Can an elliptical be a good tool? Have heard negative things......
mlrtri
Posts: 425 Member
I have an elliptical and am actually starting to enjoy using it. But I have heard some discouraging things about using them for weight loss. I am sending a call out to see if anyone has any advice for me. I have started doing some strength training exercises as well but really want to stick to the elliptical for cardio since it is something that I am willing to do. Is the iFit worth getting? I really enjoy just putting on music. I guess I am not really sure what I am asking but would love to hear something positive or at least some constructive advice on making it work for me.
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It burns calories is low impact and uses your whole body if you use the handles. Enjoy.0
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an elliptical is not my "thing" as I enjoy the experience of running outdoors.....the sights, sounds and smells of being outside makes me feel good. I have worked out on an elliptical before and it does give a good cardio workout without a lot of impact on your knees and hips. I say if you like it, use it!! You will burn calories and get a workout with it, so ignore the naysayers.0
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I have used an elliptical style machine for all of my cardio the last 6 months and have lost 40 pounds... if the elliptical machine is a machine you are comfortable with and are having success on then stick with it. Cheers!!0
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Are you sure the negative stuff you heard wasn't from people insisting that you needed to do resistance training instead of cardio (as opposed to in addition to cardio)?0
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It's an efficient way to burn calories, more than walking or running or pretty much anything else.
If you like it, do it.
But don't rely on exercise for weight loss. Most weight loss comes from controlling calories in.
It's easy to not eat 250 cal, but takes a while to exercise away.
Also, most people underestimate what they eat & most machines (including MFP) overestimate calories burned, so ignore exercise or "net" calories. Just eat at your calorie goal (10x a healthy goal weight).
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concordancia wrote: »Are you sure the negative stuff you heard wasn't from people insisting that you needed to do resistance training instead of cardio (as opposed to in addition to cardio)?
I have seen comments from people dismissing ellipticals/cross trainers specifically
because they claim that "the machine does all the work". This is silly ideological posturing for the most part, but it's out there.0 -
If your comfortable using the elliptical, use it. It is working for you. Everyone is built differently, have their own preferences, and have a different set of physical conditions/limitations. I know my husband prefers the elliptical because both of his knees are bad now (21 yrs in the USMC) and the elliptical is the best thing for him to get his cardio workout in. He if ran outside, he wouldn't make it past the first block.0
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Elliptical is my machine of choice since January now. Paired with CICO and strength training I've lost almost 90 lbs. Some people say the machine does the work for you but I guess those people don't up the resistance or incline on the machine because according to my heart rate monitor I'M doing the work
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I keep it simple. Activity burns calories. If your moving and enjoying it, press on!0
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I love it, love it!! I used to use a stationery bike before, and it was good. I switched to an elliptical and it's amazing!! In the 2 months I've used it, I lost over 20 lbs, and my love handles have reduced too. I actually have a shape (and it's no longer round) 0
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I have an elliptical and am actually starting to enjoy using it. But I have heard some discouraging things about using them for weight loss. I am sending a call out to see if anyone has any advice for me. I have started doing some strength training exercises as well but really want to stick to the elliptical for cardio since it is something that I am willing to do. Is the iFit worth getting? I really enjoy just putting on music. I guess I am not really sure what I am asking but would love to hear something positive or at least some constructive advice on making it work for me.
for weight loss, you just need a calorie deficit...
for fitness, it depends what your goals are to what your best tools are.0 -
Thank you all for your input. I was so proud of myself for using the elliptical routinely and was really discouraged by the negative things people were telling me. I especially enjoyed reading the successes that others had using the elliptical. I guess I will just have to continue watching my calories and using the elliptical and prove them all wrong 0
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I lift heavy, but I use the "devil" (aka elliptical) for my cardio. I hate it, but it's easy on my knees.0
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Whatever works for you, I do find it funny when people find things at the current time that are "better" then dismiss the later as a waste of time...0
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for me it is a waste of time for cardio. unless you pile on the tork It uses less muscle to push the thing and I burn much more doing tread mill or stair climber even spin bicycle. If you want to burn calories you have to add tork and most people don't do that.0
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It has worked very well for me. Just, if your knees are bad, don't do more than half an hour at a time. Also alternate going forwards and backwards every 5 to 10 minutes. This helps balance your muscles and protect your knees as well. The non impact part of it is especially important to me. I like a stationary bike as well for the same reason, but that, I can do for more than 1/2 hour without knees complaining. 45 minutes is about right for that one. You can turn up the resistance to match your fitness level to keep you burning calories on both those types of machines.0
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go at whatever cadence you like. whatever direction you like. whatever works. have fun and elliptical away! yay!0
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elliptical is one of the machines i use, monday when i was on it my heart rate was 174. if thats not me hard at work then i dont know what i should be doing0
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IMO the cross trainer (arms and legs) style is a better choice than the legs only elliptical, but in either case, modern commercial machines have a resistance range from very easy to beyond the capacity of any elite athlete. If you can't get a quality cardio workout on an elliptical, ur doin' it wrong.0
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Personally, I enjoy the elliptical a lot because it is more seamless to do HIIT on than a treadmill (IMO) and it is also easier on me. I have tight Achilles tendons and a high arch, so running is not impossible, but can be uncomfortable if I do it for long periods of time on a treadmill or outdoors. Just another great tool in the gym. I usually use it for 20 minute stints after I lift, maybe 2-3 times a week.0
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It's an efficient way to burn calories, more than walking or running or pretty much anything else.
If you like it, do it.
But don't rely on exercise for weight loss. Most weight loss comes from controlling calories in.
It's easy to not eat 250 cal, but takes a while to exercise away.
Also, most people underestimate what they eat & most machines (including MFP) overestimate calories burned, so ignore exercise or "net" calories. Just eat at your calorie goal (10x a healthy goal weight).
elliptical is more efficient at burning calories than running? i sort of doubt this.0 -
I don't think it's more efficient for burning calories than running. However, it is much easier on the joints. I don't have to worry about shin splints, having the best shoes, proper running form, messed up knees and ankles, etc. I wear a heart rate monitor to ensure that I am maximizing my workout (and the machine isn't doing the work) and it has been a great tool for me (without the injuries)0
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Most of the negative things I've seen people say about it are in the context of explaining that you shouldn't just do cardio you should also strength train or that exercise alone won't help you lose weight you need to add in a calorie deficit as well.
It's much lower impact than some forms of cardio and can be very helpful for people who are just starting out. It's much easier stay motivated using the elliptical if you live somewhere that doesn't have the best weather. I've seen people run in all sorts of weather but it really takes a committed person to do that.0 -
Anything that is machine-based hurts my knees and hips so I rather go running in the sun, rain, or snow than doing an Eli. Plus I get a exercise the heart & lungs better. Whatever works for you is best for you...0
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Thank you for all your thoughts and input. I usually exercise while the kids are asleep and can't leave the house so running outside is not an option for me. I think that doing the elliptical must be better than nothing at all so I am going to keep it up and start doing some strengthening exercise as well.0
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I have an elliptical and other cardio machines (spinning bike, rower, etc.) All are effective if I put the effort into my workout. You can do intervals with an elliptical or steady state cardio. You can do steep incline and/or higher resistance. You can use handles (if you have them; mine don't) or even try to use "no hands" which strengths your core since you have to balance. If you do a flatter incline, it "mimics" running on a treadmill but without the impact to your knees. If you do a higher incline, it's "like" hiking. The sky is the limit. My advice would be to mix up the workouts (intervals for speed or resistance or incline or steady state cardio) to keep your body guessing and yourself interested.
Have fun!!!0 -
It's an efficient way to burn calories, more than walking or running or pretty much anything else.
If you like it, do it.
But don't rely on exercise for weight loss. Most weight loss comes from controlling calories in.
It's easy to not eat 250 cal, but takes a while to exercise away.
Also, most people underestimate what they eat & most machines (including MFP) overestimate calories burned, so ignore exercise or "net" calories. Just eat at your calorie goal (10x a healthy goal weight).
elliptical is more efficient at burning calories than running? i sort of doubt this.
Pretty sure "more efficient" means that it takes less energy to do the workout. That means a lower calorie burn.
OP, if it gets you moving and you enjoy it, do it.
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concordancia wrote: »Are you sure the negative stuff you heard wasn't from people insisting that you needed to do resistance training instead of cardio (as opposed to in addition to cardio)?
Honestly, I've never heard any lifters say negative things to me or anyone else about the elliptical being "bad" (even those not really into cardio), but I have heard it from runners.0 -
IMO the cross trainer (arms and legs) style is a better choice than the legs only elliptical, but in either case, modern commercial machines have a resistance range from very easy to beyond the capacity of any elite athlete. If you can't get a quality cardio workout on an elliptical, ur doin' it wrong.
^QFT
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AmandaHugginkiss wrote: »It's an efficient way to burn calories, more than walking or running or pretty much anything else.
If you like it, do it.
But don't rely on exercise for weight loss. Most weight loss comes from controlling calories in.
It's easy to not eat 250 cal, but takes a while to exercise away.
Also, most people underestimate what they eat & most machines (including MFP) overestimate calories burned, so ignore exercise or "net" calories. Just eat at your calorie goal (10x a healthy goal weight).
elliptical is more efficient at burning calories than running? i sort of doubt this.
Pretty sure "more efficient" means that it takes less energy to do the workout. That means a lower calorie burn.
OP, if it gets you moving and you enjoy it, do it.
oh! i misunderstood.0
This discussion has been closed.
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