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How To Use An Elliptical Machine For Effective Workouts

How To Use An Elliptical Machine

The elliptical machine is one of the most used pieces of cardio gear in most gym cardio areas. It’s also a popular home gym cardio choice. To get a good workout, though, you have got to know how to use it properly.

The elliptical can appear quite daunting to first time users. In this article, I will explain step by step how to use an elliptical machine. I’ll also provide tips on how to make your elliptical cardio workout more effective and provide sample elliptical workouts for both beginners and experienced users. By the time you finish reading, you’ll know everything there is to know about how to use an elliptical machine.

Elliptical Machine: Different Components Explained

An elliptical trainer consists of large foot pedals that move in an elliptical motion on a track. The power comes from a flywheel, which may be positioned at the front or rear of the machine. It also features two sets of handles.

One set of handles is affixed to the front of the main frame just below the monitor. These handles are positioned vertically and do not move. They are designed to hold the upright body in a static position to allow the legs to do the bulk of the work.

The other set of handles are in the form of movable arms. They are designed to be pulled and pushed by the arms to provide a full body workout. These arms are connected to the foot pedals so that they move in unison with the legs.

The fixed handlebars on most ellipticals will have heart rate sensors built into them. This allows the user to get a pulse reading on the monitor that is taken from the palm.

Most elliptical trainers feature either a display screen or a full monitor. Cheaper home ellipticals will have quite a simple monitor that provides a running record of your key training data, including time, distance, strides and heart rate. More expensive ellipticals will include a monitor screen that displays visuals. Some will also allow you to screen workout videos from training apps.

Click here to learn how an elliptical/bike combo can help you reach your goals.

How To Use An Elliptical Machine - Proper Elliptical Technique

Elliptical Machine - Proper Elliptical Technique

1. Stand Up Straight

Before you step on the elliptical, you should set the foot plates in the down position. Now step up onto the machine and stand up straight. The hips, knees and ankles should form a straight line. 

Maintain an upright upper body position, with your spine in a neutral position. Do not hunch your shoulders forward. Instead, draw your shoulder down and back and lift your chest to achieve a proper posture. 

Maintain this tall upper body position throughout the entire movement.

2. Use The Swing Arms

Grab hold of the moving handles, holding them with a loose neutral grip. Move the arms in unison with your leg movement, being sure to get a full arm extension and contraction on every stride. This will provide a full body workout.

3. Don't Stand On Your Toes

Avoid the tendency to rise up on your toes as you perform the stride movement. Your foot positioning on the elliptical should be the same as if you were running. That means that you will roll through the length of the foot on each stroke.

4. Start Moving

Start Moving

Start the exercise by pushing forward with your right leg and simultaneously pulling the left movable arm back. Drive the right knee forward to floor the track movement pattern. Drive through the heel and butt muscles to initiate the lower body movement.

Continue the workout by alternately moving the legs in elliptical pattern while also pulling and pushing the arms back and forth.

Check out the best ways to lose belly fat at home.

5. Skip The Television

Watching TV or Netflix while doing cardio can make the time go quicker. But it can also be a distraction that can rob you of some of your workout benefits. To get the most out of your elliptical training, you need to be fully engaged with what you are doing. You can’t do that while focusing on a TV screen.

Instead of watching TV, you should plug in your headphones and train along to your favorite tunes. Pairing music with exercise has been shown to lead to more effort and greater workout satisfaction.

6. Turn Up The Resistance

It makes sense to start with a light level of resistance when you are new to elliptical workouts. As you progress, however, you should begin to increase the tension on the resistance dial.

Once your warm up period is over, you should gradually increase the resistance until you are at the point that you can no longer maintain a conversation. Maintain this pace for a few minutes then gradually start to reduce the resistance until you are back to your warm up level.

7. Increase The Incline

Increasing the incline will make your elliptical workout more intense. It will make your quads, glutes and calves stronger than if you were exercising with no incline. The greater the incline, the more calories you will also burn.

Look for an elliptical machine that has an auto incline function. This will allow you to adjust the incline throughout the workout.

Click here for our review of the best underbed treadmills on the market.

8. Pedal Backward

Pedaling backward will transfer the bulk of the lower body effort from the glutes and quadriceps to the hamstrings. I recommend doing half of your workout with a forward motion and the other half using a reverse stride. This will allow you to give emphasis to both sides of your upper legs.

9. Add Intervals

Most people I see on the elliptical trainer down at my local gym are maintaining a relatively slow steady pace for the entire workout (usually while watching a TV screen). This is not the most effective way to train.

Interval training, where you intersperse faster training with more moderate periods, has been shown to burn more calories and have greater cardiovascular benefits. During the high intensity periods, you need to give it your all.

10. Don't Rely On Preprogrammed Workouts

Don't Rely On Preprogrammed Workouts

Preprogrammed workouts are generally designed for beginner exercisers. They will soon become too easy for most people. If you continue to use them, your body will not be challenged enough.

Consider the preprogrammed workouts to be a starting point for using the elliptical. Once they become easier, add time, incline and resistance to keep them challenging or do your own workout.

How To Use An Elliptical Machine: Understanding Key Functions And Data

Elliptical Machine: Understanding Key Functions

Resistance

Most elliptical trainers use a magnetic resistance system. This involves positioning a magnet on either side of the flywheel. The magnets are connected to the control knob. When you turn up the resistance, the magnets move closer to the flywheel to make it harder to turn.

Incline

Some ellipticals allow you to adjust the incline of the foot pedals. This places more emphasis on the posterior chain muscles. A high incline also makes the body work harder and burn more calories.

Pre-Set Programs

Pre-set programs are created by a fitness professional or personal trainer and based on training zone, fat burn and other fitness journey goals. Here are the most common pre-set programs:

Distance Challenge

This program challenges you to complete a set distance in the fastest possible time.

Calorie Challenge

This program sets a calorie burn target that must be achieved before you can complete the workout.

Interval Training

This program will automatically adjust the intensity between fast and slow and hard and moderate.

Heart Rate

Most ellipticals will include pulse monitors on the handles. These may be on the movable or the fixed handles or both. These types of pulse monitors are not overly accurate. The best way to monitor your heart rate on an elliptical or any other type of cardio machine is to use a chest strap monitor.

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How To Make Your Elliptical Workouts More Effective

How To Make Your Elliptical Workouts More Effective

To make your elliptical workouts more effective, you should maintain an upright body position throughout the entire workout. That means that you should avoid the tendency to lean onto the fixed handles. Doing so will transfer some of your bodyweight onto the frame of the machine. This reduces the resistance on your body, resulting in a reduced calorie burn.

Do not lift your toes off the foot pedals at any time. Avoid gripping the handles too tightly and work to achieve a full range of motion with every foot and arm stride.

Elliptical Workout For Beginners

Minutes

Resistance

Incline

0 – 2 (warm up)

2

2

2 – 4

5

5

4 – 6

9

7

6 – 8

10

9

8 – 10

7

7

10 – 12

10

9

12 – 14

6

8

14 – 16

9

7

16 – 18

5

6

18 – 20

10

9

20 – 22

6

7

22 – 24

9

6

24 – 26

5

8

26 – 28

4

4

28 – 30

2

2

HIIT Elliptical Workout

For this HIIT workout, you alternate a minute of high intensity work with a two-minute recovery period. Go all out on the intensity work period, but not at the expense of proper form.

Minutes

Resistance

Incline

0 – 2 (warm up)

2

0

2 – 4

3

1

4 – 5

9

2

5 – 7

5

3

7 – 8

10

4

8 – 10

7

5

10 – 11

10

6

11 – 13

6

7

14 – 16

8

6

16 – 17

10

8

17 – 19

6

4

19 – 20

9

9

20 – 22

4

2

22 – 23

10

9

23 – 25

5

5

25 – 26

9

8

26 – 28

4

4

28 – 30 (cool down)

2

2

A 15-Minute Elliptical Workout

Here’s an intense 15-minute workout for when you are short on time.

Minutes

Resistance

Incline

0 – 5

2

4

5 – 10

7

7

10 – 11

10

7

11 – 13

8

3

13 – 15

3

3

Top Tips For Using Elliptical Machines

Tips For Using Elliptical Machines
  • Pay Attention To Good Posture
Maintain an upright posture, do not hunch your shoulders and never lean on the fixed handles.
  • Warm Up & Cool Down
Ease in and out of your workouts with a slow pace. Then gradually build up to your working pace. Similarly, ease down in intensity over the last 2 – 3 minutes of the workout.
  • Incorporate Speed And Multidirectional Intervals
Avoid the tendency to maintain a moderate, steady state pace throughout the workout. Mix it up with a range of speeds, resistance levels, backward and forward motion and foot pedal inclines.

Frequently Asked Questions

The correct way to use an elliptical machine is to get onto the machine and assume an upright position, with hips, knees and ankles in line. Grab the movable handles and then begin by driving the right knee forward and up. At the same time bring the left arms back and down. Continue this alternating movement, getting a full range of motion on each stride.

A beginner should use an elliptical machine for ten minutes per session, three times per week. Gradually build your way up to doing the workout for 30 minutes per time, three days each week. You should begin with a light resistance and slowly increase it as you get stronger and fitter. This will keep the workout challenging.

To use an elliptical at home, you should position the machine in an area that will allow you to get a full stride without obstruction. That will require at least a meter (3.2 feet) of space all around the elliptical. Stand on the machine in an upright position and grab the movable handles. Begin striding, bringing the knee high and keeping the toe down.

Yes, you should stretch before using an elliptical. The form of stretching you should do are dynamic stretches that move your muscles through their full range of motion. Focus on stretches for the glutes, hamstrings, quads and back muscles. Do a couple of sets of 10 reps for each body part.

It is better to go fast on the elliptical if your goal is to burn calories and lose body fat. The ideal workout will include a combination of both fast and slow training in the form of high intensity interval training. This will burn maximum calories during the workout and raise your metabolism after the workout.

Conclusion

The elliptical is one of the best cardio exercises you can do. Follow the guidelines provided here to make sure that you know how to use an elliptical machine. Use your elliptical several times per week for 20 – 40 minutes for the best results.

Check out our research into the best elliptical machines on today’s market.