How effective is a cross trainer for weight loss really?

1. The cross trainer is one of the most popular fitness equipment in the Netherlands. Easier than a treadmill, and you don't have to leave the house: ideal, you would think. And indeed there are thousands of people toiling on this thing every day, hoping to lose an extra kilo.

2. The cross trainer is one of the most popular fitness equipment in the Netherlands. Easier than a treadmill, and you don't have to leave the house: ideal, you would think. And indeed there are thousands of people daily toiling on this thing, hoping to lose an extra kilo.

1. But does a cross trainer really make losing weight so much easier? Or are there catches in the grass and are you actually just wasting your time on such a thing? In today's blog we list the pros and cons of the cross trainer. We also discuss how you can perform a cross trainer training as effectively as possible to lose weight!

Advantages of the cross trainer

1. Obviously, the cross trainer has the necessary advantages, otherwise it would never have become so popular. We will briefly mention the two most important below:

2. Obviously, the elliptical cross trainer has the necessary advantages, otherwise it would never have become so popular. We will briefly mention the two most important below:

1. Many fitness equipment only target a specific part of the body. On a regular treadmill, for example, your arms remain considerably underexposed. Not only is that a shame about your time, it also burns fewer calories. A shame, of course, if your primary goal is to lose weight.

1. With a cross trainer, your arms are also forced to move. That way you can burn several hundred calories relatively quickly with the help of this device.

1. The crosstrainer has a second advantage over outdoor running and the treadmill: the load on your joints. On a cross trainer, the footrests move in the circular movement that your legs make. So your feet don't come off the â € ˜floorâ € ™ â € “and do not come back with a bang every time. [! 182177 => 1140 = 6!] That mainly saves a lot of strain on your hips and knees. Especially if you often suffer from your joints, this is a good way to prevent injuries.

2. The crosstrainer has a second advantage over outdoor running and the treadmill: the load on your joints. On a cross trainer, the footrests move in the circular movement that your legs make. So your feet do not come off the â € ˜floorâ € ™ â € “and do not come back with a bang every time.

1. That mainly saves a lot of strain on your hips and knees. Especially if you often suffer from your joints, this is a good way to prevent injuries.

The Fat Burning Zone

1. A third point that is sometimes mentioned as an advantage is that you can easily reach the â € ˜ fat burning zone â € ™ with the elliptical. That would be nice if there was such a thing as such a zone! Unfortunately, this is typically such a myth that is the result of misinterpreted numbers… It is true that a moderate heart rate burns relatively more fat than carbohydrates.

2. A third point that is sometimes mentioned as an advantage is that you can easily reach the â € ˜ fat burning zone â € ™ with the cross trainer. That would be nice if there was such a thing as such a zone! Unfortunately, this is typically such a myth that is the result of misinterpreted numbers… It is true that a moderate heart rate burns relatively more fat than carbohydrates.

1. In absolute numbers, however, you will lose more calories if you go for a really intensive heart rate! And that means that you can really lose more weight just by working harder. So the elliptical does not put you in a magical state where you lose more fat with less work.

The downside of cardio

1. A second reason that the fat burning zone is nonsense is that afterburning is not taken into account. The harder the workout, the higher the after-burn is in principle. After all, your body still uses energy to recover after training. Therefore, you should really go for a more intensive training.

2. A second reason that the fat burning zone is nonsense is that afterburning is not taken into account. The harder the workout, the higher the after-burn is in principle. After all, your body still uses energy to recover after training. You should therefore really go for a more intensive training.

1. However, cardio in general has the disadvantage that the afterburning never really gets high. There is never serious muscle damage during training sessions where you do not primarily strain yourself intensively! And that also means no long-term effect on your metabolism.

2. However, cardio in general has the disadvantage that the afterburn never really gets high. There is never serious muscle damage during training where you do not primarily strain yourself intensively! And that also means no long-term effect on your metabolism.

Crosstrainer lose weight

1. What does that mean for weight loss with the elliptical? Very simple: it is possible, but there are also more effective ways. The problem with that cross trainer, as with all cardio, is that you mainly burn calories during the training itself. Admittedly, there are a few hundred - but have a good handful of nuts as a snack, and the same amount of calories is already on it.

1. Especially if you keep in mind that you have to burn 7,777 calories to lose a kilo, you will understand why all those hours on the cross trainer don't really contribute that much. You just spend a lot of time for relatively lean results.

Prefer strength training!

1. For that reason we would always advise you to opt for strength training earlier. This has a very big advantage over cardio: those new muscles are also there when you are not training. And muscle, unlike fat, increases the speed at which your metabolism works. That means that strength training does not only burn calories during your workout.

2. For that reason we would always advise you to opt for strength training earlier. That has a very big advantage over cardio: those new muscles are also there when you are not training. And muscle, unlike fat, increases the speed at which your metabolism works. That means that strength training does not only burn calories during your workout.

1. There's also the afterburn - your muscles need to recover. And then you use more and more energy throughout the day, because you also keep those muscles busy at rest. So that's a triple result for every workout!

Interval training cross trainer

1. Does that mean that a cross trainer is never useful? Not at all: it's definitely better than no training at all, for example. And if it helps you to start exercising, we can only applaud it. Still, it's just a bit of a waste of your time to toil on that thing for hours.

1. If you would still like to use it, we recommend interval training to save time! You alternate between high and low effort, so that you burn more calories in a short time. See also: the benefits of HIIT training.

Cross trainer interval schedule

1. What would such an interval training schedule look like on the elliptical? There is no standard protocol for that. Start slowly and try to increase the intensity slightly. You can make it as heavy as you want!

1. Ideally plan your training on a rest day in or after your strength training. This way you have enough energy to train with weights.