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There are so many different types of cardio equipment to choose from including stair climbers, ellipticals, treadmills, exercise bikes, vertical climbers and rowing machines and the wide range of cardio machines can be dizzying. However, when it comes to identifying the best cardio machine, the first step is to get clear on your objectives.
What are you training for?
Here are some of the questions you can ask yourself to help define what you’re looking for in a cardio machine:
- Performance: Want to participate in a fitness competition or run a marathon?
- Health benefits: Get your diabetes or blood pressure under control?
- Aesthetic purposes: Boost your fitness and shrink your waistline or feel more confident?
- Weight loss?
- Full body workout?
- Low-impact workout?
- Burning calories?
The answer to these questions will help determine which cardio machine is best for achieving your goals. After narrowing down your goals, certain cardio machines will prove to be the most effective for you. Moreover, in order to choose the best cardio machine, it’s critical to understand the benefits each piece of cardio equipment has to offer and how each is used. Therefore, the best cardio machine ultimately depends on your specific goals and what the term “best” is actually measuring.
What is the best cardio machine for full-body workout?
You can easily tell which cardio machines are good for full-body workout and which ones focus on a specific area of the body by simply looking at their design and structure. Pieces of cardio equipment that are more targeted are not necessarily bad, they are merely specialized.
Cardio machines that only exercise the legs can be grouped as non full-body cardio machines. This leaves us with a difficult comparison between rowing machines, vertical climbers and ellipticals. Deciding which the best full-body cardio machine is can be difficult because each cardio machine is designed to work different parts of the body.
However, there are two main reasons why the rowing machine might be the best full body cardio machine:
- Rowing machines exercise about 84% of the muscles in the body. Some of the muscles targeted by the rowing machine include the triceps, traps, deltoids, lower back, core, calves, hamstrings, forearms, glutes (gluteus maximus), quads, middle back, biceps, and lats (latissimus dorti). No other piece or cardio equipment has presented studies that claim it exercises a higher percentage of muscles.
- Crossfit has incorporated the rowing machine as part of their workout programs because it provides a full-body workout. Since crossfit mainly targets functional, full-body exercises, it is clear why rowing machines are the best full-body cardio machines.
Although the reasons outlined above make rowers the best full-body cardio machines, ellipticals and vertical climbers are also great choices that you can use.
What is the best cardio equipment for burning calories?
Worst: Stair climber
It might come as a surprise to many people that the stair climber is the least effective cardio equipment for burning calories. Although the stair climber burns a significant amount of calories (about 450 calories/hour), it does not incorporate a lot of the upper body which makes it difficult to burn the highest possible amount of calories.
However, the stair climber is great for exercising the lower body, especially your butt and thighs. This is one of the main reasons why it’s particularly popular among women just before summer.
Winner: Tie between rowing machine and treadmill
The best cardio machine for burning calories is a tie between the treadmill and rowing machine. While running on a treadmill, you can burn between 500 and 100 calories/hour (depending on whether you’re running flat or at an incline), whereas you can burn more than 1000 calories/hour while rowing on the rowing machine.
It’s important point out that that counting the number of calories burnt per hour is a tough thing and there are numerous inputs into the formula. A rowing machine tends to burn more calories overall largely due to its ability to increase metabolic rates even after using. It is also highly effective for building muscle.
However, you should note that there’s an argument for each piece of cardio equipment because number of calories burnt by the treadmill and rowing machine is very close and usually depends on many factors. Therefore, it’s a good idea to switch between the two in order to keep exercising different parts of your body and experience the unique benefits each has to offer.
What is the best cardio machine for weight loss?
Burning calories is not the only factor that comes into play when it comes to losing weight. Other factors such as metabolic rates and lean muscle mass also contribute to weight loss.
Worst: Stair climber
All cardio machines will help you lose weight when exercises are done properly and with high intensity.
Then, why are stair climbers the worst cardio machines for losing weight?
Although the stair climber is great for toning the butt and legs, it does not work out your upper body. Since the stair climber only targets the lower body, it’s not ideal for working out the whole body, which is best for weight loss.
Winner: Rowing machine with the treadmill a close second
The best cardio machine for losing weight is one that exercises the whole body (both lower and upper body), builds endurance and muscle, and provides an intense cardiovascular workout. It may seem impossible for one cardio machine to have all these attributes. However, you’ll be surprised to learn that the rowing machine has all of these features.
Although the rowing machine and treadmill burn almost the same amount of calories, rowing machines also increase metabolic rates and stimulate muscle development.
What is the best cardio machine for low-impact exercises?
The elderly and people recovering from illness or injury may experience joint pain, and aches and pain in muscles and other parts of the body. These pains and aches usually get amplified when they do exercises such as running. Therefore, running on a treadmill or on pavement can cause aches and pains in the back, knees and hips.
It is important to note that running is a good exercise and an important part of your exercise routine. However, the rower is considered low-impact exercise equipment and most people who want a low-impact exercise in order to give their joints a rest can use it effectively without any problem.
Best: Rower
Although other cardio machines such as the vertical climber, elliptical and exercise bike are also considered low-impact, more people still report having joint issues on these machines than on rowing machines.
What is the best overall piece of cardio equipment?
Each cardio machine is designed differently and targets different muscles in the body. However, the rowing machine stands out in all categories. Some of the benefits of rowing machines include; builds endurance, provides solid cardiovascular workout, burns more than 1000 calories per hour, builds lean muscle, builds endurance, provides a full-body workout, and is considered a low to zero impact cardio machine.
Although the rower is the best overall cardio machine, it is important to keep in mind that the best piece of cardio equipment is one that will help you achieve your health and fitness goals.
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