Cheap Elliptical/ Cross Trainers

Cheapest Elliptical Trainer / Cross Trainer Deals

Get the best Elliptical Trainer deals here using our sports equipment price comparison tool. We have search for the cheapest Elliptical Trainers so you don’t have to. Elliptical trainers are the perfect piece of home gym cardio kit helping you get your body in shape. Elliptical trainers can be expensive so we found the cheapest deals for you.

Cheap Elliptical Trainers price comparison

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£179.00
in stock
1 used from £143.75
as of March 18, 2024 3:12 pm
Amazon.co.uk
£199.00
in stock
2 new from £199.00
1 used from £179.63
as of March 18, 2024 3:12 pm
Amazon.co.uk
£199.00
in stock
as of March 18, 2024 3:12 pm
Amazon.co.uk
£799.00
in stock
as of March 18, 2024 3:12 pm
Amazon.co.uk
£1,199.00
in stock
as of March 18, 2024 3:12 pm
Amazon.co.uk

Elliptical Trainer Deals

If you’d like toned and supple limbs but don’t like the high-impact, muscle-building effects of lifting weights, look into an elliptical cross trainer. Perhaps you’ve seen them in a gym: those two-handed and two-footed pieces of equipment that mimic the actions of ski-ing. Cross trainers are ideal if you want to lose some weight, become more flexible, or increase your everyday fitness.

Lose weight on a crosstrainer

Buying Guide graphic: muscles used on a cross trainer

Cross trainers are a very effective way to burn calories without stressing your body. They work arms and legs at the same time, in addition to flexing your stomach and sides with gentle twisting movements. This leads to an all-over workout and burns calories more effectively than exercising arms or legs only. So cross trainers are an ideal way to lose weight.

Become more flexible
Staying flexible helps maintain muscle tone, keeping all your muscles active – which means fewer mobility problems as you age. The range of movements on a cross trainer – side to side, up and down, and forwards and backwards at the same time – are called ellipticals, because they move your body in ovals. As well as burning calories, elliptical movements build flexibility without risk.

Increase everyday fitness

A few sessions a week on a cross trainer will improve your aerobic fitness – the basic conditioning that lets you walk, run, or swim without getting out of breath too quickly. Better aerobic fitness means more energy and enthusiasm for everyday life.

So now you know your cross trainers, let’s find out what features you should look for:

There are two types of cross trainer. Choose a belt cross trainer if you want a basic workout and don’t expect to vary your fitness routine much; they’re excellent value for money and don’t take up much space. However, they usually offer just one level of resistance (the amount of effort it takes to move the pedals and levers).

For more variety, consider a magnetic cross trainer. These use magnets to create resistance to your pushing and pulling, so usually have a range of training levels you can build up to as you get fitter. They also tend to be quieter than belt cross trainers. Use this list of features to recognise the parts of a cross trainer.

Defining the parts

The levers are the vertical ‘handlebars’ where you hold the machine while cross training. The grips move backwards and forwards in oval shapes as you use the machine; this range of movements helps build flexible limbs.

The pedals are where you put your feet when using a cross trainer. They’re usually large pads with a non-slip surface like rubber.

The flywheel is inside the cross trainer. As you push and pull it creates momentum so you can build up pace smoothly without overstressing your muscles.

A heart rate monitor detects your pulse, usually through touching the grips, so you can see how hard your heart’s working. Remember, the most effective heart rate for most people while exercising is 70-80% of maximum.

A display is useful if you want to record your performance, to make sure you’re reaching your fitness goals. It’s an LCD digital readout giving information such as speed and distance covered (as if you’d been ski-ing), calories burned, time and so on. The controls, usually surrounding the display, let you switch the display to the numbers you’re most interested in and enter or change the programme.

What’s on the display?

Some of the numbers on a cross trainer’s display can be confusing. Here a key to what they mean.

WHAT THE DISPLAY SAYSWHAT IT MEANS
SpeedThe speed you’d be traveling at if you were cross country ski-ing
TimeThe time since your workout started or the time left before you finish on a workout programme
CaloriesEstimated number of calories you’ve burnt off since starting
DistanceTotal distance travelled or distance left to go on a programme
Pulse/heartrate Your current heartrate in beats per minute, measured through hand grips, a chest strap, or earlobe clip
MotivationEncouraging messages displayed to keep you going
Power output/wattsThe total power (energy per unit of time) you’re developing – 100 means you could power a 100W lightbulb and so on. 200W is a good level to maintain for a 30minute workout; a powerful man can produce a maximum of about 800W for short periods.

A note on programmes/progs

Programmes or ‘progs’ give you a planned workout based on total distance you want to reach or total time you want to work out for. Different programmes may include varying speeds or inclines to add variety. Example programmes include downhill and cross country.

All cross trainers are different, so check you know which features to look for. With that done, let’s choose your machine:

Now you’re armed with the right information about cross trainers, it’s time to make a shortlist. Here are the questions you should ask yourself before you buy.

What are my fitness goals?

Decide what you want from your decision to buy a cross trainer. Are you looking to lose weight, or make yourself more flexible, or build strength? Bear in mind few people use a cross trainer and nothing else, even though it’s one of the best all-round workout machines – most people use it to increase their fitness for other activities, such as swimming, running, or cycling. What different cross trainers will do

IF YOU WANT TO…TAKE A LOOK AT…
Lose weightAny cross trainer capable of taking your body weight
Get fitAny cross trainer, but a heart rate monitor will help you train
Become strongerCross trainer with different functions and programmes to build strength and endurance
Become more flexible Any cross trainer, but start with an easy programme and build up
Have funCross trainer with a variety of functions and programmes
Train for an eventAny cross trainer, but combine cross training with other exercise

Will it fit my home?

Cross trainers are quite compact – since you’re standing up, they use less floor area than a home gym or rowing machine. In general, allow the same space as a small sofa – but with half a metre or so on each side to allow for your elliptical movements!

Do I need special footwear?

Cross training is no riskier than other exercise, but you need to look at your feet. Because you’ll be moving your ankles more than with other gym equipment, you might want to check your training shoes support your ankles properly; lightweight running shoes aren’t designed to handle much sideways movement.

What makes cross training different?

People usually use cross trainers to improve their performance at other sports – unlike cycling (exercise bikes) running (treadmills) or rowing (rowing machines), cross-country ski-ing isn’t something you can just do anytime! What makes it different is that on a cross trainer, you’re building strength and flexibility as well as cardiovascular fitness.

What are the costs?

Low-cost cross trainers don’t take up much space and will give you a great workout for the price of two week’s groceries. But if you’re training seriously they may not have the variety of functions and programmes for you. If you can afford it, about twice as much will buy a very high-end model, while 3-4 times as much will get you something straight out of a professional gym.

What else do I need?

Because they move you from side to side, cross trainers need a firm, non-slippery surface. You may need to put a mat in place to protect your floor.

There’s a huge variety of cross trainers on the market – but the one you choose needs to fit your healthy lifestyle, too. Now you’re equipped with information. !

Using the Comparison Table

Sometimes you want to see features side-by-side. It’s easy! When you view any range of cross trainers – by type, brand, or other criteria – you’ll see a ‘Compare products/Go’ link on the right, with a tickbox for each piece of equipment.

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Tick the cross trainers you’re interested in, and hit Go – you’ll be shown a handy table comparing all their main features, making it easier to choose.

Cross trainer terms explained

Like all health and fitness equipment, cross trainers use some terms you might not be familiar with.

Beltthe part that ‘pushes back’ as you build up speed. Part of the transmission
Consolethe controls on the front panel of the cross trainer
Displaythe digital readout on the front panel of the cross trainer
Framethe structure, usually metal tubes, that all the moving parts of the cross trainer attach to
Functionsvarious ways of using the cross trainer, such as: levers only, pedals only, or reverse pedalling
Heart monitora sensor that takes your pulse (usually through the grips) and displays it for you
Programmesthe various choices of workout on a cross trainer, such as cross-country ski-ing, point-to-point, or downhill
Self generating powerwhere the action of pedalling keeps a battery charged, meaning you don’t need to plug your cross trainer into the mains or find new batteries
Transmissionthe assembly inside the machine that creates resistance

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