Elliptical equivalent to running

I'd say you should do more of a time equivalency than a distance equivalency, as the distances on most of those types of machines don't mean shit.

So do you think an 80 minute workout on the eliptical is the equivalent to an 80 minute run, if both are completed at comparable heart rates? I was thinking of just looking at the mileage I really need to run now & spending the same amount of time on the elipitical at as close to the desired heart rate as possible.

Yes, I know the only way to train to run is simply to run, but I'm looking for the next-best thing. Even if I'm not in running shape, I still want to be in decent cardiovascular shape & not gain any unwanted lbs.

Go by time, but you should be able to do another 50% of crosstraining than running. If 80 miles takes you 9 hours, you should do 14 hours a week on the eliptical.

spent a lot of time on those machines. i always used a 65% conversion ratio, based on time.

Is the stairmaster an option? (depending on your injury)

I would do stair workouts and hardly lose much shape, actually it made me stronger on the hills.

Is deep water pool running an option for you? It might be more run specific than the elliptical. I feel for you: I'm dinged up as well.

the distances don't convert.

go by time and perceived effort.

a big hint: keep the rpms at or slightly above your normal running cadence

I believe in elliptical training. I'm getting older now, but I'm a former NCAA runner.

The higher the RPMs, the more it will help your running.

I think using the elliptical will give you benefits similar to your base-building phase like most college athletes run in the summer.

Try to go at least 90 minutes a day, at as high of an intensity as you can pace yourself for.

I also recommend roller blading, for 90 minutes to 120 minutes at a time, to supplement your elliptical training with no impact issues. It helps you work slightly different muscles to complement your fitness.

At my age (46), I only run two days a week now. My legs always feel fresh and I never get injured. Elliptical doesn't completely replace running, but it will get you most of the way there (toward best possible running fitness) when you cannot run.

summary wrote:

here's the summary of the responses you are likely to get ....

3) elliptical is worthless. only running is training for running.

hopefully i've saved you some time....

Elliptical is not "worthless" but you are correct that it is not running and that only running is training for running.

Did you have any suggestions of your OWN to offer him or were you just interested in sounding all cynical and clever?

Go by heart rate & perceived exertion. One hour on the elliptical at a given heart rate should be considered equal to one hour of running at the same heart rate. Experiment with resistance levels until you find one (or some) that allow you to achieve the desired heart rate while maintaining a proper cadence. Example: my stride rate is 180-200 steps per minute at most speeds, so I keep my elliptical cadence at 90-100 rpm.

Since you don't deal with impact (which is, after all, one aspect of run training), an equal amount of time at an equal heart rate will usually feel easier on the elliptical, so feel free to adjust for that by spending some extra time on the elliptical.

guide dogs for the swift wrote:

Go by heart rate & perceived exertion. One hour on the elliptical at a given heart rate should be considered equal to one hour of running at the same heart rate. Experiment with resistance levels until you find one (or some) that allow you to achieve the desired heart rate while maintaining a proper cadence. Example: my stride rate is 180-200 steps per minute at most speeds, so I keep my elliptical cadence at 90-100 rpm.

I have spent many hours on the Ellip. I agree w/ the above poster. Go by exertion! THe Ellip can kick your butt depending upon how hard you work it. The one I use has stride rate so I keep it at 180-200. Keep the incline in the middle, or the default position when you push "quick start." Play around with the resistance and to keep it fun by taking splits on each mile or try a fartlek workout to maximize the effort. I usually go for an hour but I push the limits so its a great workout. The mileage is usually 9-10 but effort is what I go by. Be sure to wear an ipod.

Last tip: Do not use the ellip with the moving poles. Use the one w/ stationary rails and swing your arms as if you are running. I even use 12 oz. fishing weights in each hand to increase heart rate and to give me a better overall workout.

Good luck

1,000,000,000,0000 minutes on an elliptical machine = 1 minute of real running.

The other posters are correct about the elliptical not being equivalent to running (if it was we would be able to alternate workouts at will). The fact that you are not propelling yourself off the ground is obviously the major difference. Which, of course, is exactly why you are able to use it while injured. Anyways, I've spent a lot of time on the elliptical myself and I simply attempt to mimic the time and intensity of my running workouts exactly. If my running workout was supposed to be 10 x 1000m in 3:00 then I'd do 10 x 3:00 at the same subjective effort on the elliptical. I would also wear a heart rate monitor and found that it would be 5-10 beats/minute lower than my running values (again, a result of no impact stress). A month after being on the elliptical (for a month long injury) I ran my 3rd fastest 5000m time ever (14:06). Why do I just do a one to one conversion? I think if you are truly doing the same time and effort then the global stress on your body should be the same. If you overdo and add on more global stress than your body can absorb and improve from then you will just come out of your injury period feeling burnt out. This doesn't mean you can't increase your training, but I would suggest increasing it in the same gradual progressive way that you would if you weren't injured. Good luck!

Elliptical is fine if you push yourself on it. It can be great for intense interval training. I qualified for the Boston Marathon using the elliptical machine almost exclusively for training.

James Orden wrote:

Elliptical is fine if you push yourself on it. It can be great for intense interval training. I qualified for the Boston Marathon using the elliptical machine almost exclusively for training.

I'm pretty sure I made this thread 4 years ago, or at least a thread like it. I'm healthy now, but thanks for the advice.

Virginia Runner - if you don't mind, did you end up using the elliptical? What advice did you follow? For how many weeks or months did you use it? And what was your original injury? How did you feel when you returned to running after using the machine? Thanks.

Forget the miles/stride conversion BS , big mistake made by cross trainers for rehab etc.

Its the time and heart rate you should be focused on. Your heart does not know wether your running or not. Elevate the heart rate , build the time and intensity as you would a running work out , intervals , steady run etc.

Make sure to warm up and warm down for best effort.

Youre a massive moron. Even if you arent training your body for the pounding of running youre still maintaining/building aerobic strength.

I did so much elliptical training when I was injured a few years ago that I ended up buying one. I aimed at doing 90 min a day - usually 60/30 min and then a "long run" of 90 min. I would simulated fartleks and tempos on it and wear my HR monitor to make sure I stayed in the right "zone" for recovery and hard days. Just because you are injured doesn't mean you ignore training and recovery principles. At one point I had my body composition tested and I was my lowest body fat ever and actually had to worry about putting on some more fat. Ha ha - that was shocking! Anyways, I stayed in pretty good shape - I missed 6 months of running and came within less than second of Olympic A standard...I am not sure if a bit more elliptical training would have made the difference! So I think you can stay in good shape with purposeful training - just do enough to stay in shape / keep the endorphins flowing / but not go crazy. Sometimes it is better to get a bit out of shape so that your cardio is not too far ahead of what your body (ie structure) can handle when you start back running anyways.