You can get a good workout with any kind of cardio machine, as long as it's something you do regularly. Some cardio machines offer a full-body workout (e.g., rowing machines) while others (e.g., stair steppers) focus more on the lower body. When it comes to cardio equipment for weight loss, there are a ton of options, so it's important to do your research. Investing in a home gym can be an effective strategy if you're hoping to drop a few pounds. Sponsorships and affiliate commissions help support our research so we can help you find the best products. It’s all about making sure the intensity is there and putting in the work.By clicking on the product links in this article, we may receive a commission fee at no cost to you, the reader. And if you actually enjoy the elliptical, that’s cool, too. So if you consider the treadmill the dreadmill, no sweat-try the rowing machine. No matter what your goal is, the most effective and efficient machines are the ones you can be consistent with. Ultimately, the machine you choose is up to personal preference. As you get more advanced, you can decrease your ratio of work to rest. “Wind resistance is exponential, so the harder you pedal, the more challenging the workout,” adds Iasevoli.īecause this machine is so intense, Iasevoli recommends starting with 10 seconds of all-out work followed by 50 seconds of rest, and repeat that for a total of 10 minutes. Like rowing machines, the bikes use wind resistance to create work. Unlike a stationary bike though, this equipment requires you to move your arms as well as your legs in order to peddle, and since you’re expending more energy to get it done, you’re burning more calories. It looks similar to a stationary bike, but it has a large fan as a front wheel, and two handlebars that are higher than the seat.

One of the most challenging cardio machines out there is the fan bike (also referred to as the Assault Air or Airdyne bike). The afterburn effect isn’t as great, but because you’re keeping your heart rate in a moderate zone, you’ll still burn more calories from fat than from carbohydrates, explains Iasevoli. Walking at a significant incline is an excellent way to burn fat without putting as much pressure on your joints. It’s efficient for burning fat, but it puts a lot of stress on your body, so you don’t want to do it every day. There’s no need to drive your heart rate through the roof during every workout session, though. This is known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), or the “ afterburn effect.” (Here are 10 treadmill interval workouts to try.) Because you’re “revving” your heart rate multiple times during a HIIT session, your body uses more energy to return to a resting state after the workout is over, burning more calories in the process. Treadmills are one of the simplest ways to incorporate high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which is an effective and efficient way to train. You can lightly rest your fingertips for balance, but for max benefits, don’t put weight into them. The cardinal rule of stair climbing, according to Iasevoli and Halevy? No holding onto the arm rails for support. (Make sure your entire foot hits the stair with each step.) To get started, Iasevoli suggests doing minute-on, minute-off intervals for 10 to 20 minutes, alternating between a faster and a slower speed. And when you’re climbing with proper posture your core is working to keep you upright and balanced, too.

In addition to expending a ton of energy while you’re on the machine, having strong leg muscles is particularly great for increasing your basal metabolic rate (BMR)-because these lower-body muscles are so big, they’re some of the most metabolically active muscles in your body (muscle mass requires more energy to maintain, so you burn more calories at rest). “The large muscle groups of the legs are being worked, so energy expenditure is very high.” “Climbing stairs puts all of your body weight on a single leg at a time in a lunge pattern,” Halevy explains. After a few flights you’re going to feel the burn in your quads, butt, and hamstrings. It’s cardio on cardio on cardio.īut you’re also strengthening your lower body, too. “I like the stair climber because the user is standing the entire time, is time efficient, and it forces the user to keep moving the entire time,” says Iasevoli. Using these machines (often known as StepMills or StairMasters) is like climbing a set of stairs that just never ends.

Best gym cardio machine for weight loss