Elliptical Trainer Calorie Burn is Extra Efficient

Shopping for exercise equipment may lead you to ask, “Is an elliptical trainer calorie burn as efficient as a treadmill or exercise bike?” The answer is that it is more efficient than either one.

Why Elliptical Trainer Calorie Burn is Higher

There are a couple of reasons that you get a more efficient calorie burn with an elliptical trainer workout. One of these is that you tend to push yourself more on an elliptical machine than you would on a treadmill because of the lower perceived exertion. That is, you feel like you aren’t working as hard to expend the same amount of energy on an elliptical as you would on a treadmill or bike.

You also get a more complete workout with an elliptical trainer, especially if you are using one that provides an upper body workout. Studies have proved that the more muscle groups you work, the more effective your workout and the more calories you actually burn. An elliptical trainer calorie burn is high because the elliptical machine uses all of the major muscle groups. Make regular use of the reverse motion and you increase calorie burn even more.

Calorie Counters on Elliptical Machines

A very general idea of what you can expect with a medium level elliptical trainer workout (not extremely intense, but definitely working up a sweat) would be that a 150 pound woman can burn about 340 calories in 30 minutes, while a 180 pound man can burn up to 500 calories in 30 minutes.

Why You Want to Keep Track

Keeping track of your elliptical trainer calorie burn is one way of gauging how effective your workout is. If you begin to see that you aren’t burning off as many calories or that you have reached a plateau, it may be an indication that you should adjust your workout intensity. To increase calorie burn you can increase the elliptical trainer’s resistance, do more interval training (varying speed, direction and terrain) or split your workout into two 15-20 minute sessions.

One thing is clear, that an elliptical trainer’s calorie burn is one of the most efficient of any type of exercise equipment.

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