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I get out on my bike a couple of times a week to ride a paved trail for about 12 miles. It's mostly flat with just a couple of medium hills. On the days I don't bike, I do about 20 minutes on either the treadmill or the elliptical. Is any one of these better than the other? None of them particularly work up much of a sweat unless I'm biking during the summer months. I'm just wondering if I'm kidding myself into thinking I'm getting a decent workout.
Bike harder, bike faster.
Run harder, run faster.
Screw the elliptical.(you need to move your feet like 100000000000000000000 rpm to burn a calorie/millennium on those things)
Heart rate heart rate heart rate. You need to get your heart rate up until you are breathing heavily enough that it would be difficult to carry on a conversation (that is assuming you are healthy and have no medical reasons to avoid strenous activities). If you are having trouble guaging your intensity, a heart rate monitor is a great way to keep a constant check as you exercise. What your heart rate zone should be will depend on what your goals are. Of course, you could always just check your pulse to get heart rate, but if you are really not sure about your intensity levels, getting a heart rate monitor that has zone alarms would be a good tool to keep you on track. You can set a heart rate zone that you need to be in and the watch will beep if you get above or below that zone. Once you have learned what it feels like to be in the proper zones, you really won't need to continue using the monitor unless you just like to keep track.
As for ellipticals, they can be a tough workout if used properly. Crank up the resistance and work hard with your legs, don't just bounce from side to side. Basically, your head should barely be moving when on the elliptical. If your head is bouncing up and down, you are shifting your weight to move the pedals rather than driving with your muscles, therefore wasting your time. Crank the resistance up and pay close attention to your upper body, trying to keep it as stable and still as possible and force the legs to drive the machine.
I second this. I just started wearing a heart rate monitor strap and watch and its quite eye opening as to what is intense enough to raise the heart rate high enough. And how many calories are really burned during a session. Really takes the guessing out of it.
Also, the eliptical can definitely be an intense workout if like tx said you increase the resistance. Kind of like walking is easy unless you crank up the speed/incline, same goes with eliptical, biking, any cardio program.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TXboomerang
Heart rate heart rate heart rate. You need to get your heart rate up until you are breathing heavily enough that it would be difficult to carry on a conversation (that is assuming you are healthy and have no medical reasons to avoid strenous activities). If you are having trouble guaging your intensity, a heart rate monitor is a great way to keep a constant check as you exercise. What your heart rate zone should be will depend on what your goals are. Of course, you could always just check your pulse to get heart rate, but if you are really not sure about your intensity levels, getting a heart rate monitor that has zone alarms would be a good tool to keep you on track. You can set a heart rate zone that you need to be in and the watch will beep if you get above or below that zone. Once you have learned what it feels like to be in the proper zones, you really won't need to continue using the monitor unless you just like to keep track.
As for ellipticals, they can be a tough workout if used properly. Crank up the resistance and work hard with your legs, don't just bounce from side to side. Basically, your head should barely be moving when on the elliptical. If your head is bouncing up and down, you are shifting your weight to move the pedals rather than driving with your muscles, therefore wasting your time. Crank the resistance up and pay close attention to your upper body, trying to keep it as stable and still as possible and force the legs to drive the machine.
I'm in my mid/late 50s and really enjoy the elliptical and also the recumbent bike. I stay away from the treadmill because it's harder on the joints. Like others have said, if you crank up the resistance, you'll burn quite a few calories. The elliptical I use has the arms which you push and pull as well. I'll set a mountain course for 45 minutes at level 13 (out of 20), turn on my mp3 player with real fast songs like radar love,freebird, la grange, rock and roll all day, etc. and go like crazy. In 45 minutes I'm a ball of sweat and I'll generally burn approx. 475 to 500 calories (at least according to the machine).
Same thing with the recumbent bike. The bike makes you work harder though but is easier cardio for me because you don't use your arms. I'll usually burn around 475 to 500 calories in a 36 minute mountain course.
Both seem to be easier on your body than fast walking or running. Finish it off with some stretching and maybe 15 to 20 minutes of using the weights.
Last edited by OChomepro; 03-08-2011 at 04:27 PM..
This forum has everything, my state (which the Weather Channel apparently does not realize exists in the US) and threads for diet and exercise...
I jog when the wethaer is nice, but in the winter I ride a Schwinn Airdyne. Kind of a dinosuar in the world of fitness, but still one of the better pieces of equipment that was ever developed. (I think...well maybe not better than a jump rope.)
Back to what TXBoomerang said . . . "Heart rate, heart rate, heart rate." The posts discussing heart rate and heart rate monitors home in on the key point. No one can really know how good a workout you're getting from any of these exercises without knowing the intensity at which you're exercising. It can be difficult to get a really intense workout biking on mostly flat ground, but if you're biking twelve miles at a time I'd think you could get a decent workout if you're really moving. You'd have to be really moving, though, for this to be better than a modest workout, though you'll certainly get some exercise biking that distance at any steady pace. Really can't tell for sure whether it's a moderate workout or fairly strenouous without knowing your speed.
As for the elliptical and treadmill, unless you are working at really, really high intensity, twenty minutes is about the minimum time you need to do cardio to get much of a workout. As with the bicycling, how much of a workout you're getting in that time depends on intensity.
I get out on my bike a couple of times a week to ride a paved trail for about 12 miles. It's mostly flat with just a couple of medium hills. On the days I don't bike, I do about 20 minutes on either the treadmill or the elliptical. Is any one of these better than the other? None of them particularly work up much of a sweat unless I'm biking during the summer months. I'm just wondering if I'm kidding myself into thinking I'm getting a decent workout.
It depends on what your "workout goal" is.
Are you wanting to lose weight?
Lower body fat?
Maintain weight?
Increase endurance?
Recovering from injury?
Bike riding outside, and biking in general uses more leg muscles, with some more strain on other part (glutes from the seat, and lower back depending on the position of the ride.
Treadmill will have more impact and stress on the joints and knees, especially for overweight individuals.
All I am saying is, the amount of stress, effort and calories burnt can be done on the elliptical with less stress on certain parts of the body. So it depends on the "workout goal."
If a person walks a certain amount of time, he or she burns X calories.
If a person increase intensity of the action (jog), then he/she can do so for a shorter amount of time to burn X calories.
I'm not exercising to lose weight, I have a BMI of 20 (5'9.5" and 138 lbs) according to my doctor. I just want to keep active.
The bike path I use has a maximum mph of 10, but I can push that a bit if the path is not crowded. I love being outside, and would prefer to bike rather than use the gym, but it's good to know that if I up the resistance on the elliptical I can get a better workout.
You really need to increase your intensity on all of them to get a benefit. You're only getting the cardio benefit if you're getting your heart rate up.
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