To those who love the Elliptical trainer?

yellowpear
yellowpear Posts: 137 Member
edited October 2 in Fitness and Exercise
Just to keep me motivated. Could you please share with me how much weight you lost using the elliptical trainer as main cardio exercise for one month or so? Did you feel any noticable difference in your thigh size?
I have started to love the elliptical & have been doing the weight loss mode for an hour 6 days in a week. This is my 2nd week at the gym.
Please share your experiences so that it will be a motivation to me & as well as others.
Thank you.

Replies

  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Cardio has very little to do with weight loss. weight loss is 80% diet, so no matter what exercises you do, if you don't have a proper caloric intake, you will not lose weight.
  • Juliebean_1027
    Juliebean_1027 Posts: 713 Member
    I think I lost approximately 6 pounds in one month. I lost 4 inches off of my thighs and almost 6 inches off of my midsection. Keep it up, it's worth it.
  • cedarhurst2006
    cedarhurst2006 Posts: 378 Member
    I can tell you my thighs are much thinner and by buttocks is more defined. My niece actually said to me, "Auntie, you have a booty". I do the elliptical and the arc trainer 6 days a week alternating intensity and incline in usually 5-10 minute intervals. I'm still battling a belly bulge but all good advice has told me it's the last to want to leave me so I continue doing the elliptical.
  • Corby86
    Corby86 Posts: 43 Member
    I absolutely LOVE the elliptical trainer... WHY you say?
    1 - it burns A LOT of calories in not so much time
    2 - it doesn't feel like it's hard work
    3 - works more than just 1 muscle group

    On my cardio training days the elliptical trainer makes up almost 1/3 of my cardio work (the rest being treadmill, stationary bike, rower, stair climber)
  • Corby86
    Corby86 Posts: 43 Member
    Cardio has very little to do with weight loss. weight loss is 80% diet, so no matter what exercises you do, if you don't have a proper caloric intake, you will not lose weight.

    Agree - partially

    You could eat 4,000 calories a day but if with exercise you burn 5,000 you will still lose 2lbs a week. Simply whatever goes in needs to be less than what you use regardless of the amount .....
  • lisaisso
    lisaisso Posts: 337 Member
    bump
  • Gay11nell
    Gay11nell Posts: 166 Member
    I only used the elliptical on tuesdays/thursday, but my thighs are noticeably smaller and my butt is alot firmer & starting to lift. I do an interval program, from the machine: alternating between fast pace/low resistance and slow pace/high resistance. Gives my legs and upper body as well a good workout, in short amount of time.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Cardio has very little to do with weight loss. weight loss is 80% diet, so no matter what exercises you do, if you don't have a proper caloric intake, you will not lose weight.

    Agree - partially

    You could eat 4,000 calories a day but if with exercise you burn 5,000 you will still lose 2lbs a week. Simply whatever goes in needs to be less than what you use regardless of the amount .....

    Yes, but it is easier to eat 4000 cals than it is to burn 5000. It is very difficult to out exercise a bad diet.
  • Fit4_Life
    Fit4_Life Posts: 828 Member
    I absolutely LOVE the elliptical trainer... WHY you say?
    1 - it burns A LOT of calories in not so much time
    2 - it doesn't feel like it's hard work
    3 - works more than just 1 muscle group

    I agree.. I use the elliptical every day. Then in the evening, I exercise with the "Turbo Jam" (kickboxing). It breaks up my exercise. I am starting to lift weights now. But yes, I do see a huge difference in my thighs...so thankful!!
  • doodlebug85
    doodlebug85 Posts: 16
    I have been using the elliptical at home 6 days a week for about 30-45 mins. each time. I have lost 3 lbs. so far and have notice a difference in my legs and upper body. I do feel good after a workout. I am having trouble staying motivated myself but I try and keep going. Keep up the good work and don't give up :-)
  • yellowpear
    yellowpear Posts: 137 Member
    Cardio has very little to do with weight loss. weight loss is 80% diet, so no matter what exercises you do, if you don't have a proper caloric intake, you will not lose weight.

    I missed to mention. A healthy Diet + elliptical trainer + some strength taining. Kept it short thinking it's understood that a person who has joined MFP would be concerned about what they eat along with exercise. :) I wanted to keep myself motivated & keep myself going since I have started the gym only recently. I was wondering what are the results that an elliptical trainer would give when compared to other cardio exercises like walking on the threadmill, etc. When I see the what other people have achieved, it will keep me motivated & boost my work-out even if the results might vary from person to person. :)
  • Cooriander
    Cooriander Posts: 2,848 Member
    I do Arc training, which is pretty much same thing - it removes most of my excuses (rain, too tired), and that helps a lot. I try to do at least 10 minutes a day - but I usually for 30 minutes or an hour (I keep the exercise goal small - just so that I can *always* do it). I do it at home and we keep it in the living room - so again easy to jump on; accessibility to the elliptical/arc is key in my weight loss and fitness.

    Another advantage of the elliptical/arc is that you can change muscle groups and make also you can really make the workout really REALLY hard by cranking up the resistance or changing the incline.

    Even if the logic is that yeah weight loss is due to a calorie deficit not exercise, in my case psychologically the weightloss is due to me exercising - it has generated something in my brain (sounds weird huh?), maybe it is endorphins not sure, But it surely has kept me motivated... and made me feel like that I am kept fit. Also this site and another site has help a lot too.

    I used to have a treadmill but I kept getting shin splint - just when I was in the bestes shape - but with the elliptical I can still get workout even if I get bruised from running (just avoid hat muscle group), it is so much easier on my muscles.

    Did I say that I *love* the elliptical / arc? YES I do!
  • malenahan
    malenahan Posts: 73 Member
    I love the elliptical trainer! I do an hour every morning at home and it was one of the my all time best purchases. I try to switch up the program I use so I don't get into the same elliptical routine. I'm trying to figure out how many calories I actually burn and think I need to invest in a good heart rate monitor. The elliptical says I burn ~375 calories in 30 minutes but I do not enter my height and weight. However, MFP logs just over 250 calories for 30 minutes which I use because I rather unestimate my calorie burn. I know it has to do with intensity and my current height an weight, but it is so difficult to tell how many calories I'm really burning. My typical 30 minute program has a max resistance of 7-8 and has a 4 minute warm-up and cool-down. I'm also thinking about purchasing the ifitlive module for my nordic track. Has anyone used this product?
  • EthanJeremiahsMama
    EthanJeremiahsMama Posts: 534 Member
    I am so glad you made a post on this! I was wondering the same thing. I absolutely LOVE the elliptical. It's just easier for me and I get so bored with the treadmill and not as.. motivated I guess to go back on it. I'm definitely not a runner, I can only jog and brisk walk on the treadmill! However with the elliptical I can go for an hour or so!! We have "Precor" ellipticals at our gym and I love to do the interval mode or the weight loss one. I used to go on the treadmill 3 x a week and eventually switched to the elliptical as my main source of cardio. I honestly think that with any type of exercise and eating healthy will do you great towards your journey towards weight loss or whatever it may be :) Keep me updated on how it's going for you and I will definitely do the same!!

    *P.S - I know you cannot spot reduce towards the thighs but hopefully this will help me!! LOL
  • gsager
    gsager Posts: 977 Member
    I use the elliptical trainer every day for an hour was 45 minutes but I bumped it up, I'm lost 10 lbs in like a month and a half. I have never used the weight loss mode.....I think I couldn't get it to go for an hour, it was preprogramed for 30 minutes?? Is that right?
  • H_Factor
    H_Factor Posts: 1,722 Member
    if you want to burn fat...instead of simply burning calories...and if you want to tighten up your legs and your buttocks, then start doing sprint intervals 3x per week (if you love the elliptical, you can do that in between your sprint days 2x per week...but it isn't necessary).

    here are some different sprint intervals that I do:

    1. all out sprint 10-20 seconds, walk back, rest until your HR drops below 130. repeat for 6-12 intervals. the key is going all out during the sprint, so you need enough rest in between to be able to go max effort each sprint.

    2. all out sprint 10-20 seconds, immediately do a bodyweight exercise, rest until your HR drops below 130, repeat for 6-12 intervals with different bodyweight exercises. again, max effort on each sprint.

    3. jog for a minutes, sprint for 10-15 seconds, repeat for 8-20 intervals.

    4. (something I tried for the first time this past Saturday)...do a shuttle sprint (a/k/a suicide drill) followed by 4 bodyweight exercises. rest. repeat and do 3-4 more intervals with different bodyweight exercises.

    if you go all out on the sprints, you will burn visceral fat (the fat you want to burn) and because of something called EPOC, you will continue burning for 24-48 hours after the exercise period.
  • cedarhurst2006
    cedarhurst2006 Posts: 378 Member
    I am so glad you made a post on this! I was wondering the same thing. I absolutely LOVE the elliptical. It's just easier for me and I get so bored with the treadmill and not as.. motivated I guess to go back on it. I'm definitely not a runner, I can only jog and brisk walk on the treadmill! However with the elliptical I can go for an hour or so!! We have "Precor" ellipticals at our gym and I love to do the interval mode or the weight loss one. I used to go on the treadmill 3 x a week and eventually switched to the elliptical as my main source of cardio. I honestly think that with any type of exercise and eating healthy will do you great towards your journey towards weight loss or whatever it may be :) Keep me updated on how it's going for you and I will definitely do the same!!

    *P.S - I know you cannot spot reduce towards the thighs but hopefully this will help me!! LOL

    On that machine's interval setting, after the first two bars pass on the screen and I go to the harder interval, I up it to an incline of 15 and an intensity of 10 and then when it goes to the less harder setting, I up it to incline 7 and intensity 5 and it will stay that way through the whole 30 or 40 minute workout I do. But I am old, so that may be too easy for you!
  • yellowpear
    yellowpear Posts: 137 Member
    Thank you everyone for the reply.
  • yellowpear
    yellowpear Posts: 137 Member
    I use the elliptical trainer every day for an hour was 45 minutes but I bumped it up, I'm lost 10 lbs in like a month and a half. I have never used the weight loss mode.....I think I couldn't get it to go for an hour, it was preprogramed for 30 minutes?? Is that right?

    Yeah.. I do it as 2 sets, 30 minutes each at a stretch.
  • jezzi16
    jezzi16 Posts: 128 Member
    I love it because I can read a book while working out.
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