Elliptical

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kel7298
kel7298 Posts: 1,542 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am thinking of purchasing a used Elliptical to add to my exercise regime (treadmill/workout dvd's).

My choices: ProForm XP115 for $150 or a Schwinn 430 for $350.

Is an elliptical a good choice for cardio? Any opinions on these two brands or their prices?

Replies

  • whouwannab
    whouwannab Posts: 350 Member
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    bump
  • casey12105
    casey12105 Posts: 293
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    I love my elliptical and believe it's a great workout. As far as those two specific models go my only advice would be to google them and see reviews and see if they have all the options you're looking for.
  • H_82
    H_82 Posts: 418 Member
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    I honestly think you get what you pay for... I used to have a cheapy one & it was a p.o.s. I just spent $700 on a new horizon elliptical & LOVE it. I would look up some reviews for the ones you're looking at & decide if you want to spend the money on it. When I was looking, I had the option of buying a used one, but after trying it out, decided on a newer/better one.

    I personally thing that the elliptical is good cardio. I switch it up between that, the treadmill, dvds & rollerblading.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    An elliptical may give you a good cardio workout, but the downfall is that the movement does not translate into real world type moves, so It will not improve your performance doing any other activity very much, other than improving how you do on the elliptical. I prefer the treadmill for that reason. Treadmill workouts translate 100% to real world situations (walking, running, sports that require running)
  • bethdris
    bethdris Posts: 1,090 Member
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    I had a Nordic Track Elliptical. It was nice until I broke it. As others have said, I'd google those 2 brands and see what the reviews are like. As expensive as new can be, unless you know the person your buying it from, you probably don't know how it was taken care of.

    Ellipticals are great for cardio! We have a treadmill now, but I wouldn't getting another elliptical some day.
  • abalicious
    abalicious Posts: 361 Member
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    my only advice would be to google them and see reviews and see if they have all the options you're looking for.

    Agree. and I don't believe that more expensive always means its better quality. They are the same machine, just different brands, and they do the same thing and probably have the same features. Knowing me I would buy the cheaper one just to save money, but if people are reviewing that its not good quality or broke easily, go for the higher priced option. I use the general elliptical at the gym (don't even know the brand) and it works great for me.
  • _Johanna_
    _Johanna_ Posts: 125 Member
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    An elliptical may give you a good cardio workout, but the downfall is that the movement does not translate into real world type moves, so It will not improve your performance doing any other activity very much, other than improving how you do on the elliptical. I prefer the treadmill for that reason. Treadmill workouts translate 100% to real world situations (walking, running, sports that require running)

    wow. I never really thought about this! I have one of the POS ellipticals I got second hand. Its good enough now since I rarely work out as it is and I think it will be fine as a 'starter' machine to get me going, but I do want to upgrade once I can prove that I will use it. I will have to consider a treadmill when upgrade time comes!
  • ktmcqueen
    ktmcqueen Posts: 81
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    I agree with H_82 on the aspect of you get what you pay for. I bought a very cheap elliptical thinking it didn't matter what kind that it would do the job and i was wrong. Within a month the steps were tight and it ends up hurting to use the elliptical now because there is so much more work involved then there's supposed to be and it's starting to fall apart. We bought it in February so it didn't last very long. Google is also my best friend so google them both and look for reviews on them. I love the treadmill but unfortuntely I spent the money on the elliptical. Good luck! Hope you find something that works for you!
  • ObviousIndigo
    ObviousIndigo Posts: 382 Member
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    I love my elliptical. You have to establish a routine and stick with it but it will totally sculpt your *kitten* and stomach. It will give you a runners body without the running. People say it won't prepare you for "real life" situations but..... ummm..... I don't run through the mall and if I needed to sprint to catch my kid or dog or something The cardio would help me last longer. :)
  • tn2010
    tn2010 Posts: 228 Member
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    my only advice would be to google them and see reviews and see if they have all the options you're looking for.

    Agree. and I don't believe that more expensive always means its better quality. They are the same machine, just different brands, and they do the same thing and probably have the same features. Knowing me I would buy the cheaper one just to save money, but if people are reviewing that its not good quality or broke easily, go for the higher priced option. I use the general elliptical at the gym (don't even know the brand) and it works great for me.

    You are usually paying for a longer stride. Cheap models have small strides, expensive models have longer strides. Research ANY model before you buy.
  • deniseg31
    deniseg31 Posts: 667 Member
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    Ellipticals do burn tons of calories. I suggest you google the two models you are looking into and see their reviews. I bought a $500 Elliptical at Sams not too long ago and I guess it serves it's purpose becauseI've lost weight but I don't think I'd recomend that particular model to anybody. It squeeks, we grease it up and tighten screws and then it squeeks all over again. The heart monitor strips don't seem accurate either and it doesn't have where you can input your weight and all that good stuff. I'd suggest getting one at a store that specializes in fitness equiptment as well...such as Academy, ****s and maybe even Sears. I say do your homework before investing...
  • BlessedMomX2
    BlessedMomX2 Posts: 242 Member
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    I have a ProForm elliptical and I love it! One downfall is it does tend to squeek if you go at a fast speed. But it doesnt really bother me.
  • Sweetcheeks278
    Sweetcheeks278 Posts: 356
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    I have a ProForm elliptical and I love it! One downfall is it does tend to squeek if you go at a fast speed. But it doesnt really bother me.

    Me too! Love it but it does squeak occasionally so I'll put some grease on it and its good to go!
  • kel7298
    kel7298 Posts: 1,542 Member
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    Thanks everyone for your input. The reviews seem good for both of these machines.

    As for the ProForm being a bit sqeaky, not sure if that will matter as I am usually listening to music and zoning out.
  • kel7298
    kel7298 Posts: 1,542 Member
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    I ended up getting a Schwinn 430. I love it!

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