Treadmill or Elliptical, which benefits best to the body?

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JackieMonstra
JackieMonstra Posts: 11 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've been told that the treadmill makes the butt small, but burns calories like crazy and that the elliptical helps you tone up. I have both, well not exactly. I have the elliptical at home and the treadmill is right across the street in the park gym. What do you recommend best? Anyone here whose experienced in both machines..
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Replies

  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    Cardio is cardio. Exercise effects and benefits come mostly from intensity and duration, not modality.
    Cardio is not a substitute for resistance training.
  • JackieMonstra
    JackieMonstra Posts: 11 Member
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    I'm doing 30-45 min of cardio 5 times a week. I can hang more on the treadmill than I can on the elliptical. I also lift a little, I just started with 5 pounds ha! Something is better than nothing, I also started a squat challenge so I'll see how that goes. I just thought that maybe the ellipticall would help me tone my legs up since I find it harder to do.
  • chelseafxx
    chelseafxx Posts: 251 Member
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    If you're talking about one of those everyday squat challenges I would stop that immediately. You should never resistance train the same muscle back to back like that. That's a lot of cardio but if you really like it then that's fine I won't get into a cardio argument here. Neither one will "tone" you as that comes from resistance training like Azdak has already said. If you really want to "tone" you should focus more on lifting and do less cardio.
  • lseed87
    lseed87 Posts: 1,110 Member
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    I like the elliptical more. Find it easier to do while watching a movie, youtube, music rather than just staring at the machine or wall while doing it. Also doing a course is fun too.

    Healthy mix of cardio and weights is the best route.
  • JackieMonstra
    JackieMonstra Posts: 11 Member
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    Thanks
  • hotasfire36
    hotasfire36 Posts: 235 Member
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    Elliptical
  • jamcou2020
    jamcou2020 Posts: 2 Member
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    Elliptical
  • Hjaye7512
    Hjaye7512 Posts: 116 Member
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    I have a treadmill and sometimes it's like watching paint dry so I'm hoping to buy an Elliptical soon to get a better workout..
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    JackieMonstra wrote: »
    I've been told that the treadmill makes the butt small, but burns calories like crazy and that the elliptical helps you tone up. I have both, well not exactly. I have the elliptical at home and the treadmill is right across the street in the park gym. What do you recommend best? Anyone here whose experienced in both machines..

    Depends on your objectives, but both are utterly turgid so I'd question whether using them is sustainable.

    What I'd suggest is using a more structured programme of resistance and CV training as both types of training have complimentary benefits.

    Bluntly, if you have a park opposite you, then go for a real run...
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    chelseafxx wrote: »
    that's a lot of cardio ...

    Barely...

    But the material point is, CV work alone will not give you the outcomes you want
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
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    Treadmills. Probably useful if roads hadnt been invented....
  • ModernRock
    ModernRock Posts: 372 Member
    edited April 2016
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    eldamiano wrote: »
    Treadmills. Probably useful if roads hadnt been invented....

    Some people only have a regular chance to run when their young kids are in bed. Child Protective Services generally frowns upon leaving them alone to go for a run.
  • ModernRock
    ModernRock Posts: 372 Member
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    JackieMonstra wrote: »
    I just thought that maybe the ellipticall would help me tone my legs up since I find it harder to do.

    That's just soreness from using your body in a new way. The elliptical won't do any better of a job at building muscle than the treadmill, which is to say they don't in any measurable way. Any "toning" is the result of losing fat to reveal existing muscle. Whether one burns more calories on one or the other all depends on intensity/speed.
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
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    ModernRock wrote: »
    eldamiano wrote: »
    Treadmills. Probably useful if roads hadnt been invented....

    Some people only have a regular chance to run when their young kids are in bed. Child Protective Services generally frowns upon leaving them alone to go for a run.

    #overreaction
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
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    eldamiano wrote: »
    ModernRock wrote: »
    eldamiano wrote: »
    Treadmills. Probably useful if roads hadnt been invented....

    Some people only have a regular chance to run when their young kids are in bed. Child Protective Services generally frowns upon leaving them alone to go for a run.

    #overreaction

    Do you have children?
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,214 Member
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    eldamiano wrote: »
    ModernRock wrote: »
    eldamiano wrote: »
    Treadmills. Probably useful if roads hadnt been invented....

    Some people only have a regular chance to run when their young kids are in bed. Child Protective Services generally frowns upon leaving them alone to go for a run.

    #overreaction

    LOL. If this were a treadmill vs outside thread my vote would be treadmill.

    But since it's a treadmill vs elliptical thread, my vote is treadmill. My feet get weirdly tingly if I spend any length of time on the elliptical (and yes I have tried loosening my laces). And the elliptical gives me inflated calorie burns. Otoh, the elliptical is there for me when my knees are bothering me.

  • julyrunner
    julyrunner Posts: 79 Member
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    For me, it's easier to work harder on the treadmill - so I think it's a better workout. If you can run outside though, that's probably even better and definitely more fun.
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
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    eldamiano wrote: »
    Treadmills. Probably useful if roads hadnt been invented....

    Bah. I can't run because of my knees, but I can walk at a good clip on the treadmill at a high incline. It's useful to me. I get a great workout from it.
  • janjunie
    janjunie Posts: 1,200 Member
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    I have an elliptical, but miss the treadmill. I live in a city that is flat, so it would be nice if I could do some "hills"
  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
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    goldthistime wrote: »
    eldamiano wrote: »
    ModernRock wrote: »
    eldamiano wrote: »
    Treadmills. Probably useful if roads hadnt been invented....

    Some people only have a regular chance to run when their young kids are in bed. Child Protective Services generally frowns upon leaving them alone to go for a run.

    #overreaction

    LOL. If this were a treadmill vs outside thread my vote would be treadmill.

    But since it's a treadmill vs elliptical thread, my vote is treadmill. My feet get weirdly tingly if I spend any length of time on the elliptical (and yes I have tried loosening my laces). And the elliptical gives me inflated calorie burns. Otoh, the elliptical is there for me when my knees are bothering me.

    There's a reason for this- Some nerve on the underside of your foot is pinched, as your feet never lift up.

    To get rid of the tingles, try pedaling backwards for a few minutes.

    OP, treadmill all the way. You're not building muscle doing either machine.

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