Why? The elliptical mimics the mechanics of running, but is designed to be easier on the hips and knees. It offers a… decent workout. “Like cycling, the elliptical demands less energy than running, so fewer calories are burned for a workout of the same duration,” says Amato.
Best-use tip: To make this worthwhile, you have to be willing to increase both the resistance and the angle of the ramp; going for 45 minutes with both factors set to 1 isn’t going to do much of anything. You may look like you’re working hard, but your output is next to nothing. With running, even on your sluggish days, the necessary effort is much, much greater. As with the treadmill, it’s good to tackle this machine with an interval mentality. Good news: “Most machines offer pre-built programs to work different muscles based on the incline of the ramp,” says Amato.
The stair climber
For: The guy who loves leg day
Why? A recent study found that walking up 33 flights of stairs per day can drastically increase your endurance, giving you a 17 percent bump in VO2 max—the maximum amount of oxygen you can take in during exercise. In other words: Stairs are good for you. “The stair climber forces you to engage all the major muscle groups of the lower body: glutes, quads, hamstrings and calves,” says Dyan Tsiumis, CPT, founder of Get Fierce Training in New York City. “Plus, you have to use significant core stabilization throughout your time on the machine.”
Best-use tip: “Make sure you don’t use the handrails to support your body weight,” says Tsiumis. “You are meant to use them for balance and stability—not to cheat.”
The SKILLMILL
For: The guy who likes trying new things
Why? This thing is a self-powered treadmill that is becoming a staple of big-box gyms. Made with a curved shape, gymgoers use their body weight to propel the belt—no speed-setting required. “It allows us to accelerate and decelerate instantly without being at the mercy of laggy treadmill buttons,” says Grant Weeditz, CSCS, a trainer at Anatomy in Miami. ”Plus, you are propelling this machine primarily with the glutes, which means you’re training to use the body’s most powerful muscle much more effectively.”
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