Effectiveness of the Elliptical Trainer? Please check this o

rachelleh09
rachelleh09 Posts: 35
edited October 1 in Fitness and Exercise
I use the elliptical on a regular basis for cardio and toning for exercising because I cannot run because of an injury in my lower back. It's perfect because there is no impact on my back that running would otherwise cause. However, I read this on a blog tonight :

"The idea behind some people’s religious devotion to the elliptical machine lies in the belief that since cardiovascular exercise effectively burns body fat, any form of cardio will suffice. First of all, a nutrient-dense diet combined with both cardiovascular and resistance training is shown to trump diet and cardio alone, but that is not even my main gripe. Research has consistently shown that the elliptical, although easiest on joints, is worse than the treadmill, stationary bicycle, and rowing machine (not to mention activities such as swimming and intense hiking) when it comes to elevating heart rate and burning body fat. This is due to the fact that movement on these machines relies heavily on momentum and not resistance or the propelling of one’s bodyweight. All these months of elliptical training has yielded mediocre results, and now you know why"

Now im questioning the effectiveness of it. I know you cant believe everything you see on the internet, so im wondering what others opinions/ what you know. thanks!

Replies

  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    Do you have a heart rate monitor?

    I got one recently and actually jumped on my old elliptical for the first time in a long time yesterday. It WAS hard to get my heart rate up in the 130s or 140s. It easily gets up there with my Turbo Fire workouts.

    But it is cardio and if you push yourself and get and keep your heart rate up there it will burn some decent calories. I burned 100 calories in 15 minutes. Better than nothing.
  • LovingMe19
    LovingMe19 Posts: 380 Member
    Wow, I love the elliptical too! I hope this isn't entirely true! I always up the resistence on mine so I have to actually push and work hard!
  • FaithsVegWorkout
    FaithsVegWorkout Posts: 471
    I did the elliptical yesterday, and my heart rate was between 150 and 180. No problems here.
  • Saruman_w
    Saruman_w Posts: 1,531 Member
    I can get my HR up fairly easily if I amp up the resistance.
  • jkcools
    jkcools Posts: 66
    I try to get as close to Maxing out the resistence as I can. I raise the level to 12-15 which you really have to push. Also the ones we have at our gym here have incline on them, and I raise it as high as it will go.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,961 Member
    I use the elliptical on a regular basis for cardio and toning for exercising because I cannot run because of an injury in my lower back. It's perfect because there is no impact on my back that running would otherwise cause. However, I read this on a blog tonight :

    "The idea behind some people’s religious devotion to the elliptical machine lies in the belief that since cardiovascular exercise effectively burns body fat, any form of cardio will suffice. First of all, a nutrient-dense diet combined with both cardiovascular and resistance training is shown to trump diet and cardio alone, but that is not even my main gripe. Research has consistently shown that the elliptical, although easiest on joints, is worse than the treadmill, stationary bicycle, and rowing machine (not to mention activities such as swimming and intense hiking) when it comes to elevating heart rate and burning body fat. This is due to the fact that movement on these machines relies heavily on momentum and not resistance or the propelling of one’s bodyweight. All these months of elliptical training has yielded mediocre results, and now you know why"

    Now im questioning the effectiveness of it. I know you cant believe everything you see on the internet, so im wondering what others opinions/ what you know. thanks!
    If you leave it on level 1, I would agree. There is no mention of increasing resistance. Try doing it at the highest resistance and see how fast the heart rate goes up. Fail.
  • gargoyle999
    gargoyle999 Posts: 117 Member
    Maybe the blog writer needs to get a real heart rate monitor and not rely on what the machine shows! LOL

    My Polar shows me between 140-160 depending on how fast I'm going and the resistance level I choose. I'm not trying to go all out on the thing but staying within my fat burning heart rate zone.
  • Dinob661
    Dinob661 Posts: 251 Member
    Well I am going to have to say who ever wrote that or posted that is wrong. At the very beginning of my journey this year I did 2 straight months of elliptical only cardio for a solid hour. I ate right. and was hitting my calorie goals every day. You know how much body fat I lost in that 2 months? 40lbs. Now granted... I had a lot of weight to lose in the beginning. But I still use the elliptical some days over the tredmill (which i use most of the time now) but even now... my heart rate is easily 160-175 after about 10 minutes on the machine.

    Worse than the stationary bike....please.... lol
  • EvaJanes
    EvaJanes Posts: 37 Member
    I can get my HR up fairly easily if I amp up the resistance.


    Amping up the resistance is the key on the elliptical. BUT

    The elliptical is not a machine the everyone should use. I am on the shorter side at 5feet tall and I can tell you right now that some machines are way too big for me and can actually cause pain in my hips/knees/back due to lack of proper posture caused by the peddles being to far apart or the handles moving to far for my reach.
  • greatdragon
    greatdragon Posts: 64
    Elliptical Trainer arn't bad the biggest issue is that most people use way to low of a resistance. causing the effectiveness to be very low, when your done with a workout. you should feel like you cant go any longer, and no more then an hour + cool down
  • rachelleh09
    rachelleh09 Posts: 35
    I typically do about 40 mins of interval on moderate resistance. I read that for 150 lbs your lose around 350 a half hour. I weigh 157. i cant afford a heart rate monitor. how many calories could i assume ive been losing? my body is toning up and i have been losing weight so i feel its somewhat effective. what is a safe number of calories burn to log in my diary to mke sure im not eating too much?
  • arc918
    arc918 Posts: 2,037 Member
    Bottom line, you need to work hard to make the elliptical count. It is really easy to not work hard whether it is from low effort, no incline, no resistance, leaning on the arm handles, etc.
  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
    Yeah that's crap. I'm a newbie on the fitness and can do 10 minuets on resistance on 5. I can get to 8-9km on this and my hearrate is up to 150 very quickly.
  • riccolesmana
    riccolesmana Posts: 6
    Usually I'm exercising with HIIT training by 30/30 intervals. At level 5 and 15 (10-18km/h). Calories burned up to 100 within just 5 mins. I do this for twenty to thirty minutes.

    Afterall, I wet all my shirt and pants.
  • xraychick77
    xraychick77 Posts: 1,775 Member
    i dont know...i know i can get on a treadmill and run like crazy and not be tired or break a sweat.

    but i get on that ellipical and i pour the sweat..same for the recumbent bike. weird
  • feisma
    feisma Posts: 213 Member
    Something is usually better than nothing and more is usually better than less...no matter what machine you're talking about. Still think the best burn for your money (just the cost of decent shoes) is running outside :smile:
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,605 Member
    I did the elliptical yesterday, and my heart rate was between 150 and 180. No problems here.

    Same for me.

    You can adjust resistance if it's starting to feel too 'easy'. At my gym we have two types, and they do slightly different things in terms of the range of motion, the elevation and the resistance.
  • IloveRanch
    IloveRanch Posts: 39
    I do an hour on the elliptical (in the uk we call them cross trainers) 2 times a day usually. first time i go i try a staggered routine between 125bpm and hold that for three mins then work up to 155bpm and then hold that for 3 mins, then ill go back down to 125bpm for 3 mins and so on. When i go again in the evening ill just do a straight 60 mins keeping at 130bpm. I have legs like a redwood now!!!!!
  • IloveRanch
    IloveRanch Posts: 39
    Something is usually better than nothing and more is usually better than less...no matter what machine you're talking about. Still think the best burn for your money (just the cost of decent shoes) is running outside :smile:
    See id love this, at present though im to big and my knees are just to ruined
  • lisaisso
    lisaisso Posts: 337 Member
    :heart: the elliptical
  • Givemewings
    Givemewings Posts: 864 Member
    Not true. I use an hrm and the elliptical cal gets my heart rate higher than the bike and treadmill as long as there is a high resistance. :)
  • Cooriander
    Cooriander Posts: 2,848 Member
    I get drenched on the Elliptical - my daughter asked me if why it looked like I had been swimming when I do the elliptical. My average BPM ranges between 155-176 BPM.
  • EthanJeremiahsMama
    EthanJeremiahsMama Posts: 534 Member
    Love the elliptical! Hope this isn't true!!
  • Starieyes30
    Starieyes30 Posts: 30 Member
    bump
  • borichfan
    borichfan Posts: 208 Member
    I just bought a $1000. Elliptical machine from Sears, and i love it. I hope this is not true. I always heard the Elliptical was better workout v/s the Treadmill. I got my heartrate up without even trying. I have wrist heart rate monitor i wear during exercise, the ones built in exercise machines are not accurate.
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