My Favorite Cardio Machine & Workout

I'm a fan of the elliptical over other cardio machines for a few reasons. One being it's easier on your joints than the treadmill, and it doesn't bother my back as much as being on a bike. It's also very easy to adjust the incline & resistance, and most ellipticals have optional user stat settings. It's great for people of all levels.

Most of us have heard that interval training is more effective than going at a steady state. The past couple months I've been rotating between two simple methods that I wanted to share because they have been working great for me & some people have asked my opinion on cardio workouts. These two workouts are done the same for every level - just pick a level that's appropriate for you, 1-4. Most of us would be a 2 or 3. Pick level 1 if you have heart issues or are not accustomed to much cardio (brisk walking less than 30 minutes a day) or pick level 4 if you think you're hardcore. 

These numbers are in relation to the Precor Elliptical available in many gyms. 

Workout A: Easier:
Low, Medium, High, Medium, Low
Each for 1 minute. Repeat 5 times for a 25 minute workout.
Want it shorter? Just repeat 3 times for a 15 minute workout.
Cool down for 3 minutes.

Workout B: More challenging:
Low, Medium, High, Medium, High
1 minute each repeated 5 times. Same 3 minute cool down.

Level 1:

Low: 2 incline, 2 resistance. Medium: 3 incline, 3 resistance. High: 5 incline, 5 resistance.

Level 2:

Incline: 3, 6, 9 (up by 3s.) Resistance: 4, 7, 10 (up by 3s.)

Level 3: 

Incline: 4, 7, 10 (up by 3s.) Resistance: 5, 8, 11 (up by 3s)

Level 4:

Incline: 5, 9, 13 (up by 4s.) Resistance: 5, 10, 15 (up by 5s)