Is using an elliptical in a challenge cheating? (Also posted on the Fitbit community page)

jennycreative1
jennycreative1 Posts: 8 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Just wanting some more opinions on this....
I need a question answered. I started a weekend warrior challenge and have really been killing it to keep up with another highly competitive person. After pretty much walking, boxing, running and using the elliptical for over 6 hours, I pulled ahead of this person. We had some friendly, competitive banter on the challenge message board, but when I mentioned being on the elliptical, this person said that ellipticals are cheating.

Is it cheating? I thought it all counted towards the challenge, otherwise I wouldn't have done it and I certainly wouldn't say it on the public challenge message board.

The person is a friend, but it has caused quit a rift, as this person is extremely upset about it. I mean scorched-earth upset.
Be interested in what the consensus is. I've lost a friendship over this.
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Replies

  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
    Since we have absolutely no idea what the challenge is, how should we know?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    aggelikik wrote: »
    Since we have absolutely no idea what the challenge is, how should we know?

    This!
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    aggelikik wrote: »
    Since we have absolutely no idea what the challenge is, how should we know?

    it'd be a step challenge. Who can get the most amount of steps over the weekend.

    Op I didn't think the elliptical picked up steps very well??
    If this person wants to end your friendship over this, then I say good riddance!!

  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    Ate treadmills allowed?
  • Kdp2015
    Kdp2015 Posts: 519 Member
    There are no rules! Your friend sounds uber competitive, maybe you should discuss what they consider "acceptable" before doing another challenge with them - it sounds like it's their rules that count for them!
  • jennycreative1
    jennycreative1 Posts: 8 Member
    Yes, to clarify it's a challenge on who can get the most steps in one weekend.

    Yeah, the friendship blew up over it.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    jennycreative1 wrote: »
    Yes, to clarify it's a challenge on who can get the most steps in one weekend.

    Yeah, the friendship blew up over it.

    So why is the elliptical 'cheating'??
  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
    It is not cheating. I use the elliptical all the time on challenges, and I am on a workweek hustle one right now. Steps are steps and they all count. Unless you have made an agreement prior to the challenge starting on how you can accumulate your steps, they should all count. I have had a fit bit for over 3 years and have never had anyone ask, or qualify, how you can get your steps on these challenges.

    BTW, unless I have my fitbit in my pocket when I am using the elliptical, it doesn't pick up all of my steps, so it is possible that you have taken even more steps than you are credited with.
  • ricopez1029
    ricopez1029 Posts: 7 Member
    I use the elliptical to count my step as to burn the most of my calories, it may not be accurate but after an hour I go over the 10,000 steps a day and that's not counting the other hour on the treadmill.
  • Wicked_Seraph
    Wicked_Seraph Posts: 388 Member
    What the hell?

    My sister, bf, and I all do the Workweek Hustle and Weekend Warrior challenges - and they know when I go the gym, I specifically choose the elliptical to pick up steps. My bf has a job where he walks around all day. My sister works 2nd shift and has time to take walks in the morning. Who the heck cares? It's a fun, silly challenge that, above all else, is supposed to encourage you to move around more - that's literally the entire point of a step tracker! Why would your friend be pissed that you're actually moving?

    Honestly, if your friend is legitimately going to end the friendship over a stupid step challenge, good riddance to them.
  • AigreDoux
    AigreDoux Posts: 594 Member
    OMG. They need more adversity in their life if they get so upset about a stupid Fitbit step challenge.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
    jennycreative1 wrote: »
    Just wanting some more opinions on this....
    I need a question answered. I started a weekend warrior challenge and have really been killing it to keep up with another highly competitive person. After pretty much walking, boxing, running and using the elliptical for over 6 hours, I pulled ahead of this person. We had some friendly, competitive banter on the challenge message board, but when I mentioned being on the elliptical, this person said that ellipticals are cheating.

    Is it cheating? I thought it all counted towards the challenge, otherwise I wouldn't have done it and I certainly wouldn't say it on the public challenge message board.

    The person is a friend, but it has caused quit a rift, as this person is extremely upset about it. I mean scorched-earth upset.
    Be interested in what the consensus is. I've lost a friendship over this.


    I think it isn't cheating unless there were rules against using exercise machines during this time period. I would say this is a failure to clearly communicate rules and expectations of the challenge. You honestly did the work. Your friend is overreacting.
    Does an elliptical cause your step counter device to exaggerate the number of steps? From what I read in a few places a pedometer wouldn't be accurate on an elliptical because the motion in different than what it is callibrated to track but that kind of sounds like it might record less steps rather than more compared to walking.
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    No, the elliptical is not cheating.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
    I get steps faster walking than on the elliptical becaus the elliptical is a large circular motion vs straight steps. Friend should lay out any special rules b4 the start of next challenge. Most of us learned around age 3 that you can't make up rules in the middle of a game! As far as fitbit, if fit bit counts it as a step, it counts. Maybe she's sitting in the couch shaking her arm to register steps. Lol. Just keep moving!!
  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
    lorrpb wrote: »
    I get steps faster walking than on the elliptical becaus the elliptical is a large circular motion vs straight steps. Friend should lay out any special rules b4 the start of next challenge. Most of us learned around age 3 that you can't make up rules in the middle of a game! As far as fitbit, if fit bit counts it as a step, it counts. Maybe she's sitting in the couch shaking her arm to register steps. Lol. Just keep moving!!

    This exactly. You get more steps walking!
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    edited April 2016
    I'd absolutely say it's cheating- you aren't walking or running- much like I would say swimming doesn't count. It's steps- not strokes.

    giggle- I said stroke.
  • jennycreative1
    jennycreative1 Posts: 8 Member
    The "friend" made such a big deal about it that they called me names and really took it to extremes, said that all his "Fitbit" friends say it's cheating and went to an online chat with a Fitbit employee and sent the screen grab, which only has the employee saying that ellipticals aren't always as accurate in counting as walking, hiking, and running. This friendship was on shaky ground and I think this person wanted to blow it up and texted alot of extremely hurtful things to me. I'm really shaken up by it.

    Thanks for all the advice. On the Fitbit community, everyone agrees with all of you, that ellipticals are perfectly fine. It's supposed to be fun.

    Feel free to friend me too. https://www.fitbit.com/user/224R3K

    And if anyone wants to challenge me, I don't care how you get your steps. It's all for fun to get us moving more.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    both of you are over reacting- it's just a fitness challenge.

  • _Waffle_
    _Waffle_ Posts: 13,049 Member
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  • bagge72
    bagge72 Posts: 1,377 Member
    I have found that you get way more steps on the elliptical, hence the guy above who gets over 10,000 steps with an hour on the elliptical. I would say it is cheating.

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