If you are trying to lose weight and get in shape, an elliptical trainer can be an excellent investment. Unlike treadmills, exercise bikes and other workout machines, elliptical trainers are designed to provide a total body workout, allowing you to burn more calories and achieve the results you need more quickly. But in order to get the most from your elliptical trainer, you will need to know use it properly.
Make It a Cross Trainer
Many of the top brands of elliptical trainers come with handlebars that are designed to give you an upper-body workout while you tone your calves and thighs. If your elliptical trainer is equipped with cross-training handlebars, be sure to use them to give your biceps and triceps a good workout. Using the cross-training handlebars will also give your shoulders and back a good workout, making the elliptical trainer an excellent replacement for lifting weights. Users can vary their workout by adjusting the tension on the handlebars to be more or less intense. By tightening up the resistance of the handlebars it is possible to get an excellent workout on the arms while exercising the legs at the same time. Using the handlebars on an elliptical trainer is an excellent way to simulate the total body exercise of cross-country skiing.
Enhance the Effects
If the main goal of your elliptical workout is to build your legs, abdominal muscles and lower body, you can enhance your workout by freeing your hands and using only your lower body to operate the elliptical trainer. Letting go of the handlebars and using only your legs to move the pedals will increase the intensity of the workout and help you build the muscles in your calves, thighs, abdomen and buttocks.
One of the best ways to change your workout routine and enhance the effectiveness of your workout is to adjust the tension on the pedals. Most elliptical trainers provide an easy way to adjust the tension, and that makes it easy to vary your workout and continue to challenge yourself. If your elliptical trainer comes with a digital heart rate monitor, you can adjust the tension at the beginning of your workout to reach your target heart rate more quickly.
Vary Your Workout
Many people start an exercise routine with the best of intentions, only to abandon it after a few months. One of the biggest drivers of this high dropout rate is boredom--if you become bored with the same old workout routine you are less likely to continue it long term. One of the best ways to fight boredom is to vary your workout as much as possible. One day use just the pedals to work the elliptical exerciser, making your legs do double time and building the muscles in your lower body. The next day, focus on your upper-body workout, and after that strive for a total body workout. You can also vary the time and intensity of the workout, moving from a short and strenuous workout to a long and leisurely one. Varying your workout routine will help you get the most from your elliptical machine and your exercise routine.
If your model of elliptical trainer does not come with handlebars, you can still use it to get an upper-body workout. Simply purchase a good set of hand-held weights and use those weights to exercise your biceps and triceps. There are many excellent hand-held weights on the market, and these free weights provide an excellent counterpart to the lower-body workout provided by the foot pedals on the elliptical machine.
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