No products in the cart.
How good is a cross trainer for losing weight?
Cardio | November 24, 2022
While it doesn’t take a tonne of research to learn that regular cardio activity of any kind is a good method of losing weight, it’s natural to wonder where your time will be best spent. Nowadays, there are almost endless options for your cardio workout, and not all of them will be right for everyone. Walking into your average gym, you’ll likely be bombarded with a variety of choices, including treadmills, spin bikes, rowing machines, weights and many more. So, you might wonder whether an elliptical cross trainer is anything particularly special against all the other options at your disposal, and whether you should invest in one for your home gym. Here we’ll go through some of the weight loss benefits of cross trainers and why they are so effective at burning calories.
What is a cross trainer?
Cross trainers are exercise machines with a flywheel that is set in rotation by the movement of the user's arms and legs. It’s called a cross trainer because of its incorporation of both parts of the body. They can come in a few different forms, such as rear drive, front drive or hybrid forms. What’s special about them is the fact that the feet and hands stay in contact with the machine throughout the exercise, meaning the impact is taken out of the equation. This makes them easier on the joints, as well as reducing muscle tension and inflammation. It’s for this reason that they are often used by trainers who are in recovery or experiencing muscle pains/tension.
Losing Weight
Before we evaluate the weight loss benefits of a cross trainer, it’s always good to go through a refresher for how weight loss occurs and the best methods of achieving it. Losing weight is mainly about burning fat, which is achieved by using up more stored energy than you're taking in in calories. So, while diet is an important factor, we want to make sure we are maximising our calorie burn to achieve the best results. There are many factors that can play into how much energy we’re burning in an exercise. This includes: intensity, duration, type of exercise, and the muscles being worked. It’s true that pretty much any type of workout will use up stored energy and likely burn a good number of calories, but we want to know about how to make our weight loss workout more efficient and effective. And this is where cross trainers come in.
Why cross trainers are so good for weight loss
While it may seem simple at first, the compound effect of utilising both the upper and lower part of the body in an elliptical workout creates some impressive results. The simultaneous motion of the arms and legs works so many major muscle groups at once, getting your entire body working. This multiplies the amount of energy you're expending by a surprising amount, and accelerates your heart rate in a way that may be more difficult on something like a spin bike or a treadmill. Remember that because there is very little impact, it’s easier to accelerate the intensity of your elliptical workout, thereby achieving greater results. Ellipticals are also self-paced, meaning you have a bit more control over your workout than you would on a standard treadmill.
Incline for Weight Loss
Adjustable incline is a common feature on front drive elliptical models, allowing the user to easily increase the slope at which they’re moving. We’ve covered before how incline is a useful feature for treadmills, but on cross trainers they offer a unique way to engage a greater number of muscles, increase difficulty and burning more calories. In short, they allow you to further maximise your energy expenditure and yield better results.
Increasing Resistance
Another feature that will be important in your weight loss workout regime is the resistance of your machine. Depending on the machine, resistance can be adjusted in one of two ways. There’s mechanical resistance, which is controlled using a twist dial on the machine, or there’s variable automatic resistance, or VAR, which allows you to alter resistance on a touch screen. VAR uses a high-quality motor to allow for quick, smooth changes on the fly. This makes interval training and varied workouts easier, allowing the user to switch between a low impact or high intensity cardio session. With an elliptical, it’s all about the resistance, and it’s essential to figure out what resistance level will be right for you. This will naturally change as you progress as you increase in ability. If you want consistent results in your workout, keep stock of what resistance level feels best for you while still making you work, and increase the level as needed. Choosing a machine with higher resistance levels available will ensure you can progress to those greater intensity workouts, especially if you’re looking at high intensity interval training (HIIT). Our cross trainers come with resistance levels ranging from 8 levels up to 24 levels on our larger front drive models.
Workout Programs
Ellipticals with VAR will come with the pre-programmed workouts that will guide you through a specific exercise program, with automatic adjustments in resistance throughout. These are highly useful for beginners who may need some guidance in how best to utilise their machine. Advanced users will also enjoy the ability to nail down a set routine for consistent results. This will be essential for those looking for weight loss benefits, as a steady routine will yield the best benefits. Workout programs allow you to fine tune your workout, such as using lower resistance levels for warm ups, then gradually increase throughout the elliptical exercise, and lowering for a cool down. They’re also effective for your HIIT workout, allowing you to easily switch between high and low levels of resistance automatically. It’s always good to look out for a machine with programs, especially for beginners.
Conclusion
An elliptical cross trainer is one of the best ways to burn calories and lose weight, typically burning more calories as opposed to other cardio equipment such as an exercise bike. By recruiting more muscles, you will easily achieve a full body fat burn workout, with the freedom to increase your pace, intensity, resistance and incline. An elliptical relies on you to generate the pace and speed of the workout, so the number of calories you burn each session depends on the intensity of your workout.
Latest Posts
Cardio | June 22, 2026
EOFY Home Gym Upgrade Guide: Where to Invest in Treadmills, Bikes & Strength EquipmentThe end of financial year is coming up, which we believe is one of the best times to evaluate your long-term fitness...
Read more
Cardio | June 09, 2026
Low-Impact Cardio Machines for Home: Best Options for Joint-Friendly WorkoutsAre you someone who's avoided running because you're worried about your knees? Maybe you've taken a break from cardi...
Read more
gift | May 05, 2026
Mother’s Day Gift Ideas 2026This year, get your Mum a gift that's functional and life-enhancing. If you've got a Mum who likes early morning jog...
Read more
Training | May 01, 2026
Lifespan Fitness Customer Transformations: Bec ChristensenFor most people, a fitness journey starts with a simple goal. For Bec Christensen, her initial drive to get her fitn...
Read more
Exercise | April 24, 2026
How to Stay Consistent with Home Workouts Over Long Weekends & HolidaysMost people will say that they lose motivation over long weekends, but that's rarely the real issue. What actually d...
Read more
Cardio | April 15, 2026
Treadmill vs Exercise Bike vs Cross Trainer: Which Is Best for Your Home?Treadmills. Exercise Bikes. Cross Trainers. These are the big 3 when it comes to home cardio equipment. While most o...
Read more
Treadmill | April 02, 2026
Scott Clark’s 24-Hour Marathon JourneyOn the morning of 15th March, a battered Scotty Clark was lowered into an ice bath, feeling the cool sting calm his ...
Read more
Training | March 10, 2026
Meet the Man Who’s Running for 24-Hours StraightThis former AFL sports trainer is taking ultra-marathons to another level with his 24-hour treadmill challenge.
Read more
Ice baths | February 20, 2026
A Cold Plunge to HealthIn 2002, British long-distance runner Paula Radcliffe won the 10,000m gold medal at the European Athletics Champions...
Read more
Cardio | February 06, 2026
Effects of Exercise on Mental HealthDid you know that regular physical exercise can actually increase the volume of parts of your brain? Namely, the par...
Read more
Cardio | January 12, 2026
Belt Slipping: Cause and CureBelt slipping is what happens when the belt moves out of sync with the treadmill motor and rollers. This can happen ...
Read more
gift | December 19, 2025
Christmas Gifts for Gym Lovers: The Ultimate Holiday Fitness Gift GuideDo you have someone in your life who's a meal-prepping, gym-obsessed, endorphin-chasing fitness junkie? Then you hav...
Read more
Cardio | December 08, 2025
12 Days of Christmas Fitness: Unwrap Your Best Self with These Holiday WorkoutsThe 12 Days of Christmas Fitness is a simple, engaging way to stay motivated during the holidays. Each day introduce...
Read more
November 06, 2025
Your Questions Answered: Our Most Common Service & Product QueriesEvery day, we hear so many interesting and unexpected questions from customers in-store, online and over the phone. ...
Read more
November 05, 2025
Kettlebells vs Dumbbells - Which is Best for You?They may look the same (and have very similar names), but dumbbells and kettlebells can create very different workou...
Read more
October 20, 2025
The Different Types of Weight Plate (and How to Tell them Apart)If you're at all serious about building a solid home fitness setup, you can't skip on weight plates. They have a spe...
Read more
Exercise | October 02, 2025
Gym Rubber Flooring: How Good Is It for Home GymsTo build the home gym of your dreams, you've got to start from the ground up. Gym flooring often gets overlooked, as...
Read more
Treadmill | September 22, 2025
Lifespan Fitness WalkingPad M2 Featured on SunriseOur WalkingPad M2 treadmill was recently featured on Sunrise, where wellness expert Lizzie Williamson showed just h...
Read more
pilates | September 12, 2025
Lifespan Fitness Contour Pilates Reformers Featured on The BlockWeek 6 of The Block saw police-officer duo Britt & Taz take a bold leap: transforming their rumpus room into a P...
Read more
pilates | September 05, 2025
The Ultimate Guide to Reformer PilatesYou’ve probably heard all the buzz around Reformer Pilates. Post-COVID has seen a huge surge in interest in this near...
Read more
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Join our subscribers list to get the latest news, updates and special offers delivered directly in your inbox.
Connect with us
