How to Use a Cross Trainer the Right and Proper Way?

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Last updated on September 5, 2022

Are you thinking about having a great and sexy body anytime soon? Do you want an effective weight loss remedy? If you are going to look around you will most likely see a plethora of remedies, options, and strategies that you can do to help you achieve such kind of body.

Unfortunately, not everything that you see or hear around is true and effective. This proves to be true when you are looking forward to making your body come up with a beautiful sculpture that’s enhanced with firmer muscular buttocks and thighs.

But with the aid of a cross trainer, you will be able to achieve what you exactly desire for your body the effective way possible.

What is a Cross Trainer?

Do not get yourself confused with cross trainers and an elliptical machine. A cross trainer often comes with a distinguishing feature which is to provide a workout for the upper body.

The upper body workout is just an addition to the lower body workout rendered by an elliptical machine. Moreover, traditional elliptical machines often come with static bars that allow you to grip on to while working out with your legs.

On the other hand, a cross trainer comes with movable bars that allow you to involve your arms and upper body as you perform the workout.

Here, you are about to know everything about how you can lose weight and trim your body effectively with the aid of a cross trainer or elliptical workouts.

Amount of Calories Burned Using an Elliptical Trainer Workout

Consuming a total of thirty minutes in your cross-training machine at medium intensity can actually help you burn around 325 kcal. Such amount of calorie is equal to eight carrots or a choco-muffin. Now if you spend an hour on your training machine, you can burn upto 830 kcal in the process which is equivalent to twenty carrots.

Generally speaking, you can have a greater opportunity to burn more calories the longer you stay on your cross training machine. How many calories should you burn to lose a kilogram? While the body has the ability to burn up to 2,000 calories while it is at rest, you still need to know that around 7,000 kilocalories are required to be burned so as to lose one kilogram. This means you need to be on a calorie deficit state to burn more calories than you consume.

So, this means that you can burn around 5,000 kilocalories while training and the other 2,000 kilocalories or so can be burned by your body while at rest. 

Must You Confine Yourself on Your Cross Trainer in Order to Lose Weight?

In order for the body to burn one kilogram, about 7,000 kilocalories need to be burned.

Burning this amount of calories often entails spending around ten hours at the cross or elliptical trainer. When it is calculated, this simply means that you have to spend 45 minutes to one hour on your training machine for two days a week and two days on your favourite workout routine for the whole month.

Or, you can also perform 30 – 45 minutes of workout every day at a high-intensity level. In totality, you will be able to burn up to 8,300 kilocalories in one month, allowing you to lose one kilo in the process.

But you have to take note that staying at your high-intensity cross trainer for one hour may not be an easy thing to do. Thus, you really have to take the time to adjust yourself or your body to the level of intensity of the machine that you are using to work out. Remember not to push yourself, if you have any health issues always consult your doctor first. 

But if you are really aiming to lose one kilogram of excess weight in a month, you need to follow these rules: Spend one hour of cross trainer workout three times a week.  You can also lose one kilogram if you exercise at high intensity for thirty minutes each day for a period of one month.

Cross Trainer to Help You Gain Muscles and a Beautiful Body

Exercising or working out alone is not enough to help you achieve the kind of body that you want. As a matter of fact, exercises or workouts are more enhanced with the right machines. And in losing weight, you have already learned that calories need to be burned first in order to get in the way to lose weight effectively.

Aside from enhancing your heart rate and balance, the elliptical cross trainer does not only help you in burning calories and losing pounds but it also helps you in toning the muscles of your body as well.

Take note that keeping your muscles well-toned is very important because it determines the appearance and silhouette of your body. Thus, it is very important to conduct regular exercises with the right kind of machine or workout equipment so as to achieve the kind of body that you exactly want.

Gain Muscles to Lose Weight: Two Important Reasons

If you intend to lose weight, it is important that you should be ready to gain muscles at the same time. There are actually two important reasons why it is relevant to gain muscles as you get in the way to achieving a beautiful body through effectively reduced excess weight.

First reason

Why must your body gain muscles as you lose weight? It’s plain and simple. It is because the muscles that you gain, increases your metabolic rate meaning you burn more fat, define your body and its overall appearance.

This means that you will only be able to achieve beautiful buttocks if you workout or exercise regularly. To be able to achieve firmer and thinner thighs, it is important that you should take the time to lose pounds as well.

Thus, a combination of weight loss and trainer workout can help you come up with stronger and firmer thighs. Remember that a cross trainer is categorized as a cardio machine and it has nothing to do with strength enhancement.

With elliptical trainers, you will just have well-toned muscles and you don’t have to worry about having yourself transformed into a wrestler or a bodybuilder.

Second reason

To gain muscles during your interval training is to allow you to get into a virtuous cycle.

Take note that muscles have the ability to burn three times more calories when it’s at rest compared to fat. This gives you the idea that the more muscles you have the more calories your body can burn even when it is not doing anything. This is very important especially when you reach the age of 25 when the body tends to gain more fat than muscles.

Because of this reality, you need to perform regular exercises in order to gain muscles along the way. With an elliptical cross trainer, you will be brought into a wholesome cycle: you will be able to lose a substantial amount of fat, be able to increase the mass of your muscles, and such enhanced muscle mass will help you in the burning of calories even when at rest.

What Muscles are Affected by an Elliptical Workout?

It is your buttocks, thighs, and legs which are being targeted when you perform regular cross trainer workouts.

Aside from these parts, your arms also get positive effects as you continue with your regular training. The active pushing and pulling of the trainer’s bars enhance the biceps and triceps.

In addition, the muscle groups found in your back and abdomen are also positively worked when you make use of an elliptical machine regularly. For example, actively pushing the pedals with the use of your feet can affect your thighs harder; on the other hand, it is your glutes which are being targeted when move and step back slightly and slower.

Take note of this important reminder when using a cross trainer: increasing the resistance of your machine gives you the opportunity to get your muscles worked effectively.

Additional Important Tips When Using a Cross Trainer

The following are other important tips that you need to be reminded of when using a cross trainer:

  • Be sure to set an achievable or reachable goal. Too much time and effort exerted on your trainer every day may not be a good idea because this might lose your self-motivation. If this thing happens then you will be dealing with a phenomenon called the “yoyo effect.” This phenomenon entails the reaction of the body wherein it regains fat quickly, gaining back the amount of weight it had lost. To make a more achievable goal, your target should be to reduce one kilogram each month. This means burning around 7,000 kcal at your cross trainer and staying active to achieve your goal at the end of one month.
  • Create and develop a habit. Be sure to have a specific day and time for your cross training workout and never miss each of the sessions that you made. Come up with a plan that can help you stick with it without the absence.
  • Be able to learn about using a body fat scale. This will allow you to follow the fat percentage evolution of your muscles and body fat.
  • Be sure to combine your cross-training workout with a well-balanced diet. Void eating foods with too much fat and sugar. Don’t go beyond your daily calorie intake too.Proper diet, right knowledge and with the right and proper use of a cross trainer, you will be able to achieve a great body in the process.

Karla Isaac is an ISSA (International Sports Sciences Association) Certify Personal Trainer and Nutrition Coach (ISSA CNC) with over 10 years of experience in Fitness and Nutritional one on one personal coaching. She has lived, work and study in California for 14 years. Karla’s passion for fitness began when she was 22, due to feeling unhealthy and overweight. Ever since she’s been passionate to change her life and help others transform their lives by making health and wellness accessible, so they can achieve their goals for a healthier and a more active life style.

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