by Josh Stone
DM, I have a question. I currently do cardio 3-4X/week using either a treadmill and a cross-trainer (them ski-like things that work the arms and the legs) and I find that the calorie counter shows that I burn more calories using the cross-trainer rather than the treadmill. I hear a lot of people who say that the treadmill is the best calorie burner. My trainer says that the cross-trainer is better as it works the upper and the lower body. In your opinion, who is right? Or could my technique be wrong?
~amirfuadh
Dear amirfuadh,
Good question. In fact, this is an issue I’ve always wanted to address. Honestly, if you ask me - DONT BELIEVE EVERYTHING THE CALORIE COUNTER TELLS YOU. It is not 100% accurate as there is no way that lifeless machine is able to predict your BMI (Body Mass Index), fitness level, body composition (percentage of fat/muscle), metabolism - all key factors that determine how many calories you burn for any given exercise/time period.
Even if the machine allows you to key in your own bodyweight, it will not be able to differentiate you from a similar weighted chimpanzee. In one of the gyms I’ve been to, they have a row of steppers - some are brand new and some are from a previous batch, and though I know I’m getting a killer cardio workout from the newer ones… (I gasp for breath and sweat way more) they STILL always give a much lower ‘calorie consumed’ reading when compared to the older ones, which are so much more ‘confortable’ to use and exercise with. Something’s definitely not wrong here. The machines probably need calibration, etc… but I hope you get my point.
As for which machine burns more calories.. the crosstrainer or the treadmill - well, the answer is not that straightforward. For example, if you’re running at top speed and top intensity on the treadmill.. you’re definitely going to exceed the calories the crosstrainer can ever burn (how fast can you really go on a crosstrainer?). So, exercise INTENSITY plays a role.
Ok, now lets assume that if your intensity level is exactly the same on both machines (which is also difficult to establish since they’re both different), but for the sake of this example, let’s assume the intensity is the same. Then, I too, would certainly say that the crosstrainer would ultimately burn more calories.. why? For the same reason your trainer mentioned - simply because you’re utilising both your upper body and lower body muscles.
Don’t get me wrong - The treadmill is indeed an excellent calorie burner, suitable for people from all fitness levels. You can walk, brisk-walk, run, sprint - the possibilities are endless. But for it to be the ‘best calorie burner’ - you need to bump up your intensity. In fact, I too would like to say that it is INDEED the best calorie burner - BUT, walking and brisk walking on the ‘best calorie burner’ isnt gonna give you what you’re thinking. Provided you’re intense enough on the treadmill, only then will it be the best calorie burner. You reap what you sow, and there’s no easy way out. Hope I’ve cleared your doubts.
Run for your life.
Josh Stone, also known as DM, is the author behind the site http://www.dailymuscle.com which offers the author’s personal views on real-life fitness, bodybuilding, sports nutrition, cardio, fat loss, training information, and on all things that surrounds fitness.
by Tim Gorman
When you are buying a new elliptical trainer it is a good idea to find out as much as possible about the different makes and models available before you decide which one you want to buy. Elliptical trainers are not cheap and you want to try to find one that will give you the best value for money. Fortunately, there are a great many different types available and there should be one to suit the budgets of many fitness and exercise machine shopping consumers.
However, be careful because just like stair climbers and treadmills, even in the same price range there can be a large amount of variations, features and quality, so it is essential to try to get the best that you can for the money that you are spending. Also note that you should not necessarily rely on the sales person in the fitness and exercise equipment store to tell you which is the best for your budget. They will only know about the ones that they sell and it could be that there are others that are better value and quality for the same money elsewhere.
If you know someone that has a better knowledge of elliptical trainers than you do then it is a good idea to get them to go to the store with you. You could also try asking the instructors at your local gym. There is a reasonable chance they might have a good idea of what is the best elliptical trainer in terms of value for money. But if there is no one that you can get to give you some help and you do not know a great deal about exercise machines then probably the best way to try to find out which is the best for you is to read some elliptical trainer reviews.
Many of the fitness magazines have elliptical trainer reviews, although you might need to look through the back issues if they do not have them when you are buying your machine. They have the resources to test great many machines at the same time and so you can get a much broader perspective on what machines are on the market and how good they are.
You can also finds a lot of elliptical trainer reviews at online fitness sites. In fact, most of the exercise and fitness magazines have sites that you can use to find reviews that they have done without having to look through lots of back issues. You should try several sites to find a general view on which is the best machine for your budget. Then when you have looked through the elliptical trainer reviews and found the best machine you will be able to look for the cheapest deal. When you know that the machine that you are looking for is what you want it makes the whole shopping experience much easier for you.
Timothy Gorman is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Elliptical-Trainer-Solutions.com He provides more elliptical trainer ratings, recommendations and information on elliptical trainer reviews that you can research in your pajamas on his website.
by Ross Bainbridge
The buzzword today is comfort. With the advancement in ideas and technology, there is an inclination to bring home the pleasures you generally find outside of it. A home gym is one such comfort. The television media is the perfect platform to showcase home gym products, and you find manufacturers advertising their products with all flair and gusto.
The presence of exercise equipment at your home is a great motivation to keep yourself in good physical shape. The benefits of having a gym at home are endless. Firstly, there would be no need for exorbitant membership fees, though gyms do offer the services of a trainer and in some cases massages, luxuries one does not necessarily get at home. Also, as many would agree, there is no more annoying feeling than a shortage of machines to work on. Having a personal set of equipment would mean more discipline and the right workouts at the right time.
Home gyms can be an exorbitant deal. However, if one is willing to purchase the machine and work with it diligently, then results are guaranteed over the long run. The exercise equipment can also be tuned to your personal needs, and a home gym rids the minor adjustments one would have to make in a public gym.
Before buying the equipment, though, the prudent thing to do would be to test it in the store you are buying from. That way you can be certain that the machines purchased matches up to your needs. The machines should be uncomplicated to assemble, mobile and easy to pack away. Incompetently made equipment can result in serious long-term injury.
If one keeps in mind these things while purchasing home gym equipment, then the personal gym is enjoyable and comfortable to work on. There is nothing like having exercise machines for workout 24/7.
Gyms provides detailed information on Gyms, Home Gyms, Gym Equipment, Home Gym Equipment and more. Gyms is affiliated with Golf Fitness Programs.
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