The elliptical machine at the gym

I'm a fatty who recently joined a gym. All I do is walk on the treadmill because so far, that's all I'm comfortable doing. I've noticed that most of the treadmills are vacant and people tend to use the elliptical machines instead. Do those machines burn more calories than a treadmill? I don't know if I'm coordinated enough to do it. My knee probably wouldn't hurt as much.

• The elliptical is the best exercise machine in terms of putting the least pressure on your knees and joints. How many calories it burns is up to you, someone running on a 9 incline on a treadmill is burning a lot more calories than someone on a level 1 elliptical program. I have done both and prefer the elliptical- and so do my knees.

  anonymous

• Yes, especially for a heavy person, the elliptical is the way to go!!! Great that you are excercising!!!

  anon

• The elliptical is better for my knees, but I feel like the treadmill is such a better workout. I tend to switch between the two.

• Thanks, I didn't even know there were levels on the elliptical machine. I guess you can adjust the tension. At least the elliptical works your arms a little.

• If I crank the treadmill up to the highest incline, I can walk very slowly and still get my heart rate up as much as if I were jogging on a flat surface.

• Yes, elliptical is really good - increase the levels and you're basically close to the same level as running on a treadmill. I often see people walking on a treadmill at 0 incline. Move it up to 5 or 10 (sometimes I do 12), and it's really hiking and can really get your heartrate up fast.

• Elliptical is a good choice. It seems like a lot less work than a treadmill and for me the time just seems to fly by. I still use a treadmill, but the time just drags on and on.

• Elliptical is also easier if you want to do interval training.

• Another vote for the elliptical. I have a bad left knee and the treadmill makes it worse.

  AAJtheoriginalAJ

• Can you incline the elliptical machine?

• Yes, R10.

• Not yet mentioned, but the elliptical is MUCH better at giving you a comprehensive lower-body aerobic workout versus the treadmill, which only works the muscle groups associated with running or speed walking. Setting an elliptical to go "uphill" then "downhill" covers all your major lower-body muscle groups. Even better, unlike the treadmill or running, the highest incline setting on the elliptical (akin to steep hiking) is fucking AWESOME for building up your ass!

  Power%20Glutes

• I would love to have a dynamic ass instead of a doughy one.

• Yes, but can you do this on an elliptical machine?

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DwIU-hMb-l4g

  You%20go%2C%20Mary%21

• I have awful arthritis in my hips and knees. The elliptical machine is the only one that doesn't hurt me while using it.

• I tend to prefer the elliptical but find if i run on a treadmill, i'm still 'burning' even hours later. This doesn't happen with elliptical for some reason.

• Keep exercising! I look forward to the day when you stop calling yourself a "fattie." (How unfortunate...)

  Aunt%20Harriet

• The elliptical hurts my knees more than the treadmill....for what it's worth, but variety is good.

• The elliptical is a joke and a waste of time. It is popular not because it is "low impact"; it is popular because it is extremely easy. It allows a person to tick off the cardio box without exerting any effort. Momentum does all the work (and spare me the nonsense about cranking up the resistance or incline). Look, it is clear that they are here to stay, but just don't fool yourself as to why they are popular and why you are on it, or why you would rather spend 30 minutes flailing on the elliptical than 3 minutes running.

• There appears to be a 'fat' troll running amok. Likely the same psycho who keeps posting all the threads about cum eating and HIV.

• Since when do overweight people refer to themselves as being a "fatty?" P. T. Barnum was right after all it would seem.

• Elliptical machine totally firmed up my glutes. Yay.

  Gay Man's Best Friend

• Yes, a total waste of time. In fact, such a waste of time that the 80 lbs I lost just doing an elliptical last year is an illusion.

• I use the elliptical machine all the time because it's easy, but if I spend the same amount of time on the stairmaster, I sweat much more and presume I'm burning more calories.

• r19, I do the Elliptical EVERY day for 60 minutes and it has been the best possible cause of my trim build and flat stomach than any other exercise I've done.

• I do the incline on the elliptical at 20 and the resistance at 12 so r19 is wrong.

• It all depends on how intensely you use it. Anyone here who is calling it useless hasn't used it repeatedly on a high resistance setting and pedaled their ass off on it.

• It is useless if you put in on a low setting and then just casually move your feet while reading a magazine or watching TV which, admittedly, is what a lot of gymgoers do. Try doing the interval training for 45-60 minutes alternating between 145 and 250 rpms every two minutes on a reasonably high setting. I've been doing that for a year and a half and have dropped a lot of weight, toned up, significantly increased endurance and my legs and ass look great and very muscular.

• In order for it to be a cardio workout, you need to get your heart rate over 130 bpm for a person in their 40's. I'm guessing you are around this age. It's also fat burning. The elliptical machines at my gyms have a way to measure your heart rate while doing your workout. Ask a trainer to assist you. Good luck and eat a good diet. Cut way down on sugars, and have protein with each meal. Whey protein shakes helped me lose 30 lbs. Drink a lot of water before meals and in-between.

• It's a great way to start. I progressed from treadmill to elliptical to bike to machines and some free weights. Basically I sat on that thing and watched people use the machines and weights in figured out how to use them. Then I added them to my cardio.

• I am puzzled why OP has to post this question on Datalounge. Did he join a gym that has no staff and trainers who would give him a tour and a few pointers what to do in order to reach his goals about health and fitness right when he joined?

• Well come on, teletubby! Teleport us to Mars!

  Tammie Brown

• I have this. Lost 80 lbs doing it. Highly recommended and it's fun!

  http://www.streetstrider.com/

• The elliptical is largely useless, at all levels of incline and resistance. It might provide some benefit to a person who is injured, obese, or elderly, but for a healthy adult it is an awful choice of exercise. It is less aggressive than just going for an easy walk. It is popular because it is easy, and that is it. Just do a quick observation at any gym, anywhere. People on ellipticals are not breathing hard, they are not sweating, and they are not (at least by all appearances) exerting much effort. Why? Because they don't have to! The elliptical machine fully supports your weight (unlike a treadmill or stairmaster), and YOU set the pace (as opposed to an external force as on a treadmill). The pace of the workout is vastly more critical than the incline or resistance level. And elliptical users nearly universally simply go at the simple pace of momentum. It gets a little more complicated, but in my mind the elliptical belongs in the large trash heap of wildly popular pieces of exercise equipment that are popular because they offer easy solutions, not because they get anyone in shape. I am not asking anyone to take my word for it. Just that you do this next time you are on the elliptical, ask yourself 10 or 15 or 20 minutes in: am I working hard? am I exerting effort? would I be working harder if I were on another piece of equipment? I can hardly believe that honest answers to these questions wouldn't result in the obvious conclusion that you would be much better off stair climbing; running; jumping rope; biking; or swimming. My (strongly held) view is that the elliptical provides an illusion of a workout and little else.

  r19

• I think as long as you're moving and your heart rate is up whatever you use is fine. But listen to R19/34. It's not a long term solution to good fitness. I sweat more when I use the stationary bike so I prefer that to the elliptical.