subject: Understanding The Design Of The Elliptical [print this page] Although they sometimes seem like fairly simple concepts, a great deal of engineering and effort go into the construction of exercise equipment in order to make it a viable option. It can be an exhaustive process, because the equipment has to be physically beneficial to the user, while also being affordable, somewhat portable, and safe.
Therefore, a utilitarian approach is needed, as every part of the devices need to serve some purpose to maximize physical benefits while minimizing cost and space impact. While this is important for some options like exercise benches and treadmills, it is doubly important for options that target multiple parts of the body, such as power towers and elliptical machines.
Looking specifically at the engineering of the elliptical machine, it is important to notice that the designers combined form with function, and allowed to the body to partially exercise itself. Additionally, the way that the device is constructed focuses on a multitude of repeated movements over time, instead of providing an intimidating barrier like weight benches sometimes project.
The engineering of the elliptical machine is specifically tailored to provide a maximum benefit to the user with every movement that they make. The device is constructed so that various parts of the body are worked in tandem with each other.
The equipment has a set of contoured foot holds that are attached to a pivoting system that blends the natural movements of walking and cycling. This movement is therefore comparable to the stepping and gliding ratio that cross country skiing might provide.
Attached to these bars that hold the feet are a set of handholds that unobtrusively go upward so that they can be grasped by whoever is using the equipment. These handles are easily gripped, and move in exact time with the foot hold below them, so that as the individual powers forward with their legs, the handholds perform a similar movement in real time.
This allows the individual in question to either balance themselves using these bars as a supplement to the workout that their legs are receiving, or they can put physical effort into pushing and pulling these handholds to allocate more weight to their arms. This can also be enhanced by using the core muscles to provide passive supports to the workout process.
The elliptical machine provides many physical benefits to the user, both immediately and over time. These benefits range from passively improved body strength and toning, to the more active strengthening of body and endurance that the exercise gives to certain active muscle groups.
The legs are actively targeted during workouts because they provide the main impetus for power and movement while on the equipment. While the design of the device removes the harmful impact involved in traditional running, it still can be a very thorough workout that can challenge any person.
As mentioned, the arms are worked in real time with the legs, with the speed at which they are pumped sometimes being determined how fast the legs are moving. The strain that is placed upon the arms remains up to the individual, since they can either elect to passively increase arm strength via many easy repetitions; or they can be more proactive with it and physically push the handholds forward and back while transferring more weight to their arms.
The core muscles will also be strengthened as a result of regular elliptical machine use. As the arms and legs push and strain, the torso muscles are also flexed and worked in a more passive way. However, the overall benefit is undeniable, since they will become more toned and strong as a result of the fitness regimen.
The difficulty options available to the user also reflect the strengths of the equipment. The difficulty is easily modifiable, and makes it physically more difficult for the user to move its parts, because it uses pressure to partially seal the movement associated with the actions performed.
The elliptical machine provides an excellent benefit to those who use it, because it has been specifically engineered to do so. By having the body move certain parts simultaneously in time with forward pedaling motion, it combines the active muscle groups together in one workout, while passively exercising and strengthening other areas of the body.
