There has always been a debate about what cardio machine gives you the most effective workout. Some machines might be ignored because of the high impact and others might be ignored because they are just plain boring. Some focus only on legs and others on the full body, including the core. I’m going to give you a breakdown of each machine, its advantages, disadvantages and my personal favorite.
The almighty treadmillhas been around for what seems like thousands of years. It is the most common and most used cardio machine in the fitness world. It’s great at toning the muscles below the waist (glutes, quads and hamstrings) and has been shown to be better than other machines at getting your metabolism going all day. The biggest and most obvious disadvantage of the treadmill is the constant impact. The pounding, especially when running, can be rough on the joints. The moving belt is also a disadvantage. Because the belt helps pull your legs back, you don’t use your hamstrings as much and this can cause muscle imbalances. Ever wonder why running outside is much more difficult than running on a treadmill?
The arc trainer or elliptical is similar to running on a treadmill but with one major advantage….no impact! It also works the upper body muscles as your hold on to the moving handles. A disadvantage is that it does some of the work for you (as the momentum builds) and you tend to just “go with the flow”.
The rowing machine, to my dislike, is not seen in very many places (at least in the U.S.). I was talking to a guy from New Zealand the other day and he asked me why we didn’t have a rowing machine. He said he can’t seem to find them in the United States and that in other countries it is probably the most common piece of equipment. I agreed with him that it’s a great machine. This is my personal favorite because it gives you a great total body workout and it’s fun. When done correctly (proper posture), it provides a great back, abs, and leg workout. Done incorrectly and it could lead to some serious low back pain and neck problems.
The stair stepper is definitely the lonesome piece of cardio equipment in today’s fitness clubs. Why is it ignored by so many people? I think because it’s the most difficult machine out there. It’s great for building leg strength and if done correctly, is also a pretty good ab workout. It mimics the motion of climbing stairs and who likes to climb stairs? The major disadvantage is that the range of motion, compared to running or the elliptial, is pretty small. Also, it’s very easy to cheat on the stair stepper. When I do see someone on the machine they usually bear some of their weight on the side handrails. This will greatly decrease the intensity.
Last, but certainly not least, the spin bike. This bike creates resistance thanks to its heavy flywheel, which replicates the effects of riding uphill on a road bike. Obviously, you are going to be working your legs but if done correctly (sit upright and don’t lean on the handlebars), you engage your core pretty intensely. A major drawback is that it’s very easy to fall into a routine on a bike.
There you have it, the most common cardio machines in today’s fitness world. Each one has it’s unique advantages and disadvantages. Some might be more effective than others and some I wouldn’t recommend doing very often. In my opinion and from what research has shown, you will get the most benefit if you continuously switch the machines to keep your body guessing.
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