{"id":47345,"date":"2017-11-28T11:15:42","date_gmt":"2017-11-28T16:15:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=47345"},"modified":"2017-12-07T11:23:40","modified_gmt":"2017-12-07T16:23:40","slug":"hiit-workouts-elliptical-machine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/hiit-workouts-elliptical-machine\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Elliptical HIIT Workouts That Won’t Bore You to Death"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"3
Photo by Marla Rutherford<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Let\u2019s get one thing straight: The elliptical has gotten a bad rap over the years. \u201cToo many times this machine is overlooked because people see others plodding along while they catch up on the latest issue of Us Weekly<\/em>, so they think it doesn\u2019t really do much when you want an intense workout,\u201d says Annette Comerchero, founder of Elliptifit<\/a>, an elliptical-only group fitness studio in Los Angeles. But it doesn\u2019t have to be that way. \u201cWith the right workout program, you can hit your calorie-burning goals, tone your upper and lower body and blast fat<\/a>.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 3 Fat-Blasting HIIT Workouts to Try Now<\/a><\/p>\n

But just like any exercise, good form comes first. It\u2019s OK if you pitch forward slightly, but don\u2019t lean your weight on the bars or let your chest collapse inwards, explains Comerchero. You should have an upright posture, with shoulders rolled down and back. Plus, you want to grip the bars at the right level. \u201cMake sure your elbow isn\u2019t fully extended \u2014 there should always be a mild bend,\u201d she says. \u201cIf there\u2019s not, lower your hands a little until they\u2019re in a comfortable, relaxed position.\u201d<\/p>\n

SIGN UP FREE:\u00a0<\/b>Try Daily Burn’s Power Cardio Program Today<\/a><\/p>\n

And when you want to kick things up a notch? Use the handles so you\u2019re also targeting your chest, back, arms and obliques<\/a>, says Comerchero. \u201cYou can incorporate them in so many different ways so things don\u2019t get boring and you\u2019re using different muscles,\u201d she says. Check out the four grips below, then watch Comerchero\u2019s instructional video<\/a> to get a walk-through of the different styles.<\/p>\n

Full Grip:<\/strong> This is the most common grip. Wrap your fingers around the handle and tuck your thumb around the other side, like you\u2019re holding a bottle. This should feel pretty natural.
\nCurved Grip:<\/strong> Pretend you are wearing mittens and cup your hands slightly around the handles, wrapping your fingers (and thumb) around the outsides of each handle. This engages your back muscles more.
\nOpen Grip:<\/strong> Place your open palms on the handle and let your fingers point to the sides (not up) \u2014 this will challenge your core while also working your chest, biceps, back and triceps.
\nCenter<\/strong> Grip:<\/strong> Rest your hands on the stationary bars in the center of the machine\u2019s console.<\/p>\n

Ready to give the elliptical a go? Comerchero designed three 30-minute workouts that feature intervals. (Research shows high-intensity interval training (HIIT)<\/a> helps you burn more calories in less time.) During HIIT intervals, your ramp should be medium and during recovery, it should be low. \u201cIf you\u2019re not feeling a drastic change between your interval and the recovery, then you\u2019re probably not going hard enough,\u201d says Comerchero.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>Air\u00a0Bike: The HIIT Workout That’ll Leave You Breathless<\/a><\/p>\n

30-Minute Elliptical HIIT Workouts<\/h2>\n
\"Elliptical
Photo by Marla Rutherford<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Explosive Cardio Elliptical\u00a0Workout<\/h3>\n

Targets:<\/strong> Speed and stability
\n<\/em>Here it\u2019s all about speed, but you\u2019ll also be putting those arm bars to good use. When grasping the bars, try to take the bounce out of your legs<\/a>. It should feel like your feet are pressing into the pedals and your arms are the main muscle group powering you through, says Comerchero. In other words, if it feels like you\u2019re arms are on fire and your legs are getting a bit more of a break, you\u2019re doing it right. Roll through your feet and start to push your pace for a seven-minute warm up, then HIIT it! Finish off your workout with a two-minute cool down.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 6 Killer Cardio Workouts That Don\u2019t Involve Running<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Elliptical
Photo by Marla Rutherford<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Elliptical Resistance Workout<\/h3>\n

Targets:<\/strong>\u00a0Building strength and endurance
\n<\/em>For this routine it\u2019s all about making your intervals feel like work<\/em>. As you increase your ramp resistance, it should progressively start to feel like you\u2019re dragging your feet through mud. Just make sure you can keep a consistent pace \u2014 if your stride<\/a> starts to get choppy, you\u2019ve gone too high. Gently stride on the elliptical for two minutes to get your muscles warm, then dive right into the workout. Afterwards, cool down for two minutes.<\/p>\n

GET MORE WORKOUTS:<\/strong>\u00a0Try Daily Burn’s Power Cardio, FREE!<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Elliptical
Photo by Marla Rutherford<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Elliptical Mixed Madness\u00a0Workout<\/h3>\n

Targets:<\/strong>\u00a0Upper body, core, balance and stability
\n<\/em>You\u2019ll do it all in this workout \u2014 push your pace, \u201crun\u201d backwards (to make sure those hamstrings<\/a> get some attention, too) and isolate the upper body. Proper posture is key here, says Comerchero. \u201cKeep that soft bend in the knees, pedal heel to toe, and keep an upright posture,\u201d she says. \u201cFor a quick check-in, take your hands off the bars \u2014 it\u2019ll force you to be in the proper upright position because you won\u2019t have anything to lean on.\u201d Warm up on the elliptical for two minutes before you start the intervals, and then take two minutes to cool down after the workout is complete.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Originally published February 2016. Updated November 2017.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Read More
\n<\/strong>Dumbbell Workout: 5 Moves, 1 Full-Body Burn
\n<\/a>3 Rowing Machine Workouts for Cardio and Strength<\/a>
\n20-Minute HIIT Workout to Get Fit, Fast<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

No free treadmills at the gym? These 30-minute elliptical workouts will burn more calories than a steady state workout by using high-intensity intervals. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":65,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,24,6],"tags":[288,60,139,341,343,100],"class_list":["post-47345","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cardio","category-exercise","category-fitness","tag-cardio","tag-high-intensity-interval-training","tag-hiit","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2exercise","tag-workout"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47345","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/65"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47345"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47345\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47345"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47345"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47345"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}