What other cardio excerise compliments elliptical trainer?

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SlaughterHouseFive
SlaughterHouseFive Posts: 24 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I do 30mins of Elliptical x 5days every week. Just to mix things up - what other cardio will compliment this? That is exercise a different set muscles. Thanks in advance.

PS: I also do strength training x 3 days.

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  • mebepiglet123
    mebepiglet123 Posts: 327 Member
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    enjoy cardio, but get bored real quick, I go to gym but do 15 mins elliptical, 15 mins rower, 15 mins treadmill walk/run, stationary bike 15 mins...
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,659 Member
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    There's so many: cycling, stair climbing, running, swimming....................the list is pretty endless.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • segovm
    segovm Posts: 512 Member
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    I don't normally worry about "muscles" when doing cardio, aside from some soreness whenever you move a new body part, the real workout is for your heart and lungs. So whatever you can do that you want to keep doing is best.

    I do enjoy the rowing machine more than most of the other gear but I think it's all just preference.
  • Golightly17
    Golightly17 Posts: 347 Member
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    I've gotten good results focusing on resistance and incline intervals on the elliptical and HIIT on the treadmill.
  • SlaughterHouseFive
    SlaughterHouseFive Posts: 24 Member
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    I've gotten good results focusing on resistance and incline intervals on the elliptical and HIIT on the treadmill.

    I do 3 days x HIIT on the elliptical and 2 days x steady state elliptical. There is so much conflicting information out there - HIIT vs Steady State, Fasted exercise vs Non Fasted. Hard to know what is Bro-Science and what is current best theory/knowledge.

    Best to hedge your bets and go for wide variety of exercise. I'll add treadmill and rowing machine to the mix.
  • beccadaniixox
    beccadaniixox Posts: 542 Member
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    Jacobs Ladder.
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
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    The function of cardio is an increase in heart-rate... This is generally accomplished through vigorous movement of the large muscle groups which places stress on the heart and lungs, hence, increasing heat, and expending energy. I say that to say that all cardio is pretty much the same in function (not necessarily in effectiveness since some is more or less intense than others)... In strength training, it is desirable to mix up muscle groups but in cardio, not so much since all large muscle groups are generally engaged in just about any cardio exercise. Is it good to mix it up? Certainly. On the other hand, it is not necessary to be concerned with alternating muscle groups. So as some have noted, you have rowing, cycling, running, walking (on an incline particularly), spin, zumba, etc... Mixing it up will not only keep the body guessing but also help you maintain a healthy interest level. Best wishes on every success.
  • GoodLittleEater
    GoodLittleEater Posts: 53 Member
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    I think a lot of cardio machines are working the big gross musculature in a forward and back motion. So Zumba IS a great suggestion as are other things that spice it up with lateral movements. Battling ropes could be done in the forward and back ranges but is also a great way to challenge the body that has been only doing elliptical (if done correctly they aren't just "arms" as it may appear, but the forces are caused by pumping the legs, back AND arms). You can also find variations on the WWW that include lateral motions.

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