Rowing machine vs elliptical

DH wants to get another fitness machine (yet another gathering dust haha) and he is preferring a rowing machine over an elliptical. So I thought I would ask any personal trainers out there (or anyone with more knowledge than me - which is zilch) which is the better machine to get for a good workout.

We currently have a treadmill (gathering dust) and a exercise bike (dust) but we are going to be doing the 12 week challenge so will be working out at night on them, in conjunction with the Wii Fit.

DH has been doing some reading today and has read that the rowing machine is one of the only machine that works nearly every muscle in your body - so therefore is excellent for burning fat. True?

Which brands are good? Which ones to look out for? (oh and not too exxy cos he wants to get it on interest free and I don't :p)

I am not a PT ;)

But have spent a lot of time in the gym, and I can tell you that my heart gets racing a lot more ona rowing machine than it does on the elliptical.

But I also did enjoy the elliptical as it was low impact on my knees, and if I am carrying any extra weight I have a lot of pain when running and get shin splints, so it was good for me as an inbetween machine. I could go on it for an hour and still feel good, but the rowing machine totally worked everything and 15 minutes was enough :)

Probably haven't been much help, but what I found worked for me.

IMHO I would say blokes like the rowing machine and get a great workout from it and women prefer the eliptical. I can't sustain a long training sesh on the rower but can do a good one on the eliptical. But yes I believe that the rower does give a good total body workout and if you are going to do one thing looking for cardio and muscle tone then the rower is your man. With the others you have I think it is a good option.

Ahh thanks guys. I have knee issues (cos I'm so pudgy) and DH is pretty heavy and is now over the weight limit on the treadmill - does the elliptical have a weight limit on it at all? He said the rower he looked at had a weight limit of 140kg for it, which is just probably what he is at the moment.. LOL

Thanks, I'll pass on the info to him though :D

Ellipticals would have a weight limit, but I have seen some big guys using them, but I am crap at guessing peoples weight :redface: he'll have to check that from the place you are thinking of getting them. Are you just going to hire maybe, that way if they don't work for you you haven't committed to fully buying them outright and you can try the other machine?

my elliptical has a weight limit of 100kgs