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

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.

"Elliptical is a great start for poeple who are unfit or elderly..."

I believe that was your quote. So unfit people and my grandmother can benefit from this, but for more advanced and fit users...well, they shouldn't waste their time.

I haven't decided if you're just thriving off the attention or you really believe what you're saying.

This.

I'm not an elliptical user, but I am offended by the tone of the OP. It's condescending and judgemental. It implies that anyone who uses an elliptical is unfit, elderly or just plain lazy. And also, indirectly, that you are working harder than those people because you are working on the stairmill.

You find the stairmill a tougher workout. Awesome. Keep rocking it. But keep your judgements of others' choices to yourself, please.

Elliptical is too easy You're right

Ditch the elliptical. Ditch the gym. Get some kettlebells, a jump rope, and a bike. But if you are going to keep wasting money on monthly gym dues, then yes; the stair mill will kick your buttocks.

It is not a waste of money if you go to classes. No real substitute for that. Also a great access to a variety of equiptment if that is what you are into.

I like the elliptical just fine thanks.

Can you tell me when the last time was that you saw a personal trainer spend an hour on an elliptical at the gym? I've been working out for years and they usually spend 20 minutes tops to get the HR up and move onto other things.

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.

Your trainer may know a lot of other things, but in this case, he/she is just pulling an idea out of his/her butt.

The elliptical made my knees hurt as well. I just wanna give it away! And to make it so bad I really wanted and had to have it.

Me too! Everyone looks at me oddly when I say that, but the elliptical really makes my knees ache. Whereas running outdoors doesn't. Weird.

I guess I am fat and old, then, because the elliptical works great for me. I don't wimp out. I work hard. I sweat. I burn. I lose weight. I feel good. My knees don't grind (like they do on a step or Arc machine). Thanks for your support.

Nice commercial for the other thing. Good luck with that. You're a distributor, right?

When you become a fitness trainer and have earned the right to tell everyone that you know better than us, please, please do let us know. I'm glad the stair thing works for you. That doesn't mean it's the best exercise for everybody. Even us fat, old people.

Love it! Totally agree!

While i disagree with the elliptical slander i do need to think differently (rip steve jobs) and perhaps give this a whirl. I've recently abandoned the elevator at work and i'm feeling every flight so maybe this will build my tolerance up a bit

I lost 70 pounds on the elliptical. It does work. Any machine will work. The problem is after so long your muscles get trained to not react as well to that same motion. You have to mix it up and add variety. I spent 6 months at the same weight working out 5 days a week on the elliptical. It wasn't until someone mentioned I should try something new that I was able to get past that plateau. In order to burn fat you need to build muscle. That doesn't necessarily mean you have to lift weights, but anyone would benefit from some strength training. I was also told to stay away from any machine that you sit on or at. It does nothing to build muscle. You want your whole body involved. I recently switched to the stair climber and I can literally wring out the sweat from my shirt. That's not something I could do on the elliptical. Even at a higher resistance I never sweat like this, but the calorie burn is the same. Even if it's the same I'm sticking with the stair climber for now to enjoy the extra sweat. But I won't stick with it permanently because the new muscles I'm engaging will eventually stop responding to the repeated motion. Then it's time to mix it up again!

definitely agree!

Stairmaster/stairmill will kick you butt! But it is great if you don't have much time and want a great calorie burn! It also works your heartrate like no other cardio machine!

I run 8-10km a few times a week and I end up pretty tired, but 20 minutes on the stairmill and the sweat will be pouring off you!

Excellent for high intensity cardio and a great calorie burn!