Elliptical for weight loss

Elliptical calorie burn

Weight loss comes down to burning more calories than you eat, over time. The 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, the standard research reference, rates moderate elliptical work at 5.0 METs and vigorous work at 9.0. A MET is a multiple of your resting energy use. Multiply by your weight in kilograms and you get calories per hour, which is how online calculators work too.

For a 155 lb person, that's about 350 calories an hour at moderate effort and about 630 at vigorous effort. That's a wider range than you might expect, and most of it comes down to how hard you push. It's also why the same 30 minutes can be worth very little or quite a lot.

Standing up and moving your arms costs energy too. A small study found the elliptical had a higher metabolic cost than a cycling trainer at a similar relative effort, and the authors pointed to the arms and the standing position as likely reasons.

The elliptical's low-impact advantage

This is where the elliptical is strongest for long-term weight loss. Your feet stay on the pedals, so there's no landing with each stride the way there is with running. As exercise physiologists told Women's Health, that makes it a lower-impact alternative to running or walking with similar cardiovascular benefits. For someone with extra weight or sore joints, that can make the difference between sticking with cardio and quitting.

Low impact doesn't mean no load. In a small 2024 study of 12 healthy men, the elliptical produced higher peak knee torque than a stationary bike, and faster pedaling raised the load further. If your knees hurt on an elliptical, try lower resistance, slow down or try a bike, and get persistent pain checked out.

Full-body muscles the elliptical works

A stationary bike mostly works your legs, and on a treadmill your arms are along for the ride. On an elliptical with moving handles, you can involve:

• Lower body: Your quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves drive the pedals.
• Upper body: Your chest, back, shoulders and arms push and pull the handles.
• Core: Your abs and obliques stabilize your torso.

Don't expect a big calorie jump from the arms, though. The often-repeated claim that handles add 20% to 30% doesn't match the measurements we found. One study of 15 people on a similar non-elliptical cross trainer found arm use raised calorie burn about 6%, and that paper cites an elliptical study that found about 2.6% more oxygen use. On a 175-calorie workout, that's about 5 to 10 calories. Use the handles because it makes the workout more complete, and because you may find you can work harder overall.

Elliptical features that matter

• Stride length, 18 to 21 inches: This one matters most. If you're over about 5 foot 8, look for at least 20 inches, or you may feel cramped and find it harder to keep good form in hard workouts. Your stride should feel natural, not choppy.
• Resistance levels, 16 or more: You need room to progress. A machine with only 8 levels may soon feel too easy. Magnetic resistance tends to be smoother and quieter than manual systems.
• Flywheel weight, 18 pounds or more: Heavier flywheels generally feel smoother and more stable during intervals.
• Moving handles: Some cheaper models only have stationary handles. If you want the upper body involved, get moving handlebars.

Elliptical extras you can skip

Fancy screens with built-in entertainment are nice but not necessary. Bluetooth doesn't burn extra calories. Built-in heart rate monitors are often less useful than a chest strap. Put your budget toward the mechanical features that make for a smooth, challenging workout.

A realistic budget: Expect to spend about $700 to $1,500 for a quality home elliptical. Sole, NordicTrack and ProForm are common names in that range. Machines under $500 can be fine for light use, but they often feel less stable, and a machine you dislike is one you won't use. Prices change, so compare current models.

Elliptical form rules

• Stand tall: Keep your torso upright with your shoulders back, not hunched forward. Imagine a string pulling the top of your head toward the ceiling.
• Flat feet: Keep your whole foot on the pedal. Many people rise onto their toes without noticing, which can cause calf cramps. If your heels lift, press them back down.
• Slight knee bend: Don't lock your knees at full extension. Keep a soft bend throughout the motion.
• Active hands: Don't rest your weight on the handles. Push and pull with purpose. Think chest press going forward and rowing motion coming back.
• Engaged core: Brace your abs lightly, as if you're about to be nudged. It helps you stay upright and may help protect your lower back.

Elliptical form check

Every 5 to 10 minutes, run through a quick mental scan:

• Are my shoulders still back, or am I hunching?
• Are my heels down?
• Am I gripping the handles too tightly? Use a light grip.
• Is my core still engaged?

It sounds tedious, but after a few weeks it becomes automatic. If you've been leaning on the handles, you may find you have to lower the resistance at first to hold good posture, and that's fine.

10-minute beginner elliptical workout

Workout 1: 10-minute starter. Best for: complete beginners and people returning to exercise. If you're coming back from an injury, check with your doctor first.

• 1 minute easy pace (RPE 4 to 5, resistance 3 to 4)
• 1 minute moderate pace (RPE 5 to 6, resistance 5 to 6)
• Repeat for 5 cycles

Estimated burn: about 50 to 60 calories

20-minute elliptical interval workout

Workout 2: 20-minute intervals. Best for: building cardiovascular endurance, at an intermediate level.

• 1 minute hard (RPE 7 to 8, resistance 8 to 10)
• 1 minute easy recovery (RPE 4 to 5, resistance 3 to 4)
• Repeat for 10 rounds

Estimated burn: about 150 to 165 calories

A tip for the hard minutes: Raise both resistance and speed. Going faster at the same resistance often isn't challenging enough.

30-minute elliptical hill climb

Workout 3: 30-minute hill climb. Best for: building leg strength and mental toughness, at an intermediate level.

Resistance levels by minute for the 30-minute hill climb.

Estimated burn: about 175 to 300 calories, depending on how hard the top levels feel on your machine

45-minute steady elliptical workout

Workout 4: 45-minute steady state. Best for: building your aerobic base, at an intermediate level.

• Hold a conversational pace throughout (RPE 6 to 7)
• Every 10 minutes, raise the resistance one level
• For minutes 40 to 45, drop back to your starting resistance

Estimated burn: about 265 to 340 calories

This should feel sustainable. If you can't hold a conversation, you're going too hard.

24-minute elliptical HIIT workout

Workout 5: 24-minute HIIT. Best for: a hard workout in less time, at an advanced level. If you have a heart condition or other health concerns, ask your doctor before doing high-intensity intervals.

• 2 minutes hard (RPE 8 to 9, resistance 12 to 15)
• 2 minutes easy recovery (RPE 4 to 5, resistance 3 to 5)
• Repeat for 6 rounds

Estimated burn: about 185 calories, plus a small afterburn. A systematic review put the extra energy use after interval exercise at about 136 to 289 kJ, which is about 30 to 70 calories, and only about 10 to 30 more than after moderate exercise. So don't count on the afterburn to make up the difference. HIIT saves time, but this workout doesn't burn more in total than the 45-minute session above.

This should be hard, and that's why it isn't an everyday workout. If you can do it daily, you're not working hard enough in the hard intervals.

30-minute elliptical upper body workout

Workout 6: 30-minute upper body focus. Best for: working your arms, chest and back harder, at an advanced level.

• 4 minutes steady pace with normal arm use
• 1 minute strong push and pull on the handles (RPE 8)
• Repeat for 6 cycles
• Use 2 to 3 of the steady minutes for backward pedaling to emphasize your glutes and hamstrings

Estimated burn: about 200 to 230 calories

Form focus: During the 1-minute intervals, drive with your arms. Your legs keep the rhythm, and your upper body does more of the work.

Beginner elliptical plan, weeks 1 to 4

Goal: Build your cardiovascular base and make the habit stick. On paper: about 4 pounds over 4 weeks, nearly all from the food deficit, since this plan burns only about 150 to 250 calories a week.

A beginner elliptical week.

Progression: Add 2 to 3 minutes each week until you're consistently doing about 20-minute sessions.

Intermediate elliptical plan, weeks 5 to 12

Goal: Burn more and build endurance. Weekly burn from exercise: about 800 to 1,000 calories at 155 lb. On paper: about 10 pounds over 8 weeks, with about 8 of that from food.

An intermediate elliptical week.

Advanced elliptical plan, week 13 & on

Goal: More fat loss and more fitness. Weekly burn from exercise: about 1,100 to 1,400 calories at 155 lb. On paper: about 5 to 6 pounds a month with proper nutrition, and less as you get lighter.

An advanced elliptical week.

A note on food: Exercise alone rarely gets you there. Notice that even the advanced week burns only about what a 500-calorie daily deficit saves in 2 to 3 days. Our Weight Loss Meal Plan is built around portion-controlled, calorie-controlled meals, so the deficit doesn't depend on measuring every night.

Backward pedaling on the elliptical

Pedal backward for 2 to 5 minute segments through your workout. Many people feel it more in their hamstrings and glutes, and it gives your quads a break. It can also make the time pass faster. Calorie impact: likely about the same.

Elliptical incline intervals

If your machine has incline, set it to maximum and hold a moderate pace for 90 seconds, then go back to flat for 2 minutes of recovery. Repeat 6 to 8 times. It feels similar to climbing stairs. Calorie impact: likely higher, if you keep your pace up.

Tabata intervals on the elliptical

Go all-out for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds and repeat 8 times, for 4 minutes in total. Do 3 rounds with 3 minutes easy between rounds, which takes 18 minutes, or 4 rounds in 25 minutes. It's brutal, so save it for when you're already fit. Calorie impact: about 130 to 180 calories for the 18-minute version at 155 lb, plus a small afterburn.

Single-leg focus on the elliptical

Alternate 1 minute pushing mainly with your right leg and 1 minute with your left. Your other leg keeps the rhythm but doesn't drive the motion. It can help you notice strength differences between your legs. Calorie impact: about the same.

Arms-only intervals on the elliptical

For 30 to 60 seconds, keep your legs moving at minimal effort while your arms do the work. Follow with 2 minutes at a normal pace. Repeat 5 to 8 times. It works your upper body and gives your legs active recovery. Calorie impact: slightly lower overall, since your arms are smaller muscles.