The elliptical machine is a fantastic choice when it comes to maximizing your calorie burn for fat loss and therefore great for cardio exercises. This is a very low-impact way to get your workout in that works your entire body, toning your arms and strengthening your leg muscles while it torches the body fat.
In this article, we are about to provide you with three extremely effective workouts with elliptical trainers for weight loss calorie burn. This will allow you to train for weight loss on an elliptical every day without getting bored and keeping your body constantly guessing.
Why Use an Elliptical Machine?
Here are four reasons why the elliptical machine should be an integral part of your weight loss program:
- It is an extremely low-impact workout that is friendly on your ankles, knees and hips (low stress on your joints).
- It provides you with an all-over body workout to burn more calories and lose weight.
- It is suitable for beginners, intermediates and advanced exercisers.
- It allows you to burn more calories and less time.
Maximizing Your Time on the Elliptical Machine
Here are four things you can do to get the most benefit from your elliptical workout:
- Make use of the automatic incline function. The greater the client, the more you will burn. The higher incline will also give your requirements, glutes and hamstrings a more intense workout.
- Progressively increase the resistance level to keep challenging your body.
- Make use of the elliptical machine’s ability to pedal in both directions. When you pedal backwards, you place more emphasis on your glutes, hamstrings and calf muscles.
- Involve your upper body in the workout by making use of the movable handles. Move them through the fullest range of motion for best effect.
3 Best Elliptical Workouts
Workout #1: The 15-Minute Interval Training Blast
This workout is ideal if you only have a short time to train. It involves constantly changing the resistance, incline and direction of your effort, including both forwards and backwards pedaling.
Start with three minutes pedaling forward with both the resistance and incline levels set at 5. Then ramp the resistance up to a level 8 for one minute. When you had four minutes, increase the resistance to level 9 and the incline to level 8. At this point you should also switch to backward pedaling for one minute.
Between minutes six and seven, take the resistance down to level 9 while you increase the incline to level 8 and resume forward pedaling. Then push the resistance all the way up to level 12 for the next minute keeping the other variables the same.
Between minutes eight and nine, drop the resistance back to level 10 and resume backwards pedaling. Do this for two minutes.
When you hit the 10-minute mark, switch to forward pedaling, keeping the resistance and incline the same. Continue this for three minutes. Now drop both the resistance and the incline back to level 5 for a three-minute warm down.
Workout #2: HIIT Elliptical
HIIT involves repeated bouts of very intense training followed by short recovery periods. This is a very intense way of training that will get your heart pumping and your calories burning. In fact, it will rev up your metabolism so much that it will be elevated for at least the next 24 hours. This means that you’ll be burning more calories even as you sleep at night.
This HIIT workout will have you setting the incline ramp at level 5 for the entire workout.
Start with a two-minute warmup at resistance level 4. Then ramp the resistance all the way up to a level 8 and push as hard as you can for 20 seconds exactly. When you hit that mark, stop and allow yourself exactly 10 seconds of rest. That 10 seconds will go past very quickly but you need to be strict and start your second sprint immediately when the time is up. Push as hard as possible for another 20 seconds and then rest for a further 10 seconds.
Continue this pattern until you have completed eight rounds of this 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off training. Then put the resistance back to level 4 for a well-deserved two-minute warm down.
Workout#3: 30-Minute Maximum Burn
Our final workout of this series is a 30-minute session that will keep you guessing as it challenges you both physically and mentally. You will only be pedaling forwards on this one and will have longer periods at the same intensity and resistance levels.
Beginning with a five-minute warmup at a resistance level of three and an incline of five. Then whack up the resistance to level 8 and the incline to a level 6 for a further five minutes. Between minutes 10 and 11, keep the same resistance level but increase the incline to level 9. This will provide a hard 60 second targeted workout for your quadriceps and glutes.
Go back to an incline of six, keeping the resistance at level 8 between minutes 11 and 13. Then take the resistance level up to 10 for the next two minutes, dropping the incline back to level 5.
Between minutes 15 and 20, set the resistance at level 8 and the incline at level 6. Once you hit the 20-minute mark, put that resistance level way up to 10 for a two-minute sprint, keeping the incline the same. Follow this with a two-minute recovery at resistance level 5 before pushing the resistance all the way up to a level 12 and the incline to 7 for 60 seconds.
When you have the 24-minute mark, bring the resistance down slightly to a level 9, keeping the incline at level 7. Maintain this for two minutes. Finish with a four-minute warm down at resistance level 4 and an incline level 5.
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Summary
Based on the amount of time you can dedicate, construct your cardio training workout plan by combining these three elliptical workouts throughout the week to provide the variety that you need to burn maximum calories and lose weight while staying super motivated. Do your elliptical exercise training three times per week on alternative days, working through the three workouts that we’ve given here over the course of the week to lose weight quickly.
On the days that you are not doing your elliptical training try weight lifting, head into the weights area of the gym to build muscle while you burn more fat with large compound exercises such as squats and deadlifts. This is also great strength training.
Be sure to follow a healthy diet by monitoring your calorie intake and you will get the fat loss results that you are after. Combining this with a great high intensity interval training makes an effective weight loss plan and you will burn a lot of calories and drop pounds per week. Ideally a calorie deficit diet will achieve results fast but always consult a personal trainer to see if its suitable, especially if you have medical conditions.
As you have read the elliptical is a great cardio machine that works your upper and lower body. Follow the cardio workout plan we have given as part of your elliptical routine and you see results, internal workouts burns calories. These workouts for weight loss are recommended.
