Elliptical Machine

Looking for the best elliptical 2017? Discover the latest 2017 elliptical trainer reviews of top-rated machines along with comparisons, tips more!

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How To Get The Most Out of Your Elliptical Machine

Want to get more from your elliptical workout? Want to burn more calories or see faster results?

No worries that’s what we’ll cover in this post. Use these tips to get more out of your elliptical machine and you’ll see better workouts and faster results!

Why You Made A Great Choice

First of all, you should be congratulated for choosing an elliptical machine in the first place. There’s a reason these are the second most popular pieces of fitness equipment on the market (after the treadmill). They are super-low impact that can give you fast calorie-burning results.

They’re also easy to use. Anybody can use them - it doesn’t take anybody who is super-coordinated to use an elliptical trainer. Men and women of all ages and fitness levels can use the elliptical easily and quickly.

But knowing a few of these fitness hacks can help you get more out of your workout:

Align yourself in proper position

The first thing that you need to do is align yourself to the machine in proper position. You want to make sure you’re standing as straight up on the machine as possible.

A lot of people end up leaning a lot of their weight on the handrails. This shifts your weight and results in less effort expended (translation: fewer calories burned). I know this is tempting, especially when you’re tired from a long workout. But resist the temptation and stand up straight!

Also, most cross trainers come with large pedals. Make sure you place your feet in the right way so that you can stand on it properly without straining your knees and hips.

Always keep your spine straight while using the elliptical machine. Your abdomen area should be tucked inside and the pelvis region should be pushed forward.

You should also keep your head straight and face forward. The best elliptical trainers come with pedals that allow people to stand on them effortlessly during the workout.

By standing in the proper position this way you’ll get a better workout with less strain and stress to your joints. You’ll notice the difference especially after long workouts. Post workout fatigue will not be nearly so bad with these tips.

Handlebar Tips

The elliptical trainer will have two types of bars. You can hold on to the stationery bars properly for balance or use the moving bars to aid in upper body exercise. Your grip should be light but firm.

Some machines have sculpted arm bars where you can grasp the handlebars at different places. This is a great way to change up the muscles you’re working on your upper body.

If you just want to work your legs, use the stationary handlebars to hang on and for stability. You can also lean back a bit to really work your lower leg muscles (just make sure to hang on to the handlebars!)

Moving on the trainer

While moving on the trainer, keep your knees slightly bent. Make sure that they do not lock as this might make your workout uncomfortable and cause unnecessary injury.

You can add in some high intensity intervals by increasing the resistance to the highest level you can stand for about 30 seconds - and then turning it down until you catch your breath. Do this on and off - 3 minutes regular intensity and 30 seconds high intensity - then repeat- for a great high-calorie burning workout.

Don’t overexert yourself

I know, I know. You want faster results. We all do. But some people have no stop valve. They OVERDO it.

These are the weekend warriors who have never worked out for months and then go to the gym for 3 hours on Saturday and Sunday. Then they wonder why they can’t move on Monday.

Remember that this is a marathon with your elliptical trainer - not a sprint. Do what you can each day, even if it’s just a little bit. Then you’ll slowly build your endurance and get better at it over time.

Use Distraction to Your Advantage

If you’re like me the best way to log extra hours on your trainer is to distract yourself. Use whatever you can. Watch TV if you can. Or attach your tablet to the console tablet holder (if there is one) and watch Netflix or YouTube videos.

You can listen to your favorite tunes with the iPod dock or even listen to your favorite audiobook as you go.

Basically get involved with what you’re listening to or watching - and you’ll forget about your exercising. And that means you’ll likely workout for longer!

So those are some quick fitness hacks to get more out of your elliptical trainer. Use them in good health my friend!

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What Makes the Best Elliptical Trainer?

So you’re trying to find the best elliptical trainer among a sea of options.

How do you know what to choose? Which brand is best? And what the heck is a stride anyway?

Not to worry. I’ve got your back. You just need to know to look for a few simple things when you’re browsing. Then you’ll be able to find the best elliptical machine for you.

Stride

Ok, let’s get right to the point. The stride is the furthest distance between the pedals. This is your running stride of the length of your running gait.

Why does this matter? Because have you ever tried to walk at a too-short gait? I’m guessing the answer is no. But trust me, it’s not comfortable. Now imagine doing this on an elliptical trainer - over and over for 45 minutes. Not fun right?

This shows the main reason why you want to get the right stride for your body. The right stride will feel natural and most comfortable to you.

Most people find that a stride of eighteen to twenty inches is best. And some trainers today even come with an adjustable stride - so you can change it up day to day. Very cool.

Built in programs

There are plenty of built in programs for workout in the high-end models. Many of the best ellliptical machine models come with LCD consoles, which consist of various basic console features – like the number of steps that you have taken, your heart rate, the total number of calories that you have burned and more.

Some of the more sophisticated models also have workout programs built into them, which guide you through the workouts. It can be very useful for beginners who are new to exercise to get a message board leading them through the workout.

You can also find trainers that take you online - and track your workouts over time. This is a fantastic way to track your steps per day or graph your exercise results to see how far you’ve come.

Forward and Back

The good news is that I haven’t seen an elliptical trainer that DOESN’T have both forward and back directions on it.

But most people are nervous about this so I thought I’d put it in the list. Again, chances are almost nil that you buy a trainer that doesn’t have backwards motion on it. If you do, email me as it will be one for the record books.

Moving Arm Bars

This is kind of like the forward and back motion. Almost every elliptical trainer you find on the market has upper arm bars that move back and forth so you can train your upper body.

Surprisingly however I have found a few Precor ellipticals that DON’T have moving arm bars - just stationary handles. That’s ironic and strange considering the Precor was the brand that came out with the very first elliptical back in the 1990′s.

Resistance Levels

Resistance adds some weight to your motion, causing you to have to push down harder and burn more calories in the process.

The resistance system of an elliptical trainer can vary across models but most good models today will at least give you 15 levels of resistnace or more. The more resistance the better since it gives you room to grow.

The best elliptical trainer models these days come with electromagnetic resistance system or motorized brake resistance system. The former is smoother to use, although the latter is used more widely by popular brands.

Control Panel

The control panel or console should be easy to read and bright. This means you should look for one that is backlit. A console that is not backlit may be easy to read in the store - but when you get it home it could be a different story!

Also the size of the windows will also dictate how easy it is to read your stats. You can usually see all the standard things like heart rate, calories burned etc. but you really want to make sure you get a constant reading of your stats - not one that toggles back and forth as this can get a bit annoying after a while.

You’ll also want a main panel that is well laid out and easy to use. You want everything within easy reach and a safety stop button that is easy to see.

Extras

This can include everything from built-in tablet holders to iPod docks to console fans to keep you cool.

These may seem like little things, but they will go a long way towards adding enjoyment to your workout. Feel free to go crazy here and get a trainer that you’ll really love to use. The best elliptical trainer for you will be one that you’re actually excited to use!

Safe, Stable Feel

You need a trainer that won’t shake or wobble when you use it. If it shakes when you pick up the pace, you’re not going to want to use the trainer.

You don’t have to get on the elliptical to know if it’s stable (although it certainly helps if you can). Most high quality elliptical brands with a high user weight capacity will give you a solid feel.

Also look for a heavy machine weight itself and a front drive design as these can add to a more stable machine. If you're on the lighter side (under 150 pounds), this isn’t as important.

But if you’re over 150 pounds, you’ll really want a user weight capacity of at least 350 pounds (more is better). Remember, you’ll be using this for years to come so you want to make sure it’s built to take whatever you throw at it.

So those are all the features to look at when choosing the best elliptical trainer for your home. Keep them in mind and you’ll be guaranteed to find a high quality crosstrainer!

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Bowflex Max Trainer Review - A New Kind of Elliptical Trainer

Looking for something a bit beyond your traditional elliptical machine? If so you may have noticed the Bowflex Max Trainer and thought “What is that?”

I know I did when I first saw it. It looked like an elliptical - but not really.

Then when I actually looked into it (sites like this one helped answer a lot of my questions), it was pretty cool and it might be worth your time.

So what is the Max Trainer?

This is a new kind of elliptical that marries a stair climbing motion on your lower body with the upper body arms of an elliptical machine.

So you still get the full body workout of an elliptical trainer. But you get more of a stepping or climbing motion with the lower body instead of the running motion of a traditional elliptical.

According to the manufacturer you can burn more than twice the calories with one of these babies than other machines like a treadmill or stair stepper.

And they have a lot of success stories to prove it.

I recently asked a friend of mine who had bought a max trainer if I could try it. Here are my observations:

#1 It’s Harder Than An Elliptical

I’ve been working out with elliptical trainers for years now and let me tell you - this machine kicked my butt.

I was sweating within about 3 minutes - on one of the lowest resistance levels to my shame.

But seriously, it’s darn hard. I can see where people would get better results than a standard crosstrainer.

#2 It’s Smaller Than A Crosstrainer

This thing does take up less space. So if you’re in an apartment or a condo - or you just don’t like having a massive machine sitting in your bedroom or home office - the Max trainer might be a good choice.

#3 This Is A HIIT Training machine

HIIT training is all the rage now and it stands for High Intensity Interval Training. Basically it means you work really hard for about 30 seconds to a minute.

Then you relax and go much slower for about 2 - 5 minutes. You catch your breath and move slower - then you start up again at a very high intensity.

Doing these kind of high intervals has been proven to get you faster weight loss and toning results. And you can burn more calorie post workout- which is a benefit if you don’t have a lot of time in your day to exercise.

What I didn’t like:

#1 No Running Motion

I am a runner at heart. I like the steady running motion that a treadmill or elliptical trainer gives me. It’s calming and soothing and I’m used to it.

You don’t get that on the Bowflex Max trainer - you’re stair climbing basically. And unlike an elliptical you can’t pedal backwards, another feature a lot of people appreciate about their crosstrainers.

#2 Console is So-So

Elliptical trainers give you a lot of awesome features on the console like large, bright consoles, even web browsers or workout videos on the screen these days.

The Max Trainer console (my friend had the M5 - which is the middle model in the series) was ok. Backlit yes, and there was a kind of speedometer which is supposed to show you how many calories you’re burning.

But overall I’ve seen better consoles out there.

They are adding an online feature so you can track your workouts, my friend tells me. So that might change my opinion but overall I was just like “It’s ok I guess”.

My Final Review of the Bowflex Max Trainer?

This machine can definitely help you burn more calories. It will kick your butt - seriously. So from that perspective it’s great. And if you want faster results in less time, it might be worth considering.

I also like the smaller size. It just seems less “monster-sized” than a lot of elliptical trainers - many of which can seem overwhelming in size to a lot of people.

But I do like my running gait that I get with my elliptical. So at the end of the day I think I’ll stick with that.

Here’s a video review of the Bowflex M5:

Until next time!

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-intensity_interval_training

http://www.maxtrainerblog.com

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Center Drive Elliptical - What Is It?

In my last post, we looked at the differences between the front and rear drive elliptical trainers. Most crosstrainers on the market today are either one or the other.

However there is a new design that is starting to pop up here and there. They can be hard to find but they’re called the center drive ellipticals.

This is worth taking a look at since they offer some unique benefits that you as a buyer might want to consider.

What is a center drive elliptical trainer?

Basically this is a design where instead of one large elliptical flywheel in the front of back of the footpedals, you have two smaller flywheels taking on the job. And they tend to be placed on either side of the moving pedals. You can see this below:

We first saw this design in the commercial marketplace and it looked ultra-cool. Now it’s filtering down into the home marketplace through a few different brands.

Why choose a center drive elliptical trainer?

This style of trainer gives you a few benefits over the other designs:

#1 Smaller Size

The footprint on this trainer is smaller than either the front or rear drive machine designs. It’s more like a square than a rectangle. So if you have a smaller workout area to place your crosstrainer, a center drive design might be ideal.

#2 Higher Comfort Level

Some people claim that this design also places you more upright on the footpedals. If you’re standing more upright on the footpedals, this means you’re not leaning as much on the moving arm bars.

And this can feel a bit more natural when you do the running motion.

If you’re not leaning on the handrails as much you’re also taking more of the weight on yourself - and this can mean that you burn more calories as well, giving you better workout results (something we all would like!)

#3 Closer Footpedals

Some manufacturers also claim that this design places the footpedals closer together which results in less strain to your hips and gives you a more natural running feel.

This may have been true a few years ago.

However now I’m not sure if this benefit really holds up. A lot of manufacturers of rear and front drive machines do put a lot into placing the footpedals at an ergonomically correct distance from each other.

And many machines have footpedals that are wide enough so you can actually change the length between pedals my a few inches.

So you can essentially choose this length yourself based on your unique body makeup. So again, I’m not really sure if this benefit really holds water today.

#4 Safer Feel

You’ll notice that center drive trainers have sweeping stable handrails on either side of the footpedals.

A lot of people may feel safe with this extra rail on either side of them. it doesn’t mean that front or rear drive trainers are any less safe mind you. It’s more of a psychological feel on the part of the user.

Still, if you’re not that coordinated or new to elliptical training and want that safer feel, this may be worth considering for you.

Are there any drawbacks to this design?

Well, center drive trainers do give you some great benefits. However I have noticed that, because of the design, they don’t tend to be built with incline - which other styles of trainer do have. And a lot of people really prefer to have incline.

Incline helps you workout more on an angle and thus you end up crosstraining different muscle groups. So while it’s not essential to have it, a lot of buyers do prefer it.

So Which Design Should You Choose?

At the end of the day it really boils down to the whole picture and what you need.

The center drive trainer does give you some space and comfort benefits. But you have to also consider things like stability, quality of build, control panel feedback and stability of the ride.

Here are some things to ask yourself before buying:

What’s my budget?

What are my space requirements?

What do I need for entertainment?

What stride do I need?

Are there other people in my home who will be using the trainer? What do they need?

When you know these things you’re more likely to get a better machine overall!

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Front Drive or Rear Drive Elliptical?

Shopping for an elliptical trainer for your home? You’ll probably notice that elliptical trainers come in two different styles or designs. And you may be wondering what’s the difference between them.

There’s the front drive trainer - where you have the flywheel in front of the pedals and generally directly underneath the main control panel.

You can see this style here:

Then there’s the rear drive style. This is where the main, large flywheel tends to be out behind the moving pedals, giving you a more long, rectangular footprint. You can see this style of elliptical trainer here:

So what’s the difference? Which one is best for you? Well there is really no scientific evidence on which one is better (although there are a lot of sales claims out there).

However in general front drive trainers tend to give you more of a slanted climbing pathway. So it’s almost like you’re running uphill when you’re on this machine.

Rear drive trainers tend to have more of a flat running path and you’ll tend to bounce up and down a bit more when you run. So it will feel like you’re running on flat ground on these trainers.

I personally prefer running on a flat plane as I find that running uphill is just overkill for my glutes and hamstrings. But this really is a personal preference at the end of the day.

Another difference, as stated above is the footprint.

When the flywheel is placed out behind the pedals, you get more of a longer, rectangular footprint. So if you’re putting your elliptical in a smaller room, this might not give you a lot of space to move around.

With a front drive crosstrainer, you’ll have more of a boxy, square-like elliptical footprint. So this trainer might be better for small areas like condos or apartments.

Are there any other differences?

Well, some people feel that front drive trainers tend to feel more solid and stable. This is because the flywheel, together with the console tend to anchor the machine in one place a little more.

I haven’t found any real difference however. In my experience the stability of a crosstrainer really depends on things like the weight of the entire machine (heavier is better), the quality of the materials used (steel is obviously better than plastic) and the quality of the design-build (this really depends on the skill and quality of the manufacturer).

So while it’s handy to know, don’t assume that a front drive elliptical will naturally be more stable than a rear drive trainer.

One More Thing:

One other thing is that rear drive ellipticals are often used in folding designs just because it’s easier to design a trainer where the console folds down on top of the flywheel.

So if you’re looking for a folding elliptical for your home and to save space, you’ll notice that they tend to be rear drive machines.

One exception to this is the Horizon Evolve 3 which you’ll see below. That is a folding front-drive design, which is unique.

So which elliptical trainer should you choose for your home gym?

Again, there is no general consensus on which is best. It’s really better than you consider everything when comparing models like the quality of the materials used, the overall weight and stability, the design of the moving arm bars and more.

I personally like the rear drive trainer just because of the flatter running path. However a lot of people disagree with me and prefer the front drive design. There’s almost a snob appeal to it as a lot of manufacturers state “Front drive design” on their sales page like it’s a big selling feature. I just think that’s stating the obvious.

Also just to throw a wrench into things, you do have one other option - the center drive trainer. We’ll cover that in the next post!

Also, here’s a video I found that has a different opinion on the differences between front and rear drive trainers.

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So Why Should You Choose an Elliptical Trainer?

So you want a piece of fitness equipment for your home. Sounds great right? You’ll be able to workout 24-7 in the privacy of your own home gym.

You have a lot of choices when it comes to home fitness equipment. Why should you choose an elliptical trainer? Here are 3 reasons to consider a elliptical crosstrainer over other types of equipment:

Low Impact:

The best elliptical trainers make you feel like you’re running on air while still giving you enough resistance to burn fat and build muscle. According to latest research, working out on a good elliptical trainer can be compared to jogging as far as fitness advantages and energy expenditure go.

However, you can get similar benefits with little impact or almost no impact on your body. You can get a whole body workout while know that at the same time your feet, hips, knees and back are protected.

An elliptical is much lower impact on a treadmill where you’re constantly pounding down on the belt.

Upper Body Workout

Unlike a treadmill or a stepper, the elliptical trainer also gives you an upper body workout with moving arms. You can use the handlebars on these machines to exercise your upper body just like in a ski machine.

The pattern of exercising can imitate the upper body motion as in cross-country skiing. The combination of lower and upper body workouts has greater effect and gives you a total body workout. Thus, you can burn a greater number of calories within a shorter time. 

Forward and Back Motions

You get the freedom to go both forward and backwards on an elliptical, which means you get more ways to train your lower body. Trying running backwards on a treadmill or pushing forward on a rowing machine - it just doesn’t work!

You can also choose to work your upper body arms or use the stationary handlebars to just work your lower body. You can even squat down and really work your butt and quads this way!

Fit the Machine To Your Needs

Today’s trainers are a lot better than yesterday’s models. Today you can adjust everything from your stride to your foot angle and your arm position. The stride is the furthest distance between the pedals. Strides range from 14 inches up to 22 inches. With some trainers you can now choose your own stride length which will give you a more comfortable ride.

Some trainers also give you adjustable footpedals. These let you set different toe-heel angles as you run. This is handy for working different sets of lower body muscle groups.

Finally, a lot of quality trainers also give you multiple positions for your hands to go. That means you can work your upper body muscles differently every time!

So those are some of the reasons to choose an elliptical trainer over a treadmill, stepper or rowing machine.

The elliptical trainer gives you a lot of great options today that you don’t get with other equipment. Stay tuned for some of my picks for the top rated elliptical trainers for your home!

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Welcome to My Best Elliptical Blog!

Hello there and welcome to my Best elliptical blog! This blog is all about finding the top rated elliptical trainer for your home.

I’ve worked in the fitness industry as both a personal trainer and as an elliptical salesperson.

So I know all the ins and outs along with mistakes that most buyers make. This blog will hopefully educate you about elliptical crosstrainers so you can make the best decision for you. Thanks for visiting and check back soon!

I’ll be posting my thoughts about a brand new type of elliptical trainer on the market!