There are few better ways to get toned and in shape than through the use of an elliptical trainer. The low impact ellipticals can produce a full body workout without injuring your knees and hips. Many elliptical trainers are equipped with handles that will give you an upper body workout and thus these elliptical trainers are considered cross trainers.
Recently some manufactures have improved elliptical trainers by making it easy to change the length of stride. This has many benefits as it allows you to target specific muscle groups. In addition research has shown that a longer stride will burn more calories than shorter ones. The use of the handles on an elliptical trainer and longer strides have affect of burning calories with less perceived effort. In other words you can do a more intensive workout for a longer period of time without feeling fatigued. However if you want to target your lower back and butt then you will need to use a shorter stride while maintaining an upright body position. This versatility is the beauty of an elliptical trainer.
Another relatively new elliptical trainer innovation is the ability of the elliptical to change the slope or shape of the stride. Changing the slope of your stride will increase the intensity of your workout as well as help you focus on different muscle groups. Probably the greatest benefit of changing the arc or shape of the stride comes from the ability to direct the force of the workout away from your knees and into your hips. This is accomplished by changing the users posture. Most elliptical trainer uses lean to far forward which puts strain on the knees and lower back. Some elliptical trainer users develop lower back pain or cramps from this forward leaning position. Changing the body's position to a more upright position will make the stride more natural. This will evenly distribute body energy and force through the hips during your workout on the elliptical trainer.
A good friend who uses an elliptical trainer on a daily basis frequently conducts what she calls a reverse elliptical trainer workout. Basically she does the full 40 minute elliptical routine in reverse. It targets her shin splints and ankles while getting a really good stretch of her calf muscle group. We tried out the reverse elliptical workout ourselves and found it interesting. I took us a short time to get into the right rhythm but once that was accomplished it was easy to do. Just as our friend had stated it work distinctly different muscle groups. If you want to try something different that tones additional muscle groups we recommend you jump on your elliptical trainer and give it a try. Nothing beats an elliptical for a total body workout.
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