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Fit_Friend · Joined: 14 Jun 2008 Posts: 10

What do you prefer for cardio exercise, ellipticals, or bikes (upright or recumbent). I think an elliptical may be more "fun". I'm also considering a Treadclimber.

cassiegose · Joined: 09 May 2008 Posts: 263 Location: Prineville Oregon

Ellipticals engage more muscles (especially the ones with the arm handles) than a bike would. I would probably recommend the elliptical over the bike as I believe standing upright and pushing with your arms and legs would be a better workout than sitting and only pushing with your legs. Whats a treadclimber? Like a stairstepper? Or is that like a cross between a treadmill and a stair stepper?

swanso5 · Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 12:25 am Post subject:

outside sprints...FREE

Fit_Friend · Joined: 14 Jun 2008 Posts: 10

A Treadclimber is like a combination of a stairstepper and an elliptical.
http://obsessionfitness.com/bowflex-tc3000-treadclimber-efficient-low-impact-workout/

timtimtimmah19 · Joined: 26 Jan 2008 Posts: 130 Location: Pennsylvania

Yeah, I'm going to have to agree with Swanso, when I hurt my head I stayed inside on the elliptical and bikes for a while. Once I started running outside again I realized that nothing works you quite like a normal run.

Boss Man · Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 3:43 pm Post subject:

Bike is better for after weights workouts though.

1. You don't want to be using things like Treadmills or Ellipticals after leg workouts, when you can use a Bike and take the weight off your Legs, meaning any increases in recovery time you create, will be a lot less, compared to running on them, or loadbering upper body weight on them, as can be so with Ellipticals or Steppers.

2. Bikes are better after an upper body workout for the same reason, I think. Engaging upper body muscles after training them, won't be as beneficial for their recovery, (in my opinion), as opposed to most Bike, where you don't need to manipulate the upper body. Treadmills would be okay here I feel.

On a non weights day however, using such things like Ellipticals, Treadmills, Rowers etc etc, can be okay, or of course things like sprints too, but if you're doing Cardio after weights, stick to Exercise Bike after leg training, and Bike or Treadmill after upper body. It just seems logical to me.

cassiegose · Joined: 09 May 2008 Posts: 263 Location: Prineville Oregon

Thanks bossman... that makes sense. As for running outside... yes this is also very true nothing beats a good run (sprinting stairs are my favorite) however some people (like myself because recently screwed my stupid knee up again) can't take the pounding induced by sprints. :( Soooo... if the only options for a cardio workout are ellipitical, bike and stair climber thingy-majig... I'd go for the elliptical to get a decent workout and keep the impact off the joints. Swimming is also great for low impact.... but thats getting off topic.

Boss Man · Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 9:20 pm Post subject:

Bike is better for the Joints probably than Elliptical, as you don't loadbear bodyweight on the Knees, it shoud get channelled away from lower body.

So I'd say for a bad Knee go with bike, then you don't do Cardio in a standing position, and get Weight transfer onto the Knees. A regular as opposed to a Recumbent will still give you a good kick on the Cardivascular system.

swanso5 · Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 3:58 am Post subject:

2nd best - bodyweight circuits performed for time with no rest

Christopheel · Joined: 02 Jul 2007 Posts: 931

swanso5 · Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 4:26 am Post subject:

bodyweight doesn't tax the nervous system unless you weight 8000 pounds

push up x 10
lunge x 10
inverted row x 10
x 10mins counting total reps and doing more the next time you do it

cassiegose · Joined: 09 May 2008 Posts: 263 Location: Prineville Oregon

Bossman...

Yes, that makes alot of sense with bikes vs elliptical I hadn't thought of that! However, personally the bike seems to bug my knee a bit more than the elliptical. I teach an hour long spinning class and I've noticed that my knee can get quite sore during class (although I think its starting to feel a bit better). I've also noticed that the recumberant tends to bother it a bit more than the elliptical (not sure if its the angle or what?). The elliptical has the arm handles that allow me to push with both my upper body and my lower body so it seems to be a bit easier on my knee as I can favor it a bit more by just using my upper body more if I need to. With the bike, I can't use my upper body so my knee alone is pushing the pedal. I do understand that the bike takes my bodyweight off the knee... that makes sense... but the bike really does seem to bother it a bit more than elliptical. What do you think? Should I just go by personal judgement on what seems to bother and doesn't bother my knee?

Thanks for all your help bossman!! Your posts are always a great help!

Boss Man · Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 7:09 pm Post subject:

Well maybe you could try a regular Bike, as you can adjust the height setting, and see how that works for the Knee.

Spinning bike may be something to do with how intense you've gotten the Brake, but a regular Exercise Bike, with adjustable saddle height, might be a possible answer.

swanso5 · Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2008 2:44 am Post subject:

lots of biking =

- tight hip flexors
- tight itb
- lack of hip mobility
- inhibited glutes
- lengthened hamstrings refferring as "tight" hams (they're not though)
- knee pain
- tight calves/pereonels
- lack of ankle mobility

and that's only some of the lower body issued that can arise...

cardio is usually performed in limited and repetitive range of motion and this is where the injuries come from (overuse)

Cassie you need to activate glutes, stretch hip flexors, foam roll itb/tfl, quads and calves and work on hip/ankle mobility

cassiegose · Joined: 09 May 2008 Posts: 263 Location: Prineville Oregon

Hhhmmm... I'm not really doing "lots of biking". I teach two hour long classes a week and thats pretty much it. I was doing lots of plyometrics and some stairs prior to hurting my knee. Swanso you think two nights a week of spinning is screwing up my knee? I have tendonitis in there but I've had that since high school. My most recent injury happened several weeks ago doing lunges.. I was coming down on a lunge and felt a sharp pain through my outer knee... like something was tearing in there. Its hurt since then... but it feels like it might be getting better.