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Everyone loves getting the most out of their workouts, which means pushing yourself, finding ways to get motivated, and using exercise machines correctly. In this article, we’ll cover the best ways to maximize your home elliptical workout to keep your body in great shape.
Every trainer will tell you that proper form is imperative to your workout. You won’t activate the proper muscles when you have the incorrect stance and could risk injuring yourself. As you stand on the elliptical, your feet should remain flat throughout the workout. If you begin leaning towards the machine for support, it’s time to take a break or end the exercise for the day. Similarly, your back should remain straight as you engage your core.
As you focus on your posture, you should also hold onto the moving handles of the machine to give your arm, back, and core muscles more of a workout. You’re already exercising, so why not activate other key areas of your body?
Having proper posture on the elliptical gets you a two-for-one deal. While this is an aerobic workout, you engage those parts of your body by working the right muscle groups. Getting a toned physique requires cardio and resistance training.
Doing the same workout daily gets boring in a hurry, which can lead to a lack of motivation. Instead, aim to vary the speeds, incline, and resistance on your elliptical so each workout has challenging areas. If you need a challenge, experiment with different settings on your workout machine. As you increase the resistance, you may have a more challenging time keeping up with your usual pace, which is normal.
Fitness experts recommend varying inclines and resistance daily, depending on how often you work out. Keeping both at high settings can lead to injury if done too often since your muscles won’t have a chance to recover.
Think of ways to keep yourself entertained while using the elliptical to help the time fly by. While you can watch TV during your workout, many advise against this because you’re less likely to push yourself, especially if you get invested in the show or movie. However, this doesn’t mean ruling it out completely if you can’t imagine exercising without it. Instead, set a timer to do interval training on the elliptical; spend a few minutes at lower speeds, then exercise at short bursts and while exerting maximum effort.
Another popular way of making a workout more fun is by listening to music. Create a playlist of all the songs you love that get you moving. The right beats can help stimulate your brain and give you the necessary motivation.
As you investigate the perfect song, hop online and type “Workout music between 120 and 140 bpm” into the search bar to find the ideal tempo. Most trainers recommend aiming for this range because it can help increase your pace. Remember to avoid slower music, as it tends to relax us and won’t give you the energy burst you need.
Think about your workout goals and, more importantly, the reason why you want to exercise. While some of us hit the elliptical to get in shape, others enjoy exercise as a natural stress relief. We all have different reasons and goals centered around our fitness routine. Jot down the progress you’d like to see, plus a deadline to keep yourself on track.
So, if you want to lose five pounds within two months, jot this down. Consider whether you also want to build muscle. Doing this helps you determine which setting to use on the machine and enables you to determine how far you’ve come. Your goals should always be something that you can reach with an appropriate amount of effort. Aiming too high can lead to frustration, but by making things too easy, you won’t push yourself, and progress may take longer.
No goal is too big or too small, and you should note all your progress in a journal or on an app. At the end of each workout, jot down:
After writing all this down, think about how you physically felt. Was the workout too easy or too hard? Noting all of this helps keep you on track with your goals.
Most of us only move in one direction on the elliptical—forward. And while this will give you a wonderful workout, one way to maximize your home elliptical workout is by moving backward. Moving forward engages your glutes and hamstrings, while moving backward will activate muscles in your calves and quads. Going in both directions gives all your leg muscles an even workout.
Consider varying your direction halfway through exercising or set days for moving forward on your elliptical and days for going backward. Remember to keep your back straight as you move backward and hold onto those side rails. You’d be surprised how much changing directions challenges your body.
Warmups and cooldowns are both key to a great workout. A warmup exercise gets your muscles moving and allows your heart rate to increase steadily. Cooldowns do the opposite since they slowly decrease the heart rate and give you time to stretch. This can help prevent the risk of injury during or post-workout so you can remain focused on those fitness goals!
When creating your home gym, quality equipment should be the top priority. While a higher-end elliptical may be more expensive, it will last longer and likely has more settings to help you track your workout. California Home Fitness has elliptical machines for sale built to last for years of use. Our machines have 20 different levels, so you can always challenge yourself and create new workout goals.
Great equipment helps you get the most out of your workout. Create new challenges and fitness goals so you always feel motivated to get your body moving. If you keep on track, you’ll achieve your workout targets in no time!
