treadmill vs elliptical

mawhite717
mawhite717 Posts: 202 Member
edited October 3 in Fitness and Exercise
so, i went out last weekend and bought a treadmill. the owner of the place i bought it said he was also a personal trainer and he said he would give us (me and my bf) tips on how to "get a good workout and fantastic results" and i wanna see what you guys think.....

long story short, he said that treadmills are better than ellipticals. i always thought ellipticals burn more calories, but according to him its not the calories you burn, its your heartrate. im 29 yrs old and he said for a 29 year old, to get "fantastic" reasults i should fast pace walk for 18 - 25 mins 5 days a week with my heartrate 153-163. he said hes given other ppl this advice and they've lost anywhere between 15 and 35 lbs within a month!!

what do you guys think about this?

Replies

  • jmxxiiii
    jmxxiiii Posts: 231 Member
    I think its possible with the right diet :]! good luck!
  • Krisengel
    Krisengel Posts: 161 Member
    When I was a member of gym, I always burned more calories on the treadmill than the elliptical. For some reason, I would push myself harder on the treadmill. I think it would be a personal preference thing.
  • jrich1
    jrich1 Posts: 2,408 Member
    I burn more calories on a treadmill than I do on an elipitcal, but the treadmill is a higher impact workout too.
  • marycmeadows
    marycmeadows Posts: 1,691 Member
    Yea, a lot of it is about your diet.

    I work out at the gym 5-7days a week. I use both ellipticals & treadmills.... I personally prefer the elliptical because there's no impact. The treadmill sometimes makes my knees & ankles hurt. BUT I work out so much that my muscles are often tight which makes the pain worse. I just know I usually feel better if I use the elliptical, and my heart rates stays up on the elliptical. :)
  • melanie3103
    melanie3103 Posts: 246 Member
    When you say "treadmill" - do you mean walking or running ??

    I tend to jog slow on a treadmill or a fast-paced/power walk with an incline - but still I burn more on a cross trainer.

    Think it must vary though.
  • My1985Freckles
    My1985Freckles Posts: 1,039 Member
    I burn more on the elliptical. My heart rate is usually in the upper 160's to lower 170's but I'll do a few spurts pushing it to 180 every so often.
  • ninpiggy
    ninpiggy Posts: 228 Member
    The treadmill vs. elliptical debate is interesting. I always feel like I've worked out more on a treadmill than an elliptical. I think the guy selling you the treadmill was right.... that is, of course, if you eat a proper diet too.
  • inspiration345
    inspiration345 Posts: 218 Member
    OMG your heart rate goes so high up on walking? Treadmill is very good for you. I hope your heart rate will drop soon so it is that high on fast running instead.
  • chicagocubsfan23
    chicagocubsfan23 Posts: 186
    I believe the higher your heartrate is the more calories you burn. My trainer has a set heartrate he wants me to be at or above. I can get to this on the elliptical, but it's much easier for me to get to it on the treadmill. The elliptical is kind of easy in my opinion.
  • EllieLou357
    EllieLou357 Posts: 34 Member
    I have both in my house and I see my results on my elliptical than my treadmill, I guess it just depends on your body and what type of workout you do. I use a high resistance on my elliptical. That would be like a higher incline on the treadmill. You will see more results with more resistance and incline.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    I think that his information is largely secondary and miniscule compared to diet and caloric deficit. I also think that in terms of cardio, whichever form you enjoy most will always be the best choice long term. Not to dodge your question....
  • palmer59
    palmer59 Posts: 7
    My 2 cents worth is that it depends on what you are focusing on. Both the Elliptical and Walking will get your heart rate up. However, in my experience (I've lost 10 lbs in the 3 wks and reduced inches in my hips, thighs and waist), the elliptical allows me to keep my heart rate up while using the arms for power. Walking is awesome...but it only works certain muscles. The elliptical allows you to "change it up" by "walking forward", "walking backward", using arms and stomach for control and pull while still "walking". I typically will "elliptical" for one day and then "power walk" the next day.

    Best of luck!
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,820 Member
    Get a heart rate monitor - I don't trust the ones on the machines for the most part. Real cardio is over 120 and even 130 according to some trainers. Heart rates in that range are really good, and you should get a great burn. There is a lot of talk about doing a 30 minute one shot, or doing two 15 minute shots. Just be sure to warm up however you do it by just taking it easy. Be careful to stretch warm muscles. Treadmills on high inclines 10-15 degrees have been known to cause plantar fasciitis on the foot/heal and it is very hard to treat. Start slow (hey, in know this because I didn't).

    The elliptical is a better over all workout and with the HRM, you can probably get just as good a burn, but it is harder to do that time than the treadmill. Plus there is something cool about running 10 mph!
  • KawecYogi
    KawecYogi Posts: 3
    I have been told both sides. Some people say that you burn more calories on the elliptical and some say you burn more on treadmill. I have done extensive exercise on both, but I find that I really like the elliptical. I just figure if I want to walk or run, I'll go outside and do it. I really like the motion the elliptical makes and i LOVE the ellipticals with the arm-movement option. But let me know how it goes... the more you lose and the more you know, the more you help me. :-)
  • TheCats_Meow
    TheCats_Meow Posts: 438 Member
    Personally speaking.....

    I prefer the elliptical to the treadmill and feel like I get more "bang for my buck" out of the elliptical.

    I have a HRM that I wear when I exercise and my heart rate is always higher on the elliptical than it is on the treadmill. I feel like I can push myself more on the elliptical because it's not so hard on my ankles & knees. I can also stay longer on the elliptical than the treadmill without my knees and ankles screaming for mercy halfway thru.
  • pftjill
    pftjill Posts: 488
    I am a trainer too. I prefer elliptical at the gym. However I prefer running outside even more. It is weird, I don't really get it. I burn a ton on the elliptical, but I put my resistance high and work my butt off. I come home sweatier than most workouts I do. I even get sweatier than in spin class. I LOATH running on a treadmill. I love running, but have a treadmill that is never used. I think you can do just as much, if not more on the elliptical with resistance. It just depends on how hard you are willing to push yourself.

    This being said-I don't just get on and go, I switch it up. 2 minute going at your own pace, 1 minute just pushing, 1 min just pulling, 1 min above a 6.0, 1 min between a 3.0-4.0, 2 mins just legs, 2 mins reverse direction. If you push up the resistance and you work it hard you can get a great burn. I just do the 10 min routine over 6 times for an hour.

    Give what he said a try. I don't know how people are losing that much in a month. A healthy goal is 2 lbs a week. Sometimes that can happen if you are just picking up a workout routine. Also if you do the same thing every day your body will eventually platue.

    All this being said, good luck on your journey. I hope you do get some amazing results. Eat well and work your butt off-literally-hahaha!!
  • rm830
    rm830 Posts: 531 Member
    Personally, I love the elliptical. I love that it's not hard on my knees and the workout I get is amazing! My heart rate usually is in the 130-140 range and sometimes hitting about 145 and that's good for me. I also tend to go longer on a elliptical than I would a treadmill. I'd rather go walking outside than treadmill, again, just a personal preference. I'm seeing great results in my legs, thighs, arms, and all over...my thighs have always been an issue so it's nice to see them changing. I won't be giving up the elliptical anytime soon! :)
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