Cross trainer
- Thread starter Dikon
- Start date
Re: Cross trainer
Oooh! The Cross Trainer!
For those not familiar with it, this is an excellent low impact activity that promotes a total body workout incorporating the upper and lower body.
Major muscles utilized:
Quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors, gastrocnemius, soleus, gluteus maximus, deltoids, biceps, latissimus dorsi and trapezius.
Because this involves motor skills for the upper and lower body, it may be beneficial, to successfully enhance your performance, if you practice the technique separately initially, starting with the leg action and progressing to a combination.
Make sure the stride length or range of movement is comfortable; action is a mixture between stepping, cycling and treadmill walking. The cross trainer allows for a variety of exercise activity by incorporating a forward as well as a reverse motion drive.
Use full range of movement. The closer your feet to the front of the pedal, the shorter the rotation or stride will be. The further to the back of the pedal the greater the range of movement.
Maintain full foot contact with the pedal at all times and make sure you do not lock your knees.
Warning:
Keep the body in an upright position with only a slight lean forward from the ankles. Try not to lean on the console or the handrails as this will decrease the workload. Avoid letting the head drop too far forward as this could lead to balance or postural problems and strain the neck muscles.
Precautions
Take care if you have hip, knee or ankle complaints and stop if you feel discomfort.
As for interval sessions, the same as recommended to KF in 'General Level of Fitness... From Home':
If you wish to do this on a treadmill, start with a warm up [say] 8 mins to slowly increase the intensity.
Once you reach 70-80% MHR, pace steady for 2 mins then increase the intensity to 80-90% MHR for 1 min. Bring the intensity down again to 70-80% MHR for 2 mins.
Repeat until you can increase no more then bring the intensity down slowly for [say] 8 mins.
Oooh! The Cross Trainer!
For those not familiar with it, this is an excellent low impact activity that promotes a total body workout incorporating the upper and lower body.
Major muscles utilized:
Quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors, gastrocnemius, soleus, gluteus maximus, deltoids, biceps, latissimus dorsi and trapezius.
Because this involves motor skills for the upper and lower body, it may be beneficial, to successfully enhance your performance, if you practice the technique separately initially, starting with the leg action and progressing to a combination.
Make sure the stride length or range of movement is comfortable; action is a mixture between stepping, cycling and treadmill walking. The cross trainer allows for a variety of exercise activity by incorporating a forward as well as a reverse motion drive.
Use full range of movement. The closer your feet to the front of the pedal, the shorter the rotation or stride will be. The further to the back of the pedal the greater the range of movement.
Maintain full foot contact with the pedal at all times and make sure you do not lock your knees.
Warning:
Keep the body in an upright position with only a slight lean forward from the ankles. Try not to lean on the console or the handrails as this will decrease the workload. Avoid letting the head drop too far forward as this could lead to balance or postural problems and strain the neck muscles.
Precautions
Take care if you have hip, knee or ankle complaints and stop if you feel discomfort.
As for interval sessions, the same as recommended to KF in 'General Level of Fitness... From Home':
If you wish to do this on a treadmill, start with a warm up [say] 8 mins to slowly increase the intensity.
Once you reach 70-80% MHR, pace steady for 2 mins then increase the intensity to 80-90% MHR for 1 min. Bring the intensity down again to 70-80% MHR for 2 mins.
Repeat until you can increase no more then bring the intensity down slowly for [say] 8 mins.
