Trade in Your Elliptical

Have you ever noticed that the results you used to get from working out on the elliptical machine have started to fade after a few months of using it?

It's true and I can't tell you the number of people who have asked me why they just aren't getting the same results as they used to.

First off, any exercise that is brand new will provide a significant stimulus to your body which in turn will have a positive effect on calorie burning. However, after your body adapts to the stimulus, in this case the elliptical, you will no longer enjoy the same benefits.

Also, the elliptical is inherently inferior to other more traditional forms of cardio equipment like the airdyne bike, upright bike, and treadmill.

The reason is that these other pieces require your body to work harder by involving more mechanical work from your muscles. You don't have the luxury of "gliding" like you do on the elliptical.

The next time you are on your elliptical try this experiment I came up with:

Pedal away at your normal pace and then just stop pumping your legs and see how many revolutions the machine makes before it stops. You'll find that with your legs and arms completely still you still spin around at least 4-5 times.

So the downfall of the elliptical is exactly the same reason that makes it great. For anyone who has any type of knee issues it makes for a great low impact piece of equipment. But, for anyone looking to burn body fat the elliptical eventually becomes too easy to provide the required stimulus to burn enough calories to help you lose weight.

In my next post I'll help you transition slowly from your favorite elliptical trainer over to another more effective piece of cardio equipment. Stay tuned!