I use a machine called "Armpower", it's basically cycling with your hands, as part of a routine which involves equal time on a normal exercise bike and a cross trainer. The idea being that the armpower works out the upper body, normal exercise bike the lower body and cross trainer a bit of both.
Now the armpower thing only seems to burn half the amount of calories as the other 2 in a given time, but after 15 minutes or so of it my arms are aching - my own reaction is that anything that makes your muscles ache that much must be doing you good. That being the case I'm happy to keep going with it as part of my routine. Or is it just an inefficient cardio machine that I'd be better dropping and leave muscle development to weight training? It certainly isn't a popular machine at the gym, the only one guarateed to be free at any given time.
Question 2 is getting the balance between effort level and RPM or SPM on the machines - Does it matter or is it just the intensity or wattage that counts? e.g. if you are putting in 170 Watts slowly at a high effort level, is that the same as having the little legs flying at 170 Watts at a low effort level. Do the two have different benefits that you should do a bit of both?
Now the armpower thing only seems to burn half the amount of calories as the other 2 in a given time, but after 15 minutes or so of it my arms are aching - my own reaction is that anything that makes your muscles ache that much must be doing you good. That being the case I'm happy to keep going with it as part of my routine. Or is it just an inefficient cardio machine that I'd be better dropping and leave muscle development to weight training? It certainly isn't a popular machine at the gym, the only one guarateed to be free at any given time.
Question 2 is getting the balance between effort level and RPM or SPM on the machines - Does it matter or is it just the intensity or wattage that counts? e.g. if you are putting in 170 Watts slowly at a high effort level, is that the same as having the little legs flying at 170 Watts at a low effort level. Do the two have different benefits that you should do a bit of both?
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