Stigma around elliptical machines

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Replies

  • irtrail
    irtrail Posts: 18 Member
    I hate ellipticals. Really. They make me sweat like a lawn sprinkler, make my quads and calves burn and my glutes sore.

    Treadmill doesn't do that for me.

    Of course, turning up the incline on a treadmill isn't the same as turning up the resistance on an elliptical. Not sure about the actual calories, but I only rely on the consistency between sessions to ensure I am performing harder than last week.

    In conclusion, I don't think I would use a gym machine I like. It would be strangely similar to a La-z-boy...
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    edited October 2016
    I definitely am down with a stigma towards ellipticals. Because I personally feel like a drunk octopus on the fool things. :p I don't know what it is, I just can't feel coordinated on them no matter what type I try. Obviously, this is sarcasm.

    I'd love to be able to get over this, because I have two kinds of arthritis and am sure that my days as a runner are numbered, but I think I'll just have to content myself with speed walking when my knees and hips finally give out.

    Oh and Smith machines? Some of the people in my gym use them for hip thrusts. I don't see too much wrong with that use of them myself. I just use a weight plate personally, though and do them from the floor like glute bridges.
  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,534 Member
    Only criteria is whether or not it works for you. Decide on your program. Once you've decided, pay no attention to what others are doing.

    Worrying about what others are thinking about what you do at the gym is how people get injured lifting. Use the right weight to get good form. Lots of guys are throwing 20lb dumbbells around because of the "stigma" of 10s. To quote Arnold, "Forget your ego."
  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,534 Member
    & agree, calorie counters on machines are not reliable. Get the HRM.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited October 2016
    88olds wrote: »
    & agree, calorie counters on machines are not reliable. Get the HRM.

    Also not reliable cos designed for steady state cardio not gym workouts that are more stop and start based..raised heart rate does not convert to calorie burn in all states

    Best to just check a METS chart ...or take a percentage and see your body feedback
    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
    I definitely am down with a stigma towards ellipticals. Because I personally feel like a drunk octopus on the fool things. :p I don't know what it is, I just can't feel coordinated on them no matter what type I try. Obviously, this is sarcasm.

    I'd love to be able to get over this, because I have two kinds of arthritis and am sure that my days as a runner are numbered, but I think I'll just have to content myself with speed walking when my knees and hips finally give out.

    Oh and Smith machines? Some of the people in my gym use them for hip thrusts. I don't see too much wrong with that use of them myself. I just use a weight plate personally, though and do them from the floor like glute bridges.

    I'd suggest range of motion on a glute bridge is too far for a smith to be a useful machine ..the forced track will again impact on form, results and give a false reading on max weight and reduce stabiliser muscle involvement.

    But thinking about it I'd probably add developing to full pull up and push up to the shoulder shrugs

    Anyway I'm cross at smith machines as it is responsible for me sustaining a pretty nasty head injury this week ...48 hour headache and huge lump on my noggin (our gym was refurbed and not enough space between smith and rack, when I put plates on my bar and stood up to step forward I got shocked by how close smith bar was and ducked out the way only to side headbutt my own bar...ended up leaving the gym after complaining vociferously to staff ..have already mentioned proximity 4 weeks ago and put it in writing)
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    Not a glute bridge from the floor where you're lying on your back, but hip thrusts where you're sitting and leaning on a bench. That range of motion is pretty much just up and down and fine in the Smith machine from what I can see.

    It's funny, I'm too short to do hip thrusts because my back doesn't hit the bench in the right place to do them properly. I've done them with aerobic steps and pre-weighted barbells, though, since I can set up the aerobic steps to be shorter.

    I usually end up doing the floor glute bridges with the plate because I'm too lazy to set up the steps and they're usually being used anyway. Ho-hum.

    Sorry about your head bump!
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    Oof... found a post from Mr. Glute himself. Smith Machines are cool by him for hip thrusting:

    https://bretcontreras.com/b-t-always-thrusting/
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
    Oof... found a post from Mr. Glute himself. Smith Machines are cool by him for hip thrusting:

    https://bretcontreras.com/b-t-always-thrusting/

    Dude, did you just oneup me with Contreras :bigsmile: @GottaBurnEmAll
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    Sued0nim wrote: »
    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
    Oof... found a post from Mr. Glute himself. Smith Machines are cool by him for hip thrusting:

    https://bretcontreras.com/b-t-always-thrusting/

    Dude, did you just oneup me with Contreras :bigsmile: @GottaBurnEmAll

    : :p
  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
    Bad knees here. Love the elliptical. Use it everyday at the gym and got one for at home when I am watching tv. I don't care about the calorie burn that much. My resting HR went from 74 when I started MFP to 49-52 now, so I know it is working. I also walk a lot.
    My best advice, don't worry about what anyone thinks. I see a lot of men, of all ages, using the elliptical at the gym I go to.
  • leahkathleen13
    leahkathleen13 Posts: 272 Member
    I like eliptical so much I bought one. When I go to the gym I do weights and at home I do my cardio. I like it because I can get my heart rate high and I zone out on the time. I have an incline and resistance on it. It works great!
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    edited October 2016
    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
    Oof... found a post from Mr. Glute himself. Smith Machines are cool by him for hip thrusting:

    https://bretcontreras.com/b-t-always-thrusting/

    Smith machine or not, just NEVER make eye contact while doing them.

    c25mtd2k6293.gif
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,992 Member
    SCoil123 wrote: »
    I have a damaged MCL on one knee and spent 6 weeks recently for a meniscus injury on the other. I can't run or do high impact activities anymore. I love the eliptical as a source of cardio that doesnt hurt me.
    I almost detached my MCL and tore my menicus in the same knee at the beginning of the year. After a conservative rehab and strength program, I can run again, do squats and leg press again and even box jump (though I'm still staying under 40"). You CAN get back to being closer to 100% with a good rehab/strength program.

    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
    9285851.png

  • nikkigaud
    nikkigaud Posts: 3 Member
    I wanted to like ellipticals. I really did. But when I first used one at my gym I realized I couldn't easily go through the motions with the handles because I'd be stretching my arms up. :D Being 5ft tall makes it look a bit sillier than I had hoped. I definitely intend on mastering them at my height though!
  • Retakesfitness
    Retakesfitness Posts: 22 Member
    Works great for me! Sometimes I do 30 on the elliptical and 30 on the treadmill! I push myself fast as I can for 60 seconds and do a moderate pace for 60 seconds, Im drenched by the end of the 30 minutes
  • Calyse90
    Calyse90 Posts: 147 Member
    I prefer the elliptical over the treadmill.
  • Amberonamission
    Amberonamission Posts: 836 Member
    I figure anything that leaves me breathless is good for my endurance. I am not big on the 'cardio for weightloss' thing. But, I do find that it serves the purpose of what I want to do. The treadmill hurts all of my joints i find it worse than stairs on my knees.
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
    I use the elliptical. It's not my only workout though.

    You also need to do weights, and stretching of course.
  • thehexenbiest
    thehexenbiest Posts: 114 Member
    My current workout plan includes 20 minutes on the elliptical (10 as warmup, 10 just to burn) and I don't have any problems with it. But then again, I could pretty much choose any of the other machines, except maybe those that are hard on the joints because of my weight. I have no idea if the elliptical is more effective but I sure feel more winded and get pretty much soaked through on that. For example those ten minutes per unit really leave me feeling like I worked hard whereas I can do 30 on a bike and still feel like I can do another round.

    Either way, it sounds like whatever the OP's doing, he's doing it right, judging by his success so far. I'm generally going with if it feels right and I see results, I'm okay.

    As far as young males on ellipticals are concerned, I find that a lot of male members at my gym avoid the cardio area as much as they can, so I don't think this is exclusively about that one machine.
  • Kira_72
    Kira_72 Posts: 11 Member
    Cardio is never 'bad' or 'waste of time' :)
    Treadmill, eliptical, walking, hiking....just do it!
  • AnnyisOK
    AnnyisOK Posts: 121 Member
    Some people like to knock them. I think it's like anything else fitness...you're going to have snobs.
    When I started out on my fitness journey I started with an elliptical. I lost 50 lbs with it.
    It was my first experience with a cardio machine that led me to get into running and now I'm running long distance races. The mileage on it isn't the same as walking/running on a treadmill, much like training on a treadmill isn't the same as training for a race outdoors.

    If it works for you, do it, plus, it's better for the knees.

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