Cross Trainer Muscles Worked: What an Elliptical Really Trains

A cross trainer mainly works your quads, glutes, hamstrings and calves, with lighter work for your chest, back, shoulders and arms if you actually push and pull the moving handles. Your core works throughout to keep you stable. It's an aerobic machine first, so it trains your heart and lungs hard and your muscles gently. That gentleness is the whole point for most people who buy one.

The muscles, from the ground up

Calves. Your calves stabilise the ankle as the pedals move, but because your feet never leave the pedals they work far less than in running. Rising onto the balls of your feet shifts more work to them.

Quads. The front of the thigh does most of the pushing as each pedal moves forwards and down. This is the muscle group that works hardest on a cross trainer, and research backs that up (see below).

Hamstrings and glutes. They extend the hip as the pedal travels back. Their share goes up when you pedal backwards, push through your heels, or raise the resistance.

Core. Your abdominals and lower back muscles keep your torso upright. Hold the fixed handles and they rest; let go and they work harder to balance you.

Upper body. The moving handles bring in the chest, front shoulders and triceps on the push, and the upper back and biceps on the pull. It's light work, but it adds up over a 30 minute session.

What the research shows

The most useful study here compared muscle activity in 17 well-trained runners on a treadmill, a stepper and an elliptical at 60%, 70% and 80% of their peak workload. Muscle activity in the lower legs was up to 60% lower on the elliptical than during running, with one exception: the quads worked about as hard on all three machines. So the elliptical spares your calves, shins and hamstrings while keeping your quads busy.

The cardio side tells a different story. In the same research group's companion study, 18 runners showed no difference in oxygen use or heart rate between treadmill, elliptical and stepper at matched workloads, and their maximum oxygen uptake was almost identical on each. Less muscular strain, same aerobic stimulus. That's why physios like cross trainers for injured runners.

How to shift the work

More glutes and hamstrings. Pedal backwards for intervals of a minute or two, sit your hips back slightly and drive through your heels. Higher resistance at a lower cadence also helps.

More quads. Pedal forwards, stand tall, and push through the front half of your foot. Higher speed at moderate resistance keeps the quads working.

More upper body. Grip the moving handles and push and pull deliberately, as if rowing with your arms. Your legs will slow a little; that's the effort moving upwards.

More core. Let go of the handles for short spells at an easy resistance, keeping your chest up. Only do this when you're steady; it's easy to lose balance on a moving pedal.

More calves. Shift your weight towards the balls of your feet. Don't overdo it, because it can cause foot numbness on long sessions.

What a cross trainer won't do

It won't build much muscle. The resistance is aerobic, not heavy, and once you're past the beginner stage your legs adapt to it fast. If you want stronger, bigger legs, add a couple of strength sessions a week: goblet squats and glute bridges are good starting points. The NHS guidelines recommend strength work on two days a week on top of your cardio, and a cross trainer covers only the cardio half.

It also won't fully prepare you for running. Because your lower legs do less work and there's no impact, your tendons and bones don't get the loading that running demands. Use it alongside running, or as a bridge back from injury, rather than a like-for-like swap if you've got a race booked.

Getting more from each session

Raise the resistance rather than just pedalling faster; a 30 minute session at a level where you're breathing hard but can still speak in short sentences gives you a solid aerobic stimulus. Mix in intervals once or twice a week. Our cross trainer workout plans include beginner and HIIT sessions, and if you're still deciding between machines, elliptical vs treadmill lays out the trade-offs.

Shopping for one? Our best cross trainer UK guide covers the range, and our Neezee 3-in-1 cross trainer review looks at a budget machine with a 150kg limit and a 3 year warranty.

Recommended reads

• Cross trainer workout plans
• Elliptical vs treadmill
• Rowing machine vs cross trainer
• The best cross trainers in the UK
• Cross trainer reviews