Elliptical machines are a fairly recently yet super popular piece of workout equipment. They have become a staple in nearly every professional gym setting. The price for purchase has come down a bit and more private individuals are installing ellipticals into their home gym. I’ve noticed that the row of ellipticals at my local fitness center are always in use. I decided to research this workout innovation to figure out what’s so appealing about them. I learned that the best feature of an elliptical is that it combines high intensity interval training with a productive cardio workout. Cardio training is essential to every thorough training session. It forces the heart and lungs to work harder and supply the muscles with an increase of blood and oxygen. It builds stronger muscles and elevated stamina. An elliptical is an ideal option for burning a tremendous amount of calories in a relatively brief span of time. Depending on the intensity of exertion, a persona can burn between 300 and 400 calories in a 30 minute elliptical workout. There are advantages to an elliptical when compared to a standard bike. They both avoid stress on the joints. There is none of the hard impact on the feet, knees, ankles, hips and rest of the body that the majority of high intensity cardio training includes. The feet never lift off the pedal of the elliptical so the motion is extremely smooth and fluid. The better options incorporate handles. This makes it one of the few types of training machines that works both the upper and lower body. The weight of the body and resistance is distributed evenly. Arms and legs are set into motion and results of effort are maximized. An elliptical workout concentrates mainly on the quads, glutes, hamstrings, chest, back, biceps, triceps and core muscles. It is designed for reducing body fat and toning the body.