Cross trainer
body sculpture cross trainer for loosing weight
Keeping in shape is one of the most important crucial facts in our lives, specially, when it comes to women; they just feel that something is wrong and somehow see their belly growing in size and weight and their muscles falling. But this trend has moved to men as well, the “metrosexual” fashion has spread all over the world and is not crazy to see a gym equipment in a 18 yeared old boy. There are thousands of equipments that help us to keep the body in shape, to lose pounds and to and to make our muscles grow, but there is one in particular that help us to work our every inch of our body: the cross trainer. A cross trainer is an exercise machine that many people use to simulate running or walking, this machine makes the activity healthier since it doesn’t cause any excessive pressure to the joints; with the use of a cross trainer we also decrease the risk of impacts and injuries. Nowadays, cross trainers offer us a method called non-impact cardiovascular exercise, and it varies from light to high intensity, it depends on the resistance we desire or we are able to support. Most of cross trainers work the mainly parts of our body, upper and lower (although, we should say, not many of them have the upper components to workout the upper part of our body); the cross trainers applications are also related to heart, since they are designed to elevate the heart rate more than working muscles. |
The use of this machine is very similar to any other gym equipment, it can be powered with electricity if we desire an adjustment of motion, and all of them count with electronic consoles and resistance systems. The present models include an adjustable resistance by friction belt and some magnetic or electronic devises to improve our workout. Some cross trainers include roller ramps, which are beneath the pedal links, that can be adjusted to produce several pedal motion paths; the result of this adjustment changes several times the burdens that the muscles legs have to support. Many models give us the chance to vary the incline of the sloping roller and the resistance over the curse of our exercise routine to a present program. Cross trainers are driven by our legs, since that is the crucial part this machines works out, but also, most of these cross trainers are combined with handle-levers that is attached to each pedal link with the purpose of placing a burden on our arms to provide a secondary work out activity. We advise to use the handles below the shoulder height, otherwise it could damage some of our muscles; we have to push them back and forth while we perform the shaped paths. We don’t have to worry about the handle and pedal links coordination since they both work in harmony according to the established program. The poor cross trainers designs, the oldest ones, depends on the user’s legs power; which produces excessive handle speeds due to the mechanical ratios which not provide enough advantage to the handle-levers. These type of machines are not recommended anymore since they don’t work out their muscles as they should; there are better models that offer harmonious combination of leg and arm exercise using the correct ratios. |
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The cross trainers models we find today in the sporting market can only handle users weighing no more than 260 lbs, and cost around US$1000 or a bit less, there are also some cross trainers from specific brands such us Life Fitness and Precor, that can accommodate uses whose weights are up to 400 lbs; their prices can go from US$1300 to US$5400. These types of cross trainers offer us a more natural feel and comfortable stride since they are a bit larger and more robustly constructed than the conventional machines. Many users compare a cross trainer to a treadmill, with the addition of leg muscles and heart rate function. Although in these types of machines the user’s limbs remain in constant contact with the machine, it’s operation establishes a limit in the dynamic loading of bones so that we don’t get our joints injured. This advantage was incorporated since users started to complained about the oldest models, many of them suffered chronic knee problems, joints injuries, and most of obese people were not able to tolerate the treadmill. |
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According to all these claims, cross trainers builders decide to elaborate an advanced model, for ordinary and obese people, capable to reduce injuries risks and to work out most of the body muscles. With the addition of gym exercise programs, that gives us the chance to change our workout program as many times as we desire. |
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