There are several things you need to consider every time you use your elliptical machine. Maintaining proper form during your elliptical workout session is the key to ensuring you realize better results and within the shortest time possible.
Always ensure you stand tall and maintain correct posture during your workout. Your head should be upright and above the shoulders while the shoulders are in a position above your hips.
The upper body workout is achieved by having pull and push on the handles otherwise holding on won’t bring much workout benefits.
However remember, grabbing the handlebars can only result in fatigue on your shoulders and forearms, and this can make you feel like learning on the machine, which is a common mistake many does.
This is because learning can significantly reduce your muscle strengthening and fat-burning effects that reducing your performance as well as straining your back and shoulders.
Watch your speed during workouts. Increase your revolutions per minute (RPMs) gradually but remember too high speed can cause some distress. Some machines use the strides per minute. Working too fast on your elliptical can result in high momentum, and this may cause the muscles not to engage in the workout fully. Now you will know how to use an elliptical machine properly.
Here Is How To Use An Elliptical Machine For Weight Loss
Three easy exercises are give below to lose your weight on the elliptical machine. Several types of workout are mainly designed for helping you realize your weight loss goals as well as the general physical stamina. They include;
1. Forwards and backwards.
This exercise comprises interchanging between backwards-moving and forward-moving sessions. For better outcomes, you can have these two exercises done simultaneously and for the same periods or one done at longer duration than the other throughout the exercise session. You will be adding your total amount of training time gradually as well as adding other challenging motions for your more significant workout challenge.
2. Incline challenge
This exercise involves increasing the incline on the elliptical to add more resistance to the movements. Start slow and gradually increase the amount of time at a particular slope before attempting the next level. This can be combined with the forwards and backwards motions.
3. High-intensity interval training.
It involves incorporating a short interval increase of the intense workout with a slower pace and lower resistance period for a more extended period. You can as increase your speed and incline for about 20 to 30 seconds, followed by a slow down for 60 to 90 seconds and then repeating the process thrice. Remember a rest during the workout is very important; otherwise, you might wear yourself very quickly. The high-intensity interval training has been shown to burn more calories within a shorter duration of a workout session.
Tips for Using the Elliptical.
Shoes: Having an effective elliptical workout demands some particular shoe types, particularly the cross trainers or the running shoes. These shoes have been designed to fit in your foot correctly while at the same time offering a perfect arch for stability, support and cushioning.
The road running shoes are generally flexible and light and mainly designed to work well at flat surfaces, more optical over the trail runners for your elliptical and even tread pedals. Although the cross-trainers are primarily designed with a stable and full outsole which offers support and stability for your ankles and feet. However, cross-trainers lack adequate cushioning which renders them a relatively poor choice for your actual running, but they will work well on your low-impact elliptical workouts.
How to maximize your elliptical workouts
Most elliptical workouts utilize various effort levels that follow a 10-point rate of supposed exertion scale and 10 is the lowest intensity level. Remember to go for the handles during the warm-up, rest intervals and the cool down since this ensures your upper body and arms to get to rest while at the same time engaging your core as well as engaging your balance.
Short Intervals and High-Intensity workouts (30 minutes).
Settings: Depending on the type of the machine you are using, select short interval program in your devices. For those machines that lack this program, you can use the manual mode to control the resistance. Set your machine ramp (incline) at low or moderate resistance.
After the warm-up session, about three-minute use the machines interval program often 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
If you are using the manual mode, adjust the resistance to an effort to that is close to eight or nine for the ten extension scale for about three minutes. Remember pulling and pushing the arms handles can help you increase the RPMs.
Slow your RPMs and reduce the elliptical machine’s intensity for a resting period that should be equal to the workout interval. For instance, if you have two minutes of the hard range, then ensure a two minutes resting period. The extension period should be approximately two or three times for this session.
During the rest period, reduce your intensity as well as slowing the RPMs, which should be of equal length with the hard interval session. (For instance one minute of rest session, one-minute hard workout session). For every third session of the hard interval, ensure to pedal backwards.
To burn maximum calories on your elliptical trainer, repeat this interval for about half an hour of the total workout time and then followed by a relaxed, down session for about three to five minutes for the rest session, easy effort workout.
Hill Climber (45 minutes).
Settings: Pick the Hill program that progressively increases resistance and the incline height for over three to five minutes before providing a rest period. You can as well as adjust these ups and downs manually using the control button. Most machines support four to six hill repeats per exercise.
Start with a warm-up for about three to five minutes. Have your first hill and record the time taken. During other intervals, distribute the hill time into two halves as you do the following.
Maintain your hands particularly on the middle of the swinging handle arm, which focuses on lower back muscles workouts since it mimics the rowing workouts.
During the second phase, hold the top of the handle as you put forth effort in your pulling and pushing session. Your aim should be ranging to over eight by the time you terminate this interval.
In case you a healthy workout, particularly at the end of this session, lean forward hold down hard to recover over the hill. Continue with the hill up workout until you attain your 40 minutes of the entire exercise before cooling down for about five minutes. This is how you should use an elliptical machine for weight loss.
