For most female strength athletes, the Cardio training not necessarily one of the things they actually enjoy doing. Not least because of this fact, many athletes tend to put essential cardio training on the back burner and resort to many ineffective methods with which they only achieve suboptimal results that are not necessarily conducive to motivation. To show you how to make the most of your time for effective cardio training, we have ranked the best and worst cardio machines in the following article.
Device 1 - Treadmill
- Effectiveness: very good
- Functionality: very good
- Availability: very good
The treadmill allows you to use your body exactly as it was designed by nature when performing the exercise. It is therefore obvious that using the treadmill is the most natural way of cardio training. What's more, the countless adjustment options, such as speed and incline angle, allow you to tailor your workout to your preferences. Due to its effectiveness in combination with its excellent availability and wide range of possible uses, it is not surprising that the treadmill takes first place in our ranking.
Device 2 - Stepped treadmill
- Effectiveness: very good
- Functionality: good
- Availability: good
It is not for nothing that countless doctors and fitness experts recommend climbing stairs for the purpose of everyday physical exercise, because climbing stairs is one of the few everyday movement patterns of modern man that uses a large part of the skeletal muscles, so why shouldn't we also take advantage of this fact in the gym? Compared to the treadmill, the step treadmill is just as effective, although the range of functions is somewhat smaller in direct comparison. Another, albeit less significant, point is that not every gym has treadmills.
Device 3 - Rowing machine
- Effectiveness: very good
- Functionality: good
- Availability: very good
Rowing machines are rightly part of the basic equipment in most gyms, because alongside the good old treadmill, the rowing machine is by far the most effective training device. The great advantage of this machine is that almost all muscle groups of the body are included in the movement process, so that you can complete a high-intensity cardio workout within a short period of time. When using it, however, you should always make sure that you concentrate on your technique, as poor form can significantly reduce the training effect.
Device 4 - Airdyne
- Effectiveness: very good
- Functionality: good
- Availability: good
The so-called Airdyne is a comparatively new type of training device that is in no way inferior to the treadmill and rowing machine in terms of effectiveness. In principle, it is a type of running ergometer, whereby the resistance that the athlete experiences depends on the energy input. The resistance, which is generated by a powerful fan, increases linearly to the energy you input. In plain language: the more you exert yourself, the more resistance you feel. This mode of operation qualifies the Airdyne as the ideal device for short but hard interval training sessions. So if your gym has such an infernal machine, you should definitely take advantage of this benefit.
Device 5 - Spinning bike
- Effectiveness: very good
- Functionality: good
- Availability: very good
The spinning bike is a classic piece of cardio equipment and is highly regarded by athletes from a wide range of disciplines for good reason. There are plenty of these machines in every gym, so you shouldn't have any problems with availability. Depending on how you want to structure your training, you can do both long, moderate endurance sessions and high-intensity interval sessions on the bike. However, you shouldn't be surprised the next day that your sit bones will give you hell due to the comparatively hard saddle. Padded cycling shorts can provide a remedy.
Device 6 - Jacob's Ladder
- Effectiveness: satisfactory
- Functionality: good
- Availability: satisfactory
There is almost certainly a reason why the Jacob's Ladder can only be found in a few gyms, as it is significantly less effective than other machines. Nevertheless, it can still prove worthwhile to integrate this device into your cardio training from time to time in order to provide targeted and varied stimulation. Sometimes, climbing the never-ending ladder can even be a lot of fun.
Device 7 - Skiing
- Effectiveness: good
- Functionality: satisfactory
- Availability: rare
As the name Skierg suggests, it is a device that imitates the movement sequence of cross-country skiing. Accordingly, the upper body muscles are primarily involved in the movement sequence, which conversely also means that a significantly lower proportion of the total muscle mass is recruited, resulting in significantly lower energy consumption. As innovative as the ski erg may be, this exotic movement sequence will be of little use to you in practice, unless you live in the mountains and are actually on cross-country skis in winter.
Device 8 - Arc Trainer
- Effectiveness: suboptimal
- Functionality: limited
- Availability: good
The so-called arc trainer is basically nothing more than a special version of a cross trainer. Although this device is quite common in many gyms, this does not give any indication of its effectiveness. The Arc Trainer was originally designed to make cardio training easier for people with knee problems. The only problem is that the movement sequence is so unnatural that the physiological benefits of training are not necessarily high. So if you have problems with your knees, you should go cycling or swimming instead.
Device 9 - Cross-Trainer
- Effectiveness: suboptimal
- Functionality: poor
- Availability: very good
Basically, the Arc Trainer and the all-too-familiar Cross Trainer are largely on a par in terms of effectiveness and are also characterized by the same features. The reason why the cross-trainer still comes in behind the arc trainer in our ranking is that the latter offers slightly less variety in terms of variability.
Device 10 - Recumbent bike
- Effectiveness: suboptimal
- Functionality: poor
- Availability: good
The undisputed bottom of our ranking is the recumbent ergometer, which, like the cross trainer, can be found in almost every gym. The reason for this dubious honor is obvious, because basically you sit on a comfortable padded chair that takes the supporting work off your muscles so that you only have to pedal a little with your legs. In addition, the power transfer from the position dictated by the device is not optimal, which further reduces the effectiveness. If you want to relax instead of doing an intensive cardio workout, you should sit in an armchair and pick up a good book. Otherwise, we recommend using the alternatives mentioned above.
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