Whether you’re looking to build physical endurance or boost heart health, the elliptical machine offers a full-body workout to suit your many aims. Of course, this foundational piece of gym equipment can also tip the scales toward meaningful and sustainable weight loss. Experts say that by strategically adjusting resistance levels and incline settings, you can safely lose up to two pounds per week with elliptical training.
“The elliptical is a fantastic tool for losing weight, helping you to burn calories and improve your cardiovascular endurance while minimizing the impact on your joints,” says Amanda Grimm, a certified running coach and personal trainer at We Run.
The key, she notes, is finding the right workout to obliterate calories, work your core muscle groups, and always keep your body guessing. Here are the five best, according to fitness pros.
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1. 12-3-30 Workout
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Last year, the internet was buzzing about the 12-3-30 routine, a new treadmill workout that promised to burn calories, shred fat, and boost cardiovascular health in no time. The numbers in its name represent specific settings on the display: ’12’ indicates an incline of 12 percent, ‘3’ indicates a speed of 3 miles per hour, and ’30’ indicates a period of 30 minutes. And if your elliptical machine has an incline setting, which some do now, you can put this plan into action.
Josh Petrawski, a fitness expert and CEO at Sports and Fitness Exchange, previously told Best Life that this is an especially efficient workout for fat loss, thanks largely to the significant benefits of adding an incline. In fact, he says that even a five percent incline can increase caloric expenditure by about 52 percent. “This number more than doubles to 113 percent at a 10 percent slope,” he explains, citing a 2012 study published by the Journal of Biomechanics.
As a result, you can expect to burn 250 to 400 calories per half-hour session doing the 12-3-30 workout, depending on your current weight and fitness level. While there’s nothing magical about these specific numbers, they do help set a challenging yet achievable goal that should help you see results if you stick to the plan.
2. HIIT-Elliptical Workout
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High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts are a great way to ramp up your exercise routine and maximize calorie burn. Grimm says that you can begin by warming up for five minutes at an easy to moderate pace, then advancing to more challenging settings on your machine.
“Alternate between 30 seconds of hard efforts (on a high resistance and at a fast pace) followed by 90 seconds of low-intensity recovery (at a slow pace, with lower resistance). Repeat this for 20 to 30 minutes,” she suggests.
“HIIT is one of the most effective ways to burn fat and improve your metabolism. The repeated spikes in intensity keep your heart rate high and trigger the ‘afterburn’ effect (EPOC), which basically means you’ll continue to burn calories even after your workout ends,” she adds.
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3. Resistance Climb Workout
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Maximizing resistance on your elliptical can also help you fast-track your weight loss and muscle gain.
“Start with your elliptical set to a low resistance level and aim to increase the resistance level every two minutes until you reach your max effort,” says Grimm, noting that this will typically be around eight to 10 minutes into your workout. Next, gradually lower the resistance back down, and repeat this pattern for 25 to 30 minutes.
“This workout mimics hill climbing, forcing you to engage more muscles, especially your glute and leg muscles,” Grimm notes. “The higher resistance level increases the number of calories you’ll burn, and helps build your endurance and lower-body strength.”
4. Steady-State Fat Burn Workout
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Though changing up your incline and intensity can certainly ramp up your results, steady-state workouts can also get the job done. In fact, the best workout routine is the one you’ll stick to—meaning a consistent, moderate-intensity plan that you can comfortably complete day after day could ultimately prove superior.
To make the most of a steady-state workout, Grimm recommends maintaining a consistent, moderate-intensity pace (“typically around 60 to 70 percent of your max heart rate”) for 45 to 60 minutes.
“Steady-state cardio is the number one method for building aerobic endurance and burning a high number of calories over a longer period in the saddle. It’s also a fantastic option for beginners looking to improve their fitness without excessive strain or intensity,” says the trainer. Always strive to keep your pace steady and maintain good form, she adds.
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5. Weighted Vest Workout
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Wrist and ankle weights can put undue strain on your joints and tendons, especially if you wear them all day during your normal activities. However, wearing a weighted vest during your elliptical workout can help you see changes on the scale sooner—without a high risk of overuse injury.
“That will increase your caloric expenditure and put more resistance on the muscles of the lower body,” said Harley Pasternak, MSc, a celebrity trainer, fitness and nutrition specialist, and fitness influencer, in a recent TikTok post. “Weight vest—no more ankle and wrist weights.”
Content shared from bestlifeonline.com.