Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Elliptical Trainer

Can anyone suggest a good elliptical machine? As in brand? I'm gonna start looking for a good one. Thanks!

Life fitness. The best. Stay away from the Lance Armstrong and the Sole from Dicks Sporting goods. I had both and returned both. They were good for a month or two and then I though they were going to fall apart.

Check out Precor,with a adjustable incline ramp...

Obviously this isn't coming from me but from the "pro"



Adam

A used/reconditioned Precor 546 is the ONLY one worth owning. Unless you really have a bad knee/hip/ankle issue that is utterly impossible to rehab, I wouldn't spend the money for one. A used one will cost two grand. For about $900 you can buy a brand new Concept II rowing machine, that is the KING of conditioning tools.

I've never considered a rowing machine before when I think of a tool for conditioning. Can you provice some insight on the use of a rowing machine vs an eliptical or treadmill?

Far far far better to get a used commercial machine than something new designed for the general consumer market...

Considering this is a backpacking forum I think the elliptical is more exercise specific for hiking in the mountains than a rowing machine.

But if you want a full body workout that burns the calories or to even work yourself to the point of puking, the Concept will sure do it.

I've never considered a rowing machine before when I think of a tool for conditioning. Can you provice some insight on the use of a rowing machine vs an eliptical or treadmill? [/quote]


http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/CrossFit_AFC2ExcellencePre.mov

The above link and many other instructional vids can be found under the navigation menu at www.crossfit.com

Anyone who's ever carried a pack up an down mountains knows that your glutes and hamstrings get trashed worse than anything else. Guess what muscles a rower will trash?

Downhill of course will trash your quads, but the rower works those as well, since you are doing a full-range of motion at the hip.

I beg to differ. A Precor 546 does an excellent job of replicating a running stride, as well it should, since Alberto Salazaar helped develop it. Running is a good conditioning tool, but not the best prep for humping a pack up an down mountains.

Guess what the best prep is for humping a pack up and down mountains?

BIL is also shopping for one. Have had a Reebok personal trec for a while...10 years I imagine

-replaced the roller bearings and one keyway repair--thankfully the computer hasn't puked--nice to be able to gets parts... seconded on buying a good one

as age & damage has accumulated have gone to this omitting the arm motion, legs only, giving up running hills etc to save on joints--did CO at 10,000 last year--no problem

I use the elliptical in reverse, with a good amount of resistance to mimic packing downhill. I think for going uphill, a Gauntlet machine is the way to go.

One thing you have to keep in mind is your age and body condition. I'm 55 years old , live at sealevel , and train to hunt central Idaho at 6000 to 9000 ft. I work out all year with weights and would start jogging early in the summer to build up my wind for my hunting death marches. Jogging 3 miles would leave me more beat up than deadlifting or squatting 300lbs. I had a Concept rower for some time and it is an excellent cardio and all body exercise but as you get older you become more aware of the joint wear and tear. I didn't like the slight shock your knees take on the rower when you extend your legs. Bought a used elliptical and am very happy with the condition I was in when I hunted Colorado this year. Throw some high rep low weight squats in there twice a week to build the legs for steep climbs and you're good to go.

I agree that PreCor and Life Fitness are easily the two best, at least of those that I have tried. Either would work wonderfully.

I like using the elliptical but wouldn't expect to become a better runner by using them. The motion just isn't that close to running and cardio activities are notoriously motion specific. I do use them to brush up on hill hiking while living in an area bereft of hills to actually climb. It works great.

One of the reasons I continue to use the elliptical once a week in my routine is because of the ability to incorporate upper body cardio/endurance training. This is a difficult area to train in this manner, most things train upper body only in one direction while the elliptical does both the push and the pull.

EDIT: I should qualify this. I wouldn't expect to become a better runner past the point where basic aerobic capacity is your limiting factor. I did, in point of fact, up my running game early on by using very high resistance intervals on the elliptical to tax the heart and lungs when those were my weakest points.

Good luck,
Will

Gotta question for those of you that use an elliptical. Is it possible to use the thing and appear masculine at the same time?

Absolutely not!!!! I spend an hour a day on one and by far its my most feminine time of the day.

I hide in the basement when using it then do some pushups to raise my testosterone back up to normal.

Stay on one of these for an hour and I'll tip my hat to ya:

http://www.fitnessblowout.com/equipment/stair-climber/7000-pt-stepmill

About 24-26min of intervals on level nine or ten and I'm toast.

No thanks, I am pretty sure my pulse at 180 bpm is enough for an hour. No need to go beyond that.

Does anyone here have any experience with the BowFlex Treadclimber? This looks like a real asset in fighting old age and good grub, although as both Pointer and I will tell ya, we gentlemen of girth are THE sexiest and babes totally love us!

Anywhoo, I have been kept home for two years with a very ill wife and her surgery, she is now back to work part-time and is totally focused on remaining at her lucrative career for another 5+ years, so, I NEED a major fitness overhaul as I can now, finally, get back to mountain stuff.

I know jacksquat about athletics or gym-workout equipment, but, would appreciate some good advice on the above or other ellipticals, treadmills and so forth.

My former employment in the BC-AB mountains always kept me in shape, but, since retirement, I need a more time-sfficient type of workout than merely hauling concrete blocks and sacks of sand around the streets of Vancouver in one of my MR packs.

I will spend the coin if I can find the right unit for our home.

No, but then again I don't care, because of the scenery.