5 Reasons why Eliptical and Treadmills are Useless Exercises

[bdaswat]

http://atozfitness.com/wordpress/5-r...ess-exercises/



know that all of the elliptical and treadmill worshipers are probably fuming at me now after that article headline, but the fact is, ellipticals and treadmills are one of the least effective methods of working out in existance. With this article, I?ll show you how to get a much more effective fat-burning workout without wasting time mindlessly exercising on a boring elliptical machine or treadmill.

Now first let me state that if you really honestly enjoy your elliptical machine workouts and treadmill exercise routines, then I give you my blessing to keep doing what you love. The reason is that even though ellipticals and treadmills are relatively ineffective compared to other types of exercises, whatever you actually enjoy doing the most is going to benefit you most in the long run because you will be more likely to stick with it more consistently.

However, don?t say that I didn?t warn you that you might be wasting your time with all these boring mindless cardio machine workouts.

I?ve talked about this previously with my ezine subscribers? I actually do not believe in cardio machines as a good form of working out at all. This might surprise you coming from a fitness nut such as myself, but I don?t think I?ve personally used an exercise bike, treadmill, elliptical, or any other cardio machine for at least 8 years or more.

In fact, I don?t even use cardio machines anymore for warm-ups before my workouts. I actually think it?s a much more effective warm-up to do dumbbell and/or kettlebell swings, snatches, clean & presses, etc, mixed with bodyweight exercises as a great full-body warm-up before working out.

Why do I think cardio machines are so awful? Well, here?s 5 reasons:

1) Treadmills and ellipticals are just a very ineffective way to workout compared to other options. Why should you do treadmill or elliptical workouts when you can get better results by doing more interesting forms of training that actually stimulate a fat-burning hormonal response and stimulate your metabolism to a greater extent.

2) Elliptical machines and treadmills are insanely expensive and a waste of money for people that work out at home? there are so many better things for home workouts you could have spent your money on rather than wasting it on an elliptical machine, treadmill, or exercise bike.

You?ll see plenty of ideas below for better home workouts if you don?t like going to a gym to work out.

3) I have seen several studies that indicated results that treadmill running may be less effective than outdoor running for various reasons such as stride abnormalities on treadmills vs natural running, slightly less caloric burn compared to outdoor running, and so on.

(although I never recommend just "jogging" anyway? variable intensity walking/running or sprinting are much more effective, training your heart rate in a much wider range instead of the same heart rate range the whole time).




4) Steady state exercise (that doesn?t require concentration on what you?re doing) while watching tv or reading a newspaper or magazine creates a mind/body disconnect resulting in extremely poor results compared to exercise that requires focused attention.

5) Elliptical and treadmill workouts are just mind-numbingly boring!

So what are some good alternatives to elliptical machine and treadmill workouts? Some of my favorites are:

* Outdoor wind sprint workouts ? This is the ultimate workout for a rock hard lean body? just look at the powerful yet super-lean and ripped bodies of world class sprinters, and compare that to the withering weakling physiques of typical marathoners? what would you rather look like?

* Jumping rope ? incredible mind/body connection and actually fun (you can try speed jumping, crossover jumps, and double jumps once you get good at it)

* Kettlebell workouts ? nothing will get your heart pounding and sweat pouring like high rep kettlebell swings and/or snatches (or clean & presses)! These can be done with dumbbells too, but I prefer kettlebells as they have a better "feel" to them and the unbalanced nature of KBs makes you work harder)

* Bodyweight exercises ? mountain climbers, bodyweight squats, push-ups, jumping drills, lunges, bear crawls, plank holds, and so on.

* The good old fashioned rowing machine ? I don?t really lump this in as a "cardio" machine per se like elliptical machines and treadmills? Rather, I think the rowing machine is actually a great full body workout that actually uses real resistance)

* Hill sprinting ? running as hard up a hill as possible, followed by walking down and repeating as many times as you can for a full workout (yet another classic drill for a rock hard lean body)

* Shadow boxing? a killer workout, but if you are shy, this is best done at home since you will get some crazy looks doing this at a typical gym!

* Swimming sprints ? a more muscle toning workout compared with steady pace distance swimming? I actually love the upper body pump I get from sprint swimming (instead of swimming slow and steady, with sprint swimming, you swim as fast as you can exerting as much force as you can for 1 lap. Then rest for 15-20 seconds before doing another swim sprint).

* Heavy bag punching/kicking workouts, speed bag, rebounding bag? all are tremendous workouts and much more fun than boring cardio machines (requires an very intense mind/body connection which increases results).

I hope this article gives you lots of ideas you can use to go out right away and bring some more variety into your workouts instead of relying on the same old dull elliptical machine and treadmill workout routines. Have fun!















By Mike Geary
http://truthaboutabs.atozfitness.com

[grumble1]

The treadmills are nice because they are easy. Just hop on, press go, and it does everything for you. you just have to keep up and do what you're told, and you'll get better at cardio. A lot of people also don't use cardio just to lose fat, they may want to do it to increase their cardio and endurance, fitness characteristics just as useful as being strong. It can also be crappy outside (it's really cold here), making running kind of a bad idea. If someone is doing steady state slowly enough that they can read a book, then they aren't working.

I think that there are many more interesting and effective ways for people to do cardio than those machines. Even indoors, there are better options. I like the rowing machine, as it uses far more muscle to do its thing and I can use the computer to easily keep track of my workouts. The options you listed are all good as well. I wouldn't call treadmills useless though, it works.

[chazzy1864]

sh*tty article. His reasons are opinions. It is yet another e-fitness site owner trying to sell his bullsh*t advice.

[stevo11]

1 reason they ARE good - accessibility.

Imagine your typical overweight, sedentary person. They finally decide to get themselves moving and in a little better shape. Are they immediately going to jump into kettlebells or HIIT? I really don't think so.

Tread/elliptical/bikes are an easy way for someone to transition into exercise and fitness. It is very low impact so it will ease the shock on their joints and body which is not yet used to this kind of activity. Throwing them into something intense and more advanced is a great way to quickly discourage them and get them to give up.

Lastly, being winter, these machines have the advantage of climate control. As a person who despises running, I would be more apt to run on a treadmill at my gym after my workout then to go outside and run over ice and snow in sub-30 degree weather.

Now I am not saying they are particularly GREAT at fat loss (the other methods you listed are much better) however they do have their place and are far from useless.

[ironrat42]

This article seems like a disguised argument for HIIT over LISS. Oh and Stevo don't let this article fool you, treadmills and ellipticals can be excellent for fat loss, ask any bodybuilder who swears by LISS cardio.

[chazzy1864]

This article seems like a disguised argument for HIIT over LISS.

Or crossfit.

[theapexxxx]

This article is completely pointless. It is all personal opinion and is far from anythng related to actual facts.

[lauhpurush]

sh*tty article. His reasons are opinions. It is yet another e-fitness site owner trying to sell his bullsh*t advice.

This article is completely pointless. It is all personal opinion and is far from anythng related to actual facts.

^^^^^

[TN_WORKOUT]

Why treadmills and elipticals aren't bad (notice that I didn't say they were mana from heaven either).

1. My sitting on the couch doesn't do much to work up a sweat

2. The buttons, bells & whistles are cool. Reminds me of being a kid again. WooHooo

3. You can stare at girls' butts without having the police hound you for stalking

4. I can catch a few minutes of SportsCenter or the news without the kids complaining

5. Kettleballs and Shadow Boxing remind me too much of other great fitness ideas like Tae Bo, Zumba, Stairmasters, Line Dancing, Richard Simmons & Matthew Maconahay


P.S. The only time I think I might have wasted is the time it took to read the article.

[vandalgirl59]

LOL I won't lie...I didn't read anything you posted, simply because I'm sure you make good points...HOWEVER

sometimes, it's just nice to plug in my headphones, watch my lil' cardio tv and go...I kick my own butt in the gym, so its nice to just burn some calories without having to think

[jdelarod]

HIT wont develop you rbody to persevere over extended challenges like running does. I used a treadmill extensively in Afghanistan because running for 10 miles through teh countryside would have been . . . unadvisable.

YOu need to do some >90 minute cardio sessions to toughen youself mentally and physically. As long as you dont do that very day, and eat properly, you wont lose any strength whatsoever.

But hey, if your definition of hardcore is doing an exercise named after some girl, forget everything I typed.

[timstone]

3. You can stare at girls' butts without having the police hound you for stalking

I almost thought I was the only one that did that....at least I'm not the only perv!

[Holcster]

I think anyone who looks into this too much is wasting their time. Simply put, it's how you use your time on the treadmill/elliptical and what your goal is. Personally, I do the elliptical sometimes and for that 15 minutes im on it, I'm cranking it all around, going up to max resistance for a few minutes then half-then up a few-and so on. Every minute or two I'm changing resistance and getting a really intense workout. But if you want to just get on and do a light warm up that's possible too. I think they both are effective if you use them to suit your goals....and obviously you should change cardio exercises but ellip/thread isn't bad to throw in.

One thing though that makes me laugh is the random dude who has resistance at like 1/2 and thinks by going super fast and looking like an idiot that somehow he's getting a great workout. I want to reach over and crank it up to 20 and say try that buddy

[203mh]

Them hours and hours on the treadmill helped me shed about 80 lbs and get ma bodyfat down so I don't know what that article talkin bout :-)

[Joelift]

Not a new opinion - http://www.bodybuilding.net/weightlo...ardio-932.html

[wannamikeout]

ellipticals are good for people who need low impact workouts...

[aman88]

ellipticals are a lot less impact than running out doors and are much healthier for people with bad knees, backs, etc.

[taf1968]

For those of us who are missing half the meniscus in one knee . . . the elliptical is an outstanding way to do cardio.

I have no trouble getting a great workout on the ellipticals at my gym--even works well for HIIT.

[Leni_Pocky]

Says it all. Fat loss is all about calories in vs calories out. If the elliptical and treadmill burn enough calories for someone's purpose, then it's working just fine. I won't argue that they're not the most effective, but totally discrediting them is retarded.

On a related note, Free Step on Wii Fit can be an obscene cardio workout. Turn off the guide sounds, put the board on a short sturdy box, and go to town. I've been doing this for the last few days while watching the morning news and I've worked up a pretty good sweat every time. And get this: I'm burning fat. Surely because it's a Wii game it can't be doing a thing for me, right..?

[R_V_P]

Add Barbell Complexes to the list of alternatives.

Complexes will kick your ass.

[Lector606]

Uhh...

Reason 1) seems to operate under the premise that it is impossible to use treadmills or ellipticals for anything but steady-state cardio. Weird, I have never done a steady state workout on an elliptical trainer in my life.

Reason 2) is irrelevant because most people go to a gym, and have cardio equipment included in their normal gym fees.

Reason 3) is ridiculous: first of all, "slightly less" caloric burn is hardly an argument to prove that they are USELESS; secondly, they both involve significantly less wear and tear on your joints than outdoor running for most of us who don't have access to good running trails (and in the winter here it wouldn't matter if I did) and for weightlifters, less wear and tear on the joints is always a good thing!

4) Steady state exercise (that doesn?t require concentration on what you?re doing) while watching tv or reading a newspaper or magazine creates a mind/body disconnect resulting in extremely poor results compared to exercise that requires focused attention.

Well, this is basically a reiteration of reason 1, and like reason 1, it is completely irrelevant. I believe the author is trying to imply is that everyone on every elliptical trainer or treadmill in the world does steady state cardio. I believe him when he says he hasn't used them in eight years.

Reason 5)... well... I think we can all agree that this is not a reason. lmao.

Need I mention the fact that the title states that treadmills and elliptical trainers are the most useless EXERCISES? Right, today for legs I did squats, treadmills and good mornings, oh yeah.

I hope the person who wrote the article doesn't drown doing his swim sprints.

[Lector606]

Add Barbell Complexes to the list of alternatives.

Complexes will kick your ass.

Complexes are a really great way to get big guys to do cardio without knowing it LOL

No really they are awesome though. I like to use things like burpees and short sled drags/farmers walks at the end of a complex to really kick someone's ass.

[MandrakeDar]

One of the dumbest articles I've ever read. Lacks any substance and is overly opinionated and really brings no new information with regards to health and training. As a 20 year coach and a CPT, I've used various strength/cardio/plyometric techniques to keep my athletes in top shape. I've read an article by Mike Geary on nutrition that almost made me vomit, this guy is almost as dangerous as Jillian Michaels.(she may be the most dangerous person in the health industry) Watch one of her kettlebell exercise sessions if you want to be sick!

[GoVegGo]

I agree that if you hate cardio and dread it and won't stick with it you need to change things up. But when it comes down to it, if you're going to use the elliptical or treadmill or do nothing, some activity burns more calories than no activity. I also think that steady state cardio has its place, on a very intense weight day, I find this more beneficial. However HIIT even if you do walking/ speed walking HIIT is great for less intense or cardio only days and most definitly effective no matter what machine you use to do it!

[iSkinny]

This thread is ridiculous.

1 star.

[joenj07087]

http://atozfitness.com/wordpress/5-r...ess-exercises/



know that all of the elliptical and treadmill worshipers are probably fuming at me now after that article headline, but the fact is, ellipticals and treadmills are one of the least effective methods of working out in existance. With this article, I?ll show you how to get a much more effective fat-burning workout without wasting time mindlessly exercising on a boring elliptical machine or treadmill.

Now first let me state that if you really honestly enjoy your elliptical machine workouts and treadmill exercise routines, then I give you my blessing to keep doing what you love. The reason is that even though ellipticals and treadmills are relatively ineffective compared to other types of exercises, whatever you actually enjoy doing the most is going to benefit you most in the long run because you will be more likely to stick with it more consistently.

However, don?t say that I didn?t warn you that you might be wasting your time with all these boring mindless cardio machine workouts.

I?ve talked about this previously with my ezine subscribers? I actually do not believe in cardio machines as a good form of working out at all. This might surprise you coming from a fitness nut such as myself, but I don?t think I?ve personally used an exercise bike, treadmill, elliptical, or any other cardio machine for at least 8 years or more.

In fact, I don?t even use cardio machines anymore for warm-ups before my workouts. I actually think it?s a much more effective warm-up to do dumbbell and/or kettlebell swings, snatches, clean & presses, etc, mixed with bodyweight exercises as a great full-body warm-up before working out.

Why do I think cardio machines are so awful? Well, here?s 5 reasons:

1) Treadmills and ellipticals are just a very ineffective way to workout compared to other options. Why should you do treadmill or elliptical workouts when you can get better results by doing more interesting forms of training that actually stimulate a fat-burning hormonal response and stimulate your metabolism to a greater extent.

2) Elliptical machines and treadmills are insanely expensive and a waste of money for people that work out at home? there are so many better things for home workouts you could have spent your money on rather than wasting it on an elliptical machine, treadmill, or exercise bike.

You?ll see plenty of ideas below for better home workouts if you don?t like going to a gym to work out.

3) I have seen several studies that indicated results that treadmill running may be less effective than outdoor running for various reasons such as stride abnormalities on treadmills vs natural running, slightly less caloric burn compared to outdoor running, and so on.

(although I never recommend just "jogging" anyway? variable intensity walking/running or sprinting are much more effective, training your heart rate in a much wider range instead of the same heart rate range the whole time).




4) Steady state exercise (that doesn?t require concentration on what you?re doing) while watching tv or reading a newspaper or magazine creates a mind/body disconnect resulting in extremely poor results compared to exercise that requires focused attention.

5) Elliptical and treadmill workouts are just mind-numbingly boring!

So what are some good alternatives to elliptical machine and treadmill workouts? Some of my favorites are:

* Outdoor wind sprint workouts ? This is the ultimate workout for a rock hard lean body? just look at the powerful yet super-lean and ripped bodies of world class sprinters, and compare that to the withering weakling physiques of typical marathoners? what would you rather look like?

* Jumping rope ? incredible mind/body connection and actually fun (you can try speed jumping, crossover jumps, and double jumps once you get good at it)

* Kettlebell workouts ? nothing will get your heart pounding and sweat pouring like high rep kettlebell swings and/or snatches (or clean & presses)! These can be done with dumbbells too, but I prefer kettlebells as they have a better "feel" to them and the unbalanced nature of KBs makes you work harder)

* Bodyweight exercises ? mountain climbers, bodyweight squats, push-ups, jumping drills, lunges, bear crawls, plank holds, and so on.

* The good old fashioned rowing machine ? I don?t really lump this in as a "cardio" machine per se like elliptical machines and treadmills? Rather, I think the rowing machine is actually a great full body workout that actually uses real resistance)

* Hill sprinting ? running as hard up a hill as possible, followed by walking down and repeating as many times as you can for a full workout (yet another classic drill for a rock hard lean body)

* Shadow boxing? a killer workout, but if you are shy, this is best done at home since you will get some crazy looks doing this at a typical gym!

* Swimming sprints ? a more muscle toning workout compared with steady pace distance swimming? I actually love the upper body pump I get from sprint swimming (instead of swimming slow and steady, with sprint swimming, you swim as fast as you can exerting as much force as you can for 1 lap. Then rest for 15-20 seconds before doing another swim sprint).

* Heavy bag punching/kicking workouts, speed bag, rebounding bag? all are tremendous workouts and much more fun than boring cardio machines (requires an very intense mind/body connection which increases results).

I hope this article gives you lots of ideas you can use to go out right away and bring some more variety into your workouts instead of relying on the same old dull elliptical machine and treadmill workout routines. Have fun!















By Mike Geary
http://truthaboutabs.atozfitness.com

they may be more beneficial.....but I KNOW that by doing treadmill I BURNED an important amount of fat( diet helped too of course), so treadmill does work( at least in my case)...would hitting a bag or running outside benefit me more?..I don't know..have not tried it.....maybe.....!


** as a side note, the people in my GYm hitting the treadmill hard seem to be getting results....while the guys that come in once in a while and hit the bag for 15 minutes I have not noticed any dramatic changes( in fact some of them after being told they are fat, have started treadmill programs...go figure..lol) ..but this is neither here or there...and maybe I'm bias cos the treadmill has indeed been a most valuable tool for me to lose fat.....: )

[Tyciol]

1) Treadmills and ellipticals are just a very ineffective way to workout compared to other options. Why should you do treadmill or elliptical workouts when you can get better results by doing more interesting forms of training that actually stimulate a fat-burning hormonal response and stimulate your metabolism to a greater extent.

Ineffective at doing what? Do you have any evidence to support your insinuation that exercising on mills/ellipticals do not stimulate fat-burning or metabolism? They both do, and the intensity of the effect depends on the intensity of the training.

2) Elliptical machines and treadmills are insanely expensive and a waste of money for people that work out at home? there are so many better things for home workouts you could have spent your money on rather than wasting it on an elliptical machine, treadmill, or exercise bike.

You?ll see plenty of ideas below for better home workouts if you don?t like going to a gym to work out.

Expense is relative. What is "insane" to you, may not be to others. It's also irrelevant if someone gets them as part of a gym membership. The movements are useful so they are not 'waste' as something of value is received in return. Yes, there are cheaper ways to theoretically work out harder and get better results, but that applies to ANY equipment, seeing as how anyone can use bodyweight for free to theoretically get infinite results. This isn't a good argument to forgo equipment though, as people may work better using tools.

3) I have seen several studies that indicated results that treadmill running may be less effective than outdoor running for various reasons such as stride abnormalities on treadmills vs natural running, slightly less caloric burn compared to outdoor running, and so on.

Studies aren't always reliable. "Less calorie burn" is a stupid argument when speed is adjustible, you could simply go faster or use an incline. Stride abnormalities could likely also be fixed with an incline, not that they matter as much if the purpose is cardiovascular training or calorie burning.

4) Steady state exercise (that doesn?t require concentration on what you?re doing) while watching tv or reading a newspaper or magazine creates a mind/body disconnect resulting in extremely poor results compared to exercise that requires focused attention.

This is not a valid criticism, people are able to train using intervals on treadmills and ellipticals. They are also able to train at intensities that require more attention and don't leave enough comfort to read or watch TV. "Mind-body disconnect" is also not very important to certain training tasks, such as trying to expend energy in large amounts. Clearly you'd want it present in a dangerous activity or some kind of skill training. Someone using a treadmill to keep up their running abilities during winter would want to be more attentive than a housewife trying to deplete her glycogen for example.

5) Elliptical and treadmill workouts are just mind-numbingly boring!

You're not doing them intensely enough if that's the case. There's a degree of boredom inherent to a lot of movements, you could make these more exciting by pushing speeds to levels that nearly leave you falling over or tired under a minute. Boredom is due to your lack of intensity in approaching these machines, not due to the machines. The only valid complaint would be if they didn't go fast enough.

* Outdoor wind sprint workouts ? This is the ultimate workout for a rock hard lean body? just look at the powerful yet super-lean and ripped bodies of world class sprinters, and compare that to the withering weakling physiques of typical marathoners? what would you rather look like?

This is incorrect, there is no such thing as an 'ultimate' workout. That said, wind sprints are obviously a very effective workout. The thing is: they can also be done indoors on a treadmill. I prefer doing it on ground (even better if uphill) because I control the speed and there's no mill to throw me off if I can't keep that speed up. We may not put treadmills up to speeds we can match out of that fear. On the other hand, people can also underestimate their speed on ground and hold back, where a treadmill would force them to keep up or die.

* Jumping rope ? incredible mind/body connection and actually fun (you can try speed jumping, crossover jumps, and double jumps once you get good at it)

I trip a lot on these, not so fun. Good GPP but you can't do jump rope to the same level of fatigue you can with running, just like you can't run to the same levels of fatigue you can with walking, climbing or ellipticalling. This is because of safety and form deterioration with exhaustion. Of course, that's only one approach, many succeed without pushing themselves to those extremes by doing very intense workouts with recovery periods.

* Kettlebell workouts ? nothing will get your heart pounding and sweat pouring like high rep kettlebell swings and/or snatches (or clean & presses)! These can be done with dumbbells too, but I prefer kettlebells as they have a better "feel" to them and the unbalanced nature of KBs makes you work harder)

You've contradicted yourself with your exaggerations, first you say running is 'ultimate', then nothing hits the heart like kettlebells. Which is it? Obviously these kettlemoves are pretty good, but due to that, they don't need to be oversold, the impressive moves speak for themself.

* Bodyweight exercises ? mountain climbers, bodyweight squats, push-ups, jumping drills, lunges, bear crawls, plank holds, and so on.

Planks fatigue my core, but they don't particularly get my heart beating like running on a treadmill was, so no. Movements like this are great to throw in, just like I like to do a set of chinups before getting on the treadmill, it hits other muscles the mill doesn't hit as much. When it comes down to it though, the pumping motion of running lets you use a lot of energy.

* The good old fashioned rowing machine ? I don?t really lump this in as a "cardio" machine per se like elliptical machines and treadmills? Rather, I think the rowing machine is actually a great full body workout that actually uses real resistance)

It's not though, because you don't use your chest or triceps to row, therefore not full body. Rowing can be used as cardio, or to develope back endurance or other attributes. I'm not sure what you mean by 'real resistance'. Is a stack of plates attached to a pulley somehow more real than lifting your bodyweight on a cardio machine? It's all resistance.

* Hill sprinting ? running as hard up a hill as possible, followed by walking down and repeating as many times as you can for a full workout (yet another classic drill for a rock hard lean body)

Except that some fat people also do hill sprints. This is a great endurance thing but ultimately leanness is a diet issue.

* Shadow boxing? a killer workout, but if you are shy, this is best done at home since you will get some crazy looks doing this at a typical gym!

Sure, that's fun. The problem with this, though, compared to using machines, is you don't have numeric feedback about your performance. This makes the amount of calories you expend during shadow boxing almost a random variable. It relies on instinct to keep intensity high, and it will need to increase as you get more efficient.

* Swimming sprints ? a more muscle toning workout compared with steady pace distance swimming? I actually love the upper body pump I get from sprint swimming (instead of swimming slow and steady, with sprint swimming, you swim as fast as you can exerting as much force as you can for 1 lap. Then rest for 15-20 seconds before doing another swim sprint).

Sounds good, I hear using paddles can help with this since you move more water per stroke.

* Heavy bag punching/kicking workouts, speed bag, rebounding bag? all are tremendous workouts and much more fun than boring cardio machines (requires an very intense mind/body connection which increases results).

Depends on tempo. Speed bags doesn't require that much force compared to heavy bag, do people really work up much of a sweat on it? I've never used one so I don't know.

I hope this article gives you lots of ideas you can use to go out right away and bring some more variety into your workouts instead of relying on the same old dull elliptical machine and treadmill workout routines. Have fun!

Ellipticals may be confined in what they allow, but treadmills offer a lot of options most people dont' take advantage of. For example, walking backwards, this is something very well suited for treadmills since there are safety handles and you don't have to worry about turning your head around to watch out ofr hitting something.

You can also side-strafe. RVD does this with his home treadmill.

I wonder why he doesn't get bored?

[tomsfish]

did my own study on treadmills about 3 years ago.it was called running about 24 miles a week on a treadmill for 5 months,during the shi##y chicago winter.lost about 40lbs doing it so i see your point.

[Bigdog314]

ellipticals are good for people who need low impact workouts...

when getting back from the gym after an intense weight workout sometimes it's easier to just run a couple miles on the treadmil later at home. Also who says the treadmill is boring? I love to put in my iPod and run on the treadmill thinking about something completely different from working out just to look up and see 20 minutes has gone by. You can also jog for 5 minutes and then crank up the intensity to sprint for a couple minutes and repeat that sequence. You can also raise the elevation and sprint up hill so this article is pretty unprofessional and pretty ignorant.

No doubt there are different ways to do cardio some of which may even burn more calories. Of course sprinting on a track, doing stadiums, jump rope are good cardio workouts...no ****. This thread is basically saying that doing bench press with dumb bells is stupid and the better way by far is by using a bar.

[SquatTilYouDrop]

This thread is useless.