An elliptical machine combines the movements of stair-stepping and cross-country skiing into an effective, low-impact cardiovascular workout. If you are using an elliptical machine to enhance your outdoor skiing performance, you first have to determine your goals. Depending on the terrain, you may need to improve your endurance, your hill climbing strength, your speed or your arm strength.
Endurance
A long cross-country trail requires cardiovascular endurance. You can strengthen your heart and your lungs for outdoor skiing by using an elliptical trainer. Determine whether your ski route will be based on time or distance and then either set the elliptical trainer's clock to count down your time, or monitor your distance as you exercise. This workout should be performed at a steady pace with no variation in the terrain, so choose a comfortable incline and resistance level. Begin at a lower speed for your warm-up, then increase and maintain your pace for your desired duration.
Hills
If your cross-country skiing route contains multiple hills, you may want to prepare for them when exercising on your elliptical. You can simulate hill intervals by changing the resistance level or the incline on the ramp. Begin with a three- to five-minute warm-up at a light resistance and low incline. For the next two minutes, increase your resistance, your incline or both to a challenging level as if you were skiing uphill. Your breathing should be difficult and you would not want to remain at this level for an extended time period. For the following two minutes, release your resistance and incline as you pretend to ski down the backside of the hill. Continue to climb and descend hills in two-minute intervals for your total workout time. Aim for 30 to 45 minutes on the machine.
Speed
You can increase the speed of your cross-country skiing with an elliptical. Speed intervals train your muscles to work at a faster pace, and the recovery intervals allow blood flow to return oxygen to the working muscles. After your warm-up, increase your pace for one minute. You may feel as if you are running. Decrease your pace for two minutes to a comfortable, recovery pace. Continue to alternate one-minute speed bursts with two-minute recovery intervals for your entire session.
Arm Strength
Many elliptical trainers have arm handles that move back and forth during the workout. The concept is to simulate ski poles. If your arms tire quickly when cross-country skiing, you may want to focus on arm strength during your indoor elliptical workouts. After your warm-up, increase the resistance slightly. Using your arms, push and pull the handles to move your legs through the motion. Try not to push with your feet, so your arms develop strength. Use intervals for this program, such as 30 seconds of arm-focused movement followed by one minute of leg-powered movement and then repeat.
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