Elliptical machine, Schwinn A40.

Because of the sports hernia, I’m not going to run for a few days, or perhaps I’ll do a walk/run with only a little running. Today I’m glad that we invested in this little elliptical machine, the Schwinn A40. I’ve used it now enough to appreciate it’s features and failings.

Features:

• It has enough resistance for me and is comfortable enough to use.
• I believe the calorie count - it compares well with other ellipticals and with my running.
• The “distance” display shows a value that is fairly consistent with the calorie count.
• It’s one of the least expensive elliptical machines, at $330, yet it is quite sturdy.

Failings:

• The display is very hard to read. Even in a lighted room I need a flashlight, and I’ve attached one with Velcro, but it’s awkward to use.
• The machine makes some squeaking and clicking noises. They’re not so bad that they interfere with listening to TV, however, and might be less if the machine were on a more-stable floor.
• The little battery-powered fan, aimed at the face, is laughable. There is no breeze.

The unit is powered by ‘D’ batteries, and an optional AC power supply is available. The batteries seem to last for a while, so we haven’t looked for a power supply.

The A40 has several different programs, but I have so far only used it on “quick start” and simply set the resistance to maximum. At that setting, the user burns 13 to 14 calories per minute at a turnover of about 70 RPM. A stronger person can run it faster, but might also prefer an elliptical with higher resistance. Oddly, it doesn’t develop the maximum resistance immediately when started and set - the resistance doesn’t build up until several seconds have passed.

Today I ran the elliptical. Time: 30:03, calories: 433, distance: 3.39 miles, speed 6.8 mph. I care about the time and the calories - the rest of the information is a curiosity. I forgot to write down the average turnover rate, but I think it was 68 or 69 RPM. More interesting is my own breathing rate, which indicated a strong aerobic pace, comparable to running at a near-race pace.

Schwinn Elliptical Again

The sports hernia did get a little irritated by last Sunday’s race, so it’s back to the elliptical, which seems to have no effect on the hernia. I do miss running, though.

Stats: 25:44 minutes, 6.74 avg MPH, 2.89 "miles," 67 avg RPM, 373 calories, 121 avg heart rate. That’s what the machine said at the finish. Let’s do some calculations:

67 RPM x 60 = 4020 revs per hour. Divide by 6.74 MPH to get 596 revolutions/mile, or 8.9 feet per revolution. That’s 106 inches per revolution, or 53 inches per “footfall.” However, one foot actually travels only about 17 inches per “footfall,” so the makers of this machine somehow figure that the elliptical motion can be multiplied by three to get equivalent distance. Are they doing bike distance? Naw - I could go a heck of a lot farther than 2.89 miles in 25 minutes on a bike. I wonder if that calculation changes with the resistance setting - so far I’ve only used the machine on the highest setting.

373 calories in 25:44 is 869 calories per hour, which is a very high rate for me. I wonder if it’s true. I was sweating pretty hard though.

25:44 minutes = 0.42889 hours. Multiply by 6.74 avg MPH, get 2.89 miles. OK, that calculation is as expected. The HR of 121 is about what I would expect. It should be in the 130's at that level of effort, but medication holds it down a little.

The Schwinn A40 made a lot of noise this time, a creaking noise on every left-foot downstroke. Later I moved the machine slightly, to a different spot on the floor, and the noise went away. More research required.

Stacy died today. What a tragedy.

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