Yes, when it comes to strength training, or any training for that matter, cardio “machines” suck arse! If they sucked balls or blew… Well then I would be on them ever day. HEH HEH 😉
Anyway, this is just a lil rant about cardio machines and injuries and training in general.
<Begin Cardio Machine Rant>
I was at the gym today and I noticed a very young girl on one of those eliptical running machines. Great!… She’s starting young with a habit of working out. BIG PROBLEM tho…. (wish I had video of it)… She was just letting the machine move her around basically and you could tell there was no stability in her movements. (Sound familiar? Pay attention next time you’re in the gym and you’ll see what I’m talking about).
Also, her knees were not aligned with her stride. She basically looked pigeon toed. Maybe she is, but getting on a machine that accentuates it over and over and over and over again for long periods of time on a regular basis is going to make it way worse and cause injury later in her knees, back, etc etc…
Think about it. You get on these machines that move for you; Like elipticals or stair steppers or whatever, then you use the same exact motion for 20, 30, 40, 60 minutes on a regular basis. So what you’re doing is training your body, and muscles, and joints, to be good only in that “EXACT” range of motion. That’s great if you never plan to do anything in the real world and you’re training for a race or something that involves using a machine.
Get outside or go somewhere and do something different. Consider it a new type of cross training. Crazy cardio runner types consider cross training incorporating weight lifting into their routine. Welllll, why not cross train in other areas that will strengthen your crazy running skills and build other stabilizer muscles that you might actually need.
OK OK, I know crazy cardio peeps that already do this, but don’t you think we should be teaching kids that running on a machine is not the only thing they should be doing? Maybe, just maybe, they should go outside and play. HOLY 5H!T! Ok, never mind. Apparently I’ve lost my mind. 😉
Anyway, that’s my rant. For those of you that constantly use machines for cardio, the only thing I can say is… STOP NOW and go do some cardio cross training like hiking, trail running, playing in the backyard with your kids instead of watching tv with them. HA. Maybe then you’ll stop feeling “old” and you won’t be “hurt” all the time.
<End Cardio Machine Rant>
P.S. Yes, I hate cardio and don’t really do any, but if you must do it, mix it up and incorporate some strength training.
I may act like a 12yr old a lot of the time, but that's because I have a genetic defect that will not allow me grow up. HOWEVER, I do take strength training and fitness very seriously and I love using what I know to help others reach their fitness goals and avoid the bazillion mistakes I've made in my 25+ yrs of training. Since I don't know everything, I never stop learning. Note: I am no longer a "certified" trainer, but I truly understand more about fitness and health now than I ever did with that official piece of paper.
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