Want better results???? Ditch the elliptical and......

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  • hurleycutie142
    hurleycutie142 Posts: 480 Member
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    i think its whatever works for the person... i love the elliptical but i do HIIT program which means my incline and resistance is high and then i max out on it... i dont just do minimum like most people do... and im in the same puddle of sweat just like i would be on the stair master at constant speed... so it depends on the person... i hate it when people say do this and people who do that are old or newbies... its pretty closed minded...
  • hurleycutie142
    hurleycutie142 Posts: 480 Member
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    I truly think the OP had the right intention in her heart and wanted to talk about a machine that she believes in , that being said the way she delivered that message couldn't have been worse if she tried. You don't need to bash one thing to make what you believe in better.


    i couldnt agree more...
  • hurleycutie142
    hurleycutie142 Posts: 480 Member
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    Yup, I was right, all the elliptical people came out and got offended in full force! I never said it didn't have it's uses, but people are going to twist things how they see fit. to the guy who lost 200 pounds. CONGRATS!! Something tells me though..that you also cleaned up your diet. give yourself credit, it wasn't just the elliptical machine.

    So by that logic does using a stair mill make any difference either if people clean up their diet?

    Any exercise will "make a difference". Heck, you don't even need to exercise AT ALL to lose weight if you don't want, as long as your calories in is less than yoru calories out. It's not just about calories. It's about challenge, effort, striving to hit a "10" in your exertion. If you just want to burn some calories to lose weight or work off that piece of cake..then sure...paddle away ont he elliptical for an hour. I guess I shouldn't have assumed that everyone was into fitness for fitness.

    As far as the ellliptical being for the unfit and elderly. I stand by that comment. When you get "good" on the elliptical, why wouldn't you want to step it up? I just don't get being content with a certain level. I do'nt want to "maintain". If i can do 20 push ups, I wanna work to 25, or do one arms, or do them weighted. I don't just hit 20 and think "oh good, I made it, now i'm done". I"m competitive. I race, I like challenge.Fitness is a lifeslong pursuit for me, not just a tool to get thin.

    Again, if you ARE content with where you're at, and you LOVE plugging away on the elliptical, then do so. For the rest of you (who don't have messed up knees and DO go to a gym) try the step mill. Hell..it was just a suggestion.


    this is so ignorant i swear... SO RUNNERS WHEN U GUYS GET GOOD AT RUNNING STOP RUNNING... its pointless right? u can step it up doing any cardio machine... it has nothing to do with the elliptical... i go to the gym EVERYDAY! sore or not sore... and yes of course my elliptical workout routine gets easy so i step it up... i go faster and longer with higher incline and higher resistance just like someone would do on a treadmill orr any other equipment... I HAVE RAN A MARATHON AND GUESS WHAT IM NOT OLD OR OUT OF SHAPE.... thanks
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    Ok I give up. No matter what I say someone assumes, twists, sticks words in my mouth and assumes I'm judging them as a person. You're right, I'm wrong. Carry on.
    Better now?

    No one has twisted your words. Your meaning came across loud and clear--that is why you have gotten the responses you have. Perhaps you were just unaware of the condescending tone of your original remarks.
  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
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    I think, maybe, you just don't hang out with the 'right' people where that is concerned, then. with any machine, you can make it work for you. yesterday, I broke through 900 calories burned in 65 minutes on the elliptical by using HIIT on a decently high angle and resistance at a consistently high speed. and my shirt was soaked by the time I finished, so I promise I worked this body hard.
  • Fit_Canuck
    Fit_Canuck Posts: 788 Member
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    Good, and when you're ready, you'll graduate to a better machine ;)

    OMG you seriously are a sucker for punishment, I actually regret sticking up for you
  • shannoni_23
    shannoni_23 Posts: 25
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    Well my gym doesn't have step mills and I can't run because of injury so it's either the bikes which do nothing, or the elliptical. As long as you have an elliptical that takes your heart rate, and weight they are pretty accurate in calories burnt. Never go by the MFP numbers. They are always about 20% higher than they should.

    I have the exact same problem. I wear a HRM tho, and I actually burn more than the machine says. I set the level to 20 or 25 tho, so it takes a lot of effort to keep it moving. Actually reminds me of a stair climber when it's on that high level.
  • VMarkV
    VMarkV Posts: 522 Member
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    The elliptical has some use, it's low impact on the weight bearing joints so it's better for beginners and those with injuries.
    I personally only use the treadmill and stairmaster because these are useful/real life movement patterns and are weight bearing since they work the knees and hips (helps maintain/build bone mineral density)
  • tobafa
    tobafa Posts: 344 Member
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    Up the resistance to 8+ and you'll be huffing ang puffing. I do eliptical at 5 resistance with two minute intervals at 8 resistance and I'll tell you it's no joke nor is it misleading and the machine definately is not doing the work there. So next time, put the incline at 10 and up the resistance and you'll be huffing and puffing no doubt. I have to agree the step mill is a grind too.
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
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    The principle of specificity applies to all exercises, to get good at an exercise you have to do that exercise. A competitive distance runner hopping on a bike, if they never ride, is probably not competitive on a bike. A competitive biker that enters a running race, if they don't run, probably isn't going to be a very fast runner.

    Doing lots and lots of elliptical makes you good at the elliptical. There wouldn't be much transfer to the stepper, but probably more than a distance runner or weight trainer, who would likely be even worse at the stepper than the elliptical users. No single machine or exercise is superior to all others. The wisest exercisers train many different things to work all facets of their fitness, (not necessarily all at once, but change things up every 6-10 weeks), which is the principle behind things like the P90X program and Crossfit, likewise competitive non-endurance athletes (such as football players) have to train a number of different things (speed, endurance, power, strength, flexibility, etc...) if they have any hope of getting good.
  • acg1305
    acg1305 Posts: 224 Member
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    Or the treadmill on a steep incline.... the cals rack up sooo much quicker than the eliptical
  • mandylooo
    mandylooo Posts: 456 Member
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    I had to Google "stepmill" because the steppers we have in the gym I use are pathetic, but it turns ou they're not the same thing.

    I've never been on a stepmill, but I do use the London Underground everyday and I always run up the escalator when I can (nobody impeding me), so yeh, I can see it would be hard work for any duration, even on an easy setting. But you can make the elliptical hard work as well.
  • 4flamingoz
    4flamingoz Posts: 214 Member
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    (1) Cannot afford gym fees; (2) Cost of one of those machines is OVER $2,000 and up to around $5,000; 3) I moved from my lovely home to this nice two story apt. building for those over age 55. I'm on the 2nd floor and our building has an elevator BUT... I'm taking the stairs a lot more these days & wearing my FitBit.

    (4) Climbing the stairs, regularly, for fitness is FREE
    (5) I keep my car in the parking garage under the building. Now, when I come in with groceries, I don't use the elevator to haul them upstairs in one trip. I carry them up and make as many trips with the bags as necessary. To begin with, carrying a heavier load up the stairs helps burn more calories AND.... I'm getting my flights of stairs in for fitness for the day.
    (6) I'll be 75 in early December this year. What's your excuse?

    This! Rock on!!
  • Mompanda4
    Mompanda4 Posts: 869 Member
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    Bump
  • natashamcn
    natashamcn Posts: 145 Member
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    The OP was right about personal trainers not liking these things for people who are in good shape and have no health issues. My personal trainer refused to put me on one of these machines after doing my initial fitness assessment. After years of running uphill outside and lots of soccer playing these machines couldn't make me break a sweat. He also didn't like them because they build momentum and your legs will continue to be pushed forward after you have stopped moving (unlike a treadmill). However I'm pretty sure he used them for people who were out of shape/ had health problems. They're not bad to help you get into shape though. They have their place in the gym just like the rest of the equipment there.
  • pantsdailyon
    pantsdailyon Posts: 173 Member
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    Tone? I did not imply "tone" at all. I never said the elliptical was useless. It's better than nothing obviously. If you push really hard on it then great. But..I challenge ANYONE who is a regular elliptical user to go on the step mill for 1/2 the time they use on the lip, say a lower level like a 5...THEN come back and tell me how hard the lip is.
    When I do the elliptical, my goal is to get my heart rate to 90% for, usually, around 40 minutes. With that goal in mind, how would it help for me to switch to doing half the time on a stepmill?
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    Please let this stupid thread die!

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