Treadmills and Elliptical Trainers: which is better?
Making the decision on the treadmill for your home, gym or hotel gym.
Do you feel the need to buy a treadmill? Have a look at what I say here then contact me by phone (071 863 7398) or email:fitness@gym4me.com
Elliptical Trainers and Treadmills
Are Treadmills Better Than Ellipticals?
Even though elliptical trainers have being around for a shorter time period than treadmills, they’re the fastest growing segment in the fitness equipment industry
Treadmills are better for most of you out there. Read on so I can explain why.
When deciding on a piece for exercise equipment there are some fundamental questions which need to be answered before you toddle off to the sports shop.
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1. Why are you doing this? Have you got old items of exercise equipment lying at home? The reason that many people fail in their exercise programs is from lack of motivation, not due to inefficient equipment. Cheap nasty equipment will DESTROY your motivation because its uncomfortable to use
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2. What can you afford? Rather buy a very good bike than a rickety treadmill. Don’t buy an elliptical for less than R6500 and don’t even think about a treadmill under R9 000… not ever! Cheap bargain equipment will feel different to the sturdy well built stuff you may have used at a gym. Spend a little extra and get a quality piece of equipment. It is a great investment.
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3. What do you want to achieve? Do you want to lose weight get fit, tone up or put on muscle? Is cardio equipment the right equipment for you?
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4. Do you have injuries? Or a susceptibility towards injury’s such as overuse injuries?
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5. Have you read my articles on why not to buy second hand cardio equipment? If not, then just remember, don’t EVER buy second hand treadmills and elliptical.
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6. Who have you been talking to? If you have not been talking to a professional with a great reputation in the industry and years of experience in training people, setting up and managing fitness facilities then it’s time to talk to me. I will help you answer all of the above questions and then provide you with the most affordable solution for you. Contact me on 071 863 73 98 or email miles@gym4me.com.
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7. Where are you going to buy from? Many clients I deal with making their first internet purchase feel hesitant as they think that it is risky to buy from an online retailer. Some online retailers are better than others, however this is a common way of buying fitness equipment.(contact me for names of reputable online retailers serving you region). And for those people who want try the machine first; ALL exercise may feel a little uncomfortable and strange the first time. There is little to gain from trying the machine on a shop floor for five minutes
The units sold through the various reputable companies are designed very carefully and professional teams are employed to make sure than no fundamental mistakes are made that would increase the chances of injury. Get the right advice form experts like me and the machine I suggest will be perfect for YOUR needs.
And if you are looking for a really good reason to buy online then remember; reputable Web based retailers have a far bigger range and fewer associated costs than the supermarket down the road. Call me for a list or reputable web based retailers.
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If you need assistance in answering these questions or don’t know where to start then call me on 071 863 7398 or email miles@gym4me.com
If you want to lose weight and tone up then you want to burn maximum calories in the shortest time period.
Remember you will always put more effort into an exercise you enjoy. Most people enjoy walking as opposed to the elliptical movement.
Research has consistently shown that all things being equal, a treadmill workout and an elliptical workout burn similar numbers of calories. (Thomas Altena, University of Missouri-Columbia ) So what’s the difference?
A treadmill is like a conveyor belt and with some small differences mimics a walking or running action, and yes it can, under most circumstances assist with burning “fat” (providing you don’t eat ten cream buns straight after your workout.)
An elliptical machine is named after the elliptical movement of the feet as opposed to a stepper which is up and down and a treadmill which is forward in a type of arc but after landing on the belt creates a straight line back until the rear foot is lifted once again and brought forward.
When you should look at an Elliptical instead of a Treadmill
1. Cost. Elliptical are cheaper than treadmills. An entry level quality treadmill for home use will cost you around R9500. An elliptical of equal quality will cost R6900.
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2. Knee injuries, running related injuries, shin splints, are indications that you should try a different movement such as an elliptical.
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3. You have a Treadmill in your home gym already and want to add another angle to the workout.
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4. You want to exercise upper body and lower body. Most Ellipticals have handles which exercise the arms, back and chest. Keep in mind that most people do NOT use the handles on a regular basis.
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5. If you get bored quickly then the elliptical offers more variety to your workout. You can pedal forwards, backwards and use the arms. It is possible to target different muscle groups with the different actions.
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6. You don’t like walking or running. Most people however do find walking easy. When you begin an exercise routine make everything as easy as possible during you workouts. Tricky uncomfortable machines may make you head for the couch instead of the workout room. Spinning is another option.
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7. Very heavy, obese or overweight people may find less strain on their joints, feet and back. However the elliptical movement itself can still be very difficult for an overweight person. Most treadmills do however have very effective cushioning and flexible decks. Running on a treadmill is nothing like running on the road.
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8. A last point before you head out of the cheapest gym equipment; I do like the comments here (http://exercise.about.com/cs/exercisegear/bb/bybelliptical.htm) in regards to spending as much you can. I wouldn’t have put it so bluntly but as he has then I no longer need to! He is of course right though. Another valid post here (http://www.ellipticalhome.com/elliptical-trainer-buyers-guide.html). Do it properly Buy Good Equipment
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So, all things being equal, and especially as a new comer to the home exercise team, Buy a treadmill first.
In conclusion I would like to remind you of an important fact of life. Maintaining an exercise program is sometimes difficult and I advise that you remove all of the potential obstacles. Invest correctly in your home gym, make it look nice, smell nice, sound nice and buy equipment which motivates you and makes you want to come back for another workout.
If you are ready to make the next move call me for more details on reputable online vendors or for advice as to the best way to get you body and your fitness back to where it should be
Part Two of this article will deal with How to choose a treadmill or elliptical, what questions to ask when you have decided that one is better than the other.
About The Author. Miles Harrop is a lifetime wellness expert. He started off as a drug free bodybuilder and personal trainer in South Africa and won more than 30 bodybuilding competitions. He is regarded as an expert in all areas of the Wellness, Health and Fitness Industry.
Miles has formal qualifications in Personal Training, Business Administration, Hypnosis and Neuro- Linguistic programming. After running and owning commercial health clubs in South Africa Miles now owns Miles Harrop Coaching which creates total Trance-formation and turnaround opportunities for all of his clients.
He administrates many websites including the Gym4me.com, hypnosissouthafrica.co.za and NLPsouthafrica.co.za sites and writes extensively for other websites
Miles still consults to the industry and assists many small business owners to set up and manage their own health and fitness centers.
For Total Trance-formation Coaching, Gym setup, business management or gym equipment purchases contact him personally on 071 863 7398 or mail miles@gym4me.com.