Elliptical Machines

[The_Tick]

They kill me. Absolutely kill me.

I can do:

60 minutes on a treadmill...no problem.
60 minutes on a stationary bike...no problem.

5 minutes on a Elliptical...shoot me now.

Why is this? I know I am fat/morbidly obese...but I am that on all of the machines. Any ideas?

[Moliere]

They kill me. Absolutely kill me.

I can do:

60 minutes on a treadmill...no problem.
60 minutes on a stationary bike...no problem.

5 minutes on a Elliptical...shoot me now.

Why is this? I know I am fat/morbidly obese...but I am that on all of the machines. Any ideas?

I'm the opposite. I can do 30 minutes on an elliptical and barely get my heart rate up as high as I can running for 10 minutes. My cadence on the elliptical is much higher as well and the tension is high enough that I have to hold the bars to keep my cadence up. I do however keep the incline low to simulate running as much as possible.

[TripletDaddy]

Elliptical machines are very challenging and are definitely smart alternatives for those that would like to remain fit yet not do long term damage to their knees. Obvously, The Tick cares about his body.

[jay santos]

I purchased an elliptical and love it. But I think its the easiest of cardiovascular choices. I like it for how easy it is on the joints.

[The_Tick]

Elliptical machines are very challenging and are definitely smart alternatives for those that would like to remain fit yet not do long term damage to their knees. Obvously, The Tick cares about his body.

I am trying to care about it a little bit more as of late. Thanks.

It kills my quads though. I have to be doing it wrong...somehow. They start burning 90 seconds into it. My cadence isn't fast. My HR shoots up pretty quick though.

I may ask the roided up, tribal tatooed, trainer when I am there tomorrow. If he can break away from Facebook or the mirror.

[falafel]

I am trying to care about it a little bit more as of late. Thanks.

It kills my quads though. I have to be doing it wrong...somehow. They start burning 90 seconds into it. My cadence isn't fast. My HR shoots up pretty quick though.

I may ask the roided up, tribal tatooed, trainer when I am there tomorrow. If he can break away from Facebook or the mirror.

I don't know what you do on the treadmill, but the elliptical gets your upper body going, plus there's the slight incline part that's probably getting your legs.

Sent from my Sprint EVO 4G

[Surfah]

I don't know what you do on the treadmill, but the elliptical gets your upper body going, plus there's the slight incline part that's probably getting your legs.

Sent from my Sprint EVO 4G

If you're on a treadmill you should be walking/running on an incline anyway. A treadmill helps propel you forward. Otherwise you're just picking up your feet.

[PaloAltoCougar]

If you're on a treadmill you should be walking/running on an incline anyway. A treadmill helps propel you forward. Otherwise you're just picking up your feet.

Sorry for the brief threadjack, but how much of an incline is necessary to negate the propulsion effect and simulate the effort of running a flat course? I was told 1% is sufficient (and I'll often mix in 3-5% to vary the effort). Is 1% enough? Anyone?

[Surfah]

Sorry for the brief threadjack, but how much of an incline is necessary to negate the propulsion effect and simulate the effort of running a flat course? I was told 1% is sufficient (and I'll often mix in 3-5% to vary the effort). Is 1% enough? Anyone?

I have read 1-2% is enough. I usually run at 2%.

[Pheidippides]

Sorry for the brief threadjack, but how much of an incline is necessary to negate the propulsion effect and simulate the effort of running a flat course? I was told 1% is sufficient (and I'll often mix in 3-5% to vary the effort). Is 1% enough? Anyone?

I've also heard 1%.

[Portland Ute]

I've also heard 1%.

Crap. This would have been nice to know weeks ago.

I guess I'll up my effort.

[happyone]

As far as cardio machines go, the type that give me the best workout is the stairmaster - the kind that have rotating stairs, not the pedal kind. I tend to short step the kind that have pedals. That machine give me a better workout than just about anything else in the gym. I'm just about dead after 30/45 minutes on one of them. I can barely walk down the stairs in the gym. All the cardio machines are on the second floor where I go.

There is also a machine that kind of combines a stairmaster with an elliptical machine, I don't know what it is called, that gives me a fairly decent workout.

[Surfah]

As far as cardio machines go, the type that give me the best workout is the stairmaster - the kind that have rotating stairs, not the pedal kind. I tend to short step the kind that have pedals. That machine give me a better workout than just about anything else in the gym. I'm just about dead after 30/45 minutes on one of them. I can barely walk down the stairs in the gym. All the cardio machines are on the second floor where I go.

There is also a machine that kind of combines a stairmaster with an elliptical machine, I don't know what it is called, that gives me a fairly decent workout.

I used this machine not too long ago that had a rope that fed from top to bottom going through some sort of resistance thing. Anyway, it was basically like doing the rope climb in middle school. But it had different degrees of resistance and a timer. You were seated with a knee pad similar to what you have at a lat machine. I did it for a minute and that thing killed me. My abs and back were hurting the next day. They had another one that was set up like a tug o' war. That one wasn't any easier. Pretty cool machines though. I'd never seen anything like them before in a commercial gym. I was sweating profusely after a minute of it.

[Art Vandelay]

My wife is a little OCD about very dedicated to exercising everyday by Sunday. She uses her elliptical for 99 minutes, on one of the higher settings, which is amazing to me. Due to some nerve damage caused by our third child during labor (my wife couldn't walk for several weeks after he was born. It was terrifying) she can no longer run outside or exercise on anything other than an elliptical. Her current machine was the top of the line Schwinn several years ago, but it is starting show the wear of the countless miles she has put on it. I would like to get her another one for Christmas, does anyone have any recommendations.

When I go to the gym and struggle to go 45 min without stopping (watching The Walking Dead or other shows on my ipad has helped a lot) I like the Precor brand best. However, they all seem about the same to me. Anyone have any experience in this area?

[dabrockster]

My wife is a little OCD about very dedicated to exercising everyday by Sunday. She uses her elliptical for 99 minutes, on one of the higher settings, which is amazing to me. Due to some nerve damage caused by our third child during labor (my wife couldn't walk for several weeks after he was born. It was terrifying) she can no longer run outside or exercise on anything other than an elliptical. Her current machine was the top of the line Schwinn several years ago, but it is starting show the wear of the countless miles she has put on it. I would like to get her another one for Christmas, does anyone have any recommendations.

When I go to the gym and struggle to go 45 min without stopping (watching The Walking Dead or other shows on my ipad has helped a lot) I like the Precor brand best. However, they all seem about the same to me. Anyone have any experience in this area?

Your price range??