Elliptical Resistance: Understanding, Optimizing, and Integrating for Your Workout

What is the best resistance on elliptical?

The optimal resistance setting on an elliptical machine is not a universal fixed number but rather a highly individualized parameter determined by your current fitness level, specific training goals, and the intensity of effort you can maintain with proper form.

Understanding Elliptical Resistance

Elliptical trainers offer a full-body, low-impact cardiovascular workout, and resistance is a fundamental component that dictates the intensity and muscular engagement of your session. Unlike incline on a treadmill, elliptical resistance primarily increases the force required to move the pedals and handlebars, simulating an uphill climb or pushing through a denser medium. This resistance can be generated mechanically or magnetically, and it directly influences the challenge to your muscles (quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, calves, and core, as well as the upper body via the moving handlebars) and your cardiovascular system. Higher resistance demands greater muscular force, leading to increased energy expenditure and muscle activation.

Factors Influencing Optimal Resistance

Determining your ideal resistance involves a dynamic assessment of several key factors:

• Your Current Fitness Level: Beginners will typically start with lower resistance settings to establish proper form and build cardiovascular endurance without excessive strain. As fitness improves, resistance should progressively increase to continue challenging the body and stimulate adaptation.
• Your Workout Goals:
  • Cardiovascular Endurance: For improving aerobic capacity, a moderate resistance that allows you to maintain a consistent, elevated heart rate for extended periods (e.g., 20-60 minutes) is often ideal. The focus is on sustained effort rather than maximal force.
  • Strength and Muscle Toning: Higher resistance levels will recruit more muscle fibers, particularly in the lower body and core. This mimics a strength training stimulus, promoting muscular endurance and hypertrophy. Form becomes paramount at higher resistances to prevent injury.
  • Weight Loss: While calorie expenditure is key for weight loss, the "best" resistance is one that allows you to sustain a high-intensity effort (e.g., 70-85% of maximum heart rate) for a sufficient duration. This often involves a blend of moderate to high resistance, potentially incorporating interval training.
  • Recovery or Active Rest: For lighter sessions aimed at promoting blood flow and aiding recovery, a very low resistance is appropriate, allowing for comfortable, fluid movement without significant cardiovascular or muscular demand.
• Perceived Exertion (RPE): This subjective scale (typically 1-10) is an excellent way to gauge intensity. For most effective workouts, aim for an RPE of 5-7 (moderate to hard), where you can still speak but with some effort. For high-intensity intervals, you might briefly reach 8-9. If you're struggling to maintain form or breathing becomes uncontrolled, the resistance is likely too high.
• Heart Rate Zones: For a more objective measure, monitoring your heart rate can guide resistance adjustments. Aiming for specific heart rate zones (e.g., 60-70% for steady-state cardio, 70-85% for higher intensity) allows you to calibrate resistance to achieve physiological targets.

How to Determine Your Ideal Resistance

Finding your "sweet spot" for elliptical resistance is an iterative process:

• Warm-up: Always begin your workout with 5-10 minutes at a very low resistance and moderate pace. This prepares your muscles and cardiovascular system.
• Trial and Error / Progressive Overload:
  • Start at a resistance level that feels moderately challenging but allows you to maintain smooth, controlled movements without bouncing or excessive rocking.
  • Over subsequent workouts, gradually increase the resistance by one or two levels. If you can maintain your target intensity (RPE or HR) and good form for your desired duration, that's your new baseline.
  • The principle of progressive overload dictates that to continue adapting, your body needs a continually increasing stimulus. This means periodically increasing resistance, duration, or intensity.
• Listen to Your Body: Pay close attention to how your muscles feel. You should feel engagement, but not pain or excessive strain in your joints. If your form breaks down (e.g., hunching over, leaning heavily on handles, bouncing), the resistance is too high.
• Incorporate Interval Training: Varying resistance within a single workout can be highly effective. Alternate periods of high resistance/high intensity with periods of lower resistance/recovery. This challenges both your anaerobic and aerobic systems, improving overall fitness and calorie burn.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Too Low Resistance: While good for warm-ups or recovery, consistently low resistance won't provide sufficient challenge for significant fitness improvements or calorie expenditure.
• Too High Resistance (Ego Lifting): Setting the resistance too high often leads to poor form, where you might bounce, lean excessively, or use momentum rather than muscle engagement. This reduces effectiveness, increases injury risk, and puts unnecessary strain on joints.
• Neglecting Upper Body: Ensure you're actively pushing and pulling the handlebars, even at higher resistance. This engages your back, chest, shoulders, and arms, maximizing the full-body benefits of the elliptical.
• Ignoring RPE and Heart Rate: Relying solely on the machine's numerical resistance display can be misleading, as settings vary between models. Use RPE and heart rate as primary guides for intensity.

Integrating Resistance into Your Training Program

For a well-rounded fitness regimen, consider incorporating varied resistance levels throughout your weekly elliptical workouts:

• Long, Steady-State Cardio: Moderate resistance, consistent pace, RPE 5-6.
• High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): Alternating short bursts of very high resistance/speed (RPE 8-9) with recovery periods at low resistance.
• Strength-Focused Sessions: Higher, consistent resistance at a slightly slower pace, focusing on powerful leg drives and engaging the core and glutes.

Conclusion

The "best" resistance on an elliptical is the one that appropriately challenges your body to meet your fitness goals while allowing you to maintain impeccable form throughout your workout. It's a dynamic variable that should evolve as your fitness improves. By understanding the principles of resistance, listening to your body, and utilizing tools like RPE and heart rate, you can effectively tailor your elliptical workouts for optimal results, whether your aim is cardiovascular endurance, strength development, or weight management.