5 Fantastic Elliptical Trainer Tips

An elliptical trainer is a cardio fitness machine that is designed to reduce the impact to your joints with pedals that mimic the action of jogging or running. Most elliptical trainers include adjustable resistance which allow you to increase the intensity of your workout as well as the muscles used.

Some elliptical trainers also come with movable handles, which provides the ability to get a total body workout. Some exercise guru's say that using your upper and lower body when exercising makes your workout more efficient. This is especially true when your exercise time is limited.

Below are 5 Fantastic Elliptical Trainer Tips:

Before and After a Workout

Even though elliptical training provides a total body workout, some of the major muscle groups worked, are the quadriceps, buttocks, hamstrings, back, biceps, and triceps. These muscle groups should be stretched before and after a workout to reduce soreness and the risk of a strain.

Proper Posture for the Elliptical Trainer

• Maintain good posture to get the most out of your workout.
• Stand in a comfortable position with a straight back.
• Keep your hips, knees, and ankles in alignment.
• Tighten your abdominal muscles.
• Shoulders should be back, and your head up.
• Your lower body should be supporting your weight.
• Your weight should be distributed between your heels and the balls of your feet evenly, sitting a little back on your heels.
• If you stick your butt out as much as you can, the elliptical trainer will target your butt, outer thigh, and hamstring muscles, while lessening the strain on your quads.

Focus on Your Strides Per Minute For Cardio

Pay attention to your strides per minute (SPM). SPM is the number of times your legs go around. The elliptical trainer usually shows this number on the console. Try to keep the number between 140 and 160 strides per minute. If you are doing interval training, make sure your sprints are closer to 160 strides per minute.

Interval Training

Interval training is short bursts of quick paced cardio connecting with a more steady pace. It challenges the heart, and can easily be controlled by the elliptical machine because you control the movement faster or slower.

An example would be as follows: Three minutes of steady paced cardio at 140 strides per moment, then speeding the machine for a one minute workout at 160 (SPM). If you feel as if you strides are feeling out of control, when exercising at a higher intensity, increase the resistance.

Go in Reverse Motion

An elliptical trainer is a fantastic machine that goes forward and backwards. This allows you to work different muscle groups, as well as preventing injuries that results from repetitive motion. You can do reverse motion in the same way you did interval training, do five minutes forward, and then go 5 minutes in reverse.

Conclusion

All of the elliptical training tips above give you fantastic information, bit if you never try the elliptical trainer, or keep up a regular routine, the informations is totally meaningless. Here at I Choose Thin, we want you to succeed, and be a winner at this strategic game we called weight loss. Using the elliptical is a choice when your goals are to be thin and healthy.