Are cross trainers any good?

dillo2k10

Hi,
I was thinking that I need to get back into shape after my leaving cert. I gained a small bit of weight and now my stomach sticks out a bit, no longer flat and a little bit of fat under my chin.

I am going to stop drinking coke and just go back to drinking water.

Now, I was thinking about buying a cross trainer to help me get back into shape. I am only a student so I was just going to buy a cheap one from Argos.

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/3358010/Trail/searchtext%3ECROSS+TRAINER.htm
http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/3355491/Trail/searchtext%3ECROSS+TRAINER.htm

Would either of those be any good and are they good for getting back into shape and get rid of that layer of fat over my muscles.

Thanks

marathonic

As the saying goes, buy cheap and buy twice.

If you're budget is below about €400, I'd highly advise continuing to save up and buying something in the €200 range second hand from the likes of Adverts.ie or DoneDeal.ie. They pop up all the time - on a daily basis.

As an example, here's one that was on sale in Elverys marked down from €499.99 to €299.99. It's for sale for €200 so you'd probably pick it up for €160 - €170. There are many similar examples posted on a daily basis.

The advantage of buying second hand is that, should you give up on it, you can resell it for very close to your purchase price. If you buy the argos one, it'll be very hard to sell on and, if you use it intensely enough when you get fitter, it'll likely fall to pieces.

dillo2k10

marathonic wrote: »

As the saying goes, buy cheap and buy twice.

If you're budget is below about €400, I'd highly advise continuing to save up and buying something in the €200 range second hand from the likes of Adverts.ie or DoneDeal.ie. They pop up all the time - on a daily basis.

As an example, here's one that was on sale in Elverys marked down from €499.99 to €299.99. It's for sale for €200 so you'd probably pick it up for €160 - €170. There are many similar examples posted on a daily basis.

The advantage of buying second hand is that, should you give up on it, you can resell it for very close to your purchase price. If you buy the argos one, it'll be very hard to sell on and, if you use it intensely enough when you get fitter, it'll likely fall to pieces.

Okay well Ill have a look around for other ones and spend a but more.

But in general are cross trainers good, do they help you loose weight and get fitter?

marathonic

dillo2k10 wrote: »

Okay well Ill have a look around for other ones and spend a but more.

But in general are cross trainers good, do they help you loose weight and get fitter?

They're the same as any of the excercise equipment - you get out what you put in. The same goes for the bikes, rowers, treadmills, etc.

One of the things about the cheap ones is that most of them end up being used as clothes hangers. There's that many of them about that they're hard to even give away.

If you have the motivation, they WILL help you lose weight. However, your diet is more important - there's no point in spending half an hour on one of these and then having an extra scoop of spuds with your dinner because you're so proud of yourself.

Just keep at it, try to improve your diet and the results will come. Buying a more expensive machine will have the added advantage of giving you additional motivation to use it.

Again, I stress, diet is most important. If your diet is bad, you'll not lose weight causing you to lose motivation, stop using the machine and continue to put on weight.

While you're on the lookout for a machine, read this thread, then re-read it.

You could also look up information on bodyweight excercises to keep you going for now.

Personally, I really think you should go to a few local kettlebell classes (they're all over the place these days). See what you think and talk to a few people that have been doing them for a while to see what they think. Then spend the money on a couple of kettlebells, an excercise mat and a skipping rope. You could get a 12kg and a 16kg kettlebell here for €78 including delivery. Add in about €22 (to make it a round figure) for the mat and skipping rope and about €40 for classes and it comes to about €140 total.

That'd be money far better spent. Where are you located? Kettlebell classes near me are only €5 per class so that €40 would get you 8 classes (2 a week for a month would be a good workout). They may be more expensive near you.

You don't need to buy the kettlebells before the classes. The class will provide them and, when you've practiced enough in the classes, you'll know what weights to buy.

If you search for second hand kettlebells, you rarely find them - which really says it all. Also, don't worry about getting too bulky - that takes years and years of eating loads, lifting a lot heavier weights and having a perfect, or near perfect, diet.

dillo2k10

Thanks,
I know that my diet is very important. However, I don't want to suddenly cut of everything I find delicious(nothing healthy) at once. I want to slowly get rid of bad eating habits. I drink a lot of Coke, a lot. That would be where most of my excess calories come from, so once I get rid of that and just go back to cold water I will be doing a lot better?

I don't really want to go to any classes just yet.

Motivation wont be a problem for me, so I wont just loose interest in the machine weather I spend €100 €500 or €2000. It would jut be if it were to break easily (can't imagine it breaking from me Im only 124 pounds. And if it wouldn't give as good a work out as I need.

Also, I am not still gaining weight, it was gained slowly between last September and and Christmas as I have been eating a lot of Junk since then. No change since then.

I'll have a look at that thread. Thanks.

edit: Bulking up is not really something I want. I would just like to get rid of that layer of fat as I have always been slim

krankykitty

Have you ever actually used a cross trainer? I just ask because you might want to be sure you enjoy the exercise in some way before committing to the purchase.. I was dying to go on them when I joined a gym as I thought they would be great, but it turns out I can't do more than a few mins before getting back pain, so I stick with the other machines instead.

As the other posters have said, you'll get results only if it doesn't become a clothes horse

dillo2k10

krankykitty wrote: »

Have you ever actually used a cross trainer? I just ask because you might want to be sure you enjoy the exercise in some way before committing to the purchase.. I was dying to go on them when I joined a gym as I thought they would be great, but it turns out I can't do more than a few mins before getting back pain, so I stick with the other machines instead.

As the other posters have said, you'll get results only if it doesn't become a clothes horse

Yes I have used them before. I used one in my friends house for about 40 minutes a few weeks ago and I was quite tired afterwords but I kept going. I had no problem using them.

What I am trying to find out is if you do put work onto it will it give good results. Would spending 45 minutes on one of these give better results than 45 minutes on a treadmill (if you are going the same speed)

Hedman

You say you are on a budget and aren't hugely overweight so why not just go jogging or pay 10 quid for a skipping rope and save yourself a few quid? The cheap cross trainers are cheap for a reason, they're usually not made to very high standards and won't last long.