The cross trainer's benefits are hard to deny if you want cardio equipment that works out your whole body and doesn't put too much stress on your joints. Knowing what makes cross trainers so effective might change your fitness path, whether you're building a home gym or looking for the right cardio partner.
In this complete guide, we'll explore all you need to know about cross trainers, from their great health advantages to training methods and shopping suggestions. By the end, you'll know exactly why fitness experts and home gym lovers swear by this impressive machine.
What is a cross trainer and how does it work?
A cross trainer, often called a walking trainer, is a movable cardio machine that lets you walk, run, or climb stairs without hurting your joints. The smooth, elliptical action keeps your feet on the pedals the whole time, so you don't feel the crushing forces that running makes.
What do cross trainers do?
Cross trainers operate by using a lot of different muscle groups at the same time. When your arms and legs move in harmony, they create a natural, flowing motion that works out your lower body, including your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.
- Gets your arms, chest, back, and shoulders moving.
- Your abs and back muscles work to stabilise your body and strengthen your core.
- The constant circular motion takes away impact stress, which protects your joints.
The best thing about a cross trainer is that it can give you tough cardiovascular exercise while still being easy on your joints. This makes it great for everyone, from beginners to expert professionals.
The 10 Amazing Benefits of Working Out on a Cross Trainer
1. Cardio with little impact yet big results
Cross trainers are great because they don't put a lot of stress on your body. Cross trainers don't put any stress on your knees, ankles, or hips like jogging does. Instead, they keep your feet moving smoothly with no impact on the ground. Because of this, they are perfect for:
- People who are healing from injuries
- People who have a disease or pain in their joints
- Older people looking for safe ways to do cardio
- Those who want to do routines for active recovery
2. One Machine for a Full-Body Workout
The fact that X Trainer works both upper and lower body muscles at the same time is what really makes its benefits stand out. You're working in just 30 minutes:
- Legs: Getting your calf muscles, hamstrings, and calves stronger and more durable
- Glutes: Toning and lifting to make your back stronger
- Pushing and pushing handlebars work the biceps, triceps, and deltoids in the arms and shoulders.
- Core: Keeping your balance works out your whole middle.
3. Burns a lot of calories
The cross-trainer machine has many benefits, one of which is that it can burn a lot of calories. In general:
- 30 minutes = 270 to 400 calories burned, depending on how hard you work out.
- Burn 540 to 800 calories in 60 minutes.
This is as good as running without putting stress on your joints, which makes cross trainers one of the best ways to lose weight and burn fat.
4. Better Heart Health
Cross-training exercises on a regular basis make your heart and lungs stronger. Using a cross trainer for heart health has many benefits, such as:
- Better cardiac function and a reduced heart rate when resting
- Better lung capacity and use of oxygen
- Less likely to have a stroke or heart disease
- Better blood flow all over your body
5. Intensity Levels You Can Change
Cross trainers can be used by people of all fitness levels, from beginners to advanced performers. You can:
- Change the resistance to build muscle.
- Speed up for interval training
- Change direction to work on different muscle groups
- Make your own exercise plans for different types of workouts
6. Weight Loss and Body Composition
There are a lot of good things about cross-trainer workouts for weight management:
- Making a consistent calorie deficit
- Keeping lean muscular mass
- After a workout, your metabolism speeds up.
- Lowering the amount of body fat over time
Research indicates that consistent utilisation of a cross-trainer, in conjunction with appropriate nutrition, can result in a weekly fat reduction of 1-2 pounds.
7. Mental Health and Stress Relief
Cross-trainer workouts, like all cardiovascular exercise, release endorphins, which are hormones that make you feel happy. Regular sessions can:
- Help with anxiety and depression symptoms
- Make sleep better
- Increase self-esteem and confidence
- Give stress a healthy way to let out
8. Better balance and coordination
The coordinated movement pattern needed on cross trainers improves:
- Proprioception (awareness of your body in space)
- Coordination on both sides (synchronisation of left and right)
- Stability and balance in everyday tasks
- Less likely to fall, especially for older people
9. Workouts That Save Time
Cross trainers work out more than one muscle area at a time, so you receive more results in less time. A 20-minute high-intensity workout can be just as good as 45 minutes of working out one muscle at a time.
10. Physical therapy that is good for joints
Because they: Physical therapists typically suggest cross trainers for rehabilitation.
- Allow for controlled, gradual loading
- Stay in shape while you're recovering from an injury
- Make the muscles around the damaged joints stronger.
- Give patterns of movement that don't hurt
Are cross-trainers useful? What the Study Says
You might be asking yourself, "Are cross trainers better than other cardio machines?" The research is detailed: they're quite good.
A 2010 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research discovered that cross trainers are just as good for your heart as treadmills, but put much less stress on your joints. People who took part in the study had:
- Responses to heart rate that are the same
- Similar oxygen use
- Similar calorie use
- But with 35% less impact on the joints
A different study from the University of Missouri found that a cross-trainer is helpful for overall fitness. The people who used it got better at:
- VO2 max (the ability to do aerobic exercise)
- What your body is made of
- Endurance of the muscles
- How well your heart works
What did the jury say? Cross trainers are great, and they are also one of the best ways to spend money on cardio.
Cross Trainer and Other Cardio Machines
Cross Trainer or Treadmill
When to pick a cross trainer:
- You have joint problems or injuries from the past.
- You want to get your whole body involved.
- You like low-impact cardio better.
- You want to move ahead and backwards in different ways.
When to pick a treadmill:
- You're getting ready for running events
- You like cardio that has a lot of impact.
- You want to get better at running.
- You like running outside in a game
Elliptical vs. Cross Trainer
A lot of people want to know if the cross trainer is the same as an elliptical. Yes! There are two names for the same machine: "cross trainer" and "elliptical." In the fitness world, the two words are used to mean the same thing.
Cross Trainer vs. Exercise Bike
Benefits of a cross-trainer:
Workout for the whole body (not just the lower body)
- More muscular use
- Burning more calories
- The core is engaged when you stand.
- Benefits of using an exercise bike:
- Better for joints that are very stiff
- Easier to read and do more than one thing at once
- Easier for those who are very overweight to use
How to Use a Cross Trainer: Correct Form and Technique
If you don't use a cross trainer correctly, what good is it? To get the most out of a cross trainer, follow these tips for good form:
The Right Way to Stand on a Cross Trainer
- Stand up straight with your shoulders back and your chest out.
- Pull your belly button toward your spine to keep your core engaged.
- From your ankles, not your waist, keep a tiny forward tilt.
- To keep your neck in a neutral position, look straight ahead.
- Put equal weight on both feet
Different Ways to Hold Your Hand
Moving handles (exercise for the whole body):
- Hold the handles at chest level.
- Push and pull while moving your legs in sync.
- Keep your elbows bent a little.
Stationary grips (emphasis on the lower body):
- Lightly hold the centre handles to keep your balance.
- Put all your energy into the leg drive.
- Great for working out your glutes and legs
Things You Shouldn't Do
Leaning too heavily on handles: This reduces calorie burn and effectiveness
Just going through the motions: Increase resistance for actual muscle engagement
Bouncing or jerky movements: Maintain smooth, controlled strides
Staying on your toes: Keep your feet flat to engage the entire leg musculature
Holding your breath: Breathe rhythmically throughout
5 Good Workouts for Cross Trainers
1. Beginner Steady-State Workout (20 minutes)
Great for: Getting your heart rate up and learning how machines work
- Warm up for 3 minutes at resistance level 3–4.
- Main set: 14 minutes at resistance level 5–6 (a conversational speed)
- Cool down for three minutes at resistance level 2–3.
How often: 3–4 times a week
HIIT session for burning fat (25 minutes)
Best for: workouts that burn the most calories in the least amount of time
- Warm-up: 5 minutes at a moderate speed
- For periods of time, switch between 1 minute of high-intensity work (8–9 out of 10) and 2 minutes of recuperation (5 out of 10). Do this 6 times.
- Four minutes of easy energy cool-down
How often: 2–3 times a week
3. Endurance Builder (40 minutes)
Great for: building stamina and conditioning the heart and lungs
- Warm-up: 5 minutes, with a slow rise
- The main set is 30 minutes long and has a moderate intensity of 70–75% of your maximum heart rate.
- Five minutes of cool-down, with the intensity going down
How often: 2 to 3 times a week
4. 30 minutes of strength and resistance training
Great for: Toning muscles and building strength in the lower body
- 5 minutes of low resistance to warm up
- Main set: 20 minutes at high resistance (7–9), with a slower tempo and a concentration on forceful strides.
- Low resistance for 5 minutes to cool down.
How often: twice a week
5. Workout for 25 minutes in reverse motion
Great for: Working out different muscle groups and avoiding blocks
- Warm-up: Move forward for 3 minutes
- Interval 1: Move forward for 5 minutes at a moderate pace.
- Interval 2: 5 minutes of moving backwards (this works the glutes and hamstrings more)
- Do this again two more times, switching positions each time.
- Cool down: 2 minutes of moving ahead
How often: once or twice a week
How to Pick the Best Cross Trainer: A Buying Guide
Important Things to Think About
1. Length of Stride
- 16 to 18 inches: Good for people who are less than 5'6" tall
- Most people (5'6" to 6'0") will be happy with 18 to 20 inches.
- Over 20 inches: Best for people who are taller than 6'0".
2. Levels of Resistance
- Minimum: 8 levels for a basic range
- Recommended: 16 to 20 levels for training that gets harder over time
- Advanced: 20 or more levels with digital adjustment
3. Weight Limit
- Check the manufacturer's features
- For personal use, look for a minimum of 250 to 300 pounds.
- Most commercial models can hold between 350 and 400 pounds.
4. Type of Drive System
- Front-drive: feels more like an upward journey, takes up less space
- Most people like rear-drive because it makes the action smoother and more natural.
- Centre-drive: saves space and has a unique upright position
5. Features of the Console
- Heart rate monitoring with a chest strap or hand sensors
- Workouts already set up
- Bluetooth connection and app integration
- Things to do for fun (tablet holder, speakers)
Getting the Most Out of Your Cross Trainer
Progressive Overload Principles
To keep observing effects, slowly raise:
- Duration: Every two weeks, add 5 minutes.
- Resistance: Raise one level when the current seems right
- Speed: Add 5 to 10 RPM every month to the pace
- Frequency: Start with 3 to 5 sessions a week and work your way up.
Keeping track of your progress
- Keep an eye on these numbers:
- Heart rate zones when working out
- Calories burned in each session
- Distance travelled each week
- Improvements in RPM (revolutions per minute)
- Levels of resistance are going up
Training with Other Things
For best results, do cross-trainer cardio with:
- Strength exercise two to three times a week
- Two times a week, do yoga or stretching to improve your flexibility.
- On days off, do active recuperation like walking or mild cycling.
Questions People Ask About the Benefits of Cross Trainers
Q: What can a cross trainer do for me if I want to lose weight?
Cross trainers are great for losing weight because they burn 270 to 400 calories in 30 minutes and create strong muscles, which speeds up your metabolism when you're not doing out. When used with a diet low in calories, they are one of the best ways to lose weight for good.
Q: Are cross trainers beneficial for knees that hurt?
Yes, for sure. There is a lot of proof that shows utilising a cross-trainer is good for your joints. The smooth, gliding action takes away the impact forces that make knee pain worse, so it's great for anyone with arthritis, past injuries, or joint problems.
Q: What does a cross-trainer do to your body?
Using a cross-trainer regularly:
- Makes the heart and blood vessels stronger
- Tone your legs, glutes, arms, and core.
- Increases endurance and stamina
- Lowers the percentage of body fat
- Improves balance and coordination
Q: Does the cross-trainer help you grow muscle?
Cross trainers are mostly used for cardio, but they can also help increase muscle endurance and tone muscles, especially when the resistance is high. To build a lot of muscle, do cardio on a cross-trainer and strength training at the same time.