Working Out at Home with an Elliptical Trainer
If you are looking to lose excess weight and get in shape quickly, then you should definitely consider purchasing an elliptical trainer instead of the more traditional exercise devices such as treadmills or exercise bikes. Elliptical trainers come with a multitude of advanced features and they provide you with an entirely differently way of exercising.
The most obvious benefit of using an elliptical trainer would be the low-impact workout which is easy on your joints and tendons, and more effective calorie burning thanks to the pre-set workout routines coupled with the heart rate monitor. Last but not least, an elliptical trainer provides you with a full body workout. Since they are so versatile, you can use them in many different ways but if you are on a mission to lose weight and tighten up, consider these two elliptical workouts first:
Interval Training
The entire concept of interval training is based around the idea of switching between periods of maximum intensity 
and those where you exercise at a moderate pace. This principle can also be applied if you are using an elliptical trainer.
You can start out by warming up by for about 4 minutes, and then gradually increase the resistance as your heart rate goes up. Once you reach half the resistance available on your trainer, it is time to begin a 30 second interval where you exercise at full speed, followed by 1 minute of moderate-pace exercise.
As to how many repetitions you can do, it is totally up to you and your abilities. Once you’ve decided to finish your workout, you should reduce your speed and resistance slowly, and cool down by repeating your warm-up routine. This highly efficient way of working out is just about perfect for use with an elliptical trainer.
Full-Body Training
In case you haven’t done your homework on elliptical trainers, you might think that they work out just your lower body. And you would be wrong. The entire point of having an elliptical trainer is to engage your upper body as well. Almost every trainer has handlebars which move along with the foot pedals. Their purpose is not just to provide you with something to hold on to, but also to provide you with a full body exercise. Good quality ellipticals will have many resistance levels to chose from – including handlebar resistance – an important feature to consider when buying an elliptical trainer.
This full body routine is very simple and as always – start by warming up at a medium pace and resistance for about 4 minutes. You follow that up by turning up the resistance and speed in order to increase your heart rate. After 2 minutes at this pace, decrease the speed to medium. Keep at it for 2 minutes, and then gradually accelerate until you reach the highest resistance level available. This kind of workout targets your abs, arms, chest and back. If you want an effective workout on an elliptical that burns calories quickly and produces great results in no time, try out this routine. Each day, try to increase either the time and/ or the resistance levels. Exercising at high intensity can be a great way to get an effective workout in a short period of time – ideal for busy people, and who’s not busy these days!
Don’t forget about taking care with good nutrition – improve your results (and read my articles!)
The real beauty of using ellipticals is the variation you can enjoy. Every workout can be different, varying the intensity, speed, duration and resistance – perfect for all types of people. Add in your favorite up-beat music and you can actually enjoy working out again.