Best Elliptical Machines For Home Use Reviews

What Should I Consider When Choosing An Elliptical Trainer?

There are a few factors to take into account when deciding on which best elliptical trainer to buy. For non-commercial machines a comprehensive warranty is a must. Most good options offer a lifetime warranty on the frame which shows good durability, reliability and will have the same feel any commercial machine. Below we will outline the best benefit of each machine to try to suit your needs a closely as possible, look out for the ‘Good For’ section where you will find:

High Performance

This machine is for those who really want to challenge themselves, even athletes. See Kaiser M5 Strider for a high performance elliptical.

Space Saving

This machine is compact or has foldable elements. See LifeCore CD550 for a space saving design.

Portability

Some machines are heavy and fixed others can be easily moved around by wheels.

Comfort

Some have padded foot pedals that move with the shape of your foot, there are also options for multiple hand positions and padded bars. See Sole Fitness E34 for a comfortable ride.

Durability

Usually the durability of an item is seen by the warranty, also look for household brand names and commercial quality. See Pretor EFX833 for a durable machine.

Quietness

You may be exercising early in the morning, late at night or in the office. Look out for WhisperStride technology and a heavy flywheel. See LifeFitness E1 Go for a silent ride.

Appearance

All home equipment should obviously be aesthetically pleasing, but some have slightly more modern and sleek designs than others. See LifeSpan E3i For a good looking machine.

Technology

Some people enjoy a basic machine that tells them time, speed and calories. Others are compatible with apps and smart phones as well as offering customizable experiences. See Preform 12.0 NE for a hi-tech machine.

Programs

If you want guidance, struggle with motivation or just get bored some machines offer a vast amount of programs to keep you supported and entertained. See Preform 12.0 NE

Warranty

The warranty tells you a lot about the company and the machine. See Pretor EFX833 for an excellent warranty.

Elliptical Machine Workout Tips and Tricks [Video]

What Features Are Available On Elliptical Machines?

Generally we would advise you to avoid basic options of ellipticals; these are generally sold at around the $500 mark. They are unreliable for regular use and more often than not come with a poor warranty. The more durable ellipticals also offer a range of additional entertainment features such as iPhone/iPad compatibility, web browsing, built in fans, touchscreen technology, TV, speakers and pre-set training programs. As standard you should expect a reading rack, cup holder and accessories tray.

Can I Customize My Workout Experience?

If you want a more comfortable or challenging experience look for an elliptical with customizable features such as pre-set programs with automatic adjustment, resistance and incline. This is also ideal if the machine is going to be used by multiple people as you will be able to adjust the stride length and foot pedals.

What Are The Space Saving Options?

With elliptical machines you have two options for space saving. Some are simply designed to be more compact and come with wheels; others come with hydraulic or electronic assist to fold the machine in half to be stored conveniently. Saving space can be important for the home-gym environment so if you do need the size specifications then we have incuded everything that you will need to measure out the space in the Elliptical Machine Comparison Table.

Are Elliptical Machines Quieter Than Treadmills?

Elliptical machines are generally a lot quieter than treadmills. If sound is an issue for you, opt for machinery with a flywheel of around 17lbs or more. The heavier the flywheel the quieter and smoother the ride will be.

Some Elliptical's do not have a flywheel weight specification because the manufacturers don't provide them. Some of these Brands say that it's not possible to compare machines that use different drive systems therefore the flywheel weight is irrelevant. In any case, in the elliptical comparison table we list both the drive system and the flywheel weight where available.

Elliptical Trainer Warranties

It used to be the case that noncommercial gym equipment was a lot less reliable and sturdy than commercial equipment, especially the compact or foldable options. But these days the space saving options found in the mid-high price range are just as reliable as the ones in the gym. Lifetime warranties on the frame often come as standard now, and we recommend looking for 3 to 5 years on parts and labour.

Trusted Independent Elliptical Machine Reviews

Our reviews are totally authentic because our editor Luke, is a leading authority in health and fitness. Known for his credibility and myth busting in an industry filled with money making schemes, fads and conflicting information. With over a decade of experience Luke writes courses for Personal Trainers on how to use certain fitness equipment and also helps design home gyms for Royalty in the Middle East.

Benefits of Using an Elliptical Cross Trainer Machine [Video]

Recommended Elliptical Machine Workouts

The elliptical machine has maintained its presence in gyms for a couple reasons. With everyone wanting to embrace healthy living, it is very likely that you will learn to love the elliptical machine because it's easy on your joints while offering total body conditioning.

However, many people are still yet to grasp the need for making training sessions on this machine diverse for better results. Let’s face it, using the elliptical machine can sometimes get too boring. It can also pose a challenge for many people if not used in the right way. Different people have unique needs. You cannot expect a beginner to dive into the deep-end of high intensity exercises!>

Here. we provide some ideal elliptical machine workouts for different levels of training as suited to your level.

1. Elliptical Machine Workouts For Beginners

There are things you need to know if it’s your first time working out on one of these machines. First of all, training is not easy, but is very healthy way of losing weight and enhancing endurance. At the beginner level, you will face a number of challenges that seasoned fitness individuals don’t face. Research shows that more than half of people who enroll into fitness programs tend to pull out after just 3 months. If you are going to lose pounds significantly and achieve set goals, then being prepared to persevere is a wise idea.

Requirements for success:

You will need to stick to the basic fitness programs and ensure that workouts are scheduled and adhered to as strictly as possible. Consistently hitting the Elliptical Machine is a very difficult thing to deal with mentally and that is why we advise you to set motivational goals that will keep your eyes on the prize.

An ideal workout session should have the right mix of exercises to condition all body muscles while improving cardio performance. Keep track of your achievements and get support from friends to prevent cases where you are tempted to opt out. Understanding these basic requirements will set you on the right track towards success and achievement of training goals.

The Right Exercises For Beginners On The Elliptical Machine:

There are lots of elliptical machine workouts to try out while at the beginners’ level. However, you will need to first learn how the machine operates. Each of our recommended Elliptical's comes with a comprehensive operating manual that will help you out. If you just bought a home machine, then consider seeking help from the Youtube vidoe's or even friends on how different features work here. Most elliptical machines come with pre-programmed workouts for beginners that only need a push button to get going.

Remeber to warm up and down, before and after your training session. Most Ellipticals have programs such as Interval or Hill that ensure you have a little time for warm-up and cool down during sessions. Having preset features, the machine then adjusts itself to different resistance levels as your work throughout the session.

You will find that many elliptical machines have an adjustable stride length which offers workouts such as Power Walk and Dual Direction. These will automatically change the stride size giving a variety of feel and resistance while training.

An ideal interactive heart-rate elliptical machine workout ensures that you keep a desired amount of cardio training through various set beginner levels on the machine. It can also become the start of giving yourself some targets that will see you achieve certain results within a given time-frame.

It may even be good to try out the Cross Circuit which is a workout session that features a combination of cardio intervals together with the machines strength exercises. This will allow you  to choose the desired duration after which preset settings guide you through the sessions.

The whole point of embracing beginner’s elliptical machine workouts is to condition your body for more intermediate exercises.

2. Intermediate Elliptical Machine Workouts

It's always beneficial to push your body to achieve certain fitness goals. If you are to achieve that nice looking body shape, then exercises at the beginner’s levels won’t help you that much. They are important to prepare you for the intermediate step. The intermediate elliptical machine workouts are meant for people who already understand how the machine work and can thus combine a few tricks here and there to come up with proper training schedules to significntly improve your fitness levels.

Ideal Workout Plan At Intermediate level:

You need to prepare by doing some warm up first before diving deep into the intense fat burning zone. When in for an intermediate elliptical machine workout, it is always to priority to know what types of exercise you want and for what reason. You will find many fitness experts have designed programs for this level and I will help you cut throught the confusion and choose a great program by publishing some of my own favorites on this site.

Exercises include the 'cellulite eliminator for weight loss' exercise, which uses intervals of 40 minutes. You start with 5 minutes of warm up after which the resistance levels increase giving your body the best performance level to rid body fat for about 30 minutes. You then have a 10 minutes recovery period as the cycle continues as much as you have time for!

3. Advanced Elliptical Machine Workouts

Advanced is the level at which you see most sporting bodies keep in shape while at the same time improving cardio endurance. They are basically exercises on the elliptical machine that ultimately push your body to the extremes.

A beginner should never try this intensive exercises as it may end up being dangerous to your heart, doing more damage than the intended good. Specifically, the advanced levels seek to give you better workout results as compared to the intermediate level. You will find many of these programs ranging between 10 to 20 minutes of hard training.

Ideal Workout Plan At Advanced Level:

Ideally, your normal speed at this level should feel like a casual run though the park with very intensive resistance. It should feel like an average of 80% of your maximum effort with your lowest being 50% of your effort. That is where it should range even when recovering.

An ideal advanced exercise will feature a 20 minutes session. The first two minutes are for warming up where the resistance level should be at 50% of your maximum effort. Speed and intensity should feature for the next 3 minutes hitting 80% effort after which you let it go back to 50% of your energy while recovering.

The cycle continues for 20 minutes. Finally, the elliptical machine workout is a great opportunity  to get into shape and burn that fat.

Remeber, if it’s your first time on an Elliptical in your home gym, be careful to start slow at the beginner level before diving deep in the exercises. You can be sure of excellent results with an optimized elliptical machine workout. An Elliptical trainer is one of the best home gym equipment purchases you can buy. Go for it and have fun!

Get The Most Out Of Your Elliptical Machine [Video]