Ellipticals and Treadmills

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TaraJ16
TaraJ16 Posts: 304
in Fitness and Exercise
Do they offer very different workouts, or is it pretty much the same thing in just different ways? if that makes sense.

i'm getting an elliptical from my sister, but i've also been looking into buying a treadmill and kind of alternating them every day. i'm just wondering if the treadmill would be a waste of money or not? i don't want to spend all that money for a workout thats pretty much exactly the same as an elliptical....does that make sense?

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  • weaverc
    weaverc Posts: 158
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    Both give you a cardio workout, but I find usually people prefer one or the other. I definately prefer the Elliptical. I find the time passes much more quickly because I enjoy it and I usually burn more calories than on the treadmill. I would try out the elliptical first and then decide later if you need to buy a treadmill.
  • Magenta15
    Magenta15 Posts: 850 Member
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    i was looking up on this the other day,
    both are great and have their benefits - i prefer the elliptical and find it less boring

    but if you are looking to train for running going from elliptical to running is not the same and so in this case a treadmill would be a better use of your time and money--

    it's all in your preferences and where you want to go with it :)

    http://exercise.about.com/cs/exercisegear/a/treadelliptical.htm
  • neenaleigh
    neenaleigh Posts: 584 Member
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    i use both! i start with the eliptical and end with the treadmill on some days, others i will just do one or the other. I do see that i burn more calories with the eliptical, but when i do the treadmill, i do intervals of running and walking and it may not burn as much, but it feels like a whole lot more workout! :bigsmile:

    i think the eliptical is great for days my knees hurt too...but i can run faster on the treadmill....i think if i had an HRM it would show that i burn a lot more than the treadmill says!
  • Yvette135
    Yvette135 Posts: 30
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    I also have both as well, but burn more calories on elliptical. I enjoy the treadmill because it's more comfortable for me daily, I only use the elliptical every other day. :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:
  • havingitall
    havingitall Posts: 3,728 Member
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    The eliiptical burns more calories.
    My trainer said if you want to run or walk...don't use the treadmill. He says that at least when you are walking or running on the road, you are propelling your own body weight. With the treadmill, you are just picking up your feet and it moves underneath
  • VballLeash
    VballLeash Posts: 2,456 Member
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    It just depends on your personal preference, I feel like I get a way better workout running than working out on the elliptical, I run outside though so its different... another thought is that it is good to change things up so it would be smart to do both especially if money isn't an issue and you can afford to get the treadmill... its never good to do just one kind of cardio, GOOD LUCK :happy: :happy:

    ~Leash :heart:
  • VballLeash
    VballLeash Posts: 2,456 Member
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    I shouldn't say its NEVER good to do just one kind of cardio, cause if you only like one kind than thats definitely better than none at all!

    ~Leash :heart:
  • chrissey
    chrissey Posts: 30 Member
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    I have both as well...I can burn the same amount of calories in 1/2 the time on the elliptical....

    Havingitall...now it makes sense why it seems so much harder when I do the track as opposed to the treadmill...
  • TaraJ16
    TaraJ16 Posts: 304
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    What about an excercise bike then? would that be the same kind of thing?

    i'm getting the elliptical for sure, but i want something to do days i'm not doing that. so which would be better an excercise bike or treadmill?

    i know i can run/bike outside, but its harder. my bf works long hours and i'm home alone with the kids...so i excercise while their sleeping lol!
  • twilight1542
    twilight1542 Posts: 403
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    i use both! i start with the eliptical and end with the treadmill on some days, others i will just do one or the other. I do see that i burn more calories with the eliptical, but when i do the treadmill, i do intervals of running and walking and it may not burn as much, but it feels like a whole lot more workout! :bigsmile:

    i think the eliptical is great for days my knees hurt too...but i can run faster on the treadmill....i think if i had an HRM it would show that i burn a lot more than the treadmill says!

    I primarily do the ellipticles, but do use the treadmill on days when I think my knees can handle walk/run intervals.

    I have a HRM & have found that (at least on the machines at my gym) the # the elliptical gives me is ALWAYS higher than my HRM (ex: HRM 600 & machine 800). However, the treadmill is usually almost the same as my HRM (w/in 25 calories for a 30 min workout).

    I always burn more on the elliptical because I can easily get into the cardio heart zone w/in 10-15 mins & stay there for the rest of the workout. Whereas on the treadmill I have to walk/run intervals so my heart rate gets into the cardio zone when I run & drops well out of it when I switch to walking, so I spend less than half the workout in the cardio zone where I burn the most calories.

    It's definitely a preference issue, but I have found that I lose weight more consistently when I alternate machine (keep my body guessing) than when I consistently use the same machine.

    I hope that helps :)
  • annaliza
    annaliza Posts: 809
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    Treadmills and ellipticals are both great machines for cardio. I use them for different things.

    The best feature about the elliptical is the forward and reversible feature on the foot pedals. When you are going forward, you feel like a cross country skier hitting the long slopes. However, when you reverse your pedal motion, you can target your lower body in a completely different way. You definately feel the burn in your muscles!

    The treadmill is great for walkers, runners or joggers, anyone can use it, and there is good variety of workouts (hills, intervals or programs). I am an outdoor runner, so I use the treadmill to keep up with my training when I can't run outside.

    I use the elliptical for pre-strength training warm ups and off running days so that I have a variety of cardio rather than just one. Besides, the elliptical is easier on my knees and joints so that I can "rest" my body between runs. And it gives me an overall body workout.

    An exercise bike uses a different set of muscles as well...

    Each machine does different things....each machine is good for you. It all depends on what your preference is and what will keep you motivated to exercise rather than your machine becoming an expensive clothing rack :wink: (which mine was for so many years until it became junk lol).

    Good luck to you!
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    The eliiptical burns more calories.
    My trainer said if you want to run or walk...don't use the treadmill. He says that at least when you are walking or running on the road, you are propelling your own body weight. With the treadmill, you are just picking up your feet and it moves underneath

    Research shows that setting a treadmill incline to 1% results in an equivalent VO2 compared to outdoor running (at speeds greater than about 6.5mph--below that they are equal).

    For walking, there is no difference.

    Research by companies that do their own lab evaluations of their commercial fitness equipment (e.g. Life Fitness) indicate a lower level of calorie expenditure at a similar rate of perceived exertion on a arm/leg elliptical compared to running on a treadmill.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    What about an excercise bike then? would that be the same kind of thing?

    i'm getting the elliptical for sure, but i want something to do days i'm not doing that. so which would be better an excercise bike or treadmill?

    i know i can run/bike outside, but its harder. my bf works long hours and i'm home alone with the kids...so i excercise while their sleeping lol!

    An exercise bike is fine--and they are cheaper and take up less space.

    However,

    Because of the smaller amount of muscle mass involved and the smaller range of motion, many people find it harder to push themselves on an exercise bike. Studies that have subjects self-select a workload at a given level of perceived exertion, show that people perceive lower intensity workloads as "harder" on a bike compared to an elliptical or running on a treadmill.

    If you choose to go with a bike, first of all I would recommend getting a very good bike that gives reliable workload readouts and has a geometry similar to an outdoor racing bike, and also making the commitment to develop a pedaling style and leg muscle endurance that would allow you to push at higher levels of work. You can train yourself to do effective workouts on an exercise bike, it just doesn't happen as "naturally" as on some other pieces of equipment.
  • Lose26LbsByXgiving
    Lose26LbsByXgiving Posts: 82
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    Use exercise bicycle like in spinning class.
    Stand up and pedal like you are going uphill
  • TaraJ16
    TaraJ16 Posts: 304
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    i think i've decided on an excercise bike, i used to love riding, so i think its something i can stick with.

    i don't have a lot of money to spend on one (i was going to buy a treadmill cheap from craigslist) but i found this bike at walmart, it looks ok?

    Click enlarge to see it:
    http://walmart.ca/Canada-FeaturedPage.jsp?selection=listingDetails&assetId=23252&imageId=31381&departmentId=192&categoryId=1223&tabId=7

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