bike vs treadmill vs eliptical

M

mikom

0
question and puzzlement... i just started doing the eliptical after years of just treadmill/recumbant bike. it is apparantly quite clear that it produces better #'s in terms of burning energy...at least from my perspective. not only are the #'s of the eliptical almost double the treadmill or recumbant, but in my particular case i have to really push up the level(manual quick start) in order to feel i'm getting a comparable workout to running and biking. in fact,,,i feel like i can go on forever on the eliptical as opposed to the bike and treadmill.

and therein lies my puzzlement. i have always generally based my idea of a workout by two things,,how much effort i expend and the concomitant exhaustion, and how much i sweat. obviously these manufacturers do their "homework" and say the eliptical helps you burn more. yet on the eliptical i sweat less and can go on forever. now, i DO notice that each rep on the eliptical takes more effort than the treadmill or recumbant, BUT OVER THE LONG HAUL OF AN HOUR i fell like i can continue on the eliptical far far far beyond what i can on the other two machines.

i realize there are many factors involved,,,some,,,i take more of a pounding on the treadmill, i only use my legs on the bike while i use my whole body on each rep of the eliptical, and maybe that helps in extending my time on the eliptical. yet the fact that i sweat less on the eliptical is puzzling.

here are the numbers i use on the equipment based on comfort level. i do no more than what is comfortable...
treadmill...5 mph - 500 cal per hour
recumbant...level 8 or 9 - 440 - 470 cal per hour
eliptical...level 10 to 12 - 790 - 870 cal per hour

and just a note: i believe even at it's lowest level, the eliptical burns more energy that the bike

any thoughts? thanks
 
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I did some research on ellipticals a while back when I purchased mine. My knowledge may be a bit rusty but here's what I remember.

A good quality elliptical should be working as you say. If you have a cheaper one it may not be entirely accurate. Some of the cheaper ellipticals do not provide the proper motion and resistance. The accuracy on the readouts could be questionable.

You are right in that you can go longer due to using other parts of your body on an elliptical instead of just the legs on the treadmill. It makes sense that your legs alone would wear out faster but with the assistance of your arms you can keep going for longer.

About sweating more...hmm I think you are working harder on the treadmill but that isn't necessarily better. The idea is to work smarter which is how the elliptical is designed. Also if your elliptical has a fan that could explain less sweat ;) Most people do sweat less on ellipticals but report better weigh loss results. I just wouldn't totally trust any equipment monitors. You'll have to track your results the old fashion way :p

Hope it helps.

Keep burning!
-Lin
 
thx...I am now sold on the eliptical. I've been on it for a few days.

Yes, I now believe I use every part opf my body and no one part tires out,,,as opposed to the bike/treadmill. I still find the eliptical awkward at times. Getting the movement down pat is difficult because the machine is genrally an awkward instrument,,,and doesn't lock you into one movment like the bike or treadmill. HOWEVER, I now feel that is an advantage for the eliptical. Because the body never locks into a rhythm I"m always readjusting my body movement to get back into synch. This allows the body to use it's whole when on the eliptical and constantly readjusting itself at the same time = more burn = longer burn.
 
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