If losing weight and sculpting a toned body is your goal, you’ve come to the perfect place.
When it comes to losing weight, having a well-rounded training plan is essential. It’s about boosting your efforts and targeting specific muscle groups to lose weight.
We reveal the six best gym machines for weight loss!
Get ready to discover the machines and exercises that will push your fitness journey to a new level, one rep at a time.
Table of Contents
The 6 Best Gym Machines For Weight Loss
- Rowing Machine
- Battle Ropes
- Treadmill
- Stair Climber Machine
- Elliptical Machine
- Stationary Bike
That’s our list of the six best gym machines for weight loss. Keep reading to learn the benefits of these machines, and some tips for using them!
Rowing Machine
The rowing machine is a weight loss tool that is highly adaptable. It has the potential to be used to target:
- Glutes
- Abs
- Pecs
- Biceps and triceps
- Calves
- Quadriceps
Benefits of rowing machine
- Burn calories
- Full-body workout
- Low-impact cardio exercise
- Increased cardiovascular fitness level
- Mental health improvements
Burn calories
Rowing is an extremely effective weight-loss workout because it combines cardiovascular intensity and full-body activation. This results in a very powerful calorie-burning workout – you tend to burn 400 to 650 calories an hour. You can develop a calorie deficit and speed up your weight loss journey by including rowing in your training program.
Rowing on a daily basis can help you lose weight and reach your weight-loss targets. Rowing’s constant, rhythmic action engages big muscular groups including the legs, glutes, and back. This increased calorie burn not only helps with losing weight but also helps with general fitness and body shape. It’s one of the best cardio machines for weight loss.
Full-body workout
Rowing, as opposed to other cardio machines that only target lower body muscles, uses your entire body in a coordinated movement. Your legs propel the action as you pull the grip, while your core, arms, back, and shoulders contribute. This broad technique ensures that no muscle is overlooked, resulting in balanced muscular development and increased overall strength.
The quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes are predominantly targeted during the leg drive, providing a firm foundation for power and endurance. The pulling motion simultaneously triggers the back, biceps, and shoulders, developing upper body strength and stability. The repetition of these motions boosts muscular endurance and coordination as well.
Low-impact cardio exercise
Rowing is a low-impact cardio workout that offers a lighter choice for anyone looking for cardiovascular benefits without putting too much strain on their joints. The sitting position and flowing action minimize joint impact, making it a good alternative for anyone with joint sensitivities or prior injuries hoping for weight loss.
This low-impact nature allows consistent exercises that promote cardiovascular health and endurance without jeopardizing joint health. The rowing machine’s gentle gliding action relieves stress on the knees, ankles, and hips, making it an excellent choice for people of all fitness levels and ages.
Increased cardiovascular fitness level
Rowing is a tough aerobic exercise that raises your heart rate and uses more oxygen. Rowing strengthens your heart, increases lung capacity, and improves general endurance by challenging your cardiovascular system.
Rowing requires quite a bit of energy and oxygen supply to the working muscles. This greater demand propels the heart to pump more effectively, increasing its strength over time, as well as your cardiovascular endurance. Rowing on a regular basis will not only help you lose some weight but also improve your cardiovascular health.
Mental health improvements
Rowing improves mental and emotional well-being along with physical well-being. Rowing’s repetitive and flowing motions create a pleasant and meditative experience that reduces tension and encourages relaxation. Endorphins are released during exercise, which improves mood and mental clarity. Rowing is a total-body workout that benefits both your physical and emotional health.
Tips for using the rowing machine
- Never grip too hard
- Don’t use your arms to pull
- Relax your elbows
- Check your posture
Never grip too hard
Never grip the handle of a rowing machine too tightly. Keep a firm enough grip to avoid losing the handle, but not so tight that you tire out your hands, get stiff forearms, or hurt your palms.
Don’t use your arms to pull
As you push your legs, hold your elbows straight. It’s all about the muscles in your legs, not your arms. When your arms flex, you’ll struggle to transfer force from your legs.
relax your elbows
Never raise your elbows. Don’t fold them in too tightly, either. Maintain a natural angle and stay away from making a chicken wing shape!
Check your posture
Bend at the hips and maintain proper posture. Make sure you’re sitting tall, so raise your chest. Keep your lower back and shoulders from sagging. We don’t want you to tense up, either, so check that your body is relaxed and not too stiff.
If you’re unsure how to use the rowing machine and you’re worried about hurting yourself, check out this video on how to use the rowing machine.
Rowing machine exercises for weight loss
- Renegade rowing
- Row and burpees
- Pump and row
- Rowing and core
Renegade rowing
By mixing regular rowing with renegade rows, you can focus on the back and core. The faster you row, the quicker you’ll reach your goal. Begin by holding two light/medium dumbbells and holding a high plank. Do three renegade rows, rowing once with each arm and finishing with a pushup.
Step onto the rower, check that your screen is on zero, then row until you’ve burned 8 calories. Do this on the minute, every minute. Complete five rounds, adding a calorie each time.
Row and burpees
This rowing workout will force you to keep your pace; if you don’t, you’ll have to perform burpees as a penalty. You’ll row 500 meters five times. You should aim to complete each row in 1:40. Rest for 5 minutes between rounds. If you take longer than 1:40 to finish, count how many seconds you were behind and complete that many burpees.
Pump and row
Row 100 meters as fast as you can, then perform five bodyweight squats and five pushups. To complete the round, perform five feet-elevated mountain climbers. Increase the intensity of each exercise every round, for example, rowing 200 meters with 10 squats, and so on.
Rowing and core
This workout is excellent for combining cardio and core work. For a perfect full-body cardio and core workout, you’ll stack up reps of a core workout with calories on the rower. Begin with 20 calories on the rower and 20 knee tucks each round, increasing by 10 every time until you reach 50. Once you’ve completed 50 of each, go back down, lowering by 10 until you hit 20 again.
Battle Ropes
Battle ropes work out most of the muscles in your entire body. These are the main muscle groups targeted:
- Arms
- Abs
- Upper back
- Lower back
Benefits of battle ropes
- Full-body workout
- Portable
- Low-impact muscle-building
- Improves balance
Full-body workout
Battle ropes provide an extensive workout that activates many different muscles at the same time. They offer a great and simple workout that targets all main muscle groups for balanced strength and growth. They’re also great for burning fat at 10 calories per minute.
Portable
Battle ropes can be easily moved and set up in any spot where you want to work out. Battle ropes are lightweight and have a compact design. They are great for people who are always on the go or have limited room. Battle ropes, unlike bulkier training equipment, can be neatly folded up and kept in a gym bag or backpack. This means you can keep up your workout routine no matter where you are.
Low-impact muscle-building
Battle ropes allow you to activate your muscles in a controlled way, reducing your risk of injury. Battle rope exercises’ rhythmic, wave-like motions primarily target the upper body, including the arms, shoulders, and core muscles. It also offers an efficient aerobic workout. The constant resistance provided by battle ropes helps develop muscular endurance and strength over time.
When you do exercises like slams, waves, or spirals, you’re challenging your muscles to stabilize and create force. This results in muscular growth and definition. Battle ropes also provide a wide variety of intensity levels, allowing people of different fitness levels to customize the workout to their own goals.
Improves balance
Including battle ropes in your training program could help you improve your balance and stability. While battle ropes seem to focus solely on upper body strength, they actually train your entire body, including your core and lower body. This helps maintain balance.
An unstable environment is created by the rope’s movement. This instability makes your muscles work harder to maintain your balance, which improves your balance over time.
Tips for using battle ropes
- Don’t grip too hard
- Keep your knees bent and hips loose
- Keep switching it up
Don’t grip too hard
It’s important to grip the rope firmly, but don’t grip too hard. When you hold on too hard, you will tire yourself out pretty quickly!
Keep your knees bent and hips loose
You may be tempted to squat down low when using battle ropes, but this can create too much tension. Keep your knees bent slightly, hips loose and legs shoulder-length apart.
Switch it up
Battle ropes are great to lose weight, especially in the belly area. However, if you keep doing the same workouts, your body will get used to it and it won’t be as effective. Switch it up!
If you’re looking for some more information on battle ropes and want to know how to use them properly, here’s everything you need to know.
Battle rope exercises for weight loss
- Bilateral waves
- Unilateral waves
- Rope slams
Bilateral waves
Stand with your feet at hip width. Keep a rope in each hand, bend your knees and swing the rope up to shoulder height, then bring them down again. Do this on both sides at the same time; it should look like rolling waves.
Unilateral waves
Stand again with your feet at hip width, and remember not to grip too hard. Bend your knees slightly and engage your core muscles. Swing your right-hand rope first, and then your left as you come down from your right.
Rope slams
Same stance as before, but this time, put tension into the balls of your feet and extend your legs out as you lift both ropes simultaneously. Swing down as hard as you can, and repeat!
Treadmill
The treadmill is considered part of the cardio machines family and works out several muscle groups at the same time:
- Glutes
- Quadriceps
- Hip muscles
- Hamstrings
Benefits of treadmills
- Better heart health
- Great for losing belly fat
- Safety
Better heart health
Treadmills are excellent cardiovascular exercises that can significantly boost your heart health. This is because of their capacity to keep your heart rate consistent throughout the workout. They are useful in the diagnosis of cardiac disorders such as heart disease and arterial blockages.
As treadmills are cardio machines, they contribute to both weight loss and cardiovascular endurance. Training on a treadmill can lower the possibility of heart disease and help build up your heart muscles.
Great for losing body fat
Running on a treadmill can help you lose some pounds and burn fat easily. These cardio machines burn calories quicker than conventional aerobic exercises – in fact, you can burn 350 to 550 calories per hour. To achieve this even quicker, simply run longer and faster on the treadmill.
Safety
This is especially true for female runners, or anyone concerned about running safely in their neighborhood. The treadmill provides a safe location to train without fear of crime on the street.
Tips for using the treadmill
- Start with walking
- Pace yourself
Start with walking
Don’t jump straight into a full-speed sprint! Warm up by first taking a slow walk, then gradually moving towards jogging and then running. Otherwise, you’ll quickly tire yourself out.
Pace yourself
When you’re just starting out, try to avoid high-intensity running for long periods. Break up your sprints with restful walking to be able to exercise for longer.
If you’re looking for some technique tips, here are the basics on how to use a treadmill.
Treadmill exercises for weight loss
The treadmill has over 200 different exercises and programs to try. Here are three of the best programs for weight loss:
- Incline
- Side shuffle
Incline
Most treadmills have an incline function where you can raise the height of the treadmill to feel the effect of walking or running uphill. This targets your calves, quadriceps, and glutes, so try it out!
Side shuffle
Side shuffles engage both your outer and inner thighs. Stand horizontally on the treadmill, knees slightly bent, and increase the speed. Don’t go too fast! Do quick and fast side shuffles, landing lightly on the balls of your feet.
Stair Climber Machine
The stair climber machine mainly works the muscles in your legs. In fact, it’s included on our list of the best gym machines for glutes.
- Glutes
- Calves
- Hamstrings
- Quads
- Core
Benefits of the stair climber machine
- Great for burning fat
- Strengthens your core
- Helps decrease lower back pain
Great for burning fat
Because it’s a high-intensity cardio workout, the stair climber machine is a great choice for fat and calorie burn (you get to burn from 530 to 830 calories an hour). It activates important muscular groups in the lower body, such as the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves, leading to more calories burned and fat reduction.
Strengthens your core
This is one of the best cardio machines that require stability and balance, which activates the core muscles, including the abdominal and lower back muscles. Maintaining an upright stance while stepping engages and improves these core muscles, boosting core stability and overall strength.
Jelps decrease lower back pain
If you’re suffering from lower back discomfort, you can benefit from regular use of cardio equipment like the stair climber. The climbing action improves muscular endurance and strength in the lower back muscles, lowering the risk of stiffness or soreness. The stair climber’s controlled and repeated action can help increase flexibility while supporting good spine alignment in your lower and upper body.
Tips for using the stair climber
- Don’t hold onto the handrails
- Check your shoelaces
Don’t hold onto the handrails
When you rely too much on the handrails, you reduce the involvement of your lower body muscles and decrease the effectiveness of the workout. Keep correct posture and balance without leaning on the handrails.
Check your shoelaces
Take a moment to check and fasten your shoelaces properly. Loose or untied shoelaces can be dangerous, increasing your chances of tripping or being tangled during your workout.
If you want to make sure you’re using a stair climber machine right, have a look at this helpful instructional video.
Elliptical Machine
The elliptical machine has the capacity to work:
- Glutes
- Quads
- Core
- Arms
Benefits of the elliptical machine
- Increases stamina
- Upper and lower body workout
- Improves balance
Increases stamina
Using an elliptical machine regularly can boost your stamina and cardiovascular endurance greatly. The constant, rhythmic action works for many muscle groups and raises your heart rate, resulting in improved oxygen and nutrition supply to your muscles. This gradually improves your stamina and capacity to engage in exercise.
Upper and lower body workout
The elliptical machine offers a total-body exercise by activating both your upper and lower body at the same time. The pedals engage the muscles of the lower body while moving the handles target upper-body muscles. You will burn around 550 to 800 calories per hour with this full body workout.
Improves balance
Keeping proper balance when using an elliptical machine is important. The pedals’ constant action tests your body’s balance and coordination. You can increase your balance and stability over time, which can improve your overall physical performance and lower your chance of injury.
Tips for using the elliptical machine.
- Check your posture
- Don’t put your body weight on your toes
Check your posture
Good posture can help reduce muscle strain and the risk of injury, so make sure you’re standing straight! It also works your core!
Don’t put your body weight on your toes.
When you place all of your weight on the tips of your toes or the balls of your feet, you put more pressure on your knees, increasing your risk of injury and discomfort. This also explains why some people feel numbness in their legs and feet when using an elliptical machine.
Here are some elliptical tips and tricks to take your workout to the next level.
Stationary Bike
This an exercise bike that can work:
- Hamstrings
- Quads
- Calves
Benefits of the stationary bike
- Helps with weight loss
- Low-impact workout
Helps with weight loss
Using this exercise bike to boost weight loss efforts is an excellent plan. The cardiovascular aspect of riding can help you burn more calories (up to 650 per hour!), assisting in the creation of the calorie deficit required for weight loss. Consistent bike rides, paired with a healthy diet, can help you lose some weight and improve your body composition.
Low-impact workout
Unlike running, which can put a strain on the knees and ankles, riding on this exercise bike gives a smooth and fluid action that reduces impact on joints. This cardio machine is suitable for people who have joint sensitivity or are recovering from injuries. You can burn more calories and get some weight loss while also looking after yourself!
Tips for using the stationary bike.
- Try interval training
- Find the right seat height
Try interval training
Interval training works well on this cardio machine. It’s a very efficient workout approach for building cardiovascular fitness, burning more calories, and achieving weight loss. You improve your metabolism by alternating between high-intensity bursts of pedaling on this exercise bike and recovery periods of lower intensity.
Find the right seat height
Before hopping on this cardio machine, you need to make some adjustments. Bend your knee around 90 degrees, until your thigh is in line with the floor. Your seat should be placed where your hip joint is.
If you want more tips on how to prepare for your stationary ride and get the most out of your workout, check out this video on how to use a stationary bike.
Mechanisms of Weight Loss
Diet
Eating a well-balanced, calorie-controlled diet is essential to creating the calorie deficit required for weight loss. Choose nutrient-dense foods like fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats over processed meals and sugary snacks. Use smaller plates and bowls to create the illusion of a bigger dish. Staying hydrated and aware of emotional eating clues helps too!
This isn’t something you do for just a week or two – consistency is key for weight loss.
Exercise
Regular aerobic exercise, such as jogging, cycling, or swimming, helps in calorie burning and fat reduction. Strength training routines are also beneficial as they build muscle, which can increase metabolism and fat burning.
Incorporating high-intensity interval training (HIIT) into your regimen will help you burn more calories in less time. Finding activities you love and sticking to your workout routine is also important for long-term weight loss success.
Metabolism
A faster metabolic rate means your body can burn more calories when you’re not moving, resulting in a larger calorie deficit. This deficit is necessary for weight loss because it causes your body to burn stored fat for energy.
Age, genetics, and hormone levels all have an impact on metabolism. While you have little control over these factors, living a healthy lifestyle that includes regular physical exercise and a well-balanced diet can improve your metabolism.
FAQs
The use of gym machines can increase daily energy expenditure, which plays a role in weight loss. Ultimately losing weight comes down to burning more calories per day than you consume. Using gym machines is one of many ways to increase the number of calories burned per day.
To successfully support weight loss, aim for at least 3-4 days of moderate to strenuous activity using gym machines every week. Consistency is important for best results. A caloric deficit of 200 to 300 calories per day is a good goal to shoot for sustainable weight loss.
