Anyone use them?
We have one in my house for my Dad because of injuries to his knee from when he was in the RAF.
Personally i like them and it gives variation to your workouts because of the less impact on your joints and muscles.
They may not be as strenuous and effective as road running but i do think to use one is a good idea.
What's everyone else's views on them? And would you call them a good thing to add to training?
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Elliptical trainers
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flying ninja
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Elliptical trainers
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I think they're excellent as an "extra" to your training as they allow you to increase your cardio work without putting any extra strain on your joints.
I used to use them as a second cardio workout, ie; I'd go for a run and then later I'd go to the gym and do an hour on the cross trainer so I was able to improve my fitness and endurance without having to worry about injuring myself due to the extra training.
However they're not enough to use as your sole cardio workout, unless of course your only aim is to keep fit rather than training to join the military etc...
In my opinion they're far better than treadmills anyday.
I used to use them as a second cardio workout, ie; I'd go for a run and then later I'd go to the gym and do an hour on the cross trainer so I was able to improve my fitness and endurance without having to worry about injuring myself due to the extra training.
However they're not enough to use as your sole cardio workout, unless of course your only aim is to keep fit rather than training to join the military etc...
In my opinion they're far better than treadmills anyday.
ADDiction, Re: Treadmills:
I use them and like them. But not as a replacement for proper running!
Convenient in the gym for a warm-up (if you live near the gym, like me, and don't get a warm-up running there!).
I find it good if I want to practice a certain distance, and although it's harder to run the same distance properly (outside!) it's a start.
(I use a slight incline to make it harder on the treadmill to make it a little closer.)
And it can help train you to keep a good pace over a period of time.
When I started running I found it hard to maintain pace, and so trained myself in this way.
I use them and like them. But not as a replacement for proper running!
Convenient in the gym for a warm-up (if you live near the gym, like me, and don't get a warm-up running there!).
I find it good if I want to practice a certain distance, and although it's harder to run the same distance properly (outside!) it's a start.
(I use a slight incline to make it harder on the treadmill to make it a little closer.)
And it can help train you to keep a good pace over a period of time.
When I started running I found it hard to maintain pace, and so trained myself in this way.
We can easily slate them (treadmills) on here - strong men looking to join/serving in/served in the forces - but for an average person road running can have risks. You only have to read through any runners forums to see the abuse some runners get, and most of us will have been exposed to some extent. For a small women/elderly lady etc. this - especially in certain areas - could be very intimidating. And overweight people have it even worse, its better to run somewhere they know they won't have abuse hurled at them, a treadmill, than stay home on the sofa. In a gym, no matter how boring the running is, its safe and theres no escaping that, in this day and age for some road running just isn't safe - especially if you work late.
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I can see the point you're making Chris but given the fact most gyms have both treadmills and eliptical trainers the latter would be the better option to use.
Obviously any kind of exercise is prefrable to sitting on your backside but I would always recommend cross trainers over treadmills as they provide a good workout, especially using some of the reandom resitance programmes avaliable on them, without any impact on the joints which you get on a treadmill.
I just don't see the point of choosing a machine which you're going to be pounding away on like you would on the roads, only without the obvious advantages of "propper" running, when there's a machine probably right next to it which offers all the perks without the draw backs.
However, that's just my opinion so it doesn't automatically mean it's right
Obviously any kind of exercise is prefrable to sitting on your backside but I would always recommend cross trainers over treadmills as they provide a good workout, especially using some of the reandom resitance programmes avaliable on them, without any impact on the joints which you get on a treadmill.
I just don't see the point of choosing a machine which you're going to be pounding away on like you would on the roads, only without the obvious advantages of "propper" running, when there's a machine probably right next to it which offers all the perks without the draw backs.
However, that's just my opinion so it doesn't automatically mean it's right
But treadmills do work more running specific muscles than elipticals alone. Don't get me wrong I always use ellipticals over treadmills when in the gym for the fitness benifits and low impact etc. But if you are actually training to run just without the confidence to do so outside a treadmill will more closely simulate the action and muscle usage required than an elliptical trainer will.
Cross trainer.. its a machine http://www.argos-sports.co.uk/mall/depa ... /25964/1/1
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flying ninja
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jimtimuk100
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