Elliptical muscle groups

Traditional treadmills can damage the lower half of the body due to the high impact pressures that are exerted on them during running; shock is transferred through the feet, legs, and legs and spine. Many runners suffer knee and back injuries, and problems can arise later in life if proper precautions are not taken.

Stair climbing equipment helps shape and tone certain muscles, but works on very few other aspects of the body and your fitness. A similar situation is encountered with cycling training, which focuses resistance solely on the legs. Unless an effort is made to exercise other muscle groups (such as lifting weights while riding), you will not get any additional benefit.

Elliptical trainers allow the user to focus on several different muscles during a workout; it’s hard to think of another type of exercise that benefits in so many different ways. Certainly an elliptical trainer is preferred over treadmills, stair climbers, and bikes when it comes to a complete workout.

Doctors take note of the full-body cross-training exercise provided by the elliptical trainer. A common misconception is that ellipticals divide the body into two separate and distinct muscle groups when used, but this is not actually the case. The fluid movement of the exercise provided by an elliptical workout means that the muscles work together, complement each other, and provide a full-body workout. The resulting exercise is more natural, more comfortable, and more effective for the whole body.

The muscles of the upper body come into play due to the ski movement of the upper handles connected to the pedals of the machine. The shoulders (deltoids) and chest muscles (pectorillis major – pecs) work together with the back of the upper arms (triceps) and the front of the arms (biceps) to push and pull the handles with a rhythmic movement.

The main resistance offered by the elliptical is to the legs and as such the larger muscles such as the hips (gluteus maximus), the front of the thighs (quadriceps), and the back of the thighs (hamstrings) are used together . The body needs to stabilize when on the elliptical, and the calves (gastrocnemius) and lower shin (tibialas anterior) provide this stabilization, exercising them in the process.

Other muscles affected are the ‘obliques’, the stabilizing muscles that flank the abdominals (rectus abdominis), and again the movement means that these muscle groups complement each other, along with the muscles of the back (latissimus dorsi). They provide an effective workout through the body.