The Cardio Question: How To Get A Full-Body Workout With An Elliptical & The Best Features For Home Gyms

A few weeks ago I was helping a friend shop for a new home gym, when I found out her favorite form of cardio.

It was jumping to conclusions…

Right from the start, my friend had some ideas about how a home gym would work that just weren’t quite correct — and they could have resulted in her buying entirely the wrong equipment for what she wanted.

To be fair, even getting the wrong exercise gear will still help to keep you in shape… but getting the right gear for your needs and workout style will make it easier, faster, and more effective.

The main problem my friend had was thinking that all exercise machines are practically the same.

I can see why they might think that. They all work in similar fashions, but they’re not as simple as they look at first glance, and picking the right setup could take you from getting a great lower-body workout to getting a full-body workout with nearly the same amount of time and effort.

It’s an easy mistake to make, because not enough people have sat down and had the talk. So just for a few minutes, if you have the time, let’s talk about how you can get a full-body workout from just an elliptical machine — with no tricks, cheats, hacks or secrets required.

This isn’t some secret strategy that the great exercise gurus have been hiding. It’s simply the best way to use an elliptical, assuming it comes with the proper options.

Photo by Nate Johnston on Unsplash

Leg Day Is For Basic Brads

In my friend group, we call folks who waste their time on leg day “Basic Brads,” because of a guy we used to know who obsessed on training each part of his body individually.

It’s not a bad strategy, it’s just a really old one that we don’t particularly need anymore for a typical workout.

There’s nothing wrong with leg day, I guess, but as we say, “Why work just half your body, when you could work your whole body for better effect?”

If you’re running on a treadmill, then working half your body may be your only option, but every modern gym today should have a top-tier elliptical machine, and with that you can do so much more.

It’s the #1 piece of equipment I recommend for most folks if they want to stay in shape at home, because it offers a full-body workout from a single machine… and not the kind you see in a late-night infomercial.

This isn’t a machine that needs to be reconfigured 8 different ways to turn it into different types of exercise equipment. You just need a few handy features that let you work your upper body as well as the lower.

Photo by Aparna Johri on Unsplash

The Full Function Features, Standard On The Best Machines

If you’re waiting patiently for me to get to the point, or if you jumped ahead because you’re impatient, then you’ve come to the right place.

It’s time to talk about what you need in an elliptical to get a proper full-body workout, and how it all works even at home.

Let’s start with the good news. It doesn’t take a lot of fancy features to get the full-body workout we’re looking for. In fact, you might be surprised at how easy it is.

The main component we want to look at are the handles. If that’s not what you were expecting, you’re not the only one, but that’s the secret.

With the right style of handles on an elliptical machine, you can change how you grip them, and that changes the entire workout.

While the older machines always come equipped with stationary handles, and some newer machines have moving handles that swing to engage your core and upper body, the best machines offer a range of options, without any extra complicated machinery.

It’s easier than you might think too: use the stationary handles to focus on your legs, which is great for when your arms and upper body need a break.

If you want to engage the top part of your body, shoulders and upper back, then grip the top part of the handles.

All you have to do to change your exercise zone is grip lower on the handles to activate the muscles in your chest and triceps, because it changes the way your whole upper body moves.

You don’t necessarily need to choose, either, because personally I spend most of my time with a mid-grip, which provides a balanced workout for your entire upper body.

This means you can work your lowers with the pedals, and anywhere you want on the uppers just by changing your grip. It’s a little hard to explain through text, but if you pop by a local gym or exercise equipment shop, just give it a try.

Photo by ŞULE MAKAROĞLU on Unsplash

While you’re there, don’t forget to look for the two other features that are super important in an elliptical, if you want the full-body workout.

The first one is incline options, which can shift the exercise between glutes and quads, or your hamstrings and calves.

The second is forward and reverse options for your pedaling, so that you can double your workout options without doubling your equipment.

I’m not saying that you should necessarily replace your entire home gym with a top-tier elliptical machine… I’m just saying that it’s possible.

It certainly takes up a lot less space, and there’s not a lot you can’t do with the right elliptical and a little practice using it.