Pedaling Options

• Walk into a gym and you will see the majority of people pedaling forward on their ellipticals. These people are missing out. You can also pedal backward, which confuses the body and works your muscles differently. Variety is important for exercise to keep your body from adapting to the point where you have to work harder and harder to achieve the same results. Alternating between going forward and backward during a workout or on different days will make your elliptical workouts more effective. You may wish to hold onto the handrails when first going backward; it might take awhile to get your balance.
  
  

Purchasing Options

• Precor makes two basic types of machines: those with moveable arm handles and those with stable handrails but an adjustable ramp. The moveable arm machines will involve some upper body work. You arms and shoulders especially will get some tone, and your heart will have to work hard to pump blood to your legs and up to your arms, burning more calories.
  
  A machine with an adjustable ramp allows you to change the incline of your pedaling. Varying the incline will target the hamstrings, glutes, calves and quads differently depending on the height, allowing you to alternate what areas you are working on different days. Your body actually gets stronger on rest days when the muscles rebuild, not on the days you exercise them, so if you use your elliptical on back-to-back days, you should target different leg muscles to rest the others.
  
  

Quickstart and Programs

• Precor elliptical machines have a "quickstart" button that allows you to jump on the machine and go without having to select a program and add in information like desired time. You can hit the quickstart button and adjust your desired resistance. This option is ideal to keep a consistent, moderate intensity pace for 30 minutes, or you can break it up into 10-minute segments. But that's the more complicated way to vary intensity. You can instead choose a program and enter 30 minutes. The machine will adjust intensity and possibly incline while you zone out listening to music or watching TV. It will automatically enter a cool-down phase when you are done--you can even cover the display to resist the urge to check "how much longer" every 60 seconds.