Elliptical Machines: Yay or Nay?

[Judge Malthred]

I have been given the options of getting an elliptical machine for 1/2 off its regular price, brand new from the store. Been looking around on the internet to see if these machines are good for cardio workouts and burning fat. I see a lot of conflicted reports, mostly from people who are probably being paid to say as much.

So I am looking for some fitness intel on the true usefulness of these machines. Will the produce results if used 20-30min a day, 4-5 days a week doing interval training with some light weight work on the side? My goal is to get rid of fat, I have a lot of muscle and am not looking to build any more.

[Sprinky]

I have been given the options of getting an elliptical machine for 1/2 off its regular price, brand new from the store. Been looking around on the internet to see if these machines are good for cardio workouts and burning fat. I see a lot of conflicted reports, mostly from people who are probably being paid to say as much.

So I am looking for some fitness intel on the true usefulness of these machines. Will the produce results if used 20-30min a day, 4-5 days a week doing interval training with some light weight work on the side? My goal is to get rid of fat, I have a lot of muscle and am not looking to build any more.

Yes the elliptical is a good toy to have. On my last cut I did nearly all of my cardio on them. One thing Id warn you of is that often the ones you buy for use at home can be very flimsy and not have enough resistance. My flatmate bought one and I feel like im going to break it everytime I use it. If you want me to take a look at the one you are thinking of buying I could probably tell you if its a good one or not.

As far as losing fat Id reccomend light cardio in the morning on a totally empty stomach. You are then burning your bodies fat stores rather than the calories from the the thing you just ate. I often did 40 mins on the elliptical or 45 mins fast walking. If you train too heavy on an empty stomach though you have a higher chance of burning muscle so keep it light. If you are restricted to training in the evenings then look into HIIT (High intensity interval training)

EDIT: Just thought Id add that the thing I like the most about the elliptical is that it is much easier on the joints than the other forms of cardio.

[Judge Malthred]

Yep, plan on using it in the morning when I get up. Here is the one I am looking at:
http://www.nordictrack.com/webapp/wc...1_43501_124253

Looks pretty sturdy to me, and has some nice options.

[Sprinky]

Just a quick google search on that model has returned quite a few bad results

Heres a quote from one of said webpages:
Our Thoughts

Ask yourself, do you feel lucky? Will you be one of the customers who does not have problems with (occasional) use of their NordicTrack machine, or will you be using it every day and grow concerned as it develops odd squeaks, and then parts fall off, and then it breaks in about a year? Hey, the company slaps short warranties on parts and labor on these machines for a reason! Forget the new and improved NordicTrack AudioStrider 990 Pro elliptical and go with something that has a solid proven track record, better value, and great customer reviews – check out the Schwinn 431 ($799) or the Schwinn 460 ($999).


Might want to read a few reviews before going ahead

[Judge Malthred]

Just a quick google search on that model has returned quite a few bad results

Heres a quote from one of said webpages:
Our Thoughts

Ask yourself, do you feel lucky? Will you be one of the customers who does not have problems with (occasional) use of their NordicTrack machine, or will you be using it every day and grow concerned as it develops odd squeaks, and then parts fall off, and then it breaks in about a year? Hey, the company slaps short warranties on parts and labor on these machines for a reason! Forget the new and improved NordicTrack AudioStrider 990 Pro elliptical and go with something that has a solid proven track record, better value, and great customer reviews – check out the Schwinn 431 ($799) or the Schwinn 460 ($999).


Might want to read a few reviews before going ahead

Yeah that's one of the issues I have with online reviews (don't know what website that one comes from) but it sounds so much like "THE ITEM YOU WANT TO BUY IS THE DEVIL! LUCKY YOU I KNOW THE ITEM THAT YOU SHOULD REALLY BUY!!!!" hard to trust reviews like that...

[Sprinky]

It seems to be a legit source: http://www.allellipticals.com/nordic...lliptical.html

With that said you never know who is giving backhanders to each other these days. I did look at a couple of other sites and see people having issues with the belt falling off and other things. I also noted when I first looked at it that the handles seem to be very thin, I like to do a lot of the work with my arms and I dont know if they look up to the job. I think the best way to decide though is to try one out, I can usually tell just by stepping onto something if its going to stand the hammering Ill give it or not

[Judge Malthred]

Not a bad idea, I need to see if I can find a store in my area that carries them and I can try it out. With any luck maybe find an extended warranty option. I do really like using ellipticals though so I am glad that they can work for what I need.

[Sprinky]

Yeah anything that increases your heart rate is good :-) There are a lot of bullshit claims out there for things like the AB BLASTER which claims to give you shredded abs. Yes it will give you shredded abs if you eat in a calorie defecit the whole time you are using it. Just like walking up stairs or jumping on the spot will

[Judge Malthred]

Yeah had my fill of that kind of crap long time ago! When something claims to give results with ease, usually is BS.

[waddiwasi]

When I was really overweight, I liked the elliptical because running with all that extra weight hurt my joints. Now that I'm in better shape and looking for things that are more efficient at building muscle, I prefer running, but the elliptical will always have a special place in my heart. Besides, anything that gets your heart rate up is technically cardio, which is always good. Doing any sort of exercise always beats doing no exercise!

[Narfwak]

They're great if you have issues with joint pain/fatigue. Running is very high-impact and can be extremely bad for your knees if you try to dive into a heavy workout plan without prior training or have some kind of outstanding joint injury.

You might want to compare the cost of the machine to a gym membership if you can find a good gym that isn't overpriced, but if you can afford the sale price then go for it. Personally I find I work out a lot harder and more efficiently when I make myself go to the gym versus staying at home (with the possible exception of doing isolations while I watch the Day[9] Daily).

[brown]

I like elliptical machines. I do all of my cardio on either ellipticals or bikes. I don't really care for treadmills as they seem to put too much pressure on the knees, especially when running.

As for whether or not the elliptical will help burn fat is up to your workout. Ellipticals, bikes, and treadmills will all cause you burn fat as long as you stick to a good dedicated workout. My cardio workout is to go on the bike for a bit with it set so my knees will come up a bit and work my abs as well (much like mountain climbers). Then I like to hit the heavy bag for a bit.

[endersblade]

Definitely. They are zero/low impact, so good for people with bad joints/back. As well, you can go longer on them without getting worn out, compared to running.

When I was enlisted, I could run about 5 miles before I was completely dead. I don't remember how long it took me; for argument's sake, we'll say an hour. On an elliptical, because I have bad knees (thanks Navy!) my record so far is 6 solid hours. I only stopped because I had an appointment lol. After that first hump of your body getting used to the exercise, you can go forever on an elliptical. My Doctor recommended it to me, since I wanted to continue working out when I was processed out of the Navy. I paid a little over $1200 for a complete 'bells and whistles' elliptical, and haven't looked back.

[handsdown]

If you have the incline on high enough, yes. Can really feel it in my butt anytime I use it xD

[Judge Malthred]

Definitely. They are zero/low impact, so good for people with bad joints/back. As well, you can go longer on them without getting worn out, compared to running.

When I was enlisted, I could run about 5 miles before I was completely dead. I don't remember how long it took me; for argument's sake, we'll say an hour. On an elliptical, because I have bad knees (thanks Navy!) my record so far is 6 solid hours. I only stopped because I had an appointment lol. After that first hump of your body getting used to the exercise, you can go forever on an elliptical. My Doctor recommended it to me, since I wanted to continue working out when I was processed out of the Navy. I paid a little over $1200 for a complete 'bells and whistles' elliptical, and haven't looked back.

Damn, any particular reason you were on there for 6 hours?

[Buttfear]

I've owned a couple commercial elliptical machines that I used at home, anything less than commercial is most likely going to be a piece of junk that will ruin your exercise plans. With that said I recommend buying a used Precor elliptical, check craigslist or govliquidation.com.

Should cost less than $1000, will last longer than you will, and they're easy to maintain.

[stigmoth]

I have been given the options of getting an elliptical machine for 1/2 off its regular price, brand new from the store. Been looking around on the internet to see if these machines are good for cardio workouts and burning fat. I see a lot of conflicted reports, mostly from people who are probably being paid to say as much.

So I am looking for some fitness intel on the true usefulness of these machines. Will the produce results if used 20-30min a day, 4-5 days a week doing interval training with some light weight work on the side? My goal is to get rid of fat, I have a lot of muscle and am not looking to build any more.

Go outside and run. It takes two minutes to get changed into running gear. Its more sociable as well.

Running is cheaper than a machine. If its wet outside it is considered more of a challenge. Essentially get off your a**e, go outside and run!

[Sanctioned]

I love the elliptical machines. I have some major problems with my back and all I can really do is that or a bike. I worked my ass off on the elliptical and I love it even more then when I could run.

[Judge Malthred]

Go outside and run. It takes two minutes to get changed into running gear. Its more sociable as well.

Running is cheaper than a machine. If its wet outside it is considered more of a challenge. Essentially get off your a**e, go outside and run!

lol lets take a look at this winning suggestion: 2 min to get into running out fit - Check. 20 Minute drive to get to a park to run in since I don't want to run on concrete while sucking in car exhaust from the road - Check. 5 more minutes to find parking - Check. Another 20 minute drive back - Check. Adding 47 useless minutes to my cardio workout instead of just getting out of bed and getting it done - Stupid.

Thank you for your utterly useless post that has nothing to do with why this topic was created, or what information I was asking about.

[Munk]

I have been given the options of getting an elliptical machine for 1/2 off its regular price, brand new from the store. Been looking around on the internet to see if these machines are good for cardio workouts and burning fat. I see a lot of conflicted reports, mostly from people who are probably being paid to say as much.

So I am looking for some fitness intel on the true usefulness of these machines. Will the produce results if used 20-30min a day, 4-5 days a week doing interval training with some light weight work on the side? My goal is to get rid of fat, I have a lot of muscle and am not looking to build any more.

At the end of the day burning fat and getting fit is about burning calories, whether thats running jumping, tumbling, stretching, lifting big stuff, breaking things it doesnt matter. What matters is that youre doing SOMETHING. If you can push yourself to have 30-90m of intense physical excercise 3-5x a week you WILL lose weight provided your dietary habits have changed to reflect the desire to be healthy. Meaning a varied diet consisting of lots of FRESH vegitables, a smaller ammount of fresh fruit, a decent bit of starch(carbs) and a small ammount of fats/sugars.

What most people lose sight of when it comes to weight loss is that its not so much about what youre doing so long as youre doing something.

Keep your head clear and focused on whats important and dont get swept away in fad weight loss programs and the eliptical is a great way to lose weight.

FTR, Ive helped my wife lose 130 lbs over the last 2 years so yes I do have some small idea of what im talking about.

*edit*

To answer the specific question 20m really isnt enough for a healthy young male. 30m isnt really the right ammount either. You should be shooting for 30m minimum 90m max. 90m of raised heart rate is the benchmark for living an "active" adult life. That doesnt mean it has to all be on the bike but unless your going at a hefty incline keeping your heart rate maxxed for that 20m pushing yourself to the very edge of collapse 20m just isnt enough. Losing weight and getting in shape isnt something you can do in a short period of time. Think how long it took you to reach the point youre at and realize it takes time to undo the process.