noob elliptical?

vp911 · 04-Dec-05, 01:23 PM

Sorry for the noob question - as I am sure this has been discussed in the past but just can't seem to find a definitive answer.

About 6 months ago I was involved in a rather severe auto accident where the other drive struck my car at roughly 55MPH. Since then I have had back problems - mainly just aches and pains. Unfortunately, the doctors don't seem to have any solution to it - yet. I was told that I can now continue doing normal excersize as I would have done prior to the accident, but whenever I try to run my back just hurts.

So, people have suggested I invest in an elliptical and just let the treadmill sit around until I can use it again (well, others in the house use the treadmill, so no problem).

Are there any specific ellipticals that you would reccomend? $1500 is my absolute top price that I am willing to spend on it. I know a friend of mine had bought a floor model of a Precor for $2000, he said it was $800 off - but I don't really want to spend that much, but I do want something reliable that will last a long time.

Any comments/suggestions are appreciated.
TIA

**threenorns** · 04-Dec-05, 06:52 PM

sorry, no - but i would avoid buying one from canadian tire, sear's, or other general department store. pony up the money and get one from somewhere like the fitness depot.

give it a run in the store - not just a quick few steps, but an actual five or ten minute workout. that will bring up issues you won't notice from a quick dash on and off.

make sure the handles are comfortable for you to reach - you're not stretching or ducking to reach them comfortably. joints should be solid and there should be no metal-on-metal contact in moving parts.

if you can get the one with the metal contact plates to register your heart rate, it's more convenient than the chest strap, but sometimes when you heat up, the plates can't register you any more. if you have two options, one with contact plates only and one with both plates and strap, get the second.

when you stride on the machine, it should feel solid and stable - some of the lesser quality models have an unstable tippy feel or they actually rock from side to side.

that's about all i can think of - not much use, but i hope it helps a little.

vp911 · 04-Dec-05, 07:06 PM

I was at a local fitness store and saw several Precors and Octane Fitness machines that I used. Aside from the fact that apparently I am so out of shape that I can only do it for a few minutes before dying. I assume after a couple weeks my endurance will be built up to be able to use the machine for a longer time?

At any rate, the Precors were out of my price range at $2800 being the cheapest, but the octane Q35 and Q35e were $1700 and $2000. I actually liked the Octane better anywyas - it felt better when I was using it.

I guess my question is, do I really need the heart rate monitor? The Q35e is $300 more but has a wireless monitor. Do they sell just seperate monitors which you can buy that don't have to be integrated in the machine? What is the real benefit of having it integrated?

My goal in the end is just to burn 20-30lbs and to be able to stay in relatively decent shape without killing my back anymore.

Thanks for your help

**threenorns** · 04-Dec-05, 07:26 PM

one of my favourite programs is the one where you set your target upper and lower heart rates and the machine cycles you between them, changing the intensity as required. it's also needed to calculate approximately how many calories you burned - you use that to gauge your intensity. some machines will also automatically shut off if they detect heart irregularities. that happened to me - the machine reported an irregular heart rate, advised me to see my doctor, and shut itself down. pissed me off bigtime, cause all it is is regular exercise-induced arrythmia.

vp911 · 04-Dec-05, 07:28 PM

I would be curious to find out if the octane machine offers the feature of entering the target heart rates and then cycling between them as you described. If that is the case, I think I would spend the extra money for it even though they are slightly out of my price range. That one ends up being $2300 with delivery and taxes.

**threenorns** · 04-Dec-05, 07:30 PM

i've seen it listed as "fat-burning" on the program list, also as "interval/zone". run through all the programs while you're test-driving the machine.

also, this is a machine that is just plain FUN - you'll probably be using it more than your treadmill.

about your back - i have long-term back injury dating back to an accident on the stairs when i was a kid. every so often, my back goes totally spastic - so painful i can't put weight on my legs, especially my right leg, and am essentially bed-ridden. what helps me is good mornings - broomstick to start, 15 to 20 slow, careful reps with full stretch at the bottom and back held tightly arched on the way up.

vp911 · 06-Dec-05, 01:28 PM

thanks for that tip - it actually worked!!!

heavyliftn · 08-Dec-05, 08:37 PM

Hey man I have just recently acquired some lower back pain myself.. you should make another thread about your specific pain so some bros can give you some advice on that (at least I can try). And you can get a good quality elliptical for under 1k... at around $900 or so on some online sites, just go to froogle and type in elliptical.