Ellipti-what? Okay, I’ll admit I actually heard about the ElliptiGO awhile back when a friend of mine got to test out one of the prototypes. Basically it’s an elliptical that moves…pretty cool, though I’ve heard you probably shouldn’t be trying to hop any curbs on it. 😉
Lauren Fleshman on the ElliptiGO
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The machine is getting a lot ore press as of late because Lauren Fleshman has come out to be one of their biggest supporters as she uses it regularly in her training. We don’t have to go into ALL of the reasons why cross-training is great, just a quickie recap:
* extra cardio without the pounding/high-impact of running = less chance for injuries
* easy way to ‘sneak’ in extra miles without upping your injury risk
* perfect for times when you ARE injured to stay in shape so the reality-slap back to running isn’t so painful 🙂
The standard elliptical is my choice of cross-training (of cousre you could bike, aqua-jog, etc.) and so I think building a mobile one would then bust one of the biggest downfalls of cross-training in general: the boredom factor. Ummmm, slogging out hours on the elliptical is at time more of a mental workout than anything!
“I knew my body couldn’t tolerate running more than 80 miles per week, so I filled in gaps with the ElliptiGO,” states Lauren. “Instead of going out and putting the additional volume on my legs and joints, I rode it for the equivalent amount of time that I would be running, replacing some of my key training and recovery workouts.”
Easy days, double workouts…these are prime times to cross-training when you aren’t injured. You can easily do hard workouts on the elliptical too, and just take your running workouts and do intervals based off of time. What any hard workout ultimately comes down to is effort.
So, do you ElliptiGO? Couldn’t resist putting that in there, but I think it would be a really cool machine to test out if I had access to one; until then I guess it’s just strapping on the Ipod or using the TV to distract me on the stationary. 🙂
1) What is your top pick for cross-training and how much of a role does it play in your routine?
2) Could you master some mad tricks on that ElliptiGO? Just kidding, but what do you think about it?
3) For hard workouts, what’s one of your favorite ones to do while cross-training?
I like longer intervals, last one I did I did repeat 10 minutes hard.
Always thought that these were cool, but we don’t use these types of equiptment in the Midwest. If I was crusing down the Chicago lakefront on this it would be quite odd. I’m sure a million people would stop to ask questions, cars would honk, there would be plenty of ogling, and people would just come to the conclusion that I’m crazy. Oh Midwesternerns…how they lack the progressiveness of fitness
haha….ya, i’ll bet people would give u some crazy looks! it does make me laugh about how in the midwest people think running is even more insane and that only crazies would do it. i had a friend visiting i think it was TX and he was running along the road, and seriously three cars had pulled to a crawl and asked if he was ‘okay’ or needed a ride…they could see no other reason to run. 🙂
you have no idea how badly I want an elliptigo!!! no I’m dead serious, I would put that shizz on my Christmas list. ok, maybe I actually did.
Obviously I’ve been XT for quite awhile, and I’ve done it all. For an easy workout, I like to ride my road bike outside – nothing like a 4 hour ride to make you as hungry and tired as if you’d done a long run! For more intense workouts, either the stat bike or the elliptical. pool running is great but I never have a buddy and can’t listen to music…and music is really what gets me to work hard on a machine. I too like the longer intervals, and that’s always what I do in the pool – 10 mins hard, 3 mins off for an hour. ow.
OH and to answer your question (cuz I can’t respond to comments, stupid Blogspot), I usually run in Brooks Ghost or Mizuno Wave Precision – strangely, I don’t pronate at all, I actually supinate a bit! But again…I haven’t run since October so we can’t really factor running-related anything into the cause of pain. ah well.
that’s interesting, so did the doc want u to get inserts for cushioning and not support? have u seen a podiatrist and gotten fit for those shoes, have someone watch u walk and all that jazz?? i’m not totally familiar with brooks or mizuno, but are those both high end cushioning shoes?
I remember seeing an ad for this for the first time and thinking it was so weird… I think the name has a lot to do with it. It’s so cheesy! But I bet it does work well, especially for more “fragile” runners and injured runners. I have been loving pool running. I just can’t motivate myself as much when I’m on a machine. It’s too easy to just stop! I also really like spin classes because again, I can’t just stop.
It’s weird, when I run I love long intervals, but when I cross train I do super short ones. Tabata = my best friend!
EXACTLY!! i think the name just makes it over the top and like they are trying too hard to be cool and coming off, cheesy, as u said. 🙂 and i think i’m the only person in the world not yet a fan of spinning, my butt goes numb after about 20 secs…lol
I have never seen one of these before! As someone who fights herself to stay on an elliptical for longer than ten minutes at a time due to sheer boredom, these look like a lifesaver!
Not sure I could master any tricks, apart from not falling over in the first place 🙂
Cross training for me is now taking the form of Body Pump classes and the occasional Spin session. Yeah, I think I sense a New Year’s resolution in there too!
i hear soooo many people talk about this Body Pump class, are u a big fan? is it like aerobics but with weights?? i’ve never actually seen one…and ya, any stationary machine gets the boredom factor…it’s a big a mental obstacle to overcome! lol
I know this post is way old but I had an ElliptiGo for a while and can attest that it is an awesome workout. Anyone who thinkks it looks odd and that it will get a lot of attention is 100% on the mark. It’s impossible to ride it and NOT get attention which can be good or bad depending on how much you want to train. The inability to sit down makes this especially good for your core and challenges your body in so many different ways. HOWEVER…given that it has 8 gears and I live in a very hilly area I found I just couldn’t get a ride in unless I loaded it up and drove to a level (or mostly level) area. That additional time for loading it (it weighs a lot compared to a bicycle) and traveling, etc. just made it a burden and I reluctantly sold it last year. If you live somewhere with nice long stretches of relatively flat roads this is a great XT option. Does it give you the same feeling a run does? No, but then again zipping along on this thing can be exhilarating in other ways.
thanks for sharing, zo!! i does seem like the ElliptiGo is an awesome cross-trainer and it’s more the ‘practicality’ of where u live that would sort of determine whether or not it’s something you should buy/invest in. if only we could all live next to miles and miles of paved bike trails, right?? 😉