The cross trainer, aka elliptical trainer, is my favourite item in the gym, to the extent I bought one for the home.
The appeal of the cross trainer is that it simulates walking (exercise your legs)and pulling (exercise your arms). It’s easy to use and there’s no impact on your joints. Knee sufferers will find the cross trainer a great piece of equipment.
Don’t get a cross trainer to build muscle strength, although it can help. If you are going forward, it will work out the thighs and quads. If you reverse the direction, it will give you a really good glut workout.
The aim of the cross trainer is to give you a good cardio workout, strengthening your heart and improving blood circulation.
Here’s a calculator to estimate the calories you’re likely to lose exercising with a cross trainer:
Magnetic resistance cross trainers offer more exercise routines or training levels to increase your fitness. And, can be quieter than belt driven versions.
Depending on how varied your training levels need to be e.g. from simulating level walking to mountain climbing will guide your choice of a belt driven or magnetic resistance cross trainer.
Don’t make the mistake I made when selecting a cross trainer and overlook the dimensions. I ordered my cross trainer, new, from Ebay and was surprised or shocked at the size.
I placed it in the dining room where it soon became the dominant feature. A cross trainer is not something you want as part of your dining room furniture.
In the end it was relegated to the garage and that's when its use declined. I stopped using it and had to scrap it because it no longer worked. I could have bought another, though much cheaper cross trainer, for what it would cost to fix. I didn't
The lesson from my experience is - if you buy a cross trainer make sure you put it where you can see it. You then stand a greater chance in beating the struggle to become or stay fit.
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