San Francisco Bay Club trainer Jordan Shay doesn’t need to dig out any market-research data to prove that elliptical trainers, a.k.a. cross-trainers, are the hottest cardio machines around. He only needs to lead you into one of the club’s cardio rooms. On this particular day, three treadmills are in use, one guy pedals a stationary bike, and the vacant recumbents and stair climbers look lonelier than Tom Hanks in "Castaway." All the action is on the ellipticals, with eight in motion on this slow Tuesday morning..

"This is typical," says Shay, an American College of Sports Medicine-certified trainer at the 3,700-member club. "Our ellipticals get the most use—we just ordered more—because they provide a wonderful cardio workout and they’re easy on the joints."

That isn’t all. The elliptical tops the cardio machine competition in a variety of ways. Elliptical exercise is that rare activity that’s both weight-bearing and non-impact—the best of both worlds. Stationary biking isn’t weight-bearing (weight-bearing exercise promotes bone density), and it’s harder to get the same calorie burn on a bike. Treadmills let you work as hard as ellipticals do, but they’re also hard on the knees and low back because of the impact. Stair-climbers are non-impact, but they over-stress the knees. Rowing machines can over-stress the low back.
Elliptical exercise offers more, too. Like any cardio exercise, it boosts heart and lung fitness, reduces stress, bolsters immune function, improves cholesterol levels and lowers the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers. It also enhances muscle endurance in:

• Quads and glutes.


• Hams, calves and hip flexors, especially if you use the incline.


• Pecs, triceps and anterior delts if you push the vertical "arms" on total-body units.


• Lats, biceps, rhomboids and rear delts if you pull those "arms."
  Using an elliptical with no "arms" or not using the "arms" is fine, by the way. Pushing and pulling them won’t add much upper-body muscle anyway, especially if you weight train regularly. Using the arms does increase your heart rate, letting you burn more fat and calories, although you can also get that effect by upping the speed, resistance or incline.

The elliptical trainer, named for the ellipse formed by your fast-moving feet, may resemble walking or running, but it actually has more in common with two other activities. "On no incline, the forward-and-backward motion makes it very similar to Nordic skiing," notes Shay, "while on a steep incline it’s a lot like the circular, up-and-down motion of cycling."

Many models don’t have an incline ramp, which is patented by industry leader Precor. Those that do have a range of 13 to 40 degrees, as well as a menu of pre-set workouts or "courses" that incorporate flat to steep inclines. Inclines do add load on the knees and low back, so stay "flat" if those are problem areas for you.

The two variables that all ellipticals offer are resistance and speed. Shay advises that you set the resistance at a level that allows you to maintain, without straining, a speed of 120 to 200 strides per minute.
Whichever settings your gym’s elliptical offers, don’t be intimidated. It may not be as simple as a treadmill, but it isn’t rocket science. You’ll soon find the effort points that feel right for each setting, and before you know it, you’ll be ellipsing your way to eclipsing your cardio-fitness goals.

Elliptical workouts

All the choices offered by the elliptical trainer—speed, resistance and for many machines, incline and "arms"—make designing a workout more art than science. The range of settings also varies from one machine to another. Still, the elliptical’s adaptability is not a weakness but a strength, because regularly changing your workout makes it more effective and less boring.

In your first workout, fiddle with the settings until you settle on a comfortable combination. Keep in mind that high-speed/low-resistance striding provides a better fat-burning, aerobic workout, while low-speed/high-resistance striding presents a harder, more anaerobic challenge. Once you find a good combination, pay attention to your effort. How would you rate it on a scale of 1 (effortless) to 10 (maximum effort)? This is the "Perceived Exertion" (PE) Scale, which we’ll use for these workouts.

First, here are guidelines that apply to any elliptical workout:

• 
  Get a physician’s clearance if you haven’t done regular cardio training for awhile.


• Start each workout with a 5-minute elliptical warm-up while increasing your PE from 1 to 5 on no incline. Skip this warm-up if you’ve just come off another cardio machine or a gym circuit workout.


• Finish each workout with 2 to 5 minutes of reducing your PE from 5 to 1, while lowering the incline (if you used it) to zero. This cool-down reduces post-workout soreness.


• Total workout time—counting the warm-up and cool-down—should be 25 to 30 minutes. Doing less is still effective, though, and doing more is most appropriate for endurance athletes.


• If this is your only cardio workout, aim to do it three times a week on non-consecutive days.

Beginner’s workout
If you aren’t doing consistent cardio workouts:

Weeks 1 to 2: Maintain a steady PE level of 5 to 6.
Weeks 3 to 7: Add intensity at mid-workout by intermittently increasing the resistance, incline or both, from a PE of 5 to 6 to a PE of 6 to 7. Follow each of the higher-intensity reps (30 to 60 seconds) by twice the amount of recovery time (1 to 2 minutes) at the lower PE level. Start with two to three reps, then add 1 to 2 a week until you’re doing reps for most of the workout.
Weeks 8-plus: Move up to the Intermediate/Advanced Workout when you feel you’re ready.

Intermediate/advanced workout
If you do regular cardio workouts:

Weeks 1 to 2: Maintain a steady PE (perceived-exertion) level of 6 to 7.
Weeks 3 to 7: Add intensity at mid-workout by intermittently increasing the resistance, incline or both, from a PE of 6 to 7 to a PE of 8 to 9. Follow each of the higher-intensity reps (30 to 60 seconds) by an equal amount of recovery time (30 to 60 seconds) at the lower PE level. Start with two to three reps, then add 1 to 2 a week until you’re doing reps for mostof the workout.
Weeks 8-plus: Increase the intensity of the reps, or lengthen total workout time, if you wish to continue to up the ante.

Fixing your form
Using the elliptical trainer is simple enough that few people bother to ask a gym trainer to demonstrate correct form. The result is that many who use it exhibit inefficient or even injury-producing form. Here are the most common technique errors and how to fix them.

• The torso lean. Any forward lean strains the low back. Your upper body should be straight up and down—hips to forehead—and perpendicular to the floor.


• The death grip. Don’t squeeze the front rail (or handlebars) like it’s a barbell. Hold on for a few seconds until you find your balance, then rest your hands lightly on the rail. After awhile, try taking your hands off and swinging them in a running-type motion. This gives your abs and low back some work as they’re forced to stabilize your trunk in order
• The stumble. Anchor your feet at the front of the large foot plates, so your shoes touch the "stops" at the front of the plates. If you stand on the middle or back of them, forward momentum can cause your feet to slide or stumble, throwing you off balance. (Any type of athletic shoes is fine if they’re comfortable and have some arch support. Cushioning is unimportant because there is no joint impact.)