I
used to eschew the elliptical trainer. I'd look at the folks going
through the motions on these machines as if they were lazy. Then a
hectic work schedule , a pile of stress, and a decade old high
jumping injury (more glamorous than it sounds!) led to an
outrageously bad case of sciatica. Even after a week of rest and
chiropractic care I still couldn't run. I couldn't really bike
either. I definitely couldn't row. But I was keen to get back at it
and there was that row of ellipticals, staring me in the face. It
didn't hurt either that the fancy LCD screen sported a reasonably
attractive fitness model smiling happily back at me when I
approached for a closer look. After familiarizing myself with the
controls I decided to try a 30:30 program--a warm-up followed by
alternating 30 second WI and RI. I set it for 4 intervals, a total
workout time of 7 minutes including the warm up, and hit go.
It was, well, epic. I was all wrong about ellipticals! These
machines are phenomenal at creating a level of post-workout pain
that is hard to rival. Can't wait, can you?
- E1. 1:1interval. This is basically the 30:30 workout above only
with longer intervals. Start with a 1 min RI at a level that is
relatively easy--if your machine has wattage you can use a level
that produces about the same wattage as your biking RIs do.
Remember, you'll also have to choose a cadence (RPM) to set as a
minimum thresh-hold. I suggest initially choosing 60 for this and
adjusting if 60 just feels way too slow. For your WI, choose a
level where that target cadence gets about the same wattage for
your WI on the bike, keeping in mind that you may need to fine tune
these levels in subsequent workouts. After your 1 min RI, alternate
WI and RI, one minute at a time, for 10 minutes. BASELINE WORKOUT.
[10 minutes]
- E2. 1:2 interval. Same as E1 except your WI are twice as long,
so adjust your WI level accordingly. Since you'll start with a 1
min RI you'll also end with one. If you're feeling good you can add
in a 'sprint' during this last minute to just see what you're made
of--keep the resistance level where it is and see if you can get
the RPM's over 90 for the next 60 seconds! BASELINE WORKOUT. [10
minutes]
- E3. No-Slo-Random-Pro. Some elliptical machines have a random
program as part of their program set. You can use this to create a
workout similar to TM5. Choose a target cadence {>60] and a
starting level (easier than you think!) then start plugging away.
The random profile for most ellipticals should indicate an increase
in the resistance, and (hopefully) the entire resistance profile
will move up and down when you manually increase or decrease it.
Remember the rules--be bold, be cocky, and never make it easier!
Again, this workout is best done for a longer duration than the
interval workouts--15 minutes seems a good minimum time whereas my
favorite duration is about half an hour.
Notes:
- USE YOUR ARMS! These workouts are designed, and most effective,
if done on the elliptical machines that incorporate both the
running motion and the push/pull arms for the upper body. If you're
going all out you will feel it in your thighs, glutes, and most
definitely your arms. During some of my most desperate elliptical
sessions I became a crazed thrashing beast--using every ounce of
will and all the muscles available to me to move those levers and
foot platforms through their range of motion at 60 RPM for every
last second. Then I walked around in circles weeping like a baby
for 15 minutes as most of my body was bathed lactic acid.
- Other programs. There may be built in programs on your
elliptical machine that are very suitable for high intensity work.
Don't be afraid to experiment, but remember--keep it short and keep
it hard! Any program, when paired with a target cadence (RPM), can
be used effectively as a baseline workout because the level itself
can serve as the objective assessment metric.