Readers are often interested in what an elliptical trainer is, what muscles work on it, whether it is possible to pump up with it (for the most impatient, we will say right away that it is not). The questions are simple, but, as it turned out, not obvious to everyone. Let’s try to answer them in clear and simple language, as they say, from “A” to “Z”.
Why did they come up with an ellipsoid
The treadmill has always been a good way to pass the time. Useful and useful again – this is physical exercise. But what to do when a person cannot run? Yes, it happens. For example, when he has flat feet, and there are no orthopedic insoles (only within the last 20–30 years has it become possible to model and create individual insoles). Or when a person has sore joints.
Therefore, the engineers of the sports industry decided to go further and set a goal to come up with something that would not put much stress on the joints, but make the heart and muscles work for the benefit of health and for weight loss. This is how exercise bikes appeared. Simple at first, then more intricate. Modern technologies have made it possible to put mp3 players, heart rate monitors, and various sensors on exercise bikes.
But what if just pedaling with your feet is not enough? Hands are not involved, weight loss alone is not enough. Where can the arms work, as in running, so that there is no shock-absorbing load (jumping) on the legs? So they came up with a structure where there are 2 sticks and the like of skis. The movement is carried out by the arms, body and legs.
The legs seem to press the “skis” into the floor. When you push in one ski, the other rises. And so over and over again. In addition, by moving the sticks towards you, or pushing them one by one, you also make the “skis” move.
The result is an ellipsoid. Many people say that the ellipsoid mimics skiing, but this is not entirely true. Those who are familiar with the classic skiing course will see the differences. Still, skis slide in the snow. And then you push the pedals to the floor.
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Only the ellipsoid has a nuance – when you pull these sticks towards yourself, the pedals also move after them. Thus, the elliptical trainer allows you to work the muscles of almost the entire body. Or more precisely:
Hands pull and push the “sticks”, the shoulder girdle works. The back and chest are also involved in the movement of the “sticks” or handles.
Legs press the pedals, hips and buttocks work.
The core muscles provide stability for the entire body.
How an elliptical trainer can help us
Cardio
This is a common word for gyms not everyone understands, but many people know that “cardio” means “heart” (the Greek word for “kardia”). Coaches mean by this concept “payload on the cardiovascular system.”
Continuous and monotonous movement involving the legs (running, walking, skiing) does magical things to our body:
It spends calories, that is, it forces the body to look for options in order to get energy to ensure movement.
Stimulates the work of the heart, accelerating its beats up to more than 100 beats per minute. Below we will explain what it gives and how it is useful for a person.
Maintains all the muscles of the body in good shape.
Why is it useful to stimulate the heart and “drive blood”? Let’s remember birds, for example. The faster their heart beats, the shorter they live. Large mammals do not have this tendency. People who do cardio consistently live long enough to do pretty well.
That is, you need to train your heart. It should just be done intelligently.
When you pump blood, there is a dramatic improvement in the blood supply to all the peripheral cells of the body. And most importantly, the brain. And the longer you do cardio, the better everything will be “washed” with blood. One caveat – there should be a lot of oxygen around you. Otherwise, such cardio can lead to unpleasant consequences (for example, a heart attack).
If you want basic cardio, the program is simple – exercise every day on an ellipsoid in a well-ventilated area for 15-20 minutes. Or 30 minutes three times a week. Or 40 minutes twice a week. Choose how much exercise you do for your elliptical trainer.
Slimming
If you are ready to do anything for the sake of losing weight, we will please you – it is not so difficult. Even one ellipsoid is enough in terms of load. It will help you lose weight.
A weight loss program will greatly depend on your initial condition and contraindications.
If you have a number of medical conditions, for example:
heart failure;
diabetes;
polyarthritis, strokes, heart attacks.
And a number of others, then you need to be careful about the ellipsoid. Check with your doctor before starting exercise. Because each case will have its own limitations.
For everyone, recommendation number 1 is good aeration. If you are a well-to-do person, install an air conditioner. If not, ventilate the room well before starting the exercise.
Modern ellipsoids are very “smart”, their program is quite diverse. Choose the simplest and easiest to start – watch the sensations. Stop exercising immediately if you develop pain.
As for people who do not have the listed diseases, work so that your heart rate is on average at 100-110 beats per minute. Several times during the workout, the pulse will need to be accelerated to 130–140, but not for long. We do not recommend doing this if you are over 40 years old.
For weight loss, exercise every day for 30 to 60 minutes. Turn on the TV, your favorite movie, music, and exercise so that your T-shirt or T-shirt is soaked through. And listen to yourself. Heart pain – stop or slow down. Somewhere else – try to figure it out, but you don’t have to go through the pain. A burning sensation is one thing – it can be overcome (except for a burning sensation in the region of the heart, this is a very alarming sign). And pain – in no case!
And don’t forget that these exercises are not magic at all. If you eat as before, you are unlikely to be able to lose even one kilogram.
Warm up before training
The previous 2 cases are perfectly implemented at home. Now let’s talk about why ellipsoids are in the gym.
For weight loss, for gaining muscle mass, and indeed before any workout with “iron”, you need to warm up. And the warm-up program will be different for each occasion.
This requires at least 5 minutes of exercise on the ellipsoid. You may be offered a choice: treadmill, exercise bike, jump rope, open-air stadium, punching bag. Take your pick! You have to sweat for five minutes. Here accelerate your heart to 130-140 beats per minute.
Try not to stand under the air conditioner or exercise in stuffy rooms – this can cause health problems.
If you are doing weight training, 5-10 minutes at an average pace will be the best option.
If you go to the gym to lose weight, do cardio on an ellipsoid 30 minutes before training and 20-30 minutes after, setting a difficult program with a step load. This is the best option. And use the recommendations from the previous paragraph of this article. Overall, the program and exercises should be consistent with your goals.
