Eliptical machine... I use it... - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

PrcStar17 · 11-29-2005, 02:56 AM

I was watching TV today, a show called Taking it Off on Life Network (in Canada) and one of the trainers was saying that elipticals were only used by fat people!!! It made me sick. All of his "team" had looked at him funny as if to say "Uh, excuse me?" The trainer was saying he told that to his clients and the only thing good about elipticals is calorie loss and it won't help you become a better runner or athlete... wait, isn't calorie loss the point!?!?!?!

I hate working out and I find the tredmill quite boring for 30 minutes, never mind an hour or more to lose the calories I need to in a day so the eliptical is a great thing. I was so proud of myself for trying it and now I get really jealous when someone gets on it at the gym before me! Haha... and I hate any form of excercise... err... yeah sure, whatever! Haha.

MTHead · 11-29-2005, 07:38 AM

That trainer sounds like a dink. There are tons of people at my gym that use the elipticals, including MANY MANY skinny women. And his comment - it couldn't have been directed toward someone who was looking to become a better athlete - like a long distance runner in training - was it? Otherwise, it just sounds stupid.

Sexytink · 11-29-2005, 08:29 AM

Out of all the machines that I enjoy doing, it is the eliptical. I even bought one. I REFUSE to get on a treadmill (at least until I can run and jog

) The only cardio machines I use is the eliptical and stationary bike.

HealthyChick · 11-29-2005, 10:52 AM

That's just silly. I really like the ellipticals and there are plenty of lean people using them. My only complaint with them (and it's really me) is that it's too easy to "coast" on them and not get my HR up.

bnbsmommy1 · 11-29-2005, 11:40 AM

thanks for this thread!

I've been thinking about getting one for myself and it's awesome to hear all of the positive comments about them

I'm desperately in need of something to use when it's snowy and freezing outside, this sounds like the perfect thing for me

Lacey

YP1 · 11-29-2005, 01:44 PM

In a way I know what he means, I used to do the cross trainer a lot (which I think it like an elliptical), and now I always run on the treadmill. But that's because I want to be a better runner as much (if not more) than I want to lose weight. I see plenty of people using the cross trainer for general fitness no matter what their size, and certainly not just fat people.

There are some situations where you would concentrate on other equipment, but it's not solely due to size issues.

WaterRat · 11-29-2005, 05:36 PM

I prefer the elliptical because it's easier on my knees, and I can go faster/slower without punching a button.

I definitely get my heart rate up on it too.

PrcStar17 · 11-29-2005, 06:19 PM

thats what i use it for... to keep my heart rate up and lose calories... thats my goal.

elipticals are great because they're low-impact

Tealeaf · 11-30-2005, 01:13 AM

I love my elliptical. It has definatly made in impact in my life, without tearing my bad knee to bits. It was the right choice for me, and I have no regrets in getting it.

That said, I sorta understand what he might mean. Using an elliptical doesn't really mimic any sort of movement that you might be doing out in the "real" world. On treadmills you use the same movements as you would while walking or running down the street, stair climbers might make you better to deal with a broken elevator and the only working bathrooms on the 37th floor, and rowers well... I think that the recent hurricanes showed us all that some rowing skill might well come in handy should the worse come to past.

But elliptical. Being able to do that well comes in mighty handy when you're... stuck on an elliptical.

WaterRat · 11-30-2005, 01:46 PM

Annie, you're so right!

Come spring I'll switch back to the treadmill to get me used to walking/running outdoors again, but right now it's dark and COLD out there, so I'm happy indoors on the elliptical.

Lisa_WY · 11-30-2005, 02:52 PM

I like the ellipitical and use both it and the dreadmill. The dreadmills are closer to the tv's at our gym..so I can see better. LOL Actually both give me a great workout. I have seen skinny people really go on the ellipitical.I like to play games with myself and on the treadmill see how long I can jog..on the ellipitical I try to see how long I can have strides per minute around 200. I remember the first time I got on the ellipitical..I thought the first 5 minutes were going to kill me. I barely could get it to 110 spm... now I average about 165..I also set it where I do high/low intervals. With both machines I try to see if I can do a mile under 10 minutes..etc. I think playing games with yourself..you can make yourself work harder with equals burning more calories and a feel good workout.

Amy8888 · 11-30-2005, 03:14 PM

That guy is wrong because there are many former fat people who use the elliptical too! If it weren't for the elliptical, I wouldn't have bothered to go to the gym when I began to lost weight 4 years ago. I eventually lost 50 lbs (ignore my signature, I need to update it). For me it was a great low-impact, high intensity workout!

Kabinkat · 12-02-2005, 02:21 PM

I love the elliptical trainer. I think it's a great workout. I'm just confused about the heart rate. My max heart rate is 180 and it seems like in order to keep it in the right range, I can't work myself too hard on the elliptical. I want to do more but if I increase the resistance or incline, my heart rate shoots up. I'm looking at the people next to me working really hard and thinking their HR must be sky high? Does anyone know anything about this.

By the way, I don't think I'm fat either just because I like the elliptical and there are tons of slim people all around me.......

Meg · 12-02-2005, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kabinkat

I love the elliptical trainer. I think it's a great workout. I'm just confused about the heart rate. My max heart rate is 180 and it seems like in order to keep it in the right range, I can't work myself too hard on the elliptical. I want to do more but if I increase the resistance or incline, my heart rate shoots up. I'm looking at the people next to me working really hard and thinking their HR must be sky high? Does anyone know anything about this.

By the way, I don't think I'm fat either just because I like the elliptical and there are tons of slim people all around me.......

Hi Kabinkat! I'll take a stab at answering your heart rate question.

I'm guessing that your max heart rate is 180 because you're 40, right? (max HR = 220 - your age). If that's the case, you should be working somewhere between 65% and 85% or so of your max heart rate, though it's certainly OK to sprint up to 90% while doing intervals. That means, for you, that your heart rate should be somewhere approximately between 117 and 153. Again, it's OK to go higher on occasion - your heart wouldn't blow up or anything.

Max heart rates are just guesses based on your age. The formula doesn't know anything about your particular situation. If you're fairly new to the elliptical, your heart rate may be high simply because you're out of condition (and it's one tough machine!). You'll find that your heart rate won't go up nearly as high as your heart becomes more coniditioned to exercise.

Please don't buy into any nonsense about 'cardio zones' and 'fat burning zones' (like on the charts on the machines) - they're a myth.

Your goal is to burn max calories and for that you want to exercise with intensity. My opinion is to not pay too much attention to your heart rate (so long as it's above 65% of your max) and to go as fast and hard as you'd like. That's what I do ... my theoretical max heart rate is 169 (yeah, I'm old

) and I'm generally in the 150s on the elliptical, which is something like 95% of my max. But -- to quote Monty Python -- I'm not dead yet!

BTW, the elliptical is awesome cardio and you better believe than slim people use them too. What if -- the 'slim girl' on the elliptical next to you weighed 257 pounds just a few years ago and is working hard every day to keep the weight off?

Let me know if you have other questions -- and keep up the good work!

WaterRat · 12-03-2005, 01:30 AM

I regularly take this advice Meg!

My max heart rate is 160 (and if you're old, what am I?

) and on the elliptical I regularly work at 140 with spurts up over 150. All it takes is some good fast music and I can spint on that baby for about 2.5 minutes! Then I have to hold my HR down for about the same length of time, but it sure gives me a good workout!