I’ve used all of the popular cardio machines found in most gyms including the treadmill, elliptical, stationary bike, and stairmaster. I wanted to share the experience I’ve had with each one over the past several months and hopefully help someone find the best cardio machine that works for them.
Stairmaster Machine
Honestly, I’m not a huge fan of the stairmaster. Logistically speaking, using the machine makes my water bottle bounce out of the cup holder (no fat jokes, please). It doesn’t seem as if the machines (I’ve tried a couple at my gym) are designed “properly.” Overall, the stairmaster seems like a gimmick.
It’s a treadmill. Cut down the middle.
Stationary Bike
Cycling is a low-intensity workout (good for beginners) that burns few calories in comparison to its counterparts like the treadmill and elliptical machine. It probably has to do with the whole sitting thing, but don’t quote me on that.
Kidding aside, cycling is really fun. It may not burn as much calories as running on the treadmill, but after all, what does?
Treadmill Machine
It’s undeniable that you can lose more calories by walking/running on the treadmill than any other machine. Unfortunately, it takes a lot of “practice” before you’re able to clock in a hard, long workout session on the treadmill.
I originally started on the treadmill when I weighed 344 pounds, but even walking on the treadmill for more than 10 minutes was a hard task to accomplish. The elliptical machine on the other hand…
Elliptical Machine
I’m biased. I used the elliptical machine to help me almost exclusively lose 90 pounds. While I’m glad I eventually switched to the treadmill, the elliptical machine will hold a special place in my heart for a very long time.
I actually use the same elliptical for every workout at my gym. I’m attached.
The elliptical is a great cardio machine workout if you’re new to the gym. If you’re just starting gym cardio workouts (and are overweight) you should find the low-impact motion of the elliptical machine much easier to handle than walking or running on the treadmill.
Ultimately though, the elliptical machine will only provide resistance for so long. One day, months or maybe years from now, you’ll reach a point of diminished returns, much like I did.
Once that happens, it’s time to get on the treadmill.
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey!!! I LOVE the StairMaster, don’t hate :>)
This post doesn’t read or flow very well. Sorry guys, I’ve just been extremely exhausted the past few days…
It shows in my writing, unfortunately.
Have you ever tried a rowing machine? C2 rowers are a great workout, very low impact and you can go slow and low or go nuts and get nice and sweaty! Keep up the good work Tyler. PS. your copyright statement at the bottom of the page reads “2008″ is that intentional?
We don’t have a rowing machine in my gym, unfortunately. It’s a nice gym, but small.
It’s not intentional — I’ll fix that :)
Nice post. I’m gearing up to start my own weight loss journey soon. I’ve been able to get my hands on some equipment for the house, live alone so it’s easier to fit. I’ve got a recumbent bike I’m waiting on a part to arrive so I can make it work, and I’ve got an elliptical. I figure the combination of those, plus yard work in this relentless heat in New Orleans, and a few free weights should be enough for me to get some calories burning and pounds dropping.
Based on these descriptions it looks like I have a good starting point.
Also, I tried to get in on your latest workout pledge, but the site kept crashing that day on me. Good to see you still managed to get some good work in though.
1 question, you mentioned having accountability partners and having friends, your family, co-workers and this blog. How much does the blog help in the mix?
I don’t have many that I can put into the accountability partner list having no kids or wife, family that will continue to eat and tempt with unhealthy food, and co-workers who will do the same. So I’m thinking adding the journey to my blog might be my only accountability partner. The blog and myself. So hopefully that will be enough.
I’m in a small gym too, and I’d love a rowing machine.
In fact I just did some research with a few googles, and found a physiologist that says rowing burns 10-12% more calories than running. That it not only is a cardio exercise but also a weight training exercise.
I just got a job where I work from home, thanks for the tip of C2 rowers. I might have to get me one.
I can’t believe you were able to nab the same cardio machine night after night. What did you do if it was occupied? Wait? I like this assessment of the various machines and it seems accurate. Personally, to beat boredom, I switch up machines every 20 minutes or so. I use mostly the treadmill and elliptical. My gym has two kinds of ellipticals though, which makes life interesting. A normal one, that I’ve seen lots of times in other gyms, and a “butt kicking” one, this one: http://www.precor.com/comm/en/amt/amt100i/.
Yes, I travel through 3 machines or more when I do a cardio workout day… 15 minutes on the elliptical, 15 on the stairmaster, and 15 running on the treadmill.. Variety is the spice of my workout life :0)
Step aerobics. (bench + Bosu ball)
It’s not a machine, but it’s definitely a cardio workout if you put it on several spacers and the sadistic instructor doesn’t give you a break. Unlike the cardio machines you have to work the smaller stablizing muscles due to all of the turning involved.
I was going to ask if your gym had classes. Exercise classes are a great and distracting way to get an excellent work out! Spinning is fun and ridiculously hard – have you tried it?
The thing I’ve never been able to stand about the stationary bikes is that if I do them for longer than 15 minutes they make my …how shall I put this …my groin go to sleep. Not pleasant.
@Joy that precor is the elliptical I use. It is great because you can do it like a stair master or a normal elliptical.
I also like the arc trainer for a hard core calorie burning work out. I do zone training with my heart rate .
Thanks for the feedback, guys!
Jamie — completely agree. My butt hurts on the bike.
Joy — you’ve never seen my gym. When I mean it’s really small, I mean it’s really small. We have two elliptical machines there and there are usually only 1 or 2 people in the entire gym. Take last night, for example, I was the only one in the gym for an hour.
Britty, my gym doesn’t have classes of any kind.
Juncti – The blog is honestly the bigger accountability at these points. It keeps me honest by having to post the food I eat every day at the end of the week… I don’t want to get yelled at!
Wow! Great job. I just signed up to your blog and I am so proud. You are doing a great job. I will search your posts. But if you can offer a newbie any advice. I would love it. So far I am doing 1 mile a day on the treadmill and that feels like I am gonna die. LOL. I know in a few weeks I can do more, but just getting to my gym and doing an hour on the treadmill is a big goal . My goal is to burn fat. I have a lot to lose and then I will focus on getting toned. Thanks.
Dude!!! The stationary bikes…the ones that allow you to control the resistance are intense…take a spin class!!! I burn about 1000 calories in 45 minutes of spin class!!! Yes your butt hurts, but go back…it gets better….or better yet…burn more by doing standing hill climbs with a high resistance!!!
My gym doesn’t have classes!
And my butt still hurts. I guess after a few weeks on the stationary bike you can’t feel your butt anymore? Is that why the pain stops? :)
Hmmm. I rather enjoy the sensation of my groin going to sleep. Is that wrong?
I hate the tread. Why do I hate it so much? I guess it just bores me to tears. Doesn’t matter how good my music is, the minutes just crawl. I know it’s the best workout, but I HAAAATE it!
This blog is very interesting. I think you’re doing great so keep up the good work. I don’t belong to a gym and I just sold my Bowflex TC 5000. It was a good workout but it wouldn’t fit in my spare room so it sat in my living room. I used it alot though. I feel like it really gave me a good workout if I went on it for at least 45 minutes. My question is, now I want any elliptical but I want it to be good quality and a space saver so maybe it will fit in my spare (small) room. Anyone have any ideas what would be best? Also, although I’ve been working out pretty steady for several months, I still get very tired when climbing steps. I mean real steps like at the stadium yesterday going all the way to the top (about 100 steps up) I didn’t think I would make it. My doc says my heart is fine. I’m a 48 year old female about 155 pounds. Most of my fat is around the middle.
Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.
I’m a little late to the game in responding to this post (I just found the site yesterday), but does your current gym have any ARC Trainers? The best way I can think to describe it is that its an eliptical machine w/o the arm movements, but I still find it to be an intense workout that burns alot of calories (so the machine says, anyway).
Food for thought.
Congratulations on your weight loss, man!! That’s awesome and you look great!
Something to note about stair climbers is that they can be hard on the knees because the ball of the foot ends up behind the knee sometimes. This puts a lot of strain on the joint. Cyclists if not properly fitted can run into the same thing. This is where something like a Cybex arc trainer is valuable. I’m looking for a cardio machine for my wife and all of these points are worth considering.
Oh…and by the way, I’m an avid cyclist and in my opinion, you can get as good a workout on a bike as you can running. I commute by bike 30 miles a day and doing that I frequently keep my heart rate in the red zone for as long as I want. Of course…stationary riding is a different story. Balancing takes more muscles than sitting in a locked-in stationary bike.
Keep up the great work and good luck on finishing off your goal. You da man!!