What’s More Beneficial for an Upper Body Workout, Treadmills or Elliptical Machines?

When it comes to working, whether it’s at home or in the gym, people usually prefer either treadmills or elliptical machines. These two are considered to be the most effective calorie burning equipment and are greatly helpful in keeping a person fit and healthy. There’s a wide variety of treadmills like NordicTrack Treadmill and numerous elliptical machines available on the market these days for every budget.

Both the machines are best suited for cardio vascular movements, but when it comes to particularly working on your upper body, you should choose elliptical machines over treadmill. Few reasons why elliptical is beneficial for upper body workout than treadmill are listed below.

• Since elliptical trainers are equipped with flexible and movable handles, these are greatly helpful in toning your upper body. When a person works out on an elliptical there is rapid motion and movement of hands and thus biceps and triceps are toned in a best manner.
• Elliptical machines come with an option of reverse stride. This means that a user while working out on an elliptical can exercise in backward direction. This allows complete motion of the upper as well as lower body, thereby activating muscle fibers of hand and stomach area. Upper body workouts are therefore best performed on an elliptical machine.
• Since the elliptical machines have the handles that move in rhythm with the movement of the pedals, there is a rigorous motion of your arms and the entire upper body is engaged. As there is a “pull” there is an engagement of your back and biceps whereas whenever there is a “push”, your chest and triceps are engaged.
• Among treadmills and elliptical machines, elliptical is beneficial for the upper body workout because as the user will move from side to side, there is an equal involvement of the midsection of the body. So, on the whole entire upper body is engaged when a person chooses to work out on an elliptical machine.
• Also, if you are a novice exerciser, elliptical machines are greatly effective in muscle gaining and achieving fitness. For most of the people, working on their upper bodies will however result in calorie burn and that in turn will lead to slimming of the upper body.
• Elliptical machines are considered to be highly beneficial in terms of upper body workout because it shapes and slim the upper body in less time as compared to treadmill. However there are some tactics that are to be followed. Simply by increasing the inclination and resistance, the number of calorie burn will increase. Also, by working on higher intensity, a person gradually experiences fall in his weight.
• Some of the features of elliptical machines such as inclination adjustments, cross-skiing handlebars, and multiple speed setting features enable a person to tone many of his muscles at once. Starting from the thigh area to the delts, elliptical is efficient in toning abs, upper hand muscles and also other parts. The rigorous motion of the handlebars to and fro and the movement of body in backward and forward direction help to maintain chest scales and reduce belly fat.

There are various types of elliptical trainers that are quite beneficial for complete workout like Bowflex Max and others. You can select the one as per your needs and requirements.