If you've jumped on an elliptical, you may have felt some awkwardness initially. The movement of the pedals, the handles that move and the overall motion takes a few minutes to get used to. But an elliptical provides a terrific overall workout and can help get your glutes in terrific shape.
Benefits
Ellipticals mimic the motion of running, but eliminate the jarring of your ankles, knees and hips. And due to the inclusion of your arms, you can increase your heart rate significantly without having to race. The lower body workout maximizes the use of the quadriceps and hamstrings as well as the glutes. The upper body workout trains your chest muscles, back, triceps and biceps. Because an elliptical is weight bearing, it also has a side benefit of strengthening your overall skeletal frame as well.
Function
As you walk, you engage your gluteus medius, gluteus maximus and gluteus minimus. These three muscles together make up what is commonly called your glutes. Since the elliptical mimics the action of walking or jogging, it provides a good workout for the full set of muscles.
Potential
Due to the elliptical's ability to incorporate your full body, you get a tougher workout in a relatively short period of time. If your goal is to lose weight as part of your glute-shaping process, incorporating your arms burns more calories more quickly than with other methods of cardio workout.
Considerations
If you're focusing exclusively on your glutes, a treadmill is a better bet. A 2007 study conducted by Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital studied which machine works your gluteus maximus most efficient. When jogging, a treadmill activates 48.9 percent of the gluteus maximums, as compared to 32.6 percent when on an elliptical.
Effects
However, jogging can be jarring to your joints. The smooth stride of an elliptical minimizes the potential for injury. To maximize your elliptical glute workout, "Women's Health Magazine" recommends sticking your bottom out and focusing on bringing your heel down as you stride (see Resources).
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