[nataliachick7]

Im not overweight, but I am pear shaped and have cellulite especially after having my son and being lazy for the past 3 years. I have started work out dvd's at home and the treadmill.
Ive tried the elliptical several times and literally after 2 minutes my legs are shaking and i am in so much pain i have to stop. this is at a speed of no higher than 3.5 mph. i cant go any faster than that...hurts even more. am i doing something wrong? i mean, i see really overweight people on those things for an hour at a time. geez, i must be really out of shape or something?

 

[Porcelain Interior]

Your stride might be short.

I don't like ellipticals for this reason. If you have very short legs the stride you take to make a complete revolution feels unnatural and pretty soon you start hurting in your joints.

I just don't like them and I'm not overweight, well I'm 20 lbs over my ideal.

 

[425lisamarie]

I love them, but I'm in good shape. You have to go at your pace. As long as you're getting a workout who cares at what rate you go. Some very overweight people have been working at it a long time and can endure more than even stick skinny ones at the gym. When I first ever started working out after my son when I was huge, I about fell over just walking up the stairs

 

[CarrieMF]

I had one for 7 years, used it all the time then gave it away.

Now my physical therapist has me using one again.

Even though you're only going 3.5 you may be starting off too fast.

The first time I used mine I was dead after 2 minutes. Then I tried one of the pre-programmed settings. I could last 20 minutes no problem. With the program when it first started off I was going so slow I was barely moving, it was hard to go that slow. Then it would increase & decrease in speed & resistance every 2-3 minutes, making it easier to get a longer workout in.

Now I'm only using it for 10 minutes to warm my ankles & calves up, but I'm starting off at 4 & ending at 6. I am 30lbs heavier than I was when I first starting using one 7 years ago. I am 5ft 4 & 190lbs, but my muscles are in shape.

If you're just starting out(and it sounds like you are with any exercise) then you're legs are not conditioned which is why they're shaking.

Start slower & work your way up.

 

[Kirsten]

Every day for 30 to 45 minutes. I do 2-3 miles in that time. So about a 15 minute mile which is 4 miles per hour (not that I've ever paid a bit of attention - I just go). Did you say 3.5 and you are just starting on it? Slow down! And be sure to check what incline and resistance you are set at! Move those down to 1!!!!! You can work up to higher numbers later - just get through a workout at the easiest level first.

I LOVE the elliptical! Funny how much I HATED it when I first tried it. Thought my friend was trying to KILL ME.... We actually bought one for the garage, but I prefer the one at the gym.

Start with five minutes - today do five minutes at the lowest incline and lowest resistance. Then do ten, then fifteen. Just work up to it. I love the no impact of elliptical.

 

[nataliachick7]

i must not know how to use the machine/buttons. i just hit "quick start" and start going. when i slow down, to like 2.5, the machine goes in pause mode....apparently thats too slow for it. I didnt ever see resistance or incline options on it, like i do on the treadmill.

i did 7 min yesterday and that was a huge accomplishment. i didnt realize how difficult the elliptical was because people make it look so easy.

thanks for all your input ladies.

 

[limabean]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nataliachick7 i must not know how to use the machine/buttons. i just hit "quick start" and start going. when i slow down, to like 2.5, the machine goes in pause mode....apparently thats too slow for it. I didnt ever see resistance or incline options on it, like i do on the treadmill. i did 7 min yesterday and that was a huge accomplishment. i didnt realize how difficult the elliptical was because people make it look so easy. thanks for all your input ladies.

Can you ask someone who works at the gym to go help you get familiarized with the machine? All elliptical machines I've seen have resistance settings in addition to the speed.

 

[Kirsten]

On our machines - on the upper left - there are six preset options, one of which is "manual". If you hit that, it will set to 10 incline and 1 resistance but you can lower the incline down to any number you want. Or asking a gym employee to help you set it to the easiest resistance and incline would work too.

Good job on your 7 minutes! I remember the first time I did 5 minutes and was happy to have survived. It gets easier!

 

[boogiebearlove]

I have the same problem op! I am not overweight, but I've never really been active. I just joined a gym, and for some reason I cannot do the elliptical! I've made it for 3 minutes twice and it makes me so miserable and shaky! I don't know why I can't do it. My friend loves it, so it's annoying when we go together and are on different cardio machines. I'm really glad to know that I'm not the only one!

ETA I am very short and probably trying to go too fast. I'll see how slow I can go! The problem is that I'm trying to do 20 mins of cardio, and I've felt like I needed to do it all on one machine. I guess I could do 5 minutes on the elliptical and 15 on something else, huh?

 

[nataliachick7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by boogiebearlove I have the same problem op! I am not overweight, but I've never really been active. I just joined a gym, and for some reason I cannot do the elliptical! I've made it for 3 minutes twice and it makes me so miserable and shaky! I don't know why I can't do it. My friend loves it, so it's annoying when we go together and are on different cardio machines. I'm really glad to know that I'm not the only one! ETA I am very short and probably trying to go too fast. I'll see how slow I can go! The problem is that I'm trying to do 20 mins of cardio, and I've felt like I needed to do it all on one machine. I guess I could do 5 minutes on the elliptical and 15 on something else, huh?

hey there...well i do the treadmill on a pretty high incline and that is good cardio.

 

[sbrinton]

There are many different elliptical trainers. Some companies have done a better job than others of studying body mechanics...and some machines are just designed for larger men rather than smaller women.

I agree, see if someone can help to make sure you are using the machine correctly. If you are and you are still in pain, I would stop and use mother machines. Or just walk!

We all tend to overdo it. Remember not to do too much if you have not been active up to this point.

 

[425lisamarie]

Not sure if anyone mentioned this, but I think ti really depends on your hight/stride which level you can comfortably do. I can do it all the way inclined, many levels inbetween, and all the way low. But there are a few spaces in between all the way up and all the way down that just don't work my legs at all, then just make my back ache. It's something to think about while doing the set programs because you can still push the incline up or down once if it feels uncomfortable while doing a set routine on it. My mom has the most expensive gym model you can buy in her house and i love it so much. I put the resistance on 10 or 11 and do 30 minutes and boy does it work my butt!

 

[Materfamilias]

Are you stretching first? I have to or my legs feel terrible.

Maybe you need some variation?

At our gym, the ellipticals have incline (I) on the left and resistance (R) on the right, if I remember correctly. I used to try to do various things (all to good music on the iPod, of course

):

3 I, 7 R -- this is like running speed, I guess. Of course, you can go faster and slower -- I would warm up for a bit, then do intervals -- run hard for one minute, rest for two, that kind of thing.

Then I would set "hills" and jack up R & I for a few minutes at a time, before going back to the 3/7 thing.

See if your gym has one of those personal trainers on staff who let you ask them quick questions