Stepper or treadmill - which is more effective and how to choose?

What do regular exercises on an elliptical and treadmill provide?

To achieve success in any business, you need to do it regularly and devote your time to it. Training on the elliptical trainer and treadmill is no exception. Only constant training on a cardio machine will help you achieve the results you have set for yourself: losing weight, toning your figure or pumping up your legs. However, regular exercise on any, even the most modern, simulator will not bring your body back to normal. To achieve your goal as much as possible, you must also follow a diet and eat right.

Regular exercise, both on the elliptical and on the treadmill, in addition to reducing body weight by burning fat deposits, helps strengthen the respiratory system and human muscles, and reduces the risk of high blood pressure and diseases of the cardiovascular system. And as a pleasant bonus for perseverance and work, regular exercise on cardio equipment brings a boost of energy and vigor from the results achieved.

Treadmill

Walking on a treadmill imitates the natural human movements of normal walking. Of course, it won’t replace full-fledged walks in the fresh air, but still, it’s close to it. Treadmills are very popular for the home; there are a huge variety of models that can be folded up compactly and stored away when not needed.

Here are the muscles that work when exercising on a treadmill: gluteus, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, tibialis, back extensors, and generally all core muscles.

Efficiency

Since you have set out to find out the right cardio machine for yourself, you should first understand the intricacies of the functioning of each individual type. We invite you to take a closer look at the capabilities and effectiveness of such exercise machines and decide which is better, an ellipsoid or a treadmill.

Ellipsoid

Elliptical-type trainers, although relatively new devices, have already gained a large number of fans. Both athletes and ordinary gym goers are fans of ellipsoids.

If you observe training on the ellipse, you will notice that the amplitude of movements and their direction allow you to use the maximum number of muscle groups from the legs and muscles of the pelvic area, to the muscles of the arms and shoulders .

Ellipsoidal devices have a number of advantages that users should pay attention to:

• Minimal risk of injury when exercising on an elliptical trainer. The design is such that joint stress and impact are kept to a minimum
• Train more muscles , including difficult-to-train areas like the glutes and triceps.
• The design of the simulator reduces the chance of falling from it to zero.
• People who are very overweight can exercise on the exercise machine..
• Complete or almost complete (depending on the model) silent device.

Treadmill

These cardio machines have been known since the 19th century and during their existence have gained wide fame and popularity. In addition, developers do not cease to improve them, and only the lazy have not spoken about the benefits of treadmills. But, if you haven’t heard about the benefits of treadmills until now or have forgotten, we have highlighted the main points for you:

• The most important advantage is the imitation of running and walking .
• Many convenient folding models for home use.
• Treadmills allow you to choose a program that is right for you.

The entire load when exercising on a treadmill falls on your legs and back. When running, your body is saturated with oxygen, which has a positive effect on the respiratory channels and cardiovascular system.

Run

While jogging, the muscles of the calves, back, abs, and lower thighs actively work. And the more intense the activity (for example, running at high speed, up an inclined surface), the greater the degree of load created on them.

The advantage of such exercises is their accessibility, because you can run anywhere, for example, on a site near your home. In addition, such exercises help saturate the body with oxygen, which means that metabolic processes in its organs and tissues improve and fat is burned.

The disadvantages include the relatively low effectiveness in the fight against excess weight (of course, if we are talking about a light jog and not an intense workout on rough terrain). There are also contraindications. For example, people with sore joints (during jogging creates a significant load on the knees and ankle joints) or problems with the cardiovascular system should not run.

How is the load distributed when running and on the ellipse?

And if both simulators have approximately the same energy consumption with the same load and duration of exercise, then the specific effects on the muscles are different. Thus, studying the features of training on the ellipse, it was found that even with high intensity training, the load on the lower legs is two to three times lower than when running and is comparable to the load when walking, due to the fact that during training on the elliptical trainer the foot is constantly in contact with support.

As for the treadmill, it has a stronger impact on the joints. Therefore, people with problems with joints and ligaments should be careful when exercising on a treadmill. The degree of load during exercise on a treadmill depends on the hardness of the belt. Shock absorption systems in expensive treadmill models and special running shoes soften the shock load, but it remains greater compared to the ellipse.

Disadvantages of a Treadmill

• The main disadvantage of treadmills is the shock loads on the joints and spine. During training, compression of the vertebrae occurs. People suffering from diseases of the musculoskeletal system (arthritis, arthrosis, osteochondrosis, herniated discs) should refrain from exercising on the track.
• Some experts say that running on a treadmill can ruin your posture. The fact is that walking on a treadmill occurs in a body position in which the psoas major muscle is under tension, as a result of which it shortens. And because of this, hyperlordosis of the lumbar spine occurs.
• Quite a high noise level. Therefore, using it at home is not very comfortable.
• The treadmill requires constant maintenance and lubrication.

Contraindications

Like any other equipment for sports, an ellipsoid and a treadmill have limitations and contraindications in which training on equipment will not benefit a person, but rather be harmful.

Elliptical trainer: contraindications

Even with all its simplicity and safety of use, the ellipsoid is not suitable for everyone . Despite the fact that the simulators were developed as tools for recovery from injuries, the list of contraindications is as follows:

• All types of cardiovascular diseases;
• Problems with the blood vessels of the legs;
• Disturbances of the endocrine system;
• Various infections that weaken the body;
• Poor coordination of movements.

If you find yourself in one of the listed groups, be sure to read the detailed article about contraindications for training on the elliptical. And before classes, you should seek advice from your doctor. Together you can choose a possible training process.

Who is not suitable for a treadmill?

Even such a seemingly harmless exercise machine as a treadmill has its contraindications . However, if you carefully read the list, it becomes clear why this is so:

• Eye problems are the reason why people should not exercise on the treadmill. Such problems include myopia and glaucoma;
• If you have problems with joints and ligaments in your legs, then, with a high degree of probability, exercising on a treadmill is not for you;
• Diseases affecting the respiratory tract;
• Cardiovascular ailments;
• The presence of chronic diseases, or rather the time of their exacerbation;
• Age limit.

There are more contraindications here than with an elliptical trainer, which means that in this respect the ellipsoid is better than a treadmill and is a more versatile device.

Main differences in training

As we noted above, both simulators have similar functionality. This fact does not make it possible to identify an obvious leader for obtaining the necessary aerobic exercise. So, the simulators have the following identical functions:

• One goal and method of achieving it is weight loss . Since in both cases people perform basic walking and running exercises, which are also the best weapons against extra pounds, in most cases the results are quite noticeable.
• Exercising on these machines increases the endurance of the body as a whole and significantly strengthens the muscles, toning the body.
• Another common denominator is strengthening the cardiovascular system . Both devices are cardiovascular devices and, therefore, exercising on such devices reduces the risk of heart disease.

But despite all the common goals, the methods for achieving them are quite different.

Firstly, the treadmill only provides users with the ability to walk and run. This, however, can be done at different speeds and at angles. As practice shows, exercise on a non-treadmill helps burn more calories with the same intensity and duration of training .

The second main difference is the groups of muscles involved. The treadmill puts significant stress on the legs, back and leg joints, while the elliptical machine also uses the arms and shoulders . This approach allows you to increase intensity and, as a result, increase fat burning.

And the third difference is the effect on the joints. The treadmill is a killer of joints, since during exercise they bear a significant part of the impact load . At the same time, the ellipsoid is gentle on the joints and trains a person to have good posture, thereby reducing the risk of problems with the spine.

Stepper

The stepper simulates climbing stairs. But unlike simply jogging up flights of stairs, the exercise machine offers a lot of opportunities for adjusting the load and increasing the intensity of the workout. During exercises on the stepper, the cardiovascular system is well strengthened, muscle tone increases, but most importantly, the buttocks are tightened. Thanks to its impact and effective impact on the gluteal muscles, this exercise machine is a leader among girls who are aimed not just at losing weight, but also at correcting the shape of their legs.

An hour of exercise on a stepper burns well from 400 to 500 kilocalories (depending on the intensity of the load).
At the same time, the fat burning process starts after 30-40 minutes of training, so training on a stepper lasting 60-70 minutes is considered optimal. treadmill machine workout at home

What is more effective for losing weight, running or an elliptical trainer?

Treadmills and elliptical trainers are the undisputed leaders in the list of cardio equipment for losing weight and burning extra calories. But how do you know which one is more effective? Let's try to figure it out by weighing the pros and cons. There is no definite answer; each of them has its pros and cons.

Let's start with the treadmill; during exercise, the leg muscles and heart muscles are involved. Thus, most of the muscles remain indifferent.

Now let's move on to working out on the elliptical trainer. Unlike a treadmill, during exercise on an elliptical, not only the leg muscles are used, but also the upper body, which, thanks to special handles, moves with pushing or pulling movements at the choice of the trainee.

Thus, when training on an elliptical machine, more muscles are used than when simply running on a treadmill, due to the fact that both the lower and upper parts of the body are worked.

A study of treadmill and elliptical training conducted at the Medical College of Wisconsin found that an hour of treadmill running burns about 800 kcal. During the same time of training on the ellipse, about 773 kcal are burned. As you can see, the difference in calories burned from exercising on both machines is not significant.

When exercising on cardio equipment, it is necessary to monitor your pulse rate, and the achieved result depends on it. To get the maximum effect from the exercise, it is necessary to maintain the number of heartbeats in the so-called desired zone. If during exercise you maintain a heart rate of about 75, which is achieved with low intensity work on the simulator, the most intense fat burning occurs. Training carried out at the specified load intensity will allow you to effectively achieve your goals in a shorter time.

Exercise bike

Let's look a little at the question, which is better: an exercise bike or an elliptical trainer? Basically, the main difference between an exercise bike and its other “brothers” is that it puts the load primarily on the leg muscles. Of course, the back muscles are also involved, but less. 20 minutes of exercise a day is enough to feel how your lower legs are strengthened and your gluteal muscles are tightened.

An exercise bike helps you lose weight and get rid of cellulite, but it does not put stress on all muscle groups. It can be quite boring to pedal and you have to hold on to the steering wheel all the time so as not to lose your balance. It is also better to replace the exercise bike if there is heart failure, asthma or tachycardia.

From personal experience, I can say that due to the fact that only your legs work on an exercise bike, you burn much fewer calories than on a treadmill or elliptical. But this is an excellent option for practicing at home, as it does not take up much space and does not require heavy loads. You can pedal for several hours a day.

And if you prefer to train while riding a bike, then I recommend that you read the article on how to choose the right bike.

Elliptical Trainer vs Treadmill Comparison Chart

To structure the information received about the simulators, we suggest you use the summary table, in which we have included the main parameters necessary for the correct selection of the device.