Eliptical or treadmill

nehaad88
nehaad88 Posts: 159 Member
edited November 16 in Fitness and Exercise
Hey people,

I am currently doing around 20-25 mins elliptical a day with strength training . Should I bump it up with some running on treadmill (tried C25K today) or continue increasing elliptical time?

Are there any specific advantages of one machine over other or just a matter of preference?

TIA

Replies

  • croftie4
    croftie4 Posts: 221 Member
    I love the elliptical over the treadmill. I just find I enjoy it more. My best friend would always use the treadmill until Tuesday when she kept me company. She now really likes it and I found her using one yesterday.

    I tend to think all the machines over estimate the calorie burn so as long as I know I pushed myself I'm happy
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,745 Member
    You burn a lot more calories on the TM and the calorie burn is generally more predictable. Elliptical is good if you are very overweight or are dealing with injury so you need to avoid the higher impact of a treadmill. If you intend to run or walk outside, then the TM is better for training.
  • nehaad88
    nehaad88 Posts: 159 Member
    spiriteagle99 wrote: »
    You burn a lot more calories on the TM and the calorie burn is generally more predictable. Elliptical is good if you are very overweight or are dealing with injury so you need to avoid the higher impact of a treadmill. If you intend to run or walk outside, then the TM is better for training.

    Oh I always thought elliptical burns more calories. You just gave me a topic to search about.
  • 0831227
    0831227 Posts: 84 Member
    edited February 2017
    I like to switch so I don't get bored as quickly and I get to work different parts of my body.

    I can do 25-30 mins of elliptical at varied levels, then going for a 10 mins fast run on the treadmill,

    on another workout I will do 15-20 mins on the treadmill at a comfortable running pace, then 10 minutes HIIT and 10 minutes walking with a very high incline for the sake of the butt.

    When I feel really bored with the usual machines squeeze in a 10-15 minutes of stairmaster just to get a cardio boost, and when I feel superlazy or tired I squeeze in a 15-20 inclined bike instead.

    I found out that I was way more motivated when instead of setting the cardio machine to ''minutes'' I was setting it to ''Calories'' goal. Instead of sometimes getting lazy and just ''passing time'' it makes me work harder because I want the calories to go up as fast as possible and be done with it lol. Usually I set a 150 or 200 calories goal on the elliptical (around 25-30mins) and a 200 calories goal on the treadmill ( around 15 minutes). The machines will tell you that you burned way more than that but they are often overestimating your calories, I usually take off 20% of that amount but it's just me, I am not saying that it is the real way to do so.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Neither the elliptical or the treadmill burn more calories than the other - it depends on how you use them!
    Duration, intensity, resistance/incline....
    The limiting factor is the person, not the machine.

    Do the one you enjoy or, radical idea coming up...... Use both.

    Some machines definitely over estimate calories, some are pretty accurate - best to avoid absolutes!
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    The elliptical is so monotonous to me. It's dreadfully boring. The treadmill is also pretty boring, but with the treadmill I feel like I at least have more options - hills, etc. and I can change my movements. With an elliptical you're locked in to two boring fixed movements - forward and reverse. I hate it.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    0831227 wrote: »
    ...I found out that I was way more motivated when instead of setting the cardio machine to ''minutes'' I was setting it to ''Calories'' goal. Instead of sometimes getting lazy and just ''passing time'' it makes me work harder because I want the calories to go up as fast as possible...

    That's brilliant! I'll try that out.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    nehaad88 wrote: »
    Are there any specific advantages of one machine over other or just a matter of preference?

    Specificity?

    If you're training to run a 5K, you're not going to do that on an elliptical, you will on a treadmill.
  • ibboykin
    ibboykin Posts: 97 Member
    I prefer the great outdoors with as many hills as possible. I get bored quickly on indoor machines. So I do it completely outdoors, year round.
  • H_Ock12
    H_Ock12 Posts: 1,152 Member
    I prefer the elliptical, if I'm doing indoor cardio....I end up with shin splints from running on the treadmill. So I do my runs outdoors.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    nehaad88 wrote: »
    spiriteagle99 wrote: »
    You burn a lot more calories on the TM and the calorie burn is generally more predictable. Elliptical is good if you are very overweight or are dealing with injury so you need to avoid the higher impact of a treadmill. If you intend to run or walk outside, then the TM is better for training.

    Oh I always thought elliptical burns more calories. You just gave me a topic to search about.

    The machine is irrelevant...the machine doesn't burn calories. Energy expenditure is a matter of mass moved over distance and intensity...not this machine or that machine.
  • eagle_74
    eagle_74 Posts: 13 Member
    Treadmill...something so Natural about running that it makes my body happy to run. Weird to describe. Elliptical is a strange motion to me.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,989 Member
    One thing the tread mill has over the elliptical................stride length. The elliptical's stride length is fixed. So if your really tall, or short, it may make a difference in movement.
    I had a guy who was 6'5" asking my he couldn't increasing his speed even though he was going as fast as he could on an elliptical. Well unlike sprinting, the stride length on an elliptical can't be increased.

    For the OP, choose what you like to do. IMO, if you're training to do running, then you should run.

    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
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