Best Exercise Machine For Overall Workout

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
So back to my quest to convert a room in my home to one for exercise.

Presently I have an older but still very functional Precor stationery bike which is still useable with an onscreen display and multiple courses of varying skil levels. It is my hope in the future to switch this to a pro version of Life Fitness cyles and perhaps to add a Life Fitness treadmill. Seems as if past discussions here have tried to dissuade me from adding an Elliptical. The room is ~ 12' X 12'

I am definitely leaning towards the pro versions of any model only because I feel they are more reliable and hopefully will also be more challenging re built in programs. So to all of you gym rats ( Myles and Lee and ?), if you were to only purchase one machine that would give the best overall workout what would you recommend? :confused:

BTW, a rowing machine hasn't been excluded asa 3rd machine but our first thoughts were treadmill, stationary bike and possibly a rowing machine if there is space remaining to do such
 

RBFC

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
5,158
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1,225
Albuquerque, NM
www.fightingconcepts.com
#1 workout device

Steve, if you can only have one machine, IMO it should be the treadmill. Exercise that encourages weight-bearing is invaluable for maintaining bone density. As long as you or your wife have no medical conditions that would be contra-indications for walking as exercise, I believe the treadmill will offer you the best overall value.

A recumbent bicycle as a second choice is fine. The seating position eliminates the perineal discomfort and pressure ischemia issues that can occur with upright bicycle seating postures.

The elliptical is not yet a completely ergonomic concept. As we walk/run faster, our stride length naturally increases. This does not occur on an elliptical, as the stride length is fixed. We therefore adopt an unnatural "shuffling" motion that is not duplicated when we perform the movements in free space.

If space is a concern, the Concept 2 rower I previously mentioned disassembles (in half) in about 2 seconds.. no joke.

My concern is that folks who don't do anything but "cardio" do no weight-bearing work for their upper body. Real life often requires us to lift objects, carry them, etc. We don't want our everyday chores to push us to our maximal effort zone, as this risks injury. We must be familiar with the mechanics of lifting various shapes, and have sufficient strength and coordination to support those activities. Imagine being able to schlep your amps around, etc. any time you wish without concerns. I think you understand what I'm driving at. I offered the rower as a means of maintaining the lower back and shoulder girdle. If you have it covered with weights, etc., then you don't necessarily need the rower just to do a different kind of cardio.

Maintaining muscle mass as we age is the key to avoiding the typical metabolic demand/eating imbalances that slowly make us fatter. As you shop for cardio equipment, please keep this fact in mind as something that the cardio will supplement.

I'm 53 and I carry my Krell EVO 403 amp around by myself. Much simpler than waiting interminably for a friend to get freed up and become ambitious enough to spend time helping me with my stuff. The work you put in pays off, sir.

Good luck. Call me anytime if you have questions.

Lee:)
 

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Thanks Lee

Perhaps then get rid of the stationary bike and get the treadmill first and then the rower.

BTW I am not a big fan of those recumbent bikes. Probably because I am a creature of habit and not used to working those muscle groups whereas you hit it right on....I usually don't do anything except cardio but I am older than all you buffed out dudes :(
 

Ron Party

WBF Founding Member
Apr 30, 2010
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0
Oakland, CA
My wife's been on my case to purchase a stationary bike. Steve, maybe I can take yours off your hands. Which model Precor do you have?
 

RBFC

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
5,158
46
1,225
Albuquerque, NM
www.fightingconcepts.com
.I usually don't do anything except cardio but I am older than all you buffed out dudes :(

Steve, studies have shown that even 90+ yr. olds can achieve impressive gains in muscle density/strength in a fairly short time using a progressive weight training regimen. I'm not talking about lifting 200# or anything like that. Simply, by challenging the muscle with a load that forces it to strain slightly, you provide the stimulus to build the muscle. This also stimulates increases in bone density, as the skeleton wishes to be able to support the loads that are being put upon it. A basic dumbbell lifting program would suffice to achieve these goals, nothing fancy.

Here's a link to an adjustable dumbbell system that takes virtually no storage space:

http://www.amazon.com/PowerBlock-Sp...e=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1274297140&sr=1-2

They also have sets that go heavier, just in case you're being your usual demure self.....!

Lee
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,236
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1,725
New York City
Steve, studies have shown that even 90+ yr. olds can achieve impressive gains in muscle density/strength in a fairly short time using a progressive weight training regimen. I'm not talking about lifting 200# or anything like that. Simply, by challenging the muscle with a load that forces it to strain slightly, you provide the stimulus to build the muscle. This also stimulates increases in bone density, as the skeleton wishes to be able to support the loads that are being put upon it. A basic dumbbell lifting program would suffice to achieve these goals, nothing fancy.

Here's a link to an adjustable dumbbell system that takes virtually no storage space:

http://www.amazon.com/PowerBlock-Sp...e=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1274297140&sr=1-2

They also have sets that go heavier, just in case you're being your usual demure self.....!

Lee

Lee-

I remember when these DB first came out in the '90s and they tried to get the person I was training with, Frank Zane, to rep their product. Went no where back then but obviously they've stuck around :)
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,236
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New York City
This is not being demure or modest but truthful.

My biggest challenge is my arthritic knees.

Steve-

Given the info provided, I'll tell you what I would tell my clients.

1. You need to do a daily strengthening program for your knees that would involve working the quadriceps in particular, with the least stress on the knee (s). The days of heavy resistance training are over and you should be doing higher reps (15-25) with lighter weight for your legs. The goal is to strengthen the muscles around the knee (and hip) to take stress off the affected joint. Depending on the exercise, unloading the weight and reducing the joint's time under tension, is a good idea. Suggested exercises: straight leg raises, unloaded knee ext., etc.

2. Hip work: a pair of ankle wts and/or some minibands are a good choice here. Again the goal is to strengthen the muscles at the hip so the femur doesn't rotate and bang the patella. Suggested exercises: Hip Ab/Ad, extension, flexion with bands or ankle wts. There's also some multidirectional single leg work one can do with st. legs so as to improve hip strength. FYI: cardio is not going to increase strength, just improve your cardiovacular function eg. cardio turns on cell signal pathways such as AMPK that preserve energy and shut down protein synthesis as compared to resistance training that turns on cell signal pathways that trigger protein synthesis thru the mTor pathway.

3. Flexibility: It's important to maintain your joint ROM. I also strongly support some good soft tissue work eg. not touchy feely massage. Get someone that knows ART (active release therapy) and let them work on your legs esp. the IT band, hip muscles, fibularis longus and brevis and calves. Tight calves can also lead to knee pain as they pull the knee posteriorly. In the end, it's about improving your posture so that you have better biomechanics and less stress on the knees (and its those subtle changes in biomechanics that are often responsible for back pain).

4. You can try glucosamine; there are a number of forumulations around though the clinical studies seem to show works best with moderate cases of arthritis. Another thing you can look into is the Flector patch to ease pain symptoms. It's a RX topical antiinflammatory patch that can work very well in some individuals.

5. Cardio. Based on your knees, I don't think the treadmill (and certainly not running!) is the best choice (if you need to walk, there the street!). You need to do low impact type cardio; therefore, the bike or elliptical might be a better choice. There's many types of ellipticals out there and would suggest trying them to see how they feel on your knees. There's Precor (I'd take it over the LF and they differ in one aspect in their stride length), Lifefitness, Cybex (more of a swinging motion), Octane (I like these machine too), etc.

6. Last but not least is core training--but we're not talking about doing 100s of crunches. Crunches actually can be harmful to the spine and posture. What you need to be doing to start out are simple exercises that improve trunk stability and allow the limbs to move properly via training the "inner core or pelvic floor/Trans. Ab/multifidus" via not the dopey way, drawing in, but through breathing patterns. Second is do core work that works the more superficial core musculature.
 
Last edited:

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,236
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1,725
New York City
My concern is that folks who don't do anything but "cardio" do no weight-bearing work for their upper body. Real life often requires us to lift objects, carry them, etc. We don't want our everyday chores to push us to our maximal effort zone, as this risks injury. We must be familiar with the mechanics of lifting various shapes, and have sufficient strength and coordination to support those activities. Imagine being able to schlep your amps around, etc. any time you wish without concerns. I think you understand what I'm driving at. I offered the rower as a means of maintaining the lower back and shoulder girdle. If you have it covered with weights, etc., then you don't necessarily need the rower just to do a different kind of cardio.

Maintaining muscle mass as we age is the key to avoiding the typical metabolic demand/eating imbalances that slowly make us fatter. As you shop for cardio equipment, please keep this fact in mind as something that the cardio will supplement.
Good luck. Call me anytime if you have questions.

Lee:)

Lee-

You can thank that moron Kenneth Cooper for that! He set us back 20 years. Only recently have we understand what the Russians were talking about. And yes you're right-sarcopenia, osteopenia and osteoporosis are aging issues-and as I see young people today, particularly the hordes of women and now men with eating disorders, will be epidemic 20 years from now.

Bottom line is that running sets the body up for injuries; to wit, there are many rotational forces produced by the legs and unless the upper body has the strength and proper firing patterns to counter these forces, one will eventually break down. It's the same reason why sprinters do upper body work.
 

Johnny Vinyl

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
May 16, 2010
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Calgary, AB
I just looked at myself and decided that the upper-body arm-pulls I was doing (pick up beer and put to mouth) aren't cutting it. Then again, I'm 57 next month and way past the point of having to impress anyone! Haha!

John
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,236
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New York City
I just looked at myself and decided that the upper-body arm-pulls I was doing (pick up beer and put to mouth) aren't cutting it. Then again, I'm 57 next month and way past the point of having to impress anyone! Haha!

John

Yeah or those biceps curls opening and closing the frig door :)
 

amirm

Banned
Apr 2, 2010
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Seattle, WA
One issue with treadmills is reliability. Ours broke multiple times during warranty and after that, I have had to repair a few things myself and the thing is still flaky. This was a Pro model we bought 10 years ago at a cost of $3K+. There is a lot to these things from mechanical parts to electronics and drive systems. Having opened them, I also see poor workmanship. In that sense, something with less parts would likely be more reliable.
 

Husk

Member Sponsor
Apr 20, 2010
128
6
1,573
Spokane, Wa.
I just purchased a new Octane Fitness Q45ci eliptical trainer two weeks ago. I traded in a 12 year old Precor. This is the best piece of exercise euqipment that I have ever bought. My whole family loves it. It has a verable stride lenght (18 to 26 inches). This thing is so smooth and confortable that you can close your eyes, listen to some music and the next thing you know, the session is over. I also tried the Cybex Arc, and while it appears to be a great product, the confort level and smoothness was not even close. Two guys left Precor about three years ago to start this company. The only products they make are elipiticals.
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,236
81
1,725
New York City
I just purchased a new Octane Fitness Q45ci eliptical trainer two weeks ago. I traded in a 12 year old Precor. This is the best piece of exercise euqipment that I have ever bought. My whole family loves it. It has a verable stride lenght (18 to 26 inches). This thing is so smooth and confortable that you can close your eyes, listen to some music and the next thing you know, the session is over. I also tried the Cybex Arc, and while it appears to be a great product, the confort level and smoothness was not even close. Two guys left Precor about three years ago to start this company. The only products they make are elipiticals.

I like the flexibility of the Octane!
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,236
81
1,725
New York City
One issue with treadmills is reliability. Ours broke multiple times during warranty and after that, I have had to repair a few things myself and the thing is still flaky. This was a Pro model we bought 10 years ago at a cost of $3K+. There is a lot to these things from mechanical parts to electronics and drive systems. Having opened them, I also see poor workmanship. In that sense, something with less parts would likely be more reliable.

Yes I think they've tried to cheapen most of the treadmills :( Motors can be an issue on cheaper models and there is a list of routine maintenance that should be carried out periodically. I also find the HR monitors to break all the time, etc.
 

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