Ellipticals

[mofish]

Ordered an Eclipse 2100 HR/A anyone have one of these, or used other Eclipse models? It was cheap for an elliptical, a little under $500 after shipping, but everything I read said it was sturdy and well built for a cheap one. Plus a one year warranty isnt bad.

I quit smoking like 5 years ago, and have been carrying around about 30-40 extra pounds since. I cant wait to start sweating! Ive never liked exercise, but Ive reached a boiling point. Just like when I quit cigs. I seem to have these epiphanies in my life, Ill drift along, not taking action on something, then one days Ill snap and get it done.

Is an elliptical trainer gonna be enough to drop the weight?

[liquidstayce]

Any increased activity you do now will help. Be consistent and make sure that you are getting your heart rate up where you are burning fat. Remember though exercise alone isn't enough. You also need to eat healthy too in order to drop that weight. Once you get several weeks of consistency then you might want to also consider adding in resistance training. Also consider making some really good music mixes to keep you going. My biggest thing is I like variety. If I were to do the same thing over and over all the time and was stuck in the same spot doing it I would get bored and stop being consistent. Have you thought about a schedule yet when you plan to fit in your exercise? Will it be when you first wake up every morning?How many times a week? For how long? Consider writing out some goals and a plan.

[Maeya]

I've heard people say that the workout from elipticals, though friendlier to the joints, doesn't help as much as a treadmill because you tend to let the momentum carry your feet instead of actually doing the workout.

Is there any truth to this?

[liquidstayce]

I don't think that is true Mayea. Although I have heard that you get better hip rotation on a arc trainer versus an eliptical and recruit more muscles into the workout. Choosing equipment really lies in your goals and physical limitations.

Elipticals are smooth machines and great for people who are looking to have less impact on joints. Better to use an eliptical regularly then to use a treadmill that causes you pain and give up. Problem I see though is that most people don't maximize the use of elipticals. The way I would use it is for
Fat Burning "Interval Training."

Most people assume if they get that Eliptical up, and crank out a high intensity 30 minute session then they are burning fat but not nescessarily. Continous High Intensity actually stimulates Muscle Tissue, ie burning Glycogen. So you drip sweat after 30-40 minutes, and you assume that you really burned alot of Fat. Well maybe some, but more proportionatly Glycogen, and not energy from Fat.
When engaged in High Intensity the body would rather burn Glycogen, as this is more easily converted to fuel, and can be easily reconstituted by simply drinking something like Gatorade. The body knows that if it burns fat it is a timely process to put it back on. The body likes to save it's fat. To get the body to Burn Fat, a moderate pace, with sporatic High Intenasity Intervals training works really well. If you don't have joint issues I do think the Treadmill is better suited for this type of interval training but it is doable on an eliptical.

To achieve Fat Burning on the Treadmill, start out with a modest pace then after a 2-3 miniute warm up increase speed level slightly to say 3.0-3.3 for 1 minute, (longer if you are not in shape), then increase to say level 4-4.5 and jog fast for 60-90 seconds (shorter if not in shape), then go back to say 3.0-3.3 range for another 1-2 minutes. After another minute or so of walking, Jog again, do this hi-low stagger for the first 10 minutes. Then for the next 10 minutes elevate the ramp to keep heart rate at target, as 20 minutes approaches, lower ramp, then increase speed level and jog run for at least 1 minute no more than 2.
Bring speed down to 3.0-3.3, walk for another 5 minutes minimum.

The body seems to not really burn fat untill the 20 minute mark, all you are trying to do is keep your heart rate in target range. At the 20 minute mark the fat burning begins, so then "At 20 minutes why don't I sprint flat out for 5 minutes?", because it will shift focus onto muscle stimulation, & lactic acid production, BURNING GLYCOGEN FOR FUEL, instead of Fat. You feel you are accomplishing something, your improving heart condition, but not as effectivly burning fat.
Again, it goes back to what are your goals for this work out.

It would seem logical that flat out high intensity would burn fat, yet when you see how it is the body utilizes energy it is really the Moderate to brisk intensity that actually burns fat.

Ok.. I went on a tangent but I think I answered your question... lol

[Maeya]

Yes you did (answer my question), thank you =)

[Phlegm]

Would you be burning fat if you are jogging on the treadmill for an hour a day at 6 mph?

[liquidstayce]

It depends on a few things. Any idea what your heart rate is during the jog? 6mph is pretty fast. That is all out running for me. I'm short and slow though.
4mph is a brisk walk for me.

Simple answer yes.. you are probably burning fat but also burning muscle.
You could maximize your ability to burn fat and less muscle if you tried to do some interval training as well.

Most importantly - do you enjoy jogging on the treadmill every day for an hour at 6mph and are you getting the results that satisfy you? If not, consider trying the interval training I mentioned.

[mofish]

Thanks, great advice.

[Phlegm]

It depends on a few things. Any idea what your heart rate is during the jog? 6mph is pretty fast. That is all out running for me. I'm short and slow though.
4mph is a brisk walk for me.

Simple answer yes.. you are probably burning fat but also burning muscle.
You could maximize your ability to burn fat and less muscle if you tried to do some interval training as well.

Most importantly - do you enjoy jogging on the treadmill every day for an hour at 6mph and are you getting the results that satisfy you? If not, consider trying the interval training I mentioned.

I don't enjoy it but i do it 6 days a week. I went from 252 lbs to 185 lbs right now. I enjoy running outside at a park near my house but I get lazy and tend to slow down. For that reason, I tend to run on the treadmill.

[liquidstayce]

Thats a great deal of weight.. congrats! Do whatever works for you! Interval type training might be able to shake things up and give you something new to do if your bored.

[Phlegm]

Thanks. It took me almost 19 months to lose all that weight. I didnt go on any special diet or anything so it took a while. I still eat what I always eat but with smaller portions.