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Your Elliptical Workout Might Be Failing, Fix That This Way

man working out on an elliptical
Image: LA Fitness

An elliptical machine is a really effective type of fitness equipment that helps get your heart rate up without the dangers of juddering impact that sometimes accompanies running. This type of equipment is a great one to use if you are serious about burning calories. By correctly adjusting the setting, incline and tension of your elliptical machine, you can also use it to increase your endurance level, toning and muscle-building strength.

If you really want to burn more calories every time you use the elliptical machine, there are certain tips that you can follow. These helpful tips include the following:

Select the most suitable settings for your body size

Choose an incline setting that forces your exertion to be the driving force behind the entire motion of the pedals instead of the momentum of your weight. If you can’t do a cycle of the foot pedals without shifting weight heavily to one side of your body, or slightly bending your knees, you may have your incline setting too high. Keep in mind that if you don’t have the leg length to properly execute each cycle of the foot pedals, you will end up using momentum in order to complete rotations. And using momentum to complete the motion means you burn fewer calories and you’re not giving your body some of the physical work it ought to be doing.

Increase the elliptical machine’s incline and resistance setting appropriately

Increasing the incline will target a different muscle group and intensify your caloric burn. Higher resistance makes it less likely that you are using momentum, which means more intentional movements from your body, and more calories burned. However, as stated above, never go higher than the level of incline suitable for your height.

Utilize intervals

Intervals of higher intensity can significantly increase your elliptical calorie burn total and even give you a bit of temporary metabolic boost. This is because when you temporarily bump your exertion rate up to an intensity that would be hard to sustain over extended periods of time, it takes a while for your body to return to its normal rate of expenditure.

Lastly, use an elliptical machine that enables you to engage or work out your upper body

Whenever you can, use an elliptical that utilizes the upper body as well as the lower body. By doing so, more muscle groups will be involved which means a higher expenditure rate and caloric burn.

Get more ideas about the health and fitness benefits of using elliptical machines on https://www.gympros.com/shop/precor-efx-556-v3/.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dan_K_Summers

 

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