Interval Workout For Elliptical With Decreasing Recovery Periods

by POPSUGAR Fitness 3

By now, we all hopefully know that interval training rocks. Whether you're running, rowing, or swimming, playing with speed has multiple benefits. One way to push the interval envelope is to decrease the amount of rest time between your bouts of sprinting. By shortening your recovery time, you're pushing your anaerobic threshold and strengthening your cardiovascular system. Plus it's fun to mix it up once in a while.

My latest elliptical workout is 30 minutes of calorie-burning interval fun. Keep reading to check it out.

*SPM = Strides Per Minute
**RPE = Rate of Perceived Exertion

My elliptical has a fixed incline of 20 percent, so set your machine with at least some incline if you can. As always, if this is too easy or too hard, change the amount of resistance and the strides per minute. If this workout doesn't float your boat, check out my other cardio plans. I have received comments from some readers that their elliptical machines don't have SPM readout. For a machine that uses RPM (revolutions per minute), simply halve the number listed for SPM. If your machine uses MPH (miles per hour), use the rate of perceived exertion chart. The recovery periods feel like a jog measuring between four and five RPE, and the sprints between eight and 10 RPE.

Here is a printable version to take to the gym.