subject: Making Progress With An Elliptical [print this page] One of the most elusive parts of the exercise process is making progress and keeping the positive changes that have been achieved. For example, many people achieve short term benefits by engaging in a fitness routine, but the effect is temporary because they become complacent or quit before they can secure a more permanent change in their body's or in their habit building paradigms.
Using an elliptical machine is a good way to achieve this permanent change within the individual, for a myriad of reasons. Among these reasons are the accessibility, convenience, completeness of workout, and engineering that the equipment provides those who choose to use it.
The elliptical machine is designed to provide an inclusive workout that exercises the legs, arms, core, and abs while building overall endurance and strength levels. Some of the benefits that the equipment provides need to be actively pursued by the user, while some perks are passive results of a multitude of actions over time.
The elliptical machine achieves all of this because of the way that it is engineered. The device features a contoured set of foot pedals that pedal forward in an ovular motion, creating the simulation of running or jogging in slightly modified fashion, while removing any harmful impact or stress from the process by taking the impact out of the equation with the rotating motion.
These pedals are attached to bars leading up to handles that are grasped by the user, which move in tandem with the motions of the foot pedals. This means that when someone is moving around the foot supports, they are also simultaneously causing these handles to moves back and forth, exercising the arms by virtue of many repeated motions.
The movement of the arms and legs tightens the abs and works the core at the same time. The abs tighten as the individual strains, while the core is worked and strengthened by virtue of the torso twisting with each series of motions.
The workout sessions naturally occur as the individual works the attachments back and forth. The elliptical machine naturally fixes possible issues such as form or stance, and can be fully adjusted to modify the difficulty, simulated gradient, or length of time that the session will go on for.
The elliptical machine allows the individual using it to building up progress by increasing both strength levels and overall endurance. These attributes are increased as a pattern is established and a regular series of incremental increases are added to the program, essentially forcing the body to adapt to an increasing amount of strain and fatigue that roughly parallel its own ability to adapt and become stronger.
Making these changed to strength and endurance permanent is a difficult task for some people. There are many reasons why the effect doesn't stay, most of them involving people who slack off a bit and begin to make exceptions to their fitness regimen, eventually settling for casual exercise routines that do not actually physically challenge them.
Therefore, the following guidelines must be followed to maximize the benefit from the exercise regimen. These guidelines mostly focus on building habit and staying vigilant.
Firstly, the aforementioned concept of incremental increase must be observed, because if the body is not challenged in a ratio to its abilities, then it becomes complacent and may regress back to previous levels. This regression can be seen as endurance actually diminishes because the exact same routine is being done.
Next, the workout sessions must occur regularly, preferably several times a week, during the same time of day. This will train the body into a rhythm that will focus energy and stamina toward those times, maximizing the elliptical machine experience.
Finally, there will ideally be no exceptions made in this pattern. If the pattern is slacked off on, them the user may begin to think that it is alright to do so whenever they feel exercise is inconvenient, essentially removing the motivation to improve.
Making, building, and keeping progress are all within the reach of the user are fully with the user's reach when using an elliptical machine. By adhering to basic guidelines and principles, people can become build much more strength and stamina than they previously thought possible, and make this increased fitness level a permanent part of their lives.
