Today, Adam's got our whole bodies covered. Add your questions to Adam in the comments and we'll fire them his way.
Who would win in a duel: the treadmill or the elliptical?
Treadmill,
easily. There's not even a question in terms of overall energy expended,
calories that you’ll burn, etc. Try running on a treadmill for a month
straight. Then do the elliptical for a month straight. When you go back
to the treadmill you’ll be dying. However, if you have bad knees or
joints, go with the elliptical. It’s less abrasive on your joints.
What's the best set of exercises to cover my booty? And, while we're at it, my tummy, arms, and thighs, too.
The best exercise for your booty is squats. They are one of the best exercises, if not the best, you can do for your hips, butt and thighs. Lunges are also really great, as they work so many muscles at the same time. On the front leg, you'll work your glutes and hamstrings and, on the back leg, you'll work your quads and calves.
Running is fantastic too. Like walking, running can be done anywhere and it reduces stress, helps in weight loss, and makes you feel great. Plus, it really works your butt, especially when you add some hills! For you treadmill runners, raise the incline.
For your stomach, I love "the bicycle." The bicycle exercise works best to target your rectus abdominis (i.e. the "six pack") and the obliques (the waist). To do this exercise correctly:
- Lie face up on the floor and place your fingers behind your head.
- Bring the knees in toward the chest and lift the shoulder blades off the ground without pulling on the neck.
- Straighten the left leg out to about a 45-degree angle, while
simultaneously turning the upper body to the right, bringing the left
elbow toward the right knee.
- Switch sides, bringing the right elbow toward the left knee.
- Continue alternating sides in a slow and controlled pedaling motion for 15–20 reps.
Keep in mind that doing ab exercises alone won't reduce fat over your abs or create those coveted six-pack abs.
Since many ladies are concerned about flabby arms, I’d recommend
tricep extensions. These will really firm up your arms and prevent that
jiggle.
Tricep press-downs are also great. Of course, if you
don't have access to a gym your basic push-up will do. The closer your
grip, the more you will be working your triceps.
Add in some basic bicep curls and you'll be on your way to having Madonna's arms!
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I understand that the treadmill is better, but why does it SEEM like you're working harder on the eliptical? Weird.
Lisa,
It's great to hear from you! You very well can be working harder on the elliptical. It all depends on the speed and incline you're at when on the treadmill.
You might actually over compensate because you're on the treadmill.
Here's what I mean: Our brains think running on a treadmill is harder than say the elliptical. It just make sense to us.
Because of that we automatically are going to run at a slower pace and lower incline.
The elliptical might seem less intimidating (I know it does to me) and therefore you might actually push yourself harder than you do on the treadmill.
You also might want to try varying your cardio workouts. You can do 15 minutes of each, alternate days, inclines, and intensity.
This not only keeps your body guessing but prevents you from getting bored.
I hope this helps!
And if you have any questions, as always, feel free to email me at adam [at] mybodytutor [dot] com.
-Adam Gilbert
Chief Body Tutor
MyBodyTutor
I'm happy to hear the treadmill is better. I used the elliptical for about 3 weeks this month while recovering from an injury and DAMN it got my quads burning. I prefer running since it feels more natural.
I try to do the elliptical 4-5 times a week (sometimes I mix it up with the treadmill, but I have easier access to the elliptical). Is it better to use one of the pre-set programs on the elliptical or just set it to manual? I read somewhere that the interval program was best, so that's what I typically do. Is that OK? Or should I be varying the program?
I prefer the treadmill. I vary the speed and incline every 3 or 4 minutes to get my heart pumping. I workout with a friend, and we alternate periods where we can talk, then work so hard that we can barely hold a conversation, then back. www.lisamm.wordpress.com
You actually do not burn more calories on the treadmill than the elliptical unless you are doing under an 8 minute mile (for a woman). On the Arc, for example, I burn 800 calories in one hour versus 600 an hour running a 9.5 minute mile.
@ Emily - That is fantastic! The interval program is very good because it keeps your body guessing. You can also vary the program as well. What I would do is every other session or every other week alternate. So one week focus on interval training and the next week focus on varying the program.
@ Stephanie -
It all actually depends on which machine will motivate you the most and push you to the highest level of exertion.
If you are a walker or runner then the treadmill is an obvious choice.
To get the most out of the treadmill you need to crank up the speed and/or incline. Without pushing yourself, you will limit the number of calories you burn.
The major plus for an elliptical is that it works both the upper and lower body simultaneously.
The larger the muscle mass involved in any exercise, the more effective that exercise is for burning calories.
This would mean that an elliptical would burn more calories but again, it all comes to your intensity!
Bottom line is to go with what you enjoy most and feel more comfortable with!
-Adam Gilbert
Chief Body Tutor
MyBodyTutor.com