Best Exercise Machine For Overall Workout

Husk

Member Sponsor
Apr 20, 2010
128
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Spokane, Wa.
Lee, I believe your numbers are about right. I calculate about 2400 strides per mile. At 240 strides per minute, that is the equlivant of a 10 minute mile. That is 4 strides per second. Up and back twice per second. That is about what I am doing. It has both a Polar heart rate monitor in the grips of the arm pulls and a Polar chest strap. The chest strap is the most accurate. At 240 strides per minute x 10 equals 2400 per each 10 minute time. Thus a 10 minute mile. My Max I believe is 220-68 = 152 At the end of the 30 minute workout my HR is about 140, but the average for the entire workout is about 120. Does this add up to you?
 

RBFC

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
5,158
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Albuquerque, NM
www.fightingconcepts.com
Lee, I believe your numbers are about right. I calculate about 2400 strides per mile. At 240 strides per minute, that is the equlivant of a 10 minute mile. That is 4 strides per second. Up and back twice per second. That is about what I am doing. It has both a Polar heart rate monitor in the grips of the arm pulls and a Polar chest strap. The chest strap is the most accurate. At 240 strides per minute x 10 equals 2400 per each 10 minute time. Thus a 10 minute mile. My Max I believe is 220-68 = 152 At the end of the 30 minute workout my HR is about 140, but the average for the entire workout is about 120. Does this add up to you?

First, you quoted 3.5 miles in 30 minutes, which is an 8.5 minute mile, not a 10 minute mile. 2400 strides in 8.5 minutes = 282.5 strides/minute which is almost 5 strides per second

Your heart rate will start out lower for the first several minutes and gradually increase over the duration of the exercise. So, if your heart rate gets to 100 fairly quickly, hits 120 halfway through, then peaks at 140 at the end, you'll have the 120 average. I don't think you could do over 4 strokes per second and keep low heart rates long enough to attain the average HR you cite.

The cadence just seems unbelievable to me, no disrespect to you. Just work your arms in & out while watching a clock. Do a ten second interval and count the number of times your right arm punches out. It would have to make over 20 extensions in 10 seconds for these calculations to be correct. After doing this test, is this really the pace that you're moving on the elliptical? If it is, you must be a monster.

Lee
 

SORAsound

New Member
May 14, 2010
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Steve...i have a life fitness elliptical machine...it is the best i found in my search....i have had it two years, and used it for less than two hours :)
 

Husk

Member Sponsor
Apr 20, 2010
128
6
1,573
Spokane, Wa.
Lee, OK, Today I did 3.1 miles in 30 minutes. My HR only got up to 122 at the end of the period. My average HR was only 105. It calculates your average HR every five minutes. I had the arm tension turned down a little today.
 

Husk

Member Sponsor
Apr 20, 2010
128
6
1,573
Spokane, Wa.
Lee, It does offer both. I have it set for miles. It also measures speed by revolutions. 400 revolutions equals 1 mile. At 50 revolutions per minute it takes 8 minutes to do a mile.
 

RBFC

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
5,158
46
1,225
Albuquerque, NM
www.fightingconcepts.com
Lee, It does offer both. I have it set for miles. It also measures speed by revolutions. 400 revolutions equals 1 mile. At 50 revolutions per minute it takes 8 minutes to do a mile.

If 400 revolutions = 1 mile, then 1 revolution = 13+ feet. Isn't 1 revolution equal to one stride with each foot? (or one out&back with each hand?) Since the stride length is 26", that should give 52" for one revolution, correct? There still seems to be a calibration error within the unit. Remember the 2 strides with each foot in one second total...... I truly apologize, but this just doesn't seem right.

Regardless of the actual distance, you're getting a good workout within a reasonable heart rate range, so that's what is truly important here. You're working in target HR range for 30 minutes, so it really doesn't matter how fast or far you're going.

Lee
 

Husk

Member Sponsor
Apr 20, 2010
128
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1,573
Spokane, Wa.
Lee, You are probably right. I am just reading those numbers out of the manual. At any rate, as you say, I am getting what I want from the Octane. Check out Ellipitigo.com Pretty cool bike for people who want to run outside but can't take the pounding that running causes.
 

JeffMac

New Member
Jun 4, 2010
14
0
0
I'd go for the Precor AMT. IMO the best piece of exercise equipment. I use mine almost every day. Check it out: http://www.precor.com/comm/en/amt
I find unless one buys the best quality the person loses interest fast. Nobody wants to ride a wobbely bike or a treadmill that rocks. I turned a spare bedroom into a gym. Best thing I've ever done.
 

Gregadd

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
10,517
1,774
1,850
Metro DC
Of course you all know that the only good exercise machine is the one you will use. Everything else becomes a close hanger and a donation to Goodwill.
 

amirm

Banned
Apr 2, 2010
15,813
37
0
Seattle, WA
I seem to recall Consumer Report survey saying treadmills where the units kept the most and used the most.....
 

amirm

Banned
Apr 2, 2010
15,813
37
0
Seattle, WA
From the latest issue of CR on exercise equipment.

Elipticals:
1. Diamondback 1260 Ef
2. Sole E35
3. Precor 5.31
4. LifeCore CD-400
5. Smooth Agile DMT X2

Treadmills:
1. Precore 9.31
2. Landice L7 Cardio Trainer
3. ST Fitness 8921
4. PaceMaster Platinum Pro VR
5. True PS300
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,236
81
1,725
New York City
From the latest issue of CR on exercise equipment.

Elipticals:
1. Diamondback 1260 Ef
2. Sole E35
3. Precor 5.31
4. LifeCore CD-400
5. Smooth Agile DMT X2

Treadmills:
1. Precore 9.31
2. Landice L7 Cardio Trainer
3. ST Fitness 8921
4. PaceMaster Platinum Pro VR
5. True PS300

Why is it that people are soooo....fixated on cardio equipment for being in shape? Isn't weight training cardio too? It is ludicrous! Cardio is basically doing totally the wrong thing for weight loss or anything else. Unfortunately, fitness is an area where even if something is wrong, repeating it a million times makes it fact.

I suggest people really read the new ebook by Brad Pilon called Eat, Stop, Eat (www.eatstopeat.com). It's a highly controversial scientific look at how we eat and should eat. Basically there are only two facts when it comes to eating: we are either in a fed or unfed state. Problem is that were always in the fed state--and that's not the way our metabolism is built to work. He picks apart so many "facts" as having no basis in any science and then enumerates what the studies out there have shown. In addition, Brad talks about how the unfed state is important to trigger the release of hormones related to weight management.

Bottom line: if you want to lose weight, resistance training incorporated with periodic fasting is the best way to lose weight or anything else. There are many studies showing the effects of fasting for 24 hours, and reprogramming the way our bodies use fuel. One of the biggest myths: if you don't eat, you'll lose muscle mass and reduce your metabilism. False. Studies show caloric intake as low as 6-800 calories/day with exercise done over 5-6 months have no effect on metabolism but huge impact upon fat loss. So the resistance training is important to maintain muscle mass/metabolism while the fasting puts one in a caloric deficit. The beauty is that there's no stressing over what one eats, choce of food, etc./
 

Gregadd

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
10,517
1,774
1,850
Metro DC

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