Which is best?

J

justdoit

0
I am buying some home equiptment and have a reasonable amount of space so i have a treadmill being delivered in a few days :) but i need some opinons or help on which is best out of a cross trainer/ellipitcal or an exersize cycle? Now i would have thought that the cross trainer would be the best option but i just wanted to know other opinions, please reply!
 
Its a matter of personal preference really. I would go with the elliptical personally, but Im biased. I don't like exercise bikes. I don't really know why, I just don't like em.
 
LiveFromNY said:
I Adore My Precor Recumbant Bike, I've Had It For Over 10 Years And Use It Most Nights!
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I never used a recumbant bike. The reason I don't like bikes (I hope I don't offend anyone, trying to keep it as clean as possible) is regular bikes make my (certain part of the male anatomy that rests on the bicycle seat) go numb for some reason. Maybe a recumbant bike would cure that.
 
aevans410 said:
I never used a recumbant bike. The reason I don't like bikes (I hope I don't offend anyone, trying to keep it as clean as possible) is regular bikes make my (certain part of the male anatomy that rests on the bicycle seat) go numb for some reason. Maybe a recumbant bike would cure that.
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Thats most likely because your bike isn't setup for you. If you take your bike into any decent bike shop they can set it up. Or it could just be a case of your body getting used to sitting on such an uncomfortable seat.
 
i'm a girl...but my husband also likes the bike and says it's comfortable...it's more of a bucket seat than a typical bike seat...it came that way....
 
Cycle with Speed Bag

I try to mix my cycle with the speed bag and try to do the "punch & ride" workout that is described on speedbagcentral


I can't quite get my cycle to match up with my rebound board yet, but it is a lot of fun to do.

I'd rather use a recumbent cycle because the seat is more comfortable. I currently have a model used for the old "spinning" routines and it is uncomfortable. Kind of like these but older models.
 
Let's be honest and admit that bikes are popular in part because they're not as demanding, especially recumbent bikes where you're in effect lying back resting many of the body's larger hip/leg muscles that elliptical and stairmachines enlist rigorously. Not to say a bike can't be effective, an upright can be if used intensely (Spinning classes: high intensity interval training using upright bikes), but if all things are equal re: intensity, they're not as good, particularly recumbents that are using considerably less musculature. Unless used intensely or as a secondary exercise, bikes are a pleasant aerobic activity that by themselves are ok.

That said, also factor in what you'll actually use on a daily basis. I'm going to try using a trampoline as a secondary exercise to complement the stairmaster.

The numbness factor can supposedly be avoided with the use of one of the special seats..
 
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Ellipticals are better because you can work your stabilizer/synergist muscles and tax various parts of your body a bit more.

This is true EXCEPT in the case of "Spinning" cycles (I don't know if there's a more technical term) which tax your full body more than a regular cycle and require a lot of stabilizer muscles both in your lower and upper body.
 
Ellipticals are better because they're enlisting all of the body's largest muscles. Spinning's great because of the high intensity involved as in any HIIT training.

Stabilizer muscles are a useful secondary factor that i feel is often over-hyped as part of marketing. Useful but the type and intensity of work's more important IMO.
 
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