Elliptical training for weight loss - training program for men and women

What is an elliptical trainer

An elliptical for weight loss is useful because it is a cardio machine on which you can get complex loads. During training, the legs move along an elliptical path to reduce damage to the joints. Hence the name of the device.

At the same time, training on an elliptical for weight loss is equivalent to running. The use of an elliptical trainer is available to people of any age. It is often used in rehabilitation techniques after injuries to the musculoskeletal system. The display of the device helps you adjust the resistance of your feet and the consumption of kilocalories (kcal).

The benefits of the elliptical trainer

Since the elliptical provides primarily cardio exercise, it is often used in the process of fat burning. The benefits of an elliptical trainer for weight loss are high. With a large range of loads, you can change the intensity of the workout. Athletes can exercise even at home, and the effect will be the same as during grueling skiing or cross-country. Beginners have the opportunity to start with light exercises and gradually increase the load.

Visually, the exercises seem easy. However, training on an elliptical for weight loss provides a warm-up of the whole body after only 5-10 minutes; it is useful in accelerating metabolic processes. When exercising with an elliptical trainer, your legs, arms, shoulder muscles, back and buttocks are used.

In addition to losing weight, the cardio machine is effective in strengthening the cardiovascular system. The lungs begin to work better, metabolism accelerates, and the removal of fat and toxins accelerates.

Benefits of the Elliptical Trainer

It is worth listing the following advantages of the ellipsoid:

1. Exercises on the simulator repeat the natural load on the hips, knees, and ankles, as when walking. This minimizes the impact on the joints. Such training is suitable for the older generation.
2. The number of calories burned is equal to those burned during running training, this is an excellent option for cardio to increase your heart rate for fat burning.
3. Metabolic processes are accelerated, so weight loss and toxin removal occurs even after training.
4. Cardio exercise strengthens the main muscle - the heart, which reduces the risk of disease.
5. The endurance of the body and the tone of the whole body increases. This helps to continue the effect of training, increase its intensity and lose weight.
6. Due to the design of the simulator, training on an ellipsoid for weight loss involves all parts of the body (lower and upper at the same time). It is possible to change the position of the body and direct the load on a specific muscle group.
7. The dimensions of the device are smaller compared to a treadmill, which makes it possible to use it at home. An additional advantage is ease of maintenance.

Why does cardio on an elliptical for weight loss not bring results?

Have you been training for more than a month, but there have been no results? Are you trying your best, but the value on the scales has stopped decreasing, frozen at one point, or even started to increase? A good third of newcomers who are focused on a positive result find themselves in such a situation.

This is usually due to the fact that you:

1. By burning fat, you strengthen your muscles. Muscle mass grows, as a result of which the weight remains unchanged, although the volume is steadily melting. There is nothing terrible about this, continue your studies, and in a couple of weeks, the scale arrow will “come to life”.
2. Chose the wrong training program. Each person is individual, and therefore each person needs to select an ellipsoid training program individually. If you study on your own, the likelihood that you have chosen the wrong course is extremely high. To fix this, join a gym. It is not necessary to purchase an annual subscription. Do a couple of classes under the supervision of a trainer, remember his recommendations and comments. Then you can return to home workouts.
3. Give yourself some slack. To lose weight, it is not enough to perform exercises correctly on the elliptical trainer and give 100% during training. Proper nutrition, additional procedures (such as massage or anti-cellulite wraps) and the correct daily routine play an equally important role. Only an integrated approach will help achieve the goal.
4. You do not exercise at full strength, you often stop during training, or you exercise at the same pace the entire time. We have already discussed this point in detail above, so we will not dwell on it in detail.
5. Are you sick? Various diseases of our body (such as inflammation of the thyroid gland, improper functioning of the pituitary gland, etc.) interfere with metabolism and slow it down. Because of this, fat accumulates more intensely and comes off more slowly. If you don’t want to waste your efforts, undergo a course of treatment before starting training.
6. Are you taking any medications/dietary supplements? In pursuit of an ideal figure, people often resort to diet pills or various nutritional supplements. But few people read the instructions for these drugs. Most of the side effects include “stimulation of appetite” and “increase in fat mass.”

There are also less obvious reasons why cardio training on the elliptical machine does not bring results. So, it's time to rethink your weight loss program.

How to use an elliptical trainer to lose weight

The effectiveness of training depends on the correct approach and organization of classes. Each person has their own approach to how to lose weight on an elliptical trainer. Determine the training time that suits your case. People in satisfactory physical shape and without blood pressure problems are allowed to exercise in the morning before breakfast. Others, in order to lose weight, are advised to start exercising only after eating, when 2 hours have passed.

It is worth getting a heart rate monitor, which is necessary to regulate the load. As a rule, it is attached to a finger. Check out your maximum age-related heart rate (AHR). When exercising at home, you can simultaneously watch a movie, video or your favorite show, but experts advise that at first you control your physical sensations by adjusting the intensity.

How much do you need to do on the elliptical to lose weight?

The duration of the training depends on the level of preliminary preparation. For beginners, it is recommended to exercise for 20-30 minutes every other day. The load cannot exceed 70% of the MEP (maximum age-related heart rate).

The recommended step frequency is 50 per minute. The goal of the first training is to get used to the load and further increase the level of activity. This program usually lasts 6-8 weeks.

During the intermediate stage, it is important to repeat the lesson 3-5 times a week (20-45 minutes) with an intensity of up to 80% of the MEP. The permissible speed is 50-60 steps. This program is designed to consolidate your results and maintain healthy physical shape. Increasing the intensity of exercise is only suitable for physically strong people or athletes.

How to prepare for classes on the ellipse

If there are no medical contraindications for training, we proceed to preparation. This stage is no less important than the training itself. Give it insufficient attention, and problems will inevitably arise.

Therefore, for optimal results, consider:

1. What time to start classes. Larks are most productive in the morning, owls - in the evening. Also note that it is better to wait a couple of hours after sleep before starting your workout. And it must be completed no later than 3 hours before departure to the side.
2. How will you eat/drink? If you have recently eaten, you can start training only after 2 hours. After completing your workout, refrain from eating for at least an hour. It is also recommended to take a break of an hour to an hour and a half between training and taking alcohol or medications. If you feel very hungry or thirsty while exercising on the elliptical, take a sip of water. But don’t get carried away, otherwise you risk overloading your kidneys and liver.
3. What will you wear? Choose light, breathable clothes for training, and comfortable shoes. Be sure to collect long hair in a high ponytail or bun to prevent it from getting caught in moving parts of the machine. Take off your jewelry; during class you will start to sweat and it will chafe your skin.
4. Where will you warm up? If you don’t want your whole body to hurt in the morning, you can’t ignore warming up. When performed correctly, it allows you to warm up all muscle groups, so there should be enough space to wave your arms, jump, and perform exercises in a lying position.

Also, do not forget about hygiene products. During training, people sweat quite intensely, so it doesn’t hurt to have a towel on hand during classes, and afterward, take an extra 15-20 minutes to take a shower.

Be sure to read: Jumping rope programs for cellulite and for effective weight loss

Elliptical training program for weight loss

It is necessary to start any exercise with a warm-up: it will help to avoid injuries. For this, a load level of 1-3 with an incline of 5-6 (simulator parameters) is suitable. To warm up, just push the pedals forward for 5 minutes, holding the handles.

If you are stable on the machine, you can simultaneously turn your neck, shoulders, and do arm lifts. And the training program on the elliptical trainer for weight loss is selected taking into account the characteristics of the body structure, sports training and goals.

For burning fat

A tempo five-minute fat-burning workout on an elliptical is suitable for combating unwanted calories. Initial load 6-8 with an inclination of 10.

After 4 minutes of fast pace, remove the incline and reduce the load to level 3. Next, move at a moderate pace for one minute and gradually even out your breathing. After this type of workout, stretch your leg muscles a little - stretching is mandatory.

Interval training

The built-in program allows you to alternate periods of high load and medium intensity. This is especially valuable because interval training on the elliptical is more effective in the process of losing weight and strengthening muscles.

Work according to the 5/40-60/5 principle, where 40-60 is the duration of the main exercises in minutes, and warm-up and cool-down are 5 minutes each. During your main workout, alternate between 30-60 seconds of intense intensity followed by 1-2 minutes of moderate intensity.

Cardio training

The program is important not only in the fight against fat deposits, but also in improving the functioning of the respiratory system, heart and blood vessels. The body becomes more resilient. The muscles become elastic and toned, which will especially please the female sex. Cardio training on an elliptical is available even to those for whom increased stress on the joints of the feet and knees is contraindicated. The main thing is to choose your own rhythm.

Variety in training: we load ourselves to the fullest!

Did you know that the training process on the same simulator can be very, very diverse? So, during class you can:

1. Change the difficulty and intensity of the activity by switching training modes on the elliptical trainer.
2. Load the target muscles more by changing your body position on the ellipse.

Everything is more or less clear with the modes, especially if you have at your disposal an electromagnetic cardio simulator equipped with a special computer. After all, just press one or several buttons on the control panel, and moving the pedals will immediately become easier or more difficult (depending on your personal preferences) or the machine will work according to a certain program.*

* An elliptical trainer, the training program for which is stored in the device’s memory, can only be electromagnetic. At the same time, using such devices, you can not only exercise according to standard modes (for weight loss, to improve muscle tone, to increase endurance, etc.), but also to record your own programs.

As for body position, here you will have to work hard and master some nuances on your own.

• To simultaneously work out all muscle groups, you need to be in the so-called basic position. That is, sit vertically on the machine and keep your head straight.
• To target your glutes and hamstrings, pedal in reverse. At the same time, it is also important not to forget to try to bend your knees quite strongly. In addition, these same muscles can be worked by moving the pedals forward, but tilting the body back and sort of half-squatting.
• If your goal is to pump up the muscles of the thighs and calves, then you need to move on the ellipsoid by tilting your body forward. The back should remain straight - under no circumstances should you hunch over.

Contraindications

The reasons for urgently interrupting exercises are any symptoms of a sharp deterioration in the condition! Before training, it is worth considering the contraindications of exercising on an ellipsoid.

It is not recommended to load the body on people:

• those suffering from hypertension, cardiovascular failure, heart rhythm disturbances, edema;
• those suffering from asthma, thrombophlebitis;
• with severe stages of cancer;
• with diabetes mellitus;
• during periods of exacerbation of infectious diseases;
• pregnant women.

Source

Heart Rate Programs

The program independently tracks heart rate, the user only needs to enter age. It modifies the intensity of your workout to make it more effective without exceeding your maximum heart rate and straining your heart. This ensures the safety of the workout and its maximum effectiveness.

The maximum heart rate is calculated using the formula: “MHR = 220 – age in years.” The maximum benefit from training is achieved in the range of 60-80% of MPP; it is not recommended to go beyond 80%.