if you could only use ONE cardio machine?

[emmab]

what would it be?

my husband wants to join gym and we think for financial reasons its better we buy equipment for home ie a weights station, more free weights and a cardio option, but unsure which to buy
treadmill, elliptical, bike, rower..????
incase it matters, i am mainly wanting to increase bone density and get definition, he wants more fat loss and fitness. at the gym now i mainly use bike and elliptical, although i prefer the bike i think the elliptical burns more cals?

 

[Protobuilder]

Hmmm . . . you won't find one machine that is good for weight training AND efficient at burning cals. So, just sticking to the burning cals part, running is the best method, if you can do it. So I'd vote for a nice tredmill. You can jog, do fast walking on hills, etc.

 

[s8nlilhlpr]

JUMP ROPE! Costs very little, can be done anywhere, and is somewhat entertaining. Most people that buy treadmills turn them into dirty clothes racks within the month. Any running/jogging/walking should be outside in the sunshine anyways :-D. Trust the boxers who swear by it.

Jump rope = $5
Treadmill = $1000

You do the math.

 

[Cynical Simian]

Ditch the "weights station" and stick to free weights for your resistance training. You might even save enough money by doing so to buy more than one cardio machine.

 

[bignate73]

JUMP ROPE!

yup!

cals burned in an hour: 750

cals burned on an eliptical:450

hmmmm....

 

[emmab]

unfortunately i have osteoporosis so cant do high impact cardio until i regain some bone density! so jumping rope and running are out worse luck

 

[TheOak84]

the ground...

 

[s8nlilhlpr]

buy a really cheap bicycle then and go find some hills. If you MUST buy some machine...........get a rower. And learn how to use it properly.

 

[bignate73]

second bet would be a bike. you can do sprints, long rides, save gas $$.

 

[Tweakle]

Incline walking on the treadmill, 15 degrees, 3 - 3.5 MPH

perfect.

 

[TheOak84]

Incline walking on the treadmill, 15 degrees, 3 - 3.5 MPH

perfect.

is that what u would use for melting the fat away?

 

[Tweakle]

for me, yeah.. it gets my HR up to 130-140 and it saves my knees, plus its 'mild' enough to do ED for 30 mins without burning me out. I usually walk for 60 mins outside most nights and try to do the incline treadmill at lunchtime (not on leg days!)

 

[sparetire]

I have been using eliptical trainer now for the past 7 years. Easy on the joints and it's a whole body workout! I burn about 1100 calories an hour doing HIT training low level 1-3 (pretty fast), but if you take it at a moderate speed 7-8mph at level 3 - about 600-800 an hour. Buy a lifefitness model. I can be more exact in which model if you are that serious about it, but they do cost a nice penny 2500-5k, but worth every penny

 

[HiDnGoD]

I have been using eliptical trainer now for the past 7 years. Easy on the joints and it's a whole body workout! I burn about 1100 calories an hour doing HIT training low level 1-3 (pretty fast), but if you take it at a moderate speed 7-8mph at level 3 - about 600-800 an hour. Buy a lifefitness model. I can be more exact in which model if you are that serious about it, but they do cost a nice penny 2500-5k, but worth every penny

I'm with you oon this one. If you have any kind of bone or joint problems, the elliptical trainer is the way to go.
I do like the rower for a better workout, but gripping the handle makes my carpal tunnel flare up, & I can't afford that.

 

[TheOak84]

for me, yeah.. it gets my HR up to 130-140 and it saves my knees, plus its 'mild' enough to do ED for 30 mins without burning me out. I usually walk for 60 mins outside most nights and try to do the incline treadmill at lunchtime (not on leg days!)

really?

ive been trying to burn fat buy running 2 miles a day/stairmaster...


is running long distance gonna make me weaker?

basically, should i burn alot of cals over a short intense time, or a longer mild/medium time... to get the best results while conserving muscle

 

[blut wump]

If I had to choose a single item of equipment for home then I think it'd be a toss-up between a treadmill and a rower. If I wanted to shift the emphasis more towards fitness I'd choose the rower, if more towards fat burning then the treadmill. You can walk for ages on an incline at your chosen speed and watch the fat burn away.

If you're prepared to go outdoors, a sled to drag can be fun but the bicycle is king, depending on traffic conditions.

 

[Tweakle]

Running isn't something I like doing as my joints hurt if I try it. I'm far from an expert on cardio but my take is - the less intense the better, as if it sucks up recouperation then your weight workouts will suffer = more muscle loss on a diet than you'd otherwise have.

HIIT works great for fast 'weight' loss and helped me get very ripped last year but it killed my leg strength (I remember getting owned by 315 squats at which point I said fuck it).. this time round I took a much slower route to fat loss which helped me hold onto more muscle.

 

[nycgirl]

I have a treadmill. Unfortunately, I have to send it back.

So, I added clean & press and front squats (one movement, if that makes sense) to my cardio routine (20lb bar). The goal is 6 sets of 6 reps. I got to 3 sets and nearly died. My heart was still pumping hard 20-30 minutes after the workout.

I'm determined to get to 6 sets. lol

 

[theprofessor]

like others said.. run outside, bike outside swim etc.. is cheaper
but if you dont mind spending money on a machine.. the best is by far the stepmill... but dont buy the wanna-be ones with pedals that go up and down... get the real one that revolves the steps. ive seen so many people get on this thing looking cocky and get off practicaly crying after (seriously) a minute or two...

 

[Dial_tone]

for me my bicycle is my preferred cardio machine but for a home gym either an elliptical (easier on joints) or a rower (better workout).