Exercising at home is an easy way to stay in shape. You can get in a nice workout anytime you can find a half hour or so to spare without having to worry about going to the gym. And while there are many pieces of home exercise equipment you can choose from, and elliptical machine is a great choice.

Many people may see an elliptical as a low-intensity way to get warmed up before moving on to more challenging routines, but you can get a high-intensity workout on the machine without using any other equipment. If you are interested in buying a machine, check out the best elliptical reviews. Once you are ready, here are some pointers on a what makes a great interval workout.

What is an Interval Workout?

Interval training involves a series of low-intensity movement followed by high-intensity movements at regular intervals that feature short rest periods between. Think: fast, slow, fast, rest. Not only are interval workouts great for people who have a limited amount of time — most routines take no longer than a half hour — but science shows that interval training can be just as effective as traditional exercise.

Interval routines work because you push yourself very hard for short burst of time. During the high-intensity portions of the routine, you may find yourself going at 95-100% effort in order to maximize the benefits of exercise in a short period of time. The rest periods are generally short, sometimes even as short as 10 seconds, so that you can give yourself a break but not allow your heart rate to drop, so once you begin again, your body will be ready for the next interval.

The best part is that you don’t even have to exercise every day. Just a couple of days per week of interval training can show the same results as a five-day routine of some other type.

Target Zones

High-intensity interval training on an elliptical machine can target nearly any area of your body that you want to focus on, including a full-body workout. This is because along with the tracks that you move with your feet, there are arm bars that you can use for the upper body, similar to skiing poles. And, by adjusting the resistance, you can really burn fat all over.

Core training is important, so when you exercise, you want to make sure that you keep your belly firm and tight to activate your abdominals. Your glutes can get a killer workout as well, especially when you set the resistance high and really plow through the routine. And, naturally, every routine can help with your cardiovascular health by getting your heartrate up and keeping it up.

24-Minute Explosive Workout

No that you know the basics of elliptical exercise, here are two great workouts to get your heart pumping. Remember, make sure that you are healthy enough for strenuous exercise before trying these. If you are new, start slowly and work yourself up to these after several weeks.

 

For this workout, there are four different intervals, with the resistance set to something you’re comfortable with.  Interval 1: at medium effort, run for one minute using the handle bars, one minute without, and then three minutes with the bars again; recover for one minute with a walking pace. Interval 2: sprint for one minute, recover for one minute. Interval three: sprint for one minute, recover for one minute. Interval four: backward sprint for one minute, backward recover for one minute. Repeat to complete the 24-minute cycle.

That’s it. If you do this three times a week, you should see results.

The Crazy Routine

This routine is two minutes shorter than the other workout, but it’s much more intense and you are going to feel the burn. Make sure you are prepared before you attempt this routine.

Interval one: warm up with a five minute jog at a comfortable pace, then alternate between 40 seconds of sprinting and 20 seconds of jogging for four minutes, then a one minute recover. Interval two: Five minute jog with one minute recovery. Interval three: six minute sprint, all out. Recover however you need to afterward.

This routine will target every muscle in your body and you should feel it when you are finished. As with the other routine, a few times a week will show results quickly.

If you’re thinking about buying an elliptical, these are just some of the high-intensity workouts that you can do to stay fit.

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