How to Do the Elliptical Trainer

Intermediate cardio exercise with machine.

The elliptical trainer is a low-impact cardio machine where your feet move in an oval path on pedals that never leave them, with optional moving handles for the arms. Because there's no landing impact, it lets you raise your heart rate for long sessions with less stress on the knees, hips and shins than running. Intensity comes from three dials — resistance, incline (on some models) and stride rate — so the same machine works for an easy warm-up or hard intervals.

Exercise details

Muscle group: Cardio
Primary muscle: Cardio
Equipment: Machine
Difficulty: Intermediate
Type: Cardio (timed)

How to perform it

1Step on while holding the fixed handles, then place your feet flat in the middle of the pedals.
2Start pedalling at an easy pace before choosing a program or manual resistance.
3Stand tall with a slight forward lean from the ankles, and keep your weight through your whole foot.
4Hold the moving handles and push and pull in time with your legs, or let go to rely on your legs and balance.
5Raise resistance or stride rate to make it harder; lower them to recover.
6Spend the last few minutes at an easy pace before stepping off.

Elliptical Trainer form cues

Keep your heels down — rising onto your toes can make your feet go numb and shifts load to the calves.
Drive through the heel on the push to bring in the glutes and hamstrings.
Hold the handles lightly; leaning on them takes weight off your legs and lowers the work.

Common Elliptical Trainer mistakes

Spinning fast with no resistance

High speed with no resistance is mostly momentum. Add enough resistance that each stride takes effort.

Hunching over the console

Stand upright with your shoulders over your hips so your legs and core do the work.

Who the Elliptical Trainer is for

Anyone who wants cardio that is easy on the joints: beginners, heavier trainees, people returning from a break, or lifters who want conditioning without leg soreness.

Elliptical sessions you can follow

Warm-up before lifting5–8 minEasy pace, low resistance, raise slightly in the last 2 minutes.

Steady cardio20–40 minModerate resistance at a pace where you can talk in short sentences.

Intervals~20 minAfter a 5-min warm-up: 8 × (1 min hard, 1 min easy), then 5 min easy.

SSS Workout Assistant uses cardio like this as the warm-up at the start of a session. For a dedicated cardio day, the steady or interval session is a good default.

Elliptical Trainer vs similar exercises

vs Stationary Cycling

Seated and even lower impact. The elliptical is weight-bearing and uses the upper body if you hold the moving handles.

vs Running, Treadmill

Running burns more per minute at the same effort for most people, but has much more impact. The elliptical lets you do more weekly volume with less recovery cost.

Elliptical Trainer alternatives

No machine? These train the same cardio, grouped by what you have available.

No equipment

Machine or cable

Easier and harder variations

The Elliptical Trainer is rated intermediate. Regress while you build the pattern, progress once it feels easy.

Easier — build up to it

Where it fits in your weekly plan

SSS Workout Assistant uses cardio moves like the Elliptical Trainer as a warm-up at the start of a session, so your joints and heart rate are ready before the main lifts.

Included when your equipment is set to: Full gym.

Free tools for this exercise

Body fat calculator

Track body composition alongside your conditioning work.

TDEE calculator

Find the daily calories that support your training goal.

Put it in your plan

SSS Workout Assistant builds a custom weekly routine around your goals and adds moves like the Elliptical Trainer automatically — then tracks every set.

Build my free plan

Frequently asked questions

How long should I use the elliptical?

5–8 minutes is enough for a warm-up. For general fitness, 20–40 minutes at a moderate pace two or three times a week, or a 20-minute interval session, is a good starting point.

Is the elliptical good for losing fat?

Any cardio you can repeat consistently adds to your weekly calorie burn, and the elliptical's low impact makes it easy to do often. Fat loss still depends mainly on your overall diet.

What muscles does the Elliptical Trainer work?

The Elliptical Trainer primarily targets the cardio within the cardio muscle group, and recruits several supporting muscles as a compound movement.

What equipment do I need for the Elliptical Trainer?

You need machine to perform the Elliptical Trainer.

How long should I do the Elliptical Trainer?

The Elliptical Trainer is timed rather than counted: 5–10 easy minutes works as a warm-up, 20–40 minutes at a conversational pace builds endurance, and short hard intervals with easy recoveries fit a 15–20 minute session.

Is the Elliptical Trainer good for beginners?

The Elliptical Trainer is rated intermediate. Beginners can work toward it by mastering easier variations first and prioritising form over load before adding weight or reps.

What can I do instead of the Elliptical Trainer?

Good substitutes that train the same cardio include the Battling Ropes (none), the HIIT Circuit (bodyweight), the Jogging, Treadmill (machine). Pick the one that matches the equipment you have.