What do you want to know about Elliptical Machines?
Even though Precor introduced elliptical machines to the market less than 10 years ago they have rapidly become one of the most popular pieces of home fitness equipment. And not without good reason; elliptical machines have some unique advantages over other pieces of aerobic equipment such as treadmills, bikes, rowers and stair steppers, that make them an attractive fitness proposition to people of all ages and of all fitness levels from beginner to expert.
What are Elliptical Machines?
The name is derived from the path your feet follow as you use the machine, an ellipse or a flattened circle. This closely resembles the motion we make when we walk or run. Elliptical trainers, also called crosstrainers because the elliptical action incorporates the movements, and exercises the muscles used on treadmills, steppers, bikes and ski machines, without the negative attributes of those machines.
Elliptical Machine advantages.
No impact. Because your feet travel in an elliptical pattern and never leave the footrests there is no impact stress, unlike running on treadmills where your feet are continually slamming into the track, or even stair steppers where the sudden direction change is classified as impact. Your ankles, knees, hips and back will thank you for this, now and in the future.
Weight bearing. Unlike bikes and rowers, elliptical's give full weight bearing workouts. Good for increasing bone density and muscle strength.
Perceived low exertion. Lack of impact gives the impression you haven't worked out as hard as you have. Tests show, however, you will have burned the same amount of calories as if you had been on a treadmill, but without the sore joints.
Time efficient. Using a full body elliptical machine your heart rate will rise quicker to the optimum aerobic workout rate for burning calories of 160 – 170 beats per minute. A full cardio session in 30 to 40 minutes.
Elliptical Machine features.
Being a relatively recent invention, elliptical machines and many of their features are still covered by patents held by a variety of different elliptical manufacturers. It is unlikely you will find all of the following features on any one elliptical trainer.
There is no better test than to get down to a fitness shop in your training gear and try the equipment out. Some of the important features to look out for are
Adjustable incline or ramp. Changes the angle of the pedals, effectively changing the muscle groups being worked. Ideally should be adjustable from the console.
Adjustable resistance. Magnetic or electromagnetic resistance to the flywheel, adjustable from the display/control console to vary the intensity of your workout.
Adjustable stride. Not found on many elliptical's, but indispensable when there will be more than a couple of people using the elliptical crosstrainer, especially if they are of vastly different physiques. Most elliptical have a fixed stride length which can be anything from 12 inches to 27inches. The shorter the stride length the choppier, less comfortable and less effective the workout will be.
Quite operation. Most elliptical's that do not use a belt or strap for resistance are practically silent, which is great if you want to listen to music or watch the TV while you are working out.
Display Console feedback. Can vary from very simple units that display the basics such as time, distance, speed and calories burned to more advanced units with built in programs to add variety to your workout, and heart rate monitoring, that adjusts your elliptical automatically so as to keep you in your heart rate zone.
Forward & reverse motion. Again works a different set of muscles and adds variety to an elliptical workout.
Full Body Dual Action. Gets your upper body in on the action via handle bars connected to the foot pedals. Look out for where the handle bar pivot points are. If they are too high the smaller muscles in your upper body will tire long before the big lower body muscles.
The best Elliptical Trainers?
For quality, features, design and reliability the best elliptical trainers are made by Precor, Star Trac, SciFit, Life Fitness and Nautilius. You have probably heard it a thousand times before, "You get what you pay for", and it certainly holds true for elliptical machines. The price tag on most of these brands is $2000 and up.
The best of the rest, or value for money ellipticals include Nordic Track, Reebok, Smooth, Tunturi, Healthrider, Bally's, Multisports and Pro Form.
Buying an Elliptical Cross trainer.
You attach a couple of bars with footplates to a flywheel, build a frame to support it, add a few flashing lights and you have yourself an elliptical exercise machine, right?
That's the way it looks like some companies do it. On the other hand, the movements of the foot, the ankle, the knees, the hips, the whole body in motion is, as I'm sure you appreciate, quite a complicated affair. It's not hard to figure out which companies have spent time and money developing a machine that properly mimic and develop these movements.
Price is an indicator, guarantees are an indicator but the best test of all is feel. While there are some great deals available on elliptical trainer online and it is tempting to whip out your credit card and order one so you can get started on a home workout straight away, with ellipticals, more so than treadmills or steppers or bikes it is important to find someplace where you can actually give the machine a workout.
If a cross trainer feels comfortable, natural and smooth to use as soon as you get on it, it will more than likely be OK, as there is no great learning curve associate with using elliptical striders. If on the other hand it feels awkward or uncomfortable, move on. There are plenty more to choose from, you will not be doing your body any good putting it through repeated uncomfortable movements.
In the absence of the opportunity to give an elliptical a workout look for suppliers who appreciate your testing dilemma and respond with favorable satisfaction guarantees. Best case scenario will be for a 30 days tryout with a full refund including shipping cost both ways and no restocking fee if you are unsatisfied. In reality, terms like that are pretty rare, but you should be able to find deals where your liability is only for one way shipping.
Of course, if you have been able to try out a particular trainer in a club or a demonstration model in a retail outlet and know it's suitable for you, you will be able to go ahead and take advantage of online prices and convenience with confidence.
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