Getting the Most from Your Elliptical Workout

Ellipticals are a great way to get fit. They offer an excellent way to burn calories which is easy on the joints and muscles. There are many different ellipticals on the market today, and each is a little different. However, there are some tips you can follow to maximize the effectiveness of your elliptical workout, no matter which model you choose to use.

One of the best ways to maximize your elliptical workout is to set the resistance to a level that is challenging for yourself. This is dependent on your own fitness level, but most ellipticals allow you to set the resistance at different levels. The higher you set the resistance, the more calories you burn during your workout. If you are a beginner, you can start at the easiest level and work your way up. If you have been working out for awhile, you may want to consider setting the resistance level to a higher level to burn more calories.

You can challenge yourself even further on your elliptical by taking your hands off the handles. This requires you to balance yourself on only the foot pedals, and can offer a new challenge in your workout. It will also require you to use more power in your lower body to make the foot pedals move if you have the machine set on a higher resistance level. Make sure not to do this unless you are very comfortable with the machine and know you can balance safely. If at any time you feel unstable, use the handles for support.

If you are comfortable removing your hands from the handles, you can also use hand weights to create a greater challenge in your workout. This will require you to balance yourself and provide more resistance, allowing you to burn more calories during the workout.

Many ellipticals offer training programs on the elliptical. You can use one of these programs to experience a pre-designed workout which will keep things interesting as well as provide specific benefits. Check your elliptical's user's manual to see what kind of programs are offered. Many offer programs which are tailored to losing weight, increasing cardio strength, or training for endurance. You can also create your own custom workout by changing your resistance and speed throughout the workout. Varying speed and resistance can help you to challenge yourself and create your own interval training workout.

You can change directions during the workout to work different muscle groups. Pedaling forward and pedaling backward focus on different muscle groups, and will work different areas of your lower body. You can also vary the upper-body muscles you use during the workout by focusing on either pulling the handles or pushing them away. This not only works more muscles, but it will keep your workout interesting and fun.

If you follow these tips, you will soon find that you can get a great workout from your elliptical which burns a lot of calories and is interesting and fun.