The elliptical machine is a cardiovascular device that helps burn calories and improve lung capacity. Ellipticals cause less impact on the knees, hips and back unlike running. Aside from these benefits, the elliptical also targets multiple muscle groups because you work your upper and lower body simultaneously.
Buttocks
The buttocks also go by the names glutes or booty. From an anatomical standpoint, the glutes get activated with hip extension. During an elliptical session, you perform hip extension when you move your thigh backward.
Quadriceps
The quadriceps are the large muscles on the front of the thighs. Two motions cause these muscles to activate -- hip flexion and knee extension. When you move your thigh toward your stomach, you perform hip flexion and when you straighten your lower leg, you perform knee extension. Both of these actions take place while using the elliptical machine.
Hamstrings
The hamstrings, which are located on the back of the thighs, get activated with hip extension and knee flexion. When you move your leg behind your body and bend your knee during elliptical training, you perform knee flexion.
Hip Flexors
The hip flexors run from the lower stomach down across the front of the hip. As the name implies, they cause hip flexion and work when your thigh moves toward your stomach.
Calves
The calves consist of the gastrocnemius and soleus. They are activated with a motion called plantar flexion. This takes place when your toes point downward. When you use an elliptical, you experience slight plantar flexion when you move your legs forward, but the bulk of activation comes from a stability standpoint. The calves contract to keep your lower legs stable as you move them forward and backward.
Shoulders
The shoulder muscles consist of the deltoids and trapezius. Both of which are worked when you push and pull the poles on the elliptical machine. The traps run across the top of the collar bones and the deltoid muscles are on the outside of the shoulders.
Triceps
The triceps muscles extend the elbow and they are found on the back of the upper arms. Every time you push a pole forward on the elliptical, you activate your triceps.
Back and Biceps
The latissimus dorsi is a large back muscle that is used when you pull the poles toward your body. During this motion, you also flex your elbow which causes you to work your biceps. Elbow flexion reduces the angle between your forearm and upper arm.
Resistance
Even though elliptical training is predominately a calorie-burning form of exercise, you can increase the workload on your muscles by making certain adjustments. Most ellipticals come equipped with a resistance and incline feature. Turn both of them up and this will tax your muscles with more emphasis.
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