Ellipticals

2

Replies

  • Jellyphant
    Jellyphant Posts: 1,400 Member
    You have to really work on the ellip to get your moneys' worth, not just willy nilly around on it at no resistance. You have to pump that b!tch up to 7.0+ to get the sweat flowing. I personally don't like it anymore. Too repetitive, since I used to do it as my workouts.
  • shelbynicole32
    shelbynicole32 Posts: 179 Member
    I have done the elliptical since I began my quest for fitness. It definately gets you a start, but I have learned that you have to add to/or switch it up. I do the elliptical with some treadmill for cool down, maybe some weights, swimming and raquetball. The more the better!
  • Jessamine
    Jessamine Posts: 226 Member
    Wow! Thank you for all the replies!

    I tried the elliptical for 15 minutes today. I was sweating, red-faced, and had jello legs when I got off. I loved it!

    The weights room is few steps away, so I thought I'd do a weights routine and then jump on the elliptical afterwards.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    My $.02 - with the elliptical you get out what you put in. It is really easy to hit go, move your legs a little and not work hard. You really need to put in the effort.
    That's different from every other exercise in what way?

    OP, the elliptical is a great piece of equipment. But you need to lift some weights, too, probably. It's all cardio.
  • jwuchef87
    jwuchef87 Posts: 110 Member
    it works for me!!! i've lost 10 pounds in the past month doing elliptical three times a week!! my bf says it's not worth it but i see a difference so i'm not stopping! :)
  • Andrea681
    Andrea681 Posts: 178 Member
    I love the elliptical. I do it everyday for an hour and I am dripping sweat by the time I'm done. But, what you put into it is what you get out of it. If you are just going to go on there and put it on the lowest level with no resistance, you won't get very much out of it. I go on there and put it on level 10 at a level 20 incline and do interval training for 60 minutes and I typically burn about 700 calories just by doing that.
  • MBuckler3
    MBuckler3 Posts: 22
    The elliptical is awesome. I do 60 minutes 5 days a week. I set the resistance as high as I can stand and just go for it. When I am done I look like I was swimming in my clothes and my limbs are useless but it works. I have lost over 40 pounds doing it. So worth it.
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
    You have to really work on the ellip to get your moneys' worth, not just willy nilly around on it at no resistance. You have to pump that b!tch up to 7.0+ to get the sweat flowing. I personally don't like it anymore. Too repetitive, since I used to do it as my workouts.

    I've found through experimentation and long use that my elliptical goes to 20. I routinely work out at 16.

    When you feel you are getting bored of the elliptical, try it at 2 resistance settings higher than you are used to. It'll get your attention back FAST when you have to brace your arms into the railing and PULL yourself down.
  • Jena_72
    Jena_72 Posts: 1,057
    My $.02 - with the elliptical you get out what you put in. It is really easy to hit go, move your legs a little and not work hard. You really need to put in the effort.
    definately agree with this! DOn't get comfortable on it if your feeling "good" up that resistance!!
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
    The elliptical is my go-to at the gym. I've actually left a Zumba class and switched to elliptical instead because I wanted to keep my heart rate UP.

    Music with a good fast beat is a great way to keep up your pace.

    Also, the ellipticals with moving handles are better IMHO than the ones which only work your legs.
  • jedibunny
    jedibunny Posts: 321
    I personally seriously prefer the Arc trainer at our gym from Cybex - but the elliptical makes me feel like I'm getting a serious workout every time I'm on it. It kicks my butt. I haven't managed more than 15 minutes on it as yet... but I'm working on that stamina. :)

    Really, anything you put a good effort into will pay off. Use what you like the most!
  • Jena_72
    Jena_72 Posts: 1,057
    it works for me!!! i've lost 10 pounds in the past month doing elliptical three times a week!! my bf says it's not worth it but i see a difference so i'm not stopping! :)
    You will change up when your ready to. Good Job!
  • Dudagarcia
    Dudagarcia Posts: 849 Member
    I love my Nordi Trak elliptical
  • JanaB2011
    JanaB2011 Posts: 20
    I have an elliptical and have been using it since January. The weight is not dropping off. I am wondering if I am getting my heart rate up enough. How do we figure where we should be at. I have thought about getting a HRM, but not sure what type would be best.

    I am typically at a 3.2 on it and dripping with sweat after the 30 minutes, trying to push harder, by doing 60 second intervels. That is a killer.

    I have started adding in some strength training, so hopefully that will help.
  • AandJsMommy
    AandJsMommy Posts: 314
    I LOVE my Eliptical and by the time I am done with my workout I am dripping sweat. I bust my butt on the thing!
  • jennifer52484
    jennifer52484 Posts: 888 Member
    The elliptical that I use has a hill climb setting.. It is sort of comparable to a HIIT session but not really.. I def get a great burn on it. The person next to me is going super fast and I look like I am in slow motion because it's taking every muscle in my legs to move the damn thing. but once i'm finished, my legs feel amazing!
  • mathiasg
    mathiasg Posts: 32
    I've lost 47 lbs since January by staying in a caloric deficit and pounding away on a Schwinn elliptical for 30 mins 4-5 times a week.
  • honeysprinkles
    honeysprinkles Posts: 1,757 Member
    I LOVE ellipticals. I can burn more calories on there than any other exercise. Just turn up the resistance, put in some headphones, and go!
  • muppetsbear
    muppetsbear Posts: 80 Member
    I use one as part of my warm up prior to interval training. The key is to keep your heart rate elevated and not to just move your legs. Its helped me thats all I can say.
  • Rabid_Hamster
    Rabid_Hamster Posts: 338 Member
    I've been using the elliptical since Feb with good success. There are other forms of exercise that will burn more calories in a short period of time, but it's low impact on the knees and joints and you can get a good cardio workout.
    I will add that since I purchased a heart rate monitor to track my total calories burned in a work out, I have notice some discrepancies between those stated on the elliptical vs my HRM. Over a 40 minute intense interval elliptical workout, the HRM will show appx 75 cals burned less than the elliptical.
  • lisadstone
    lisadstone Posts: 1
    I love the elliptical. I use the interval training option and do a 5k going back in forth between light and the hardest setting. The hard setting makes me really work and gets my heart rate slammin', then the easy allows me a second to get a drink, catch my breath, swipe the sweat and then it gets hard again and goes back n forth for the duration of the 5k, about 40 minutes.

    I was trying to run but my body just doesn't like running so I converted to elliptical with an occasional trip to the stair master, spin class, or swimming=)
  • 2hmom
    2hmom Posts: 241 Member
    I love mine,strengthened my knees,too. Mine is also a bike, so after 3 min of going as fast as I can,I sit and do weight work with 2 -5lb weights for my arms. Then up agaain and have races with myself! I am drenched with a fan on and jello legs and does it feel fantastic!
  • April4th
    April4th Posts: 140 Member
    Is the ArcTrainer considered an elliptical? I dunno, but I love doing the ArcTrainer. When I first joined the gym, I couldn't do more than 5-10 minutes on it. Now I can do an hour or more. I typically set it at 50 resistance and sometimes I'll even do 100 (max) resistance. Then again at other times, I'll go up and down on the resistance depending on how I feel that day. I will admit that I don't go super fast on it though. That being said, I always feel like I've gotten a good workout though.
  • pedraz
    pedraz Posts: 173


    I find that the right soundtrack helps. The soundtrack to the movie "Run, Lola, Run" has a backbeat that was built for keeping up an aggressive pace (since the whole movie is about a young woman running across town to save her friend's life). David Arkenstone? Not so much. :)

    THIS THIS THIS! I love my elliptical and it's what i started with because it didn't bother my back - walking did. i would never make it through a session without really pumping music though...cannot watch TV or read

    Same! Also, going backwards is good to change things. I use hand weights when I go backwards. Sometimes, i go a bit slower and close my eyes. The balance it takes when going backwards makes my heartrate go right back up there! Fun, but dont try this with weights at first so you can hold on if u mess up! ; ) elliptical is good if you've got great music. The only way for me.
  • Sharyn913
    Sharyn913 Posts: 777 Member
    When I used the elliptical, I would alternate between the highest incline (20) with low resistance, and than go mid incline (9) with more resistance. Generally speaking, I would burn about 600 calories an hour (I'm 5'2" 175lbs)

    Than I found the ARC trainer. You can do the same thing with resistance but I burn about 900 calories an hour on that.

    The ARC trainer (at both gyms I go to - Fitness First and Planet Fitness) the resistance goes up to 100. I haven't made it that high yet. But I do the highest incline (20) and start out at low resistance (5) and do a 5 minute "warm up" than I pump it up to 70 and do 30 seconds at 70, 60, 50, 40, 30, 20 and than do five more minutes at 5. You will DRIP! I'm hoping soon I can get up to 100 and work my way down! =)
  • stellaskies
    stellaskies Posts: 161 Member
    I like it, but I switch it up with the treadmill and stationary bike when I'm at the gym. It's so easy to do it wrong and feel like you're kicking *kitten* on it when you're not, though. I know this because I got scolded by a PT once when I complained of soreness in my legs.
  • Navotc
    Navotc Posts: 97
    I love the elliptical. The low-impact on my knees is great, and I try to keep my RPM up and pretty consistent over the whole length of the workout. The resistance and incline will change automatically throughout the workout (mine has preprogrammed settings which can be increased in intensity) but I try to keep the RPM consistent. I agree with others who say that they are sopping wet after a quality elliptical workout.
    It's my favorite go-to cardio workout.
  • rosebudbutterfly
    rosebudbutterfly Posts: 26 Member
    I agree with you about that...:smile:
  • mogriff1
    mogriff1 Posts: 325 Member
    I incorporate the elliptical as one of the cardio machines I use the gym (along with the treadmill, crossramp and spin class bike). I couldnt do it solely or I would get bored, but that's just me...I need variety.

    Anyhow, I do get a good workout from it in the 20 minutes that I am on it. But I find that I need to challenge myself. I like to pedal backwards while I'm on the elliptical, I feel my muscles working harder this way (especially in my thighs).

    I personally prefer the elliptical to traditional running. Less wear and tear on my joints.
  • NicoleG_86
    NicoleG_86 Posts: 61 Member
    My $.02 - with the elliptical you get out what you put in. It is really easy to hit go, move your legs a little and not work hard. You really need to put in the effort.

    ^ this is very true. On one of my first weight loss endeavors, I relied on the elliptical and it did indeed kick my butt. I made sure the intensity was high and my speed was high as well. I wouldn't let myself drop below a certain RPM and I often did a hill or random setting.

    I didn't lose as much weight as I did running, BUT I saw a definite transformation in my body. My legs, butt, and back showed the most change.

    Hope this helps and good luck!
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