Total Ellipse

If you've got a limited amount of time and your goal is fat­ burning, or you want a weight-bearing workout that takes in upper and lower body, then the elliptical trainer (semetimies called a cross-trainer) is the baby for you.

If you're fighting shy of it because they didn't have them in gyms when you last went, or it looks sort of complicated, then it's high time the two of you got acquainted.

Compared to the other machines in the gym the elliptical trainer has a number of unique advantages. Take a quick look at its neighbours, The rower provides a great upper and lower body workout, but isn't weight bearing, so you don't bum so many calories and you don't build bone density. Then there's the treadmill which is weight bearing at its best, but involves the considerable impact of that weight crashing, into the ground with every footfall. The stepper, on the other hand, manages weight-bearing exercise without the impact of running, although it doesn't work your arms. Which only leaves the elliptical as the machine that makes you work with your own bodyweight, but no impact (your feet never lift off from the pedals) and using your arms. The result is a high calorie bum rate, and an overall workout that makes it a great warm-up for other exercises.

A few tips on form

Ellipticals are low impact and the ellipse action makes it hard for you to injure yourself using them but we humans are a remarkably inventive species when it comes to damaging ourselves with inanimate objects. Try to keep your knees slightly bent at all times, they should never lock. Keep your arms relaxed and try not to bounce your body - however much fun you're having.

A few tips on form

This is a largely self-explanatory machine, with a few variations from one model to another in terms of the programme options on offer. Pretty much all the machines you'll come across have a resistance setting (usually from 1 to 20) and the higher you set that the more work you'll have to do to keep going: In particular on the higher settings you'll have to work harder with your arms to maintain momentum and the twisting effect that has will also give your abs and obliques something of a workout. Try different settings to add a bit of variety to your routine, and notice that the higher the resistance, the higher the number of calories you'll bum to overcome it.

Remember that you have two possible actions with your arms - you can either put your energy into pushing each handle away from you, or into pulling towards you. Pushing will exercise your chest (pectoral) muscles and the backs of your arms (triceps), pulling will put more emphasis on your back (lattisimus dorsi or lats) and your biceps. Try mixing and matching with five minutes just pushing, then five minutes just pulling for a more rounded upper-body workout.

Gonna get elliptical on yo' ass

Of course the whole point of the elliptical trainer is that it's not just upper; your lower body muscles are working merrily away as well. Here too you can mix and match by backing up - because sometimes the way forwards is to go backwards. The smooth elliptical action makes it easy to go into reverse and walk backwards, which then reverses the action on your muscles and works your buttocks more than your thighs. Again try five minutes of each, switching between the two for a more complete body workout.