit says. I get on my treadmill to run and am warm and sweaty after the first 10 mins. or so. Must be the way the elliptical keeps you on your feet. Low impact cardio??? Don't know, but you are not alone.
  • vmclach
    vmclach Posts: 670 Member
    Go off HR!
  • Tehya85
    Tehya85 Posts: 23
    I do intervals on the elliptical at my gym and boy oh boy do I SWEAT!! I have a HRM and on average I can burn around 10 calories a minute.

    As mentioned above, I guess it depends on your level of resistance and how hard you go at it. I find it's better for my knees and shins than running on the treadmill and I get a great full body workout in between my lifting!!
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
    If you have it on a very low setting, you won't expend as much energy or burn as many calories. Definitely try ramping it up. Most machines have options like intervals or hills as well.
  • CalicoMonroe
    CalicoMonroe Posts: 14
    I'm the exact opposite in that I sweat like crazy after only a little bit on the elliptical but it takes a far longer run on the treadmill to get me sweating....however my Body Bug lets me know that I am burning more calories during the time I'm on the elliptical than when I am on the treadmill (and in a shorter amount of time).

    On both machines I constantly vary the settings so it isn't just a dull blah ride the whole time. Try increasing the resistance and the incline on the elliptical to see if that helps. Also like others have mentioned I would go off a HR monitor and not the machines in terms of calories burned.
  • ravenribbs
    ravenribbs Posts: 289 Member
    I burn about 400 on the elliptical after about 40 minutes and I sweat like a racehorse. I don't set the resistance level very high (work in progress), but on those infrequent occasions when I hit it for an hour, I'm burning in the 700 cal range. Are you sufficiently fit/conditioned that 30 minutes is a "cakewalk" for you?
  • rm33064
    rm33064 Posts: 270 Member
    Ellipticals are notorious liars when it comes to calories burned. Heart rate monitors are the most accurate if you can afford one. I can't do more than 30 minutes on the elliptical without my foot falling asleep. If you can jog you should just do that, you will burn the most calories the fastest except for maybe swimming. Why spend 2 hours on an elliptical when jogging for 30 minutes burns the same calories?
  • bethira
    bethira Posts: 132 Member
    I work the crossramp and resistance up during my work out on the elliptical and get a great, sweaty workout without the foot knee pain I get on the treadmill. I'm a fan of the elliptical but I too recommend an HRM.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    I use quite a bit of resistance on my elliptical and I sweat to the point where I'm soaked and dripping after 1/2 hour. The machines aren't reliable, but I use heart rate to determine calorie burn. you're better off getting a good HRM to determine your calories accurately. If you aren't feeling as though you are working hard enough on the elliptical, just increase the resistance.
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    So stop using the elliptical. I find it to be one of the more useless pieces of gym equipment. Try the stair stepper for 30 minutes, it'll have you gasping and wanting to die.
  • Banner1375
    Banner1375 Posts: 25 Member
    I was having a similar experience, and read some advice that has worked for me. I frequently change the speed I am running. For example I may start at 5mph and after a couple of minutes jump up to 7-8. I take it up every couple of minutes to say 10-11 (my personal max). Then I slow it down for a couple of minutes and start back up. This has really helped.
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
    Try the lateral ellipticals. Totally different experience. It will work your thighs and glutes in ways they've never been worked, and you can vary which muscles you're working by your position on the machine. You can even lean back or squat to increase the difficulty.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    So stop using the elliptical. I find it to be one of the more useless pieces of gym equipment. Try the stair stepper for 30 minutes, it'll have you gasping and wanting to die.

    If you're finding it to be useless, you're doing it wrong.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    So stop using the elliptical. I find it to be one of the more useless pieces of gym equipment. Try the stair stepper for 30 minutes, it'll have you gasping and wanting to die.

    If you're finding it to be useless, you're doing it wrong.

    i don't know that there is really anyway to use those machines 'wrong' lol, but there should be a way for you to break a sweat on it. up the resistance or simply move faster.

    when it comes to cardio, if your not sweating, your not exercising.

    I got to think that your burning more calories running. even if you not, its a better workout, and might actually net more calories burned with recovery if its intense enough.

    doesn't mean the eliptical is 100% useless. but if you don't like it then don't do it.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    Try the lateral ellipticals. Totally different experience. It will work your thighs and glutes in ways they've never been worked, and you can vary which muscles you're working by your position on the machine. You can even lean back or squat to increase the difficulty.

    thats sounds interesting, i've never seen one of those
  • whitneyrlester
    whitneyrlester Posts: 9 Member
    I sweat like a PIG on the elliptical. When it gets too easy to do, I set the resistance up to 10. You gotta push yourself on that machine or it won't work. The last minute I drop it down to a 1 just to cool off.
  • slemonfit
    slemonfit Posts: 97 Member
    i dont usually set the resistance on elliptical too high, i prefer 1-5 so i can then pedal faster, ive tried setting it at 8 but then its too much to move
    i hate the stair climber!
    at high resistance levels i get too tired and then its discouraging that i cant continue
    then i would rather just run, at least when i run after i start then i can still continue even if im sweating
    but on a stair climber i cant get into it enough to do it for very long
    i kin dof like the elliptical because its easier for days when i dont want to do the treadmill, if i wanted to do something harder i would just use the treadmill then!

    i dont have a hrm and i guess i dont really plan to buy one for now, maybe in the future
    i dont really want to wear something while running, if it were just a watch maybe i would but a strap is too inconvenient
    id rather just run for an hour or half an hour and since im breaking a sweat i figure im getting a decent workout and dont need to worry about the exact calories, an estimate is ok for me
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
    Try the lateral ellipticals. Totally different experience. It will work your thighs and glutes in ways they've never been worked, and you can vary which muscles you're working by your position on the machine. You can even lean back or squat to increase the difficulty.

    thats sounds interesting, i've never seen one of those

    Here's a video which gives you a good idea of how it works. I actually just switched gyms, and this machine was the deciding factor. My thighs are sore all the way around, as well as my glutes, from 30 minutes on this thing...and it's fun, it feels more like dancing or skating than a workout, so if you have some rockin' music, you just kinda beebop along.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_Z9VqSej_g
  • CitizenXVIII
    CitizenXVIII Posts: 117 Member
    So stop using the elliptical. I find it to be one of the more useless pieces of gym equipment. Try the stair stepper for 30 minutes, it'll have you gasping and wanting to die.

    If you're finding it to be useless, you're doing it wrong.

    That's what I don't like about elliptical machines. They can be effective if you use it properly, but it's also easy for people to cruise along and feel like they've really put in a workout, when they've barely done anything. It's harder to do that on a treadmill. Perfectly fine machines if you know how to reach the level of intensity you need, but I see too many people (typically women) just cruising along on those things like it's nothing. Those people could get more benefit from 15 minutes of interval training than an hour on the elliptical.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    That's what I don't like about elliptical machines. They can be effective if you use it properly, but it's also easy for people to cruise along and feel like they've really put in a workout, when they've barely done anything. It's harder to do that on a treadmill. Perfectly fine machines if you know how to reach the level of intensity you need, but I see too many people (typically women) just cruising along on those things like it's nothing. Those people could get more benefit from 15 minutes of interval training than an hour on the elliptical.

    true, but the person takes it easy on the eliptical is probably going to walk on the treadmil. point being that i don't think its the machines fault.

    OP might be an exception lol
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    That's what I don't like about elliptical machines. They can be effective if you use it properly, but it's also easy for people to cruise along and feel like they've really put in a workout, when they've barely done anything. It's harder to do that on a treadmill. Perfectly fine machines if you know how to reach the level of intensity you need, but I see too many people (typically women) just cruising along on those things like it's nothing. Those people could get more benefit from 15 minutes of interval training than an hour on the elliptical.

    true, but the person takes it easy on the eliptical is probably going to walk on the treadmil. point being that i don't think its the machines fault.

    right? I've seen the people strolling along on the treadmill. Toodling along on the bikes. It's the person, not the machine.

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