Last Updated on November 4, 2021 by Jeff
Anybody can use elliptical machines, as they have the versatility of offering both high and low resistance training. For those who want intensity or high resistance for maximum calorie burn, the flexibility of adding resistance targets compound areas of the body.
Many gym-goers like to have an elliptical at home, and with that comes the convenience of having your favorite elliptical readily available. Popular models that you can purchase include body rider elliptical bike and body champ brm3671 elliptical dual trainer with seat. However, this comes with the risk of not using them correctly as well.
Not using an elliptical properly can compromise the effectiveness of your workout or even lead to painful injuries. So, we will be sharing top elliptical do’s and don’t from our fitness pros to help you get the best from your high resistance elliptical.
Tips to Use a High Resistance Elliptical
These tips will give you practical guidelines on what to do and what not to do when using your high resistance elliptical machine, enabling you to get effective results when performing high resistance workouts.
Do’s
Maintain a Good Posture 
Maintaining proper posture might take some effort at first, but soon enough, your body will automatically affirm itself to stand in the right way with your back protected. When using high resistance ellipticals, it’s crucial to not slouch and rest your arms on the machine, as repetitive movements on ellipticals require all your joints and muscles to be aligned.
Stand up tall and add equal pressure on both your feet and legs, with your lower body taking the main brunt of the weight. Maintain relaxed shoulders while pushing and pulling so that you protect your upper back and avoid a tight neck.
Add Intervals of Speed 
Don’t think that speed isn’t a good thing; it does help keep your body “on its toes” by keeping it guessing.
When you have a consistent workout pattern, your body knows what’s going to come next. Still, if you surprise it now and then with high-speed intervals, it will respond by burning more calories and working muscles harder, giving you a quality workout.
High-intensity intervals will improve your aerobic capacity, which has immense health benefits and will continue to burn calories even after the workout is complete.
Reduce Screen Time 
We understand it’s hard to part from your smart devices, but it can be dangerous if you’re focusing on something on your device and not paying attention to your footwork. Scrolling through Instagram while working out causes your brain to lose focus on your body, and you probably won’t be putting in 100% effort.
Not working hard enough isn’t just a waste of time, but it’s also a risk to your body when your focus is halved.
Listening to music while working out is OK. As long as you maintain focus on your feet and what you’re doing, your brain will obtain the full advantages of your high resistance elliptical.
Place Equal Weights Everywhere 
You must place equal weight on both your legs and feet. Putting too much weight on your feet or pushing hard with your toes can affect your posture and compromise your knees by placing them at a risky angle.
As a general rule, you should make sure your foot has equal amounts of weight by shifting the weight on the midsole to the heel so that your whole foot is kept in contact with the pedal during the entire stride.
Have Days Off 
If you’re a complete newbie, then start with 10 minutes a day a few times a week. Then, for the rest of the week, have a rest or do some low-impact workouts just to maintain your body’s capability for the high-resistance elliptical workouts.
Rest days aren’t wrong, and you shouldn’t feel guilty for them. They allow your body time to recover before your next high-resistance workout and allow muscles to grow. It’s more likely that a moderate approach will make you look forward to your workout and will enable you to stick to the schedule than starting heavy and then giving up after a week.
Don’ts
Don’t Add Too Much Speed and Little Resistance 
While you may think you’re getting an excellent workout by doing 80mph, the quality of your training may not be that effective.
Instead, it can put you at risk of pulling muscles in your legs. A workout on an elliptical isn’t complete without some resistance to make your muscles work rather than just letting your body focus on momentum.
Don’t Add Too Much Resistance 
While adding resistance is good, it’s important not to add such a level that you struggle immensely to move your feet and leave you unable to complete an adequate amount of workout time.
Keeping your elliptical machine on high levels of resistance is OK; make sure you don’t have it on a level that causes you to bend over, compromise your posture, and lead to backaches.
Have it on a level that you can handle and that challenges you. With some exertion and gradually with weeks, you can introduce your body to higher resistance levels.
Don’t Disregard Your Arms 
Your high resistance elliptical offers benefits for your whole body, but only if you let it. If you don’t take advantage of the handlebars, then you’ll be missing out on toning your arm muscles.
Your arms can also take over the brunt of the resistance when you want your legs to do less of the work. Thus, giving your upper body a good workout and letting you perform training like a runner.
Going back and forth between using legs and arms equalizes the strain on your vital muscles. While working out your arms, maintain a tight core, so you feel the benefit of the workout everywhere.
Don’t Focus on Calories Displayed 
Most cardio machines don’t display an accurate measure of lost calories, so always going by what’s shown isn’t the best way of performing your workout. Instead, focus on the time spent working out, the distance covered, and how much resistance you’ve been running on.
An excellent way to monitor your progress is by setting some goals for yourself. Some accurate and measurable goals are the best way to measure your progress. These could be by either adding a little more resistance every day or working out for 5 minutes longer.
An effective strength-building plan will increase your overall muscle mass, thereby improving bone density and building a stronger you.
Final Words
Remember that it’s important to use your high resistance elliptical properly to maximize the benefits it gives. There are certain do’s and don’ts to bear in mind when using it. These are how you use speed and resistance, how you perform your exercises, and the way you hold your body during workouts.
Whether you choose to buy an elliptical for the home, such as the nordic track space saver elliptical and gold’s gym elliptical machine, or head to the gym, the above tips give you the best methods for using a high resistance elliptical.