Cross trainers are fast becoming one of the most popular home workout machines, not only in gyms up and down the country but also for the home gym, too. If you have yet to experience a workout with a cross trainer, then you might be wondering what sort of benefits they have to offer. Here are a couple of examples to give you a better idea.
- Burn More Calories – In terms of losing belly fat, the general rule is that the more calories you burn, the faster you are going to be able to lose weight. One of the biggest benefits of the cross trainer is that you are able to burn more calories than you would with any other equipment, such as the treadmill, for example.
- Get a Full Body Workout – With machines like the treadmill or the exercise bike, you are only really able to target certain areas of the body. The good thing about the cross trainer is that you are able to target all of the major muscle groups at one time. This is especially beneficial for weight loss.
- Get a Great Cardio Workout – As anyone who has tried to lose weight off their belly before will tell you, one of the easiest ways of doing this is with cardio exercise. This will help you burn the most calories possible. The cross trainer offers a fantastic way of getting a great cardio workout, which will allow you to maximize your weight loss.
- Tone While you Lose Weight – Although there are plenty of cardio machines that will allow you to lose weight in general, it is also important that you tone your muscles as you are progressing. The more you tone, the better your end results are going to be. With a cross trainer, you are able to tone all of the major muscle groups whilst you are getting a good cardio workout and losing weight.
- Save Space – One of the problems that a lot of people have with home exercise equipment is that it can be bulky and take up a lot of space. Cross trainers are generally much more compact and some models are even foldable, leaving you with more space in your home gym.
In order to lose the belly with a cross trainer, it is important that you make sure that you use your cross trainer in the most effective ways possible. With this in mind, here are a few tips that will help you get started.
Use Specific Programs for Weight Loss
If you have bought a mid-range to high-end cross trainer, then it is very likely that it will have a program that has been specifically designed for weight loss. If you want to lose belly fat, then it is definitely a good idea to take advantage of it. These programs will have been designed to maximize weight loss and will give you the best results.
If your machine doesn’t have any programs for weight loss specifically, then try to go for the ones that are high in resistance and incline. These types of programs will have you working much harder than the lower resistance ones and allow you to burn the maximum number of calories.
Keep your Workouts Intense
If weight loss is your ultimate goal is to lose belly fat, then you should definitely try to keep your workouts as intense as possible. High-intensity workouts are essential for losing weight as they will allow you to burn more calories in a shorter amount of time. If you want to really push yourself, then you could also incorporate High-Intensity Interval Training into your cross trainer workout plan.
To do HIIT, you will need to do a certain amount of high-intensity workout followed by a brief interval of low intensity so that your body can recover slightly and then back to high intensity again. These types of workouts are fantastic when it comes to losing weight in general, but especially stubborn belly fat.
It is also a good idea, when using built-in workout programs, to make sure that you go for the higher intensity ones. These are designed to maximize the number of calories that you are burning, which will also give you better results in terms of weight loss too.
Take Advantage of an Adjustable Incline
Not all cross trainers will come with this feature. However, there are some models that will have an adjustable incline. The good thing about this feature is that it allows you to work on different parts of your body. By lowering and increasing the incline, you can really maximize the weight loss around your belly. If you haven’t bought a cross-trainer yet and your aim is to lose belly fat, then an adjustable incline is definitely a feature to consider.
Keep Track of Your Progress
One of the best things about the higher end cross trainers is that they will allow you to track your progress as you increase your fitness. Losing weight can be difficult and very frustrating at times; especially if you feel that you are not seeing the results that you want.
By tracking your progress you can see just how much progress you have made which will really keep you motivated and push you to do more. Some of the higher-end cross trainers on the market will even display graphs and charts that will demonstrate just how much weight you have lost and how your fitness levels are improving.
By following these tips, you will be able to lose fat around your belly with no difficulties at all. As a bonus tip, there are some great free workout plans online that will allow you to maximize your weight loss. Another good thing about using these types of workout plans is that you can make sure that your workout plan never gets boring because you will be doing something different every day and you will soon see the results.
