So, you’ve been using a cross trainer to help you reach your fitness goals. Odds are that you have heard about all of the awesome benefits of using the cross trainer and have nailed your posture. Well, if you’ve put in the work and learned how to use this machine properly, we’ve got a killer cross trainer workout for you.
This cross trainer workout is designed to help you exercise in all of the right ways. It will help you burn calories, shed some fat, and strengthen those muscles!
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A Killer Cross Trainer Workout
Before we get into the detailed steps of this cross trainer workout, it’s important to explain why this one is going to help you out!
This workout takes the form of a HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) exercise. The reason that we have taken the route of HIIT is that it’s a proven method of exercise, and is designed to encourage a healthier and more fulfilling workout!
HIIT workouts include short bursts of high-intensity sessions mixed with periods of recovery, combining to leave you feeling like you’ve hit all of your goals!
Some of the various benefits of HIIT workouts include:
- It burns calories faster
- It is a fat-burning approach to exercise
- It helps to improve your oxygen consumption
- It can help you reduce your heart rate
Sounds like a pretty good reason to adapt this form of working out, right? We think so, too! So, let’s jump into this cross trainer workout that utilises the HIIT approach.
Step 1: Warm Up
One of the most important steps of any great HIIT workout is the warm-up. Not only will this help get your muscles warmed up and ready, but it’ll help put you in the right headspace to crush your fitness goals!
For our cross trainer workout warm-up, we recommend starting with a 10 minute, easy pace session. You’ll know that it’s an easy pace because you will still be able to hold a conversation while doing it. The resistance and incline should be low (but not zero – anywhere from 1-3 is ideal.)
Step 2: A Period of High Intensity
This is where the magic of the HIIT workout begins!
For your first period of high intensity, you’ll spend 60 seconds going at an intense pace. This will include going as quickly as you can with an increased incline and resistance.
The speed, resistance, and incline of your periods of intensity will depend on your current level of fitness. For some, this may look like a maximum incline and resistance at a run-like pace. For others, you may have an incline or resistance of 5 or 6 and be proceeding at a jogging pace.
If this is your first time achieving high intensity on the cross trainer, you can take some time to figure out what pace is for you. You should be able to maintain it for the entire 60 seconds without stopping. So, if you can only reach 30 seconds, you should slow it down a bit.
Another way to figure out what pace is best is to use a heartrate monitor. Some cross trainers have handlebars with equipped sensors. You can also use a product like a smart watch or a heart rate strap.
When you’re reaching intensity periods during HIIT, you’ll want your heart rate to be between 80 and 95% of your maximum heart rate.
To calculate your maximum heart rate, you can use the following simple equation.
220 – (your age) = Maximum heart rate.
For example, if you are 40 years old, you would have the equation: 220 – 40 = 180. Your maximum heart rate would be 180. 80% of this would be 144, and 95% would be 171. So, you would want your heart rate to be between 144 and 171 during your periods of intensity.
Step 3: A Period of Recovery
Now that you have gotten your heart rate up, broken a sweat, and wondered how long you can sustain such a workout, it’s time to relax!
Your period of recovery should be at a pace close to your warm-up. It’s important not to stop entirely, but to slow down to a pace that allows you to catch your breath, bring your heart rate down, and maybe even give you a chance to drink some water and wipe the sweat away!
Stay in this period of recovery for another 60 seconds.
Step 4: Repeat
You will rotate between periods of high intensity and recovery for the majority of your workout. Attempt to repeat the entire process for a total of 10 times (10 periods of recovery and 10 periods of high intensity) for a total of 20 minutes.
If you are new to HIIT workouts or feel that you cannot continue, you can stop short of your 10 repetitions.
Step 5: Cool Down
Just as we warmed up, you’ll want to cool down after your HIIT workout. This gives your body the chance to bring itself to a much more stable and consistent heart rate.
This should be at a pace that is slightly more relaxed than your initial warm up and your periods of recovery throughout the HIIT workout.
Your heart rate should be closer to your average, non-exercising heartrate by the end of your cool down period.
Remember to drink plenty of water after you have completed your cross trainer workout. This exercise is sure to make you sweat, and you’ll want to make sure that your body stays hydrated!
Similar Posts:
- The 6 Best Cross Trainers To Up Your Exercise Game
- How to Do a HIIT Workout on an Exercise Bike – a Complete HIIT Exercise Bike Guide
- How to Get HIIT Workouts Right – Your Complete Guide to Dominating Your Next Workout
- An Intense Treadmill HIIT Workout To Help Crush Your Fitness Goals
- 7 Cross Trainer Benefits and Why You Should Be Using One
The cross trainer workout that we have outlined above is designed to increase your overall fitness, while also helping you meet your goals. For some, this may be weight loss and fat burning. Others may simply want to improve their heart health and get the recommended amount of exercise!
You can reap the benefits of this cross trainer workout by doing it three to four times a week, or less frequently when it is added to an existing workout schedule.
