Elliptical Machine Benefit – New Elliptical Exercise Equipment

For years, athletes, trainers and coaches have looked to low-impact alternatives to distance running, hoping to reduce the stress of high-mileage training -- water training is a great example.

A new option being discovered is the Precor EFX® Fitness CrossTrainerTM, which in addition to reducing impact and offering great aerobic conditioning, also creates what runners might consider surprising opportunities to build upper-body running mechanics.

Pick up the stride rate, not the resistance level - Clinical research has shown that the EFX has a lower perceived level of exertion than running on track or a treadmill. Essentially, the EFX delivers a smoother, low impact form of exercise -- your muscles and heart are working just as hard - it's just not as jarring on your body so it feels easier.

One result of lower perceived exertion is the tendency for people to increase EFX stride resistance to a level that makes the motion feel more strenuous. Avoid the inclination to pump up the resistance! Instead, find a flow that's comfortable for you, at a resistance setting that enables you to maintain a stride rate comparable to your running pace.

Also, unless you're doing hill work or pushing it, distance-running training largely is an aerobic activity. Similarly, when cross training on the EFX, don't build a workout at a resistance level so high that you spend the bulk of the session in an anaerobic state because you are pushing so much resistance -- find a balance of medium resistance and high stride rate that works for you.

Distance runners who are fit and in a conditioning regimen probably will shoot for an EFX stride rate in a range above 150 strides per minute. Keep in mind that the optimum overland running stride rate is 85-90 strides per minute. The same goes for ramp height -- Similarly, you don't need to set the CrossRamp incline at a steep angle -- just as you don't exclusively train by running steep hills. There's a place in a workout for steep ramp angle settings, but it isn't a constant. Find a comfortable middle ground in ramp height that, again, lets you focus on stride speed and technique.

Pay attention to your body mechanics, not just the cardio workout -- Look around at people using an EFX at your gym, and you commonly see people either holding on to the EFX frame, or moving their arms in a loose, flapping motion. In either case, while it's likely they're getting a good aerobic workout, they're not maximizing the full potential of calorie burning through shoulder-arm-hip stride mechanics associated with running training.

About The Author:

Sheena Greenwood is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.elliptical-trainers-n-machines.com. Researched articles on exercise equipment, bikes, ellipticals and home fitness machines.

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