Cross trainers are a great way to train. They bring together a full-body cardiovascular exercise by using their peddles and handles, and the result is an awesome calorie burn. They have a range of features to help you get the best workout you can; you simply need to make the most of them. We've come up with this awesome four-week cross trainer workout plan to help you really get the most out of yours, which you can even customise and make harder by the time you’re finished.

Before you get to work though, it's always useful to learn about why the cross trainer is a great tool to use, and why this plan, in particular, is a great way to use one to its fullest potential.

Cross Trainer Benefits

As we’ve touched on, cross trainers have their fair share of awesome features. Some of them are way more well known than others, but if you put them all together, it can really help get a better perspective of why they're one of the best cardio tools out there.

Full Body

The first thing that needs to be appreciated with a cross trainer is how it all works. It pulls together your whole body to be able to work your upper body, lower body and core all in unison to help you get the most out of your exercise. That even helps to maximise your calorie burn and boost your stamina as much as possible, since you're doing so much work. On top of that still, you can also choose where you put the emphasis. If you use your arms more than usual, you'll get a better upper body workout, and the same goes for lower. Drop the arms completely, and you're blasting your core too. Even putting things in reverse hits different leg muscles. It really is your choice, and more diverse than you think.

Low Impact

Next up on the list of benefits for a cross trainer is how low impact they are. Low impact exercise means that they're a great way to help reduce the impact on your joints, and on your knees in particular. On top of that, it means you don't make much noise while you're using the machine either, and that's an awesome way to exercise quietly when you have family at home or even neighbours. For a lot of people, that point alone is enough to buy one for home use.

Variable Resistance

So, we know they’re low impact, but that doesn’t mean that they are any less of an awesome workout. One of the biggest reasons for that? Variable resistance. If your cross trainer workout plan factors this into play, you can just keep starting from the beginning on a higher resistance if nothing else. Higher resistance means harder work after all, and as your fitness increases, so will the challenge. That way, you can keep on progressing and building muscle definition at the same time. It's a huge plus in the grand scheme of things. It also means no matter what your starting point is, you're in for a tough workout!

Easy to Use

We won't keep going into too much depth. You're here for the workout plan after all, right? Well, we'll leave you with this. Exercise equipment does not get much easier to use than the cross-trainer. Hop on, get going, and hop off. Change the resistance when you need to, and the rest is on you. It is one of the most customisable and simplistic workouts there are since all of the changes are created by how you use it each time.

(For more on the benefits of a cross trainer, click here)

The training

Like with most cardio plans we create, we like to really spice things up at exercise.co.uk, and our cross trainer workout plan is no different. Doing the same exercise over and over again can get a little tiring after all. Here, we’ve put together a few different styles to take a look at, all with different elements to them. Let’s talk through them before you get going.

LISS

First up, LISS, or low-intensity steady-state cardio. This is taking things a little easier but for a much longer time than most other workouts. That way, you can keep pushing for longer and still get a good cardio workout with dripping in sweat. It's a great way to get started, take things easy and still get a great workout. It even burns the highest rate of fat per calorie burned too, which is awesome for getting leaner if that's something you are looking for.

HIIT

When it comes to seriously burning calories, things don't get much better than HIIT workouts. They are awesome. They really do burn the most calories in the least time through sheer hard work and determination. You alternate between going all out and taking it easy over a short period, and it seriously gets you going. Awesome for maximising progress, as long as you push yourself enough. Luckily for you, theres one for every week of the cross trainer workout plan.

Distance / Time

Last but not least, we have the classics; distance and time. They are pretty self-explanatory, but the benefits are still awesome. Working towards goals like walking a few miles on the cross trainer, going for a solid hour, or the combination of both are awesome ways to keep pushing yourself, challenging yourself, and tracking your progress too when you put them together (i.e., how far you can go in 30 minutes, or how long it takes you to reach a milestone distance). Don't rule out the tried and tested classics of cardio.

The Cross Trainer Workout Plan

Finally, the moment you’ve been waiting for… the cross trainer workout plan. As the title suggests, it lasts for a total of 4 weeks, but you can rinse and repeat if you love it like we do. It revolves around three workouts per week so that it doesn't take over your life, and it gives you time to rest and recover to prevent any injuries from taking place. Ideal. You can choose which days you train depending on your schedule, but do try and give yourself a day in between each workout where you can.