Stepper anyone?

Early B.

My cheap treadmill broke and is not worth fixing, so I was thinking of replacing it with one of those stepper gizmos instead. Don't like the stationary bikes.

Just wondering if anyone else owns a stepper and has any recommendations for brands/features. Time to get my cardio on...

Thanks.

madmax

Make sure you ask if it has a beer holder, a place to lay your sandwich and a candy bar/snack dispenser. Options make the machine.
madmax

brettw22

I don't know what you're considering 'cheap' but I got a used commercial line Precor treadmill for $800 (orig sold for about $4500) several months ago (if you're lookin to maybe replace)......unless I'm running it 24hr a day, the thing isn't gonna break for quite a while.....

cfrizz

ROFLMAO!!!! That way you can exercise & defeat the purpose for it all at the same time!!!! WAAAAAAAAAAA!!!:D

madmax wrote:

Make sure you ask if it has a beer holder, a place to lay your sandwich and a candy bar/snack dispenser. Options make the machine.
madmax

Early B.

brettw22 wrote:

I don't know what you're considering 'cheap' but I got a used commercial line Precor treadmill for $800 (orig sold for about $4500) several months ago (if you're lookin to maybe replace)......unless I'm running it 24hr a day, the thing isn't gonna break for quite a while.....

Cool. I'd love to go for a commercial product like you did, but for me it is cost prohibitive right now. I'm gonna have to stick with the consumer versions for now.

Sounds like you got a great deal. BTW, where did you but it?

Early B.

madmax wrote:

Make sure you ask if it has a beer holder, a place to lay your sandwich and a candy bar/snack dispenser. Options make the machine.
madmax

I don't drink beer or eat candy bars, but if the machine could somehow force my lazy **** to actually exercise, it would be worth it.

brettw22

I just did a search on google and it popped a Craigslist listing........I had to drive to Ohio from Chicago, but even with that trip, the thing was VERY well worth it. THe model I got is a C956 if you're wanting one with a lot of programs, good motor, and not a small roller assembly (more likely to stick because of not enough grip surface on the smaller roller).

madmax

Early B. wrote:

I don't drink beer or eat candy bars, but if the machine could somehow force my lazy **** to actually exercise, it would be worth it.

Ah Ha! So you eat sandwiches...

There is a way for a machine to force you to exercise. Picture this. So you have your stepper and you push the foot bars and that turns a small generator. This charges a battery which powers a ups. So, for every hour you exercise you can run your system for 15 minutes. Want music, you gotta work for it.
madmax

PS: Don't steppers run $400 to $500 at stores like Sears? Wouldn't it make sense to give up another $300 or so and get a real one like Brett has? I worked at a repair center that repaired these store bought type machines and let me tell you, I was the only one getting any exercise with them. (taking them in for repair).

Holydoc

madmax wrote:

Make sure you ask if it has a beer holder, a place to lay your sandwich and a candy bar/snack dispenser. Options make the machine.
madmax

Or the deluxe model that has a motor to run itself with speed dial to the local pizza parlor.

Oh that reminds me... I need to run to the store for some bon bons so that I can get in shape for my new stairmaster!

Early B.

madmax wrote:

Don't steppers run $400 to $500 at stores like Sears? Wouldn't it make sense to give up another $300 or so and get a real one like Brett has?

Yeah, you're probably right. I'd prefer a used commercial one. I may invest in a cheap one temporarily until I can afford to spend more money on what I really want. (Hmmm. Sounds familiar.) It's starting to get a bit chilly for my morning jogs. Damn stray dogs are a problem, too. Thinking of getting something cheap to tie me over through the colder months before I lose my enthusiasm and before my butt and gut gets any bigger.

Demiurge

Is getting a bike and being outside an option?

I've got a spinner for off season, but I ride my mountain bike 15 miles every day save for Sunday, and couldn't be happier on it. The in home machines are really hard to discipline yourself on.

The cheapest option for you would just be to walk or jog outside, and buy a sweatshirt.

michael_w

Early B. wrote:

Damn stray dogs are a problem, too.

Isn't that just more incentive to run faster?

audiobliss

No; it's incentive to carry a pistol!

okiepolkie

Have you looked into elliptical machines? They are very low impact, and provide a good workout.

izafar

I second this advice. I have tried treadmils, stair climbers and elipticals and found the eliptical to be best in terms of providing a good cardio workout along with being low impact to my joints.

okiepolkie wrote:

Have you looked into elliptical machines? They are very low impact, and provide a good workout.

brettw22

I don't think a good quality eliptical can be had for under $1200. I've been on cheap versions and I felt like the thing was made for a 'little persons' range of motion, so i basically bounced up and down on the thing..........no bueno.

Higher end treadmills have cushioning design built into the deck support so the impact is very agreeable. I got my tread for a steal, but keep your eyes out on craigslist and see whatcha find. The lowest I've seen for them is about $15-1600, with refurbed around 2-3k.

schwarcw

izafar wrote:

I second this advice. I have tried treadmils, stair climbers and elipticals and found the eliptical to be best in terms of providing a good cardio workout along with being low impact to my joints.

I third this recommendation. I like it more than stepping. Since my knee surgery 4 years ago, I'm an eliptical junkie.

schwarcw

madmax wrote:

Make sure you ask if it has a beer holder, a place to lay your sandwich and a candy bar/snack dispenser. Options make the machine.
madmax

Don't forget the ash tray:eek:

okiepolkie

brettw22 wrote:

I don't think a good quality eliptical can be had for under $1200

I didn't realize they were that expensive. Maybe a cheaper treadmill would be good for now, and save up for a decent elliptical for later, so you have two choices.

Early B.

Yeah, I considered a bike. These damn subdivisions today -- they don't build sidewalks anymore. I'd hafta ride several miles for a decent bike trail. Otherwise, I risk getting clipped by a crazy motorist. Besides, I ain't interested in inhaling car exhaust fumes while I'm riding or jogging, so I stay off the streets.

Early B.

I'll go to a couple of sports stores and try out steppers and elipticals and see which one I prefer. I'll also check craigslist periodically. Nothing on there in my area right now except a bunch of junk.

mrbigbluelight

schwarcw wrote:

Don't forget the ash tray:eek:

Bravo, schwarcw, bravo !!

Early B.

Just got back from the Sports Authority. Looks like a stationary bike is more to my liking. Gonna check out craigslist for someone like me who buys this stuff and doesn't actually use it.

bobman1235

They say for pure calories burned, a rowing machine is the best bang for your buck... burns almost twice as many calories in the same amount of time....

Early B.

My main interest is in building endurance and just getting the heart pumping. I'm not particularly interested in losing weight. The whole calorie counting thing is a bunch of BS anyway.

bobman1235

I'd agree that counting calories when you eat is mostly BS, as there are much better ways of measuring nutrition. Counting calories burned while exercising however is a good measure of how much work you did. In fact, it's the literal definition of how much work you did.

But, as you intuited, it obviously depends on what you're trying to get out of the exercise.

wingnut4772

...Also make sure it's a down hill stepper. The other ones are just to hard.

Early B.

Followup:

Eventually ended up getting an inexpensive recumbant bike:

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Edge-297-Exercise-Bike-w-warranty-FREE-SHIPPING_W0QQitemZ260039167453QQihZ016QQcategoryZ58103QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

Great product at a super low price. High WAF. I like this better than the noisy and bulky treadmill.

Now I need some motivation to use the damn thing.

audiobliss

I'm definitely not up on them, but my PE class instructor (who, for whatever it's worth, has his masters), says of those, "You burn more calories watching someone ride one of those things than you do actually riding it."

Early B.

audiobliss wrote:

I'm definitely not up on them, but my PE class instructor (who, for whatever it's worth, has his masters), says of those, "You burn more calories watching someone ride one of those things than you do actually riding it."

I don't know about the calorie thing, but tell your PE instructor just try one of these bikes with the tension adjusted to a high level for 3 minutes and he'll probably start hyper-ventillating.

brettw22

Don't use the on board HR monitor as an accurate gauge on how many calories you're burning. For that, get an actual Heart Rate Monitor and you'll get a better idea of exactly how much you're burning per workout.