Elliptical training is a type of cardiovascular exercise. This is the type of exercise that the American College of Sports Medicine recommends people do for at least 30 minutes, five days a week. The elliptical machine itself has two foot pedals and two handles that move back and forth in unison. Aside from the cardiovascular benefits, there are also multiple muscles that get worked on the elliptical.
Glutes
The glutes are the muscles of your butt. The are activated when you push the pedals behind your body and your leg becomes straight. This is known as hip extension.
Quads
The quadriceps are the large muscles on the front of your thighs. Every time your lower leg goes from a bent to a straight position, your quadriceps are being worked. This known as knee extension.
Hamstrings
The hamstrings are the large muscles on the back of your thighs that oppose your quads. Any time your lower leg goes from a straight to a bent position, your hamstrings get called into play. This is known as knee flexion.
Lats
The latissimus dorsi muscles are on your back. They are being worked every time you pull the handles toward your body while gliding.
Chest
The chest contains a large muscle and smaller muscle, known as the pectoralis major and pectoralis minor, respectively. Every time you push the handles forward, these muscles are being worked.
Shoulders
The shoulders contain three groups of muscles that all get worked when your upper arm is elevated and moving back and forth. These include the deltoids, which are found on the sides, the trapezius, which is found on the top and the rotator cuff, which surrounds the shoulder joint.
Arms
Both the biceps and triceps get worked when you are gliding on an elliptical. The biceps are the muscles on the front of the upper arms and they get called into play when you pull the handle towards your body. This is called elbow flexion. The triceps are on the backs of your upper arms. Whenever you push the handles forward, your arm goes from a bent to straight position and your triceps get worked. This is called elbow extension.
Lower Legs
The calf muscles are on the lower back of the legs. They get contracted to stabilize your lower legs while you are moving back and forth. The same holds true for the muscles that run down the front of the shins. These are known anatomically as the anterior tibialis muscles.
Core Muscles
The core consists of the lower and upper abs, obliques and lower back muscles. This whole area is constantly working to stabilize your body while you are working on the elliptical.
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