| Best cardio machine
Posted: 3/2/2008 2:20:33 AM | H2O I am probably going to start going with some sort of weighted jumping. I do a 1000 passes a day now and for me that takes too much time.
I have wrist and ankle weights, I might go with those and cut it down to 500 reps. I think I will get a little more out of that. | |
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| Best cardio machine
Posted: 3/6/2008 10:28:36 AM | BEST? Best overall workout will be with a Nordic Track or other cross country ski machine [and yes I do have a Nordic Track] OR a good rowing machine.
Best machine far and away for BURNING CALORIES IS a treadmill hands down. A treadmill will eliminate every single excuse there is to exercise unless the electricity goes out but you "must" have it in front of a TV and even with the most expensive or best treadmills, a pair of wired or wireless headphones will make life much easier. A good one will last nearly forever with just lubing the deck/belt. Buy the best one you can. Make sure it has electrical elevation. Most any decent one will...
Research has shown over and over that treadmills get used more often than any other piece of aerobic "equipment". They burn more calories [for most people] simply because of the fact that they use the largest muscles in your body to do the most work plus you are standing and supporting your full weight as opposed to a bicycle or rowing machine where you are not. Throw in the additional bonuses that they can be elevated, [which greatly increases the caloric expenditure] are repeatable [for pushing/at least amaintaining your fitness level] and FORCE you to work per your settings, they are a first choice IMO.
Ultimately, the best piece of equipment will be ANY piece of equipment that you LIKE and will USE on a regular basis. I can recommend a few good treadmills [per Consumer Reports] if you or anyone else is still looking. Also, good used Nordic Tracks are relatively easy to find and are Cheap but they do have a very short learning curve.
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Mr H2O
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Joined: 10/31/2006
Msg: 78 | |
| Best cardio machine
Posted: 3/6/2008 4:37:33 PM | There are ""other"" machines that will compete against any
treadmill, nordic track, spin cycle, or stair climber .
For those that may think rowing and kayak paddling are the same
-perhaps they should attempt a few minutes on a SpeedStroke unit.
http://www.kayakpro.com/kayak-training/speedstroke_movie.htm
These units use the big muscles of the legs combined with complete core
and the entire arms for an all in one heart thumping cadio workout.
Then you can smile and wave at the guy with a powerboat and an empty gas tank
in the spring as you pass him on the wide open ocean or Great Lakes. | |
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| Best cardio machine
Posted: 3/7/2008 1:37:49 PM | | Hey girl, I would suggest a treadmill before anything else...3-4 times a week atleast 20-30 min at a good brisk pace( not running) get your heart rate to about 115-125 and stay there the duration and that will burn more calories than a bike or eliptical maching...also inclin and that will burn even more calories and target the gluetes area , (ass) where most people need help with. Goodluck and stay fit. | |
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| Best cardio machine
Posted: 4/28/2008 3:24:11 PM | | Honestly....there is no "BEST" anything when it comes to cardio....its all about the effort you put into a given machine | |
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| Best cardio machine
Posted: 4/29/2008 10:45:01 AM | | I love the rowing machine. I've been using it lately and can really feel it in my buttocks. There's never anyone using it either so I don't have to wait. | |
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| Best cardio machine
Posted: 4/29/2008 6:55:09 PM | I think I might've already responded in this thread. Oh well.
I like the Nautilus TreadClimber as far as preferences. But it doesn't matter what you do as long as you're aware you're better off doing HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) for 15-20 minutes over a long bout of endurance cardio. Otherwise all you're doing is training your body to be more fuel efficient, so you burn fewer calories over time than you did when you started.
Think a 3 minute warm up, 1 minute as hard/fast as you can, 2 minute recovery, repeat until you reach 15-20 minutes. | |
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| Best cardio machine
Posted: 4/30/2008 2:28:50 PM | The Y sucks. Try and find a local gym with all the bells and whistles like a basketball court, etc.
Not sure what area you live in, but the Wellness Center at Seven Oaks is awesome...so clean and open and bright and most importantly...inviting.
The atmosphere makes a huge difference. I typically work out in a cold, damp, poorly lit basement and it sucks sooooo bad it's no wonder I only ever last for a few months/pre year at best.
In my experience, people that goto Shapes or the Y tend to be gym nutts. It's difficult to work out beside a chick that bench presses more than me.  I swear I seen a woman press 200 Lbs once.
Gym's like the Wellness or the ones you find at swimming pools like Sargent park have a more diverse community of people, old, young, fat, thin, etc...so the pressure is minimzed and your more likely to go.
Find a gym that is close to home, the convience will improve your odds of success.
If your going to buy a machine, I would personally opt for a stair climber.
1) Treadmills are waaay harder on your knees and the mechnical lift will eventually burn out and you'll be stuck with a treadmill that is set at it's maximum angle of incline which makes it difficult to run any more than 10 minutes.
2) Excersize bikes are great and much better on your knees, but they will make your ass sore as hell if you excersize for any length of time.
Also running on a treadmill or using a bike caused my inner thighs to take a beating...and essentially rubbed all the hair off and it looks kinda funny.
Now I have a stair stepper. Although it's weird at first the elytical motion is much easier on my knees and more grueling on my legs muscles, plus when you get your arms into the action you work your shoulders and increase the cardio as well -- not possible on the bike or treadmill.
What I really like about the stair stepper personally, is that it's easy to effectively run on the balls of my feet which brings my calves into the equation and really works those muscles which are very difficult to work out -- in my experience anyways.
As for getting bored...your not working hard enough so your giving your mind time to think.
Don't bother watching TV and excersizing you'll stop or get distracted. Get some ear phones and some music that pumps you up and for the first 5 minutes just warm up then start pushing hard enough that your heart is pounding, keep your eye on the clock or the calorie burn and just keep going until you reach that target.
Cheers :) | |
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