Elliptical Machine: 5 Effective Tips to Lose Weight Fast

Are you struggling with losing those extra weight? If you only rely on diet, then your battle is only half won. Losing weight is all about burning calories. It does not matter how you burn them. As long as you are burning calories, your weight should drop.
Exercising can help you to maximize the effects of dieting because it can boost the ability of your body to use calories. One effective way to exercise is to use an elliptical machine. If you have one at home, check out the following 5 simple tips on how to use your elliptical trainer the right way so you can lose weight fast.
1. Use the handlebars
Make sure you use the handlebars to work out your upper body in addition to toning your calves and thighs. Many people are not aware that using handlebars can boost the effectiveness of their workout.
If the handlebars come with adjustable tension, you can use it for a variety of workouts on your arms and shoulder. This resembles cross-country skiing.
Compared to a treadmill which only uses the lower body, an elliptical trainer has an added advantage in helping you lose those extra pounds. By focusing both upper and lower body workout on a cross trainer, your whole body can burn more calories and fat in less time.
2. Work out as many muscles as possible
If you want to increase your metabolism, use different muscle groups during your workout. Using an elliptical machine is a combination of exercise routines such as rowing a boat, running, walking on the staircase and skiing. Different workouts on this fitness equipment can help you to involve different muscle groups. This will definitely increase your heart rate, allowing you to burn more fat.
You can also use the forward and reverse motion on the foot pedals to focus on different muscles. This will help your body to use more calories which will lead to greater weight loss.
3. Spend more time on your elliptical machine
You can lose weight faster when you exercise on a longer period. According to The American College of Sports Medicine, doing moderate exercises like walking between 150 and 250 minutes a week can help you to lose some weight. But when you exercise more than 250 minutes, you will see greater weight loss. In fact, more calories will be used when you workout at higher intensity for an extended period of time.
By prolonging the length of time on the cardio exercise machines, it will boost your heart rate which lead to faster weight loss. Cross trainers have the ability to work your large muscles in a natural movement. As a result, you can maintain your revved up heart rate for longer time where more calories will be used.
Recently, I saw this message "Did you know it would take 1.5hrs on the cross trainer to burn off a quarter pounder with cheese?" on the Twitter recently. It just make sense to extend your time on your fitness equipment if you want to reach your ideal weight. And that depends on how weight you are planning to get rid of.
4. Increase the resistance levels
Adjust the resistance levels to increase the intensity. This can help you to develop strength and muscle. By increasing your muscle mass, you also boost your fat burning abilities and metabolism. You may find it hard and grueling as you increase the resistance level. But don't give up because you will definitely lose weight faster this way.
When you choose a higher level of resistance, make you sure you don't over strain yourself.
5. Include interval training
One good thing about elliptical trainer is that it allows you to choose a specific program. You can create an interval training by combining different programs.
Interval training is a another way to help you lose weight effectively. It is a combination of high and low intensity workouts. You may spend 10 minutes performing a high intensity workout and then by followed by a 20-minute rest. After the break, you may proceed with a 10-minute low intensity exercise.
Furthermore, interval training will prevent your body from getting used to a single workout. Otherwise, you may reach a plateau and whatever you do on the fitness equipment may not have any effect on your weighing scale. Thus, more calories to be burned when you don't allow your body to adapt to the exercise routine.
Using different programs of intensity can prevent boredom which is the common factor for high dropout rate. You will have more fun and challenges on your elliptical machine by having different workouts each day. And you will spend more time working out as you have more choices.