What muscle groups is an elliptical trainer good for?

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Elliptical trainers are heavily favored over treadmills, stair climbers, and stationary bikes for several reasons, but one of the most relevant reasons is that they allow the user to focus on a myriad of varying muscles during the workout. Traditional treadmills utilize and provide resistance to the lower half of the body and can cause damage due to the amount of shock transferred through the feet, up the legs, and into the knees and spine, which accounts for many of the knee and back injuries common for runners. Stair climbers are great for toning and shaping the muscles such as glutes and hamstrings but do little else. Stationary bikes also focus their resistance solely on the legs, leaving even less activity for the upper body to become involved in since many users simply rest on their elbows while riding.

Physicians Say 'YES' to elliptical trainers

Elliptical trainers are favored heavily by physicians that take note of the importance of a full-body cross-training exercise regimen. A common misconception by many about elliptical trainers is that they divide the body into two separate groups of muscles trained when in use, but this is not the case. Since the body works fluidly when using an elliptical trainer, the muscles used during the process complement each other to execute each subsequent rotation. The result is a more natural, comfortable, and effective exercise experience overall.

Since the elliptical trainer focuses the primary amount of resistance to the legs, large muscles such as the hips (gluteus maximus) are utilized in conjunction with the front of the thighs (quadriceps) and back of the thighs (hamstrings). These major lower body muscles are responsible for providing power to propel the body, enabling it to perform the cyclical motion of the elliptical trainer. Additionally, the calves (gastrocnemius) and the lower shin portion of the leg (tibialas anterior) provide stabilization for the body and control for the legs, enabling them to complete the exercise in a fluid motion.

Muscle groups stimulated by eliptical trainers

Core muscles are not left out when the elliptical trainer is used, as obliques are heavily utilized. Obliques are the stabilizer muscles that flank the rectus abdominus, or abdominal muscles, commonly known as "abs." This muscle group works in conjunction with each other and the back (latissimuss dorsi) in order to stabilize the human frame and enable the user to complete the exercise by adequately transferring workload throughout the body.

Upper body muscles are trained on the elliptical trainer via the resistance in the handles that connect to the machine's pedals. The shoulders (deltoids) and chest (pectorillis major) work in conjunction with the back of the upper arms (tricep) to push the handle away and work together with the front of the upper arms (bicep) to pull the handle closer to the chest.