The 8 Best Cardio Machines to Push Your Workout's Pace
Slogging away on the treadmill or Elliptical can feel like slow torture. The time you spend on them is monotonous, and you could probably have better results in less time if you switched up your workout.
But you shouldn’t count out cardio equipment just yet. The right machine can accelerate your results and make workouts fun again — especially if you know what you’re doing.
Check out this list of the best and most effective equipment on the market today. If you see one these pop up at your gym, give it a go. Your fat cells won’t thank you, but your newfound six-pack will.
Assault Fitness
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Stepping onto the treadmill to log another mindless 30-minute jog might sound like the most unappealing way to spend a workout — so don’t waste your time. Instead, cut your running time in half and ramp up the intensity with this curved tread, specifically designed for sprinting.
Better yet, the motor-free machine is built to be powered by your strides. There’s no max speed, either, so try your best to push it as hard as you can during sprint interval workouts.
Think you can handle the speed? Try this workout: Perform a 15-second sprint as fast as you can, and then rest for 15 seconds. Keep your chest high and your core braced the entire time you’re running. That’s 1 round. Do 40
Concept2
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This isn’t your dad’s NordicTrack. Professional cross-country skiers use this machine to hone the skill of exploding down onto their poles for more power. While you might not be hitting the slopes any time soon, you can use the Concept2 SkiErg for a grueling cardio and upper-body workout.
“In order to drive the handles down toward your body, you have to use your abs, arms, shoulder, and hips,” says Sean De Wispelaere, expert coach from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. “The power, speed, and strength needed for each rep will jack up your heart rate and make you sweat.”
To make it even more difficult, change up the position of your legs, says De Wispelaere. Holding a deep lunge or inline lunge not only blasts your lower body, but it narrows your base of support, he says. This forces your core to work harder to stay braced and upright as your arms move up and down.
Assault Fitness
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The Assault AirBike might look like it belongs in a dust-filled corner of your high school’s weight room, but it deserves respect. “No one climbs off of one of these thinking, ‘That was easy,’ ” says De Wispelaere, who has seen a few clients almost heave after an Assault AirBike workout.
The reason it’s so tough: The Assault AirBike is a stationary bike without a motor. It only has a fan in its front wheel that provides wind resistance. The harder you pump your arms and pedal your legs, the higher the resistance becomes. “While it’s easy on your joints, it provides an intense aerobic workout that burns a ton of calories in a short amount of time,” says De Wispelaere.
If you’re looking for a finisher to tack onto your regular workout, De Wispelaere recommends sprinting for 15 seconds, then resting for 15 seconds. That’s one round. Do six. If you’d rather test your endurance instead, do three miles as fast as possible.
amazon.com
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Climbing a ladder isn’t so bad. But what if that ladder kept going up and up and up? Suddenly, that ascent becomes a monstrous workout. That’s the idea behind Jacobs Ladder, a self-paced machine that requires you to climb endlessly upward.
Unlike the StairMaster, Jacobs Ladder puts you on a 40-degree angle, which engages your core muscles and takes stress off your lower back.
“It’s fun, because it’s totally different than any other exercise you can do at the gym,” says De Wispelaere. “The climbing action hits big muscles like your quads, glutes, shoulders, and lats, revving your metabolism and burning a ton of calories in the process.”
Concept2
amazon.com
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If you want a heart-hammering workout, look no further than the indoor rower. It requires a coordinated effort from your upper body and lower body, and extreme muscular and aerobic endurance to blast out stroke after stroke. Plus, it’s low impact, so you get the same cardiovascular benefits as running, but without the pounding on your joints. However, not every rower is created equal, says Jesse Ewell, a trainer in Firecrest, Washington. His pick: Concept2’s Model D.
“It provides even resistance unlike other models that jerk or jump when you pull too vigorously,” says Ewell. “That means you can work as hard as possible, while maintaining a smooth ride.” And the harder you work, the more calories you’ll burn. A 185-pound guy can burn 377 calories by rowing at a fast clip for only 30 minutes, report researchers at Harvard University. Try it yourself with this intense rowing program.
Peloton
Peloton
onepeloton.com
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Don’t just pedal away mindlessly on a spin bike hoping for a good workout. Instead, buckle into an intense group fitness class from one of Peloton’s trainers from anywhere using the bike’s connected video screen.
You can drop in on live classes or take them on demand on your own time. It’s almost like having a fitness studio in your own space— minus having to deal with a group of sweaty houseguests when you’re finished.
Schwinn
amazon.com
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You might not have much respect for the elliptical section of your local gym — but if you push yourself and adjust the settings correctly, you can still burn off tons of fat on the machines.
This model from Schwinn can help you do just that. Sync your phone with Bluetooth and connect with the company’s app to cycle through courses all over the world, try out 29 different workout modes, and most importantly, adjust to any of 25 resistance settings to make sure that you actually make it a workout worth doing.
NordicTrack
nordictrack.com
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Don’t just run the same mindless miles on a nondescript treadmill. Instead, tune into top trainers for guided interval workouts that will also take you off the track to use free weights.
The high-tech treadmill offers a shock-absorbent running surface, a 40 percent incline, and over 12,000 guided workouts on demand. You might get tired of running — but you’ll probably never get bored.
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