Exercise bike rowing machine or cross trainer

[Welshbeef]

Hi

Me and the Mrs fancy some home exercise and wondering what is the best option for fitness?

Exercise bike
Cross trainer
Rowing machine

?

[gareth h]

They all have their merits, but a concept 2 rower will work more muscle groups, there is a decent forum on the concept 2 website which will provide more info.

[Willy Nilly]

Whichever one you can hang the most clothes off

[JonChalk]

Welshbeef said:

Hi

Me and the Mrs fancy some home exercise and wondering what is the best option for fitness?

Exercise bike
Cross trainer
Rowing machine

?

Agree with reply above - the rowing machine was my choice, until a problem with my right foot prevented me bending my toes upwards - now on an a bike, but would definitely prefer a rower.

[PBDirector]

If you’re not training (or modifying your diet!) for a particular sport or endeavour then the answer is “whichever one you’ll enjoy the most, because if you enjoy it the you’ll do it”

[LimaDelta]

Another vote for the Concept2 Rower. If you want to ride a bike far better to be doing it out in the fresh air!

[Welshbeef]

LimaDelta said:

Another vote for the Concept2 Rower. If you want to ride a bike far better to be doing it out in the fresh air!

I’d love to but when I get home from work it’s bed time & bathtime with the kids by the time that’s done it’s dark so I’d simply not go for an actual ride.

I’m leaning towards an exercise bike as I could wheels it into living area to say do 30mins on it whilst viewing some TV etc. Rowing machine does take up a fair bit of space.



Out of interest what’s a sensible budget for any of the 3 exercise machines?

[Barga]

Welshbeef said:

Hi

Me and the Mrs fancy some home exercise and wondering what is the best option for fitness?

Exercise bike
Cross trainer
Rowing machine

?

What are you hoping to achieve?

[Welshbeef]

Just get fitter / healthier.

I changed earlier this year to (where possible) always use the stairs instead of a lift and Escallator. Attempting to have more meeting whilst having a walk instead of sat in a meeting room (as in welfare in the office).

Eating - we are going for nearly exclusively meals made from scratch (which makes evening exercise more tricky but it’s healthier).
Booze - I only do two days a week I try to cut back but it’s hard. I’ve been on cider a lot the last two years or so and I think it’s possibly worse for weight gain than beer (I don’t drink spirits).

I’m intending of starting to wash and polish the cars myself (weekly... maybe) over a carwash/paying someone else to do it.

Don’t have time to go to the gym - and wouldn’t want to pop to the gym on the weekend which means not seeing the kids.

[anonymous-user]

To help deciding you could hire a concept II for a month to see if you like it/would use it.

[frisbee]

wsurfa said:

To help deciding you could hire a concept II for a month to see if you like it/would use it.

Concept 2s are £800-ish? I couldn't spend that much on a general fitness device. Although I've spent similar money on a cycling trainer.

[anonymous-user]

frisbee said:

wsurfa said:

To help deciding you could hire a concept II for a month to see if you like it/would use it.

Concept 2s are £800-ish? I couldn't spend that much on a general fitness device. Although I've spent similar money on a cycling trainer.

I've got a bkool turbo trainer and concept II at home, the bkool is getting more use at the moment as I managed to give myself golfers elbow through bad form on chins and arm curls......

Bkool was c £400 I think, already had the bike.

Only problem with the good bike based trainers is that you have to change bikes if you're sharing with someone who's setup if significantly different. Watt bike (Atom) you dont but that's c£1.5k I think

[LimaDelta]

frisbee said:

wsurfa said:

To help deciding you could hire a concept II for a month to see if you like it/would use it.

Concept 2s are £800-ish? I couldn't spend that much on a general fitness device. Although I've spent similar money on a cycling trainer.

They do have good residuals, and are fully supported with regard to spares. If you picked up a second-hand one from eBay it is unlikely you would lose much if any money if you decided it wasn't for you.

[telford_mike]

Welshbeef said:

Just get fitter / healthier.

https://www.nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/couch-to-5k.aspx?Tag=Fitness

OP, you don’t need a machine to achieve what you’re after. Couch to 5k is completely free and takes half an hour, 3 days a week. I did it this summer, and combined with some sensible eating lost over 20kg. I'm fitter than I've ever been.

[STO]

I`ve got a cheapo York rowing machine and try to use it twice a week, and feel the benefit, but haven`t lost much weight. Are Concept 2`s really that much better, and necessary for home use?

[Welshbeef]

[eggchaser1987]

Welshbeef said:

I’d love to but when I get home from work it’s bed time & bathtime with the kids by the time that’s done it’s dark so I’d simply not go for an actual ride.

I’m leaning towards an exercise bike as I could wheels it into living area to say do 30mins on it whilst viewing some TV etc. Rowing machine does take up a fair bit of space.



Out of interest what’s a sensible budget for any of the 3 exercise machines?

If your leaning towards the exercise bike, have you thought of a cheap turbo trainer.

I have just got myself one of these, yes I know Halfords but I was there at the time and I was an impulsive mood.

https://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet...

Can monitor how far you have gone, how fast etc. Just load up a turbo trainer video on YouTube and hook the bike on.

Also means you have the bike to go out on if you want to and still keep track of distances etc.

[Willy Nilly]

You'd be more likely to keep at your fitness if you joined a club rather than doing it at home.

[MC Bodge]

If the machine doesn't correspond with a sport that you do outside, chances are you and/or your wife will never use the machine after the first week.

My wife subscribes to a Julia Buckley online fitness course (requiring only a few cheap pieces of equipment). She has stuck at it and is stronger and fitter than she has ever been. Recommended.

[mikees]

Cheap road bike and turbo. I try and do 40 mins on the turbo every day with sufferfest or ctxc vids. Burning an extra 5k calories a week plus a weekend outside ride at weekends. CV is way up and weight drops of you.