Ellipticals

Would you like to train your cardio (cardiovascular system (heart and vascular system)) and at the same time train your muscles and lose weight by burning calories? Then a cross trainer is the perfect fitness equipment for you. With a cross trainer you can work comfortably from home to improve your fitness. Due to the large number of muscles that you can train at the same time, you can call it a full-body workout. The great thing about the cross trainers is that they are suitable for anyone who likes sports or wants to start exercising. Whether you are a novice athlete, you are already advanced or perhaps you need to work on injury recovery. With a cross trainer your workouts always remain fun and challenging.

What is a cross trainer?

A cross trainer, also known as an elliptical trainer, elliptical machine or elliptical bike, is one of the most popular fitness equipment if you want to live a fitter and healthier lifestyle. With a cross trainer you can train your entire body at once and you also work directly on your cardio, also known as the condition of your heart and lungs. One of the other advantages is that you can work on your fitness from the comfort of home whenever you want. A cross trainer in the gym may not be properly tailored to your body, meaning you will not always achieve the most optimal results. The great thing about a properly set up cross trainer is that it allows you to maintain your workouts without causing problems with your joints. Cross trainers are designed in such a way that they have a minimal impact (low impact) on your joints. This makes them also ideal for use for rehabilitation purposes.

What are the benefits of training with a cross trainer?

The great thing about a cross trainer is that with this fitness equipment you can train your entire body in one go, comfortably from home. Whether you want to lose weight, recover from an injury or become fitter and more energetic.

Lose weight, burn calories and improve your fitness

Cross trainers are the ideal fitness equipment if you want to lose weight and work on improving your fitness. Because you train multiple muscle groups at the same time, you also train extra efficiently. The amount of calories you can burn naturally depends on your own body and how often and intensively you train.

After a few weeks of training you will quickly notice that your condition will improve and you will become more energetic, so that you will increasingly feel like doing even more fun things.

No shock loads on your joints, with low-impact workouts

One of the biggest advantages of cross trainers is that they are designed in such a way that they have minimal impact on your joints, also known as low-impact training. For example, when running, you put your foot down with every step, so your joints have to absorb the shock of putting your foot down. Because the body has to continuously absorb these ""shocks"", you may eventually experience problems with your joints, such as your knee weights, ankles and hips. With a cross trainer you have virtually no problems with this. This makes them the perfect fitness machines if, for example, you have joint problems or pain and need to recover or still want to train.

Push your limits and go to the extreme

Cross trainers can be used for many different training purposes, from rehabilitation purposes to improving your fitness and losing weight. If you want to go to the extreme, various cross trainers such as the Bowflex cross trainers also have a HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) option. The nice thing about HIIT training is that you can do exercises at high intensity in a relatively short time. These often involve workouts of 10 to 30 minutes. These relatively short HIIT workouts are ideal if you have a busy schedule.

With a cross trainer you always train your upper and lower body at the same time. The foot pedals and handles are connected so that you always get a “full-body” workout. You can grab the handles to support your walking and running movements and even go faster. This way, every workout you do remains a fun challenge to push your limits and get better.

Train in the comfort of your home whenever you want

With a cross trainer you can work on your fitness comfortably from home at any time. Maybe you don't like training in the gym or you want to continue working on your fitness during the cold winter months, then a cross trainer is ideal. You can also save a lot on travel time to the gym.

What should you pay attention to if you want to buy a cross trainer?

Would you like to buy a cross trainer? Then there are several important points that you can pay attention to when purchasing. A cross trainer must be suitable for your personal goals and meet all your wishes and needs. In order to make a good choice, we would like to take you through the details of the cross trainers.

• Longitudinal stride and movement
• The weight of the flywheel
  
  • Flywheel at the front (front driven)
  • Flywheel at the rear (rear driven)
• Maximum loadable weight
• Brake systems
• Training computer and multimedia
• Heart rate measurement
• Resistance adjustability and multi grips
• Weight and frame stability

Do not get out of step with the correct length stride

The distance of the stride, or the stride length, is an important point to consider in your search for the ideal cross trainer. This factor largely determines the comfort of your training.

But what exactly does this stride length and movement entail?
The stride length of a cross trainer refers to the distance that the pedals travel from the furthest to the nearest point during a complete movement cycle. This point is very important, because it has a direct impact on how faithfully you experience the movements on the device. In general, the taller the person, the greater the stride length required for a comfortable and effective workout.

There are cross trainer models on the market where you can adjust the stride length, but also models where this is not possible. Some cross trainers even offer the option of automatic adjustment of the stride length, which ensures an optimal training experience, regardless of your height.

There is also the specific 'movement' of the cross trainer. By this we mean the unique way in which the mechanism moves. Each brand and model has its own movement pattern; from a round to an angular stride, and from long to short. However, there is no such thing as perfect movement; it mainly depends on what you as an athlete like. It is important that the movement feels natural and pleasant for you.

A shorter stride length often provides a more intensive experience of the height in the stride, comparable to climbing stairs, while a longer stride is more reminiscent of cross-country skiing. With a short stride length, the focus is more on the quadriceps, while a longer stride requires more effort from the hamstrings and glutes.

The most important thing when choosing a cross trainer is that the device feels good for you. The ideal stride length is personal: some people prefer a shorter stride, while others prefer a longer stride. It is best to try out different cross trainers yourself in our showroom to see what suits you best.

Another important point is that different length strides can activate your muscles in different ways. There are also elliptical trainers where you can set your own length stride, such as the Life Fitness E5 Track or the Octane Q47xi, so that you can always train optimally. In addition, various cross trainers, such as the Nautilus E628 and the Matrix A50 XIR, have the option of automatic incline. This allows you to make your workouts even more intensive and challenging.

The weight of the flywheel

An elliptical trainer contains a flywheel so you can adjust the intensity of your workouts. More importantly, the heavier the flywheel, the better/more comfortable your training. With today's technologies, that difference is kept to a minimum. Read more about flywheel techniques here. The structure of the various components ensures that a lighter flywheel can be just as nice as a heavier flywheel.

There are cross trainers with the flywheel at the back and there are cross trainers with the flywheel at the front.

Flywheel at the front (front driven)

A cross trainer with the flywheel at the front produces an oval and horizontal movement. This movement is generally considered the most natural. Devices with the flywheel at the front are also called front driven. Front-driven cross trainers are usually longer, have a longer longitudinal stride, are more focused on the running movement, are more comfortable to use and are less heavy on your joints.

Flywheel at the rear (rear driven)

There are also cross trainers available with the flywheel at the back. So-called rear-driven cross trainers. These trainers generally have a large longitudinal stride, which makes the movement intensity slightly higher. If the flywheel is at the rear, the crosstrainer makes a slightly more rounded movement (instead of oval). Cross trainers that are rear driven are generally also more compact than front driven trainers. Life Fitness is an exception, this high-quality brand makes special cross trainers with the flywheel at the back, which imitates a very comfortable, long-long movement.

Maximum loadable weight

An elliptical trainer can handle a maximum user weight. The amount of weight depends on the device itself. We have indicated the recommended maximum weight for each cross trainer. Your weight affects the machine. Do you weigh much more than the machine can handle? Then there is a chance that it will wear out faster. That is why it is important to pay close attention to the maximum user weight when purchasing the cross trainer.

Suppose you weigh 125kg and you train on a cross trainer that is only suitable for weights up to 100kg, then it may wear out more quickly. That is why we always recommend choosing a device that can handle at least 20kg more than your own weight. Heavier cross trainers often use more iron, which improves strength. In addition, a different type of transmission is often chosen, often stronger (double) bearings and/or rails, so they can handle more weight.

Different types of resistance and braking systems

To make your workouts challenging enough, the majority of cross trainers have a resistance system. The resistance of an elliptical trainer is determined by how the flywheel can be braked. This allows you as a user to determine the intensity of your training yourself. Are you just starting to exercise? Then it is nice to be able to train with lower resistance. Are you already an advanced athlete? Then you can of course also train with heavier resistance to challenge yourself even more and push yourself to the limit.

Are you recovering? It is also nice if you can set the resistance yourself. This way you can slowly build up your fitness and strength back to your old level.

Three different resistance systems can be distinguished: the magnet system, the induction system and the magnet/air resistance system.

With the magnet system, the magnet is placed closer or further away from the flywheel to determine the resistance. The magnets do not touch the flywheel, which means that virtually no wear can occur and this system is therefore a lot quieter.

In addition, there is the electroresistance system. This system is also known as induction resistance. The resistance is determined electrically with a coil. The stronger the magnet, the more resistance. A major advantage of the induction system is that they are more durable (less wear) and that you can adjust the resistance very accurately. This also makes wattage-controlled training possible.

Lastly there is the magnet/air resistance system. One of the advantages of magnet/air resistance is that it gives a very natural feeling. The resistance is inhibited in a very natural way. We often see this natural feeling with water-braked rowing machines. In addition, air resistance systems are often used for HIIT training where you exert maximum effort (briefly).

Resistance adjustability and multi grips

Have you set your training too light or too hard? Then you can often adjust the intensity with the integrated resistance buttons. The pedals are often linked to the arms, so you can always make the movements synchronously and effectively. Although it is often possible to adjust the resistance via the training computer, if present, it is easier to adjust the resistance via the buttons in the arm. This means you don't have to interrupt your workout.

More and more cross trainers are also equipped with so-called multi grips. With the multi grips you can train your upper body in different ways. By placing your hands in a higher position you can also train your shoulder muscles. If you grip the grips wider you can also train your back muscles. This gives you more diversity and variety in your training and better results on your upper body. 

Train even more efficiently with a cross trainer with training computer and multimedia

If your desired cross trainer also has a training computer, you can make your workouts even more efficient. One of the big advantages is that you can use the training computer to set up your training yourself and work towards your goals in a more targeted manner.

The training computer often gives you insight into your training values ​​such as:

• Training time
• Your speed
• Distance travelled
• Rounds Per Minute (RPM)
• Wattage
• Calories burned
• And your heart rate.

In addition, various programs may be available, such as stair climbing, climbing and sprinting, but HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) may also be possible.

Cross trainers in the higher segment are often equipped with these great functionalities. It is often also possible to connect the crosstrainer with various apps such as JRNY. This allows you to take your training one step further. The nice thing about this is that you can also watch the best films and series or listen to your favorite music during your workouts.

Train using heart rate measurement

By training in different heart rate zones you can train even more specifically. Depending on which heart rate zone you want to train in, you can focus on improving your fitness or, for example, burning calories and fat. Some cross trainers, such as the Bowflex cross trainers, have the option to train with heart rate zones.

The weight of the cross trainer and stability of the frame

It is important that a cross trainer is stable and sturdy. Stability is partly determined by the weight but also the quality of the frame. Although a heavier device is less manageable, it does offer extra stability. Most of the devices are equipped with transport wheels. This makes it a lot easier to move it if necessary.

Who is a cross trainer suitable for?

A cross trainer is suitable for anyone who wants to work on their cardio. Whether you are young or old, just starting to exercise or already an advanced athlete. But if you need to recover from an accident or injury, you can also do this with a cross trainer. The majority of cross trainers have different training programs, so you always have enough challenge and your workouts always remain fun.

Which muscles do you train with a cross trainer?

A cross trainer is designed in such a way that you can train most of your muscles with it. Muscles that you train include:

• Your leg muscles (quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and calves)
• Your abs
• Your arm muscles (biceps and triceps)
• Shoulders
• Back muscles
• Lung muscle
• Heart muscle

The muscles in your legs are most stressed. The other muscles are put under less strain, but because you also use these muscles, your workouts will be more efficient and you will also burn more calories and fat.

Can you lose weight by training with a cross trainer?

We are regularly asked whether you can also lose weight by training with a cross trainer. Because you can train a very large number of muscles at the same time, you can lose weight with a cross trainer. Some cross trainers are even designed so that you can train perfectly in different heart rate zones (including the fat burning zone). In order to achieve optimal results, it is important that you do a workout of about 30 minutes several times a week. In addition, you should also pay close attention to your diet. The amount of weight you can lose naturally varies per person. This is partly due to your weight, physique and how often and intensively you train.

Need help with your choice?

Would you like to buy a cross trainer? But are you still not sure which one would best suit your wishes and needs? We will be happy to help you with all your questions. You can reach our cross trainer specialists by telephone at +31(0)413-256800 or send an e-mail. Or visit our store in Volkel, the Netherlands.