Cardio at the gym--machine of choice?

DaniJeanine
DaniJeanine Posts: 473 Member
edited December 17 in Fitness and Exercise
What machine do you do for cardio at the gym? And for how long? I prefer to do Zumba, hiking, or walking my dog for cardio, but when I *have* to do a machine I usually do the stair climber for 20 mins follow by 10 mins of jogging on the treadmill or on the eliptical. I feel like the stair climber gives the best workout (at least for those of us who aren't avid runners!) What do you do?
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Replies

  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    Spin bikes...
  • seekingstrengthX2
    seekingstrengthX2 Posts: 771
    I do them all.

    The stair climber gives me the most bang for the buck in the shortest period of time. Sometimes my quads aren't up for it though. LOL. I usually alternate between the treadmill and the elliptical, with an occassional spinning thrown in. My normal cardio session is between 35 and 45 minutes.
  • DaniJeanine
    DaniJeanine Posts: 473 Member
    I used to do that but my gym started locking the spinning room when there isn't a class going on! Very annoying...
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,749 Member
    I run on the treadmill M-W-F and do the Cybex machine Tues-Thurs.
  • WhittRak
    WhittRak Posts: 567 Member
    Elliptical, all the time :happy:
  • DaniJeanine
    DaniJeanine Posts: 473 Member
    I run on the treadmill M-W-F and do the Cybex machine Tues-Thurs.

    Cybex?
  • yesthistime
    yesthistime Posts: 2,051 Member
    Treadmill and recumbent bike.
  • Di3012
    Di3012 Posts: 2,247 Member
    What machine do you do for cardio at the gym? And for how long? I prefer to do Zumba, hiking, or walking my dog for cardio, but when I *have* to do a machine I usually do the stair climber for 20 mins follow by 10 mins of jogging on the treadmill or on the eliptical. I feel like the stair climber gives the best workout (at least for those of us who aren't avid runners!) What do you do?

    Treadmill for me. An hour at a time when I do the treadmill at home and on the odd occasion I go to the gym, I use it for around 30/35 minutes, before I do weights.
  • BradT1974
    BradT1974 Posts: 22
    Elliptical for me, I've been considering adding in some rowing machine.
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    Arc trainer (man that thing is killah!! --as we say here in Boston)

    Elliptical

    30 minutes of a machine a few times per week. Use the rest of that time for weights, various core exercises. I prefer hiking, Zumba and gardening but sometimes in a pinch the machines work great. :)
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    I run on the treadmill M-W-F and do the Cybex machine Tues-Thurs.

    Cybex?

    It's a brand made right here in MA. Whoooo!
  • Jennicia
    Jennicia Posts: 409 Member
    Treadmill/and or elliptical. The elliptical kills my knees, so I usually only do it after the treadmill.
  • lambertj
    lambertj Posts: 675 Member
    The stairmaster has always been my go to machine, and according to my HRM it gets me the most calories burned in the shorter period of time. I do it for about 35 minutes and finish off on the treadmill
  • TrishKennett
    TrishKennett Posts: 22
    Use the Wave machine - for high intensity calorie burnouts ( like elliptical but you go side to side - feels like a ski-action, so why "wave" I don't know! But works for me! Have now worked up to a point where I can do 55 mins, in stages ( 400 cals, then 300, then 200, then 100, straight after one another). However, like all machine workouts, best to vary it when you can.
  • Jennicia
    Jennicia Posts: 409 Member
    Use the Wave machine - for high intensity calorie burnouts ( like elliptical but you go side to side - feels like a ski-action, so why "wave" I don't know! But works for me! Have now worked up to a point where I can do 55 mins, in stages ( 400 cals, then 300, then 200, then 100, straight after one another). However, like all machine workouts, best to vary it when you can.

    That sounds like a very cool machine! we dont have that at my gym!
  • hnsaunde
    hnsaunde Posts: 757 Member
    Arc trainer or incline elliptical. I can't do the elliptical without an incline, I find my feet go numb after 20 minutes. Normal session is about 30-40 minutes for me on non strength training days, and 20-30 min on strength days (warmup and cooldown)
  • Arestoktra
    Arestoktra Posts: 73
    Treadmill and elliptical, each of them for 30 minutes. I can't run on treadmill but I walk fast, but my all time favourite is elliptical.
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,749 Member
    I run on the treadmill M-W-F and do the Cybex machine Tues-Thurs.

    Cybex?

    It's a brand made right here in MA. Whoooo!

    You're in MA? What part? I'm in CT!!

    I used to hate that machine but I've grown to like it. My husband LOVES it.

    ETA: Yeah, I don't know what the heck the machine actually is. I just know the brand. It's kind of an elliptical/arc trainer breed
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    Treadmill or incline trainer.

    The bikes hurt my back (the seat puts pressure in a bad spot on my spine), the elliptical and arc trainer make my feet go numb and the stair stepper hurts my hip.

    The incline trainer burns a ton of calories but I love to run on the treadmill.
  • k8lyn_235
    k8lyn_235 Posts: 507 Member
    i usually do the thing that is a mix between an elliptical and a star climber (ETA: i have just learned that it is an incline elliptical! haha). at school, i always did the stair climber, but i'm home now and this gym has terrible stair climbers.
  • methodless
    methodless Posts: 62
    Elliptical, but if they are all in use, the bike, and my next bet is the rowing machine

    I can do more on the rowing machine than on the bike, but I need to take breaks for water and I get blisters
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    I used to do that but my gym started locking the spinning room when there isn't a class going on! Very annoying...

    That sucks! regular exercise bikes don't compare.
  • DeborahStanley
    DeborahStanley Posts: 90 Member
    Treadmill only able to walk (back problem) but manage 4.8 mph alternate speed & incline usually burn about 400 cals in 45 mins. Can't use eliptical as it makes my bad leg go numb but after reading other posts I'm going to try giving the stairmaster a go :)
  • k1ngfl1pper
    k1ngfl1pper Posts: 46 Member
    Cardio for me is usually the recumbent bike, medium resistance for 45 minutes or the elliptical, medium resistance for 20 minutes. I have recently started using something called the Adaptive Motion Trainer - it's like an elliptical but depending on your motion, change change the length of your stride. So whether you want a more stair stepper like workout or a low impact run, both can be done. Pretty neat...
  • jadedone
    jadedone Posts: 2,446 Member
    Elliptical or rower or the AMT machine. If my gym had an Arc Trainer I would do that.

    I have a short attention span for cardio so the most I will do is 35 minutes before dying of boredom. Instead I do intervals for every workout. Either with a 1:2 ratio of sprint to rest. I tried a really hard interval last week that I really liked: 12 seconds sprint: 8 seconds rest. This was a really good one. Intervals last for about 20-30 minutes.

    I am trying to build up my distance on the rower so about once every 10 days I'll do steady state cardio.

    Otherwise I just take a walk and/or do a few rounds on the steps in the park. My neighborhood is hilly, so no matter where I walk to I have a hill on the way home.
  • DaniJeanine
    DaniJeanine Posts: 473 Member
    Use the Wave machine - for high intensity calorie burnouts ( like elliptical but you go side to side - feels like a ski-action, so why "wave" I don't know! But works for me! Have now worked up to a point where I can do 55 mins, in stages ( 400 cals, then 300, then 200, then 100, straight after one another). However, like all machine workouts, best to vary it when you can.

    That sounds like a very cool machine! we dont have that at my gym!

    Me either...I want one! lol
  • EuroDriver12
    EuroDriver12 Posts: 805 Member
    i love biking... so bikes haha
  • cyclerjenn
    cyclerjenn Posts: 833 Member
    Spin bikes and Incline Trainer
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
    Arc trainer or incline elliptical. I can't do the elliptical without an incline, I find my feet go numb after 20 minutes. Normal session is about 30-40 minutes for me on non strength training days, and 20-30 min on strength days (warmup and cooldown)

    I'm glad I'm not the only one whose feet go numb. I will have to try to adjust the incline, didn't even think of it. Thanks for the protip!
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
    -Stair treadmill w/ intervals, 20 minutes.

    -Row machine 2000 meters (usually around 10 minutes)

    -Stationary bike 3 or 5 miles

    -Elliptical w/ high resistance for 10 minutes.

    -Intervals on treadmill w/ incline from 5 to 10

    Weights and body weight exercises are in there somewhere but you didn't ask about those so.... ^_^

    No, I don't do all of these on the same trip....
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