What Muscles Do You Work When Exercising on the Elliptical Trainer? Which Body Parts Get the Most Benefit?

Elliptical trainer for fitness and strength building

What muscles are we training when using the cross-trainer?

Depending on the sport you practice, certain areas of the body will be solicited more than others, but what about when you ride the elliptical? Will you tone and refine your figure on the elliptical? Below is a list of the muscles and muscle groups strengthened and sculpted by the elliptical trainer!

Upper limbs (shoulders, arms and forearms)

• Shoulder muscles: These are the muscles that connect the arm to the rest of the body. They include the rotator cuff muscles (subscapularis, infraspinatus, petit rond, supraspinatus), trapezius, deltoid, grand dentle and angular. These muscles enable arm and shoulder mobility (rotation, elevation).
• Biceps: These muscles, located on the front of the arm, are surrounded by two joints (scapulohumeral, elbow). The biceps comprise two muscles (long biceps and short biceps) that help flex and rotate the arms.
• The triceps: Located on the inner side of the arm, they comprise three muscles (vastus lateralis, vastus internus and long head of triceps) which complement the flexor role of the biceps brachii. The triceps allow forearm extension.

Trunk and pelvis (Chest, stomach and back)

• Abdominals: These are made up of several layers of muscle (rectus abdominis, external oblique, internal oblique, transverse) whose function is to flex and rotate the trunk.
• Back muscles: The back groups together muscles such as the trapezius, dorsalis major, rhomboid, infraspinatus and round. These muscles play a wide variety of roles. From the dorsal to the lumbar, they ensure arm and shoulder mobility, postural support and protection of the spine.

Lower limbs (glutes, thighs and calves)

• Quadriceps: Located at the front of the thigh, the quadriceps is made up of 4 muscles (vastus femoris or rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis and vastus intermedius). These muscles facilitate flexion of the thigh over the hip, as well as extension of the leg over the thigh.
• Hamstring muscles: Located on the back of the thigh, there are four hamstring muscles (biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semitendinosus). They ensure leg flexion and thigh extension.
• Calf muscles: also known as the sural triceps, the calf muscles comprise 3 muscle fascicles, including the soleus and gastrocnemius. These muscles help extend the foot down the leg

If there’s one piece of fitness equipment that works the whole body, it’s the elliptical trainer. From head to toe, it provides a complete and effective workout for the body, while avoiding joint problems and shocks. Handlebars are used to work the upper body, especially the shoulders and arms. Pedal thrusts in the standing position target the buttocks, thighs and calves. Finally, keeping the trunk in balance while using the machine stimulates abdominal and back strengthening.