How to Lose Weight With a Cross Trainer

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The cross trainer, also known as an elliptical, is a low impact cardiovascular exercise machine. The machine mimics the movement of cross country skiing, making it the perfect exercise machine for those who have lower body injuries and can't handle the lower body stress that comes with running or jogging. If you are looking to lose weight but have injury issues or simply don't like the treadmill, the elliptical might be the cardio machine for you.

Follow the Guidelines

When it comes to getting healthy, the American Heart Association offers some helpful advice. Its health guidelines suggest 30 minutes of moderate activity five days a week, which can be easily accomplished on the cross trainer. According to Harvard Medical School, a 155-pound person burns roughly 335 calories in 30 minutes on the elliptical. If you are following the guidelines and using the elliptical five days a week for 30 minutes each time, you should be burning plenty of excess calories. Paired with a healthy diet, this could help you drop the unwanted pounds.

Interval Training

Interval training involves short bursts of speed followed by longer periods of recovery for the course of a workout. An example of an interval workout would be to add an increase in pace for a minute followed by two minutes of a slower speed. Interval training causes your heart rate to increase when your speed on the elliptical machine increases, which in turn helps you to burn more calories. Interval training also allows you to burn the same amount of calories as a steady state workout in half the time.

Bump Up the Resistance

Almost every elliptical machine allows you the option to make the workout harder by changing the resistance. When you heighten the resistance on the elliptical you are making it harder for yourself to push through the pedals with your legs and arms. This not only makes your heart work harder and increases your calorie burn but also engages your muscles more, especially challenging your lower body.

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Mix Up Intervals With Resistance

The best way to lose weight is to keep your body guessing. When you perform the same exercise week after week, your body starts to become accustomed to it and is no longer challenged by it. By pairing intervals with higher resistance on the elliptical you are challenging your body to something that it is not used to. This causes your heart and muscles to work harder, keeping your calorie burn high and your body changing.

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References

• ACE: Train Smarter, Not Longer: 30-Minute Elliptical Workout
• Harvard.edu: Calories Burned In 30 Minutes For People of Three Different Weights
• ACSM: ACSM, AHA Support Federal Physical Activity Guidelines
• ACE: Interval Training

High-Intensity Workouts to Burn Calories

Don't plan on reading a magazine while you do these workouts. You're entering a no-slacking zone.

Looking to blast calories? Get ready -- it's going to be a very sweaty session.

"It’s got to be high intensity, whatever the workout is, if you’re going to torch calories -- not just burn them,” says Bret Emery, a nutritional consultant and fitness coach at Emery Fit in Alpharetta, GA. “Heart rate is key. That’s the speedometer of the body. If we speed the body up, it will burn more calories, just as a car will burn more fuel if it speeds up.”

Also, you need to mix up your workouts so they stay challenging. That will help keep your heart rate up and force your body to burn more calories, Emery says.

The following workouts will zap calories, but they’ll also push your body way past your comfort zone. So check with your doctor before taking on the challenge. Don't just tell your doctor you want to work out -- let him or her know exactly what you're planning to do. That way, your doctor can make sure you're ready.

Speeding up the body burns more calories, "just as a car will burn more fuel if it speeds up." -- Bret Emery

Interval Workout

Interval training is all about challenge and recovery -- over and over -- for a cardio blast.

This particular workout -- which comes from Michael Banks, personal trainer and owner of Body by Banks in Salt Lake City -- uses a treadmill. You can add dumbbells for an extra challenge.

1. Warm Up: On the treadmill, with the incline set at a challenging angle, power walk at a speed of 3-3.5 for 7 minutes. Keep your elbows up above your heart. Stop, get off the treadmill, and stretch.

2. Sprint: Drop the incline to 0, increase the treadmill speed, and sprint hard for 30 seconds. Aim for 90% of your maximum heart rate. To recover, bring your speed down to 3 and walk for one minute.

3. Squats: Get off the treadmill and squat, with your bottom out to the rear and your legs slightly apart. Then jump from the squatting position into the air, landing in the same squat position as before. Do this for one set of 15 or 20, working your quadriceps. If you’re already in good shape, hold dumbbells by your sides.

4. Overhead Presses: Do 15 or 20 overhead presses with the weights, pushing them straight up and directly over your shoulders.

5. Sprint: Get back on the treadmill and sprint for 30 seconds (no incline). The goal is to be at 80% of your maximum heart rate. To recover, decrease your speed to 3.0 and walk for one minute.

6. Tricep Extensions: Using dumbbells, do one set of 15 or 20 overhead tricep extensions. Your elbows should point toward the ceiling, with the weights behind your head. Lift the weights directly above your head and back down again.

7. Pushups: Do one set of 15 pushups, with your elbows at a 90-degree angle from the body. Modification: Do the pushups with your knees on the ground, but do 25 instead of 15.

8. Sprint: Back to the treadmill. Sprint for 1 minute, aiming for 70% of your maximum heart rate. To recover, jog for 90 seconds.

9. Jumping Jacks: Do one set of 15 or 20 jumping jacks. If you're strong enough, add two 10- or 15-pound dumbbells. Lift up the weights when you jump out, in an overhead press position, pulling them back down to shoulder height as your legs go back together.

10. Finale: Incline your treadmill to an angle that really challenges you -- but don't hang onto the treadmill's rails. Walk at a 2.0-3.5 speed for 30 seconds, aiming for 60% of your maximum heart rate. To recover, bring the treadmill down to a 1.0 incline and drop your speed to 1.9 or 2.0 for a 1-minute walk. Finish by stretching.

Quick CrossFit Series

CrossFit workouts are about getting maximum effort in minimum time.

The following exercises come from Doug Katona, co-founder and owner of CrossFit Endurance in Newport Beach, CA. They can be done on their own, all together, or in any combination.

30-90s

1. Warm up for 10-12 minutes, finishing the warm-up at 75% of your maximum heart rate or at 7.5 on the perceived exertion scale, in which 0 is no effort and 10 is your max.
2. Choose any type of cardio. Do it at your maximum effort for 30 seconds.
3. Stop and recover for 2 minutes, or for 90 seconds if you're already in good condition. Do not shortchange the rest period.
4. Do this up to three times.

As fast as you can, do 10 squats, 10 pushups, and 10 full sit-ups. Then do nine reps of each. Then eight, seven, six, and so forth, until you reach one rep of each exercise. Rest as little as possible between sets. Record your time, and try to improve each week.

100 Burpees

If you only have a little time, try to do 100 burpees. If that's too much, start with 25, then move to 50, then to 75, until you can do 100.

Begin in a squat position with your hands on the floor, in front.

• Kick back your feet to a pushup position.
• Return your feet to the squat position.
• Jump from the squat position into the air, straight above you.
• Repeat, moving as fast as possible.

Rowing or Indoor Cycling

You may be sitting down, but you'll be sweating when you try this workout from Scott Nohejl, head coach and program director of The Chatham Area Rowing Association in Savannah, GA.

1. Row or bike for a minute.
2. Sprawl with pushup. Run in place, with your feet just coming off the ground, for a count of five. Lower yourself onto your hands, and jump your legs backward to a pushup position. Do one pushup, then bring the legs back, tucking them in. Stand and repeat for 1 minute.
3. Squats. With hands on top of your head, squat so your knees are at 90 degrees -- make sure they do not go past your toes -- and then stand up. Repeat for 1 minute.
4. Side jumps. With feet together, toes pointed forward, jump from side to side for 1 minute.
5. Rest for 5 minutes.
6. Row or bike for 1 minute.
7. Scissor jumps. With one leg in front and the other in back, jump and "scissor" your legs before landing. Do this for 1 minute.
8. Sumo jumps. Squat down, then jump, bringing your feet slightly off the ground. Do this for 1 minute.
9. Jumping jacks. Do these for 1 minute.

Repeat the full set four times, nonstop, for a 16-minute workout. Cool down, and then stretch.

Swimming

Craig Keller, Ealing Masters swimming coach in London, offers several workouts for swimmers, including two that will work well for people with injuries.

If you like distance, begin with two 500-yard (or meter) freestyle swims on intervals of 6.5 minutes. The quicker you finish, the more time you’ll have to rest. Then swim at an easy pace for 2 minutes.

Follow that with two 400-yard freestyle swims on a 5.5-minute interval, and another easy, 2-minute swim. Finish with two 300-yard swims on 4.5-minute intervals.

Sprinters may prefer this workout:

1. Do 20 freestyle lengths (25 yards) with 5 seconds of rest in between lengths. Recover with a 100-yard swim of your choice, at an easy pace.
2. Do 16 25-yard swims of your choice with 10 seconds of rest, followed by another slow-paced 100-yard swim of your choice.
3. Next, do 12 25-yard freestyle lengths with 15 seconds of rest between each. Recover with a 100-yard swim.
4. End with eight 25-yard freestyle lengths, resting for 20 seconds between lengths.

Got a leg or hip injury? Just grab a buoy and do a “pull swim” instead.

This workout consists of three rounds of four 200-yard freestyle swims. For the first, put the buoy between your ankles and pull the four 200-yard swims on 3-minute intervals. For the second round, remove the buoy and swim, dragging your legs. Do these 200-yard swims on 2.75-minute intervals. For the final round, place the buoy between your legs and pull on 2.5-minute intervals.

If your arms or shoulders are hurting -- or you simply want to work your legs -- use a kickboard and do two sets of four 100-yard swims, with 20 seconds of rest between each.

For the first 100 yards, kick hard for the first 25 yards, then go easy for the remaining 75 yards. For the second 100 yards, kick hard for 50 and easy for 50. Kick hard for 75 yards, then easy for 25 on the third one. And for the last one, go all out. Repeat the set.

Source
http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/high-intensity-workouts-to-burn-calories

Article Sources

SOURCES:

Bret Emery, PsyD, behavioral medicine; owner, Emery Fit, Alpharetta, GA.

Doug Katona, personal trainer, founder/co-owner, CrossFit Endurance, Newport Beach, CA.

Michael Banks, personal trainer; founder/CEO, Body By Banks, Salt Lake City.

Scott Nohejl, head coach, program director, Chatham Area Rowing Association, Savannah, GA.

Craig Keller, swimming coach, Ealing Masters, Ealing Swimming Club, London; former chairman, U.S. Masters Swimming Coaches Committee.

Mayo Clinic: "Exercise for Weight Loss: Calories Burned in 1 Hour."

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