ELLIPTICAL TRAINERS
Elliptical trainers are a great indoor alternative to running outdoors and have the added benefit of putting minimal stress on the joints, while offering a weight-bearing activity. The feet of the user never leave the trainer, thus eliminating the pounding of a normal run. You stand in an upright position gently holding onto the machine's handrails (or "pump pole") and stride in either a forward or backward motion (avoid striding backward if you have knee problems). Studies have shown that as we stride forward, the human foot travels in an elliptical pattern, and the trainer mimics this natural motion. Some elliptical trainers offer dual action (upper and lower body), and these machines not only target the large muscle groups of the lower body but also the chest, back, triceps, and biceps-a great total body workout!

A University of Wisconsin study revealed that elliptical trainers produced load forces similar to those of walking, and, as with deep-water

ELLIPTICAL TRAINER TIPS
• Before you start your workout: Read the instructions for the trainer!
• Check out the console and familiarize yourself with the particular features of the trainer.
• Begin slow and become comfortable with the motion of the trainer before you increase your intensity.
• Complete a few manual sessions before you move on to the programmed workouts.
• Have a towel and water bottle handy.
• Grip the handrails lightly.
• Keep good posture.
• Wear appropriate, supportive footwear.
• Include a proper warm-up and cool-down with every session.running, athletes can adapt their land-based running routine to a similar workout on the trainer. Elliptical trainers are found in most gyms and can also be purchased for home use.

SAMPLE WORKOUTS FOR TH E ELLIPTICAL TRAINER

WORKOUT 1: Base Building Session
Warm-up
Approximately 10-minutes warm-up, slowly building your effort
Main Set
30-60 minutes of steady aerobic effort on the elliptical trainer
You can mix up forward and backward striding throughout the workout.
Workout Total: 40-70 minutes

WORKOUT 2: Interval Session
Warm-up
Approximately 10 minutes, slowly building your effort
Main Set
Complete 3 to 4 _ 6-minute repeats, hard effort, with 2-minute recoveries (recoveries can be easy backward striding).
Cool-down
10 minutes of easy striding
Workout Total: 44-50 minutes

WORKOUT 3: Tempo Session
Warm-up
Approximately 10 minutes, slowly building your effort
Main Set
20 minutes steady state, moderate effort
Cool-down
10 minutes, easy striding
Workout Total: 40 minutes

WORKOUT 4: Pyramid Session
Warm-up
Approximately 10 minutes, slowly building your effort
Main Set
• 1 minute hard, 1 minute easy
• 2 minutes hard, 2 minutes easy
• 3 minutes hard, 3 minutes easy
• 2 minutes hard, 2 minutes easy
• 1 minute hard, 1 minute easy
For the "hard" efforts, focus on a quick light stride.
Cool-down
10-minutes of easy striding
Workout Total: 38 minutes

STAIR-CLIMBERS
Stair-climbing is another wonderful indoor aerobic, as well as a lowerbody strength training, option to include during your off-season. There are two types of stair-climbing machines: nonmechanized and mechanized. The nonmechanized machines tend to be cheaper, less expensive models that use air pistons to provide resistance. These machines will not allow you to move fast enough to get an adequate aerobic workout and are geared more for low-intensity efforts. The more popular models that are frequently found in gyms and health clubs are the mechanized stair machines. These styles of stair machines include staircase ergometers, independent pedal steppers, and linked pedal steppers. Staircase ergometers with their escalator-like movement, best mimic true stair-climbing, but offer a higher impact workout than the pedal stepper. On the independent and linked pedal stepper, you stand on two footplates, while gently holding onto handrails.You then alternate pressing one foot down, while pulling up the other. These two styles of machines are considered nonimpact since the user's feet never leave the footplates.

Both the ergometers and steppers have settings for speed, time, distance, and workout intensity. To get the most out of your stair session, proper form is important. You should stand upright, only holding the handrails lightly for balance. Those who grip the handrails tightly and bend at the waist are using their arms to support their body rather than using their core muscles to do so."Cheating"on form prevents users from working their back muscles and also reduces the overall intensity of the workout because the leg muscles are not supporting the full weight of the body. It is also key that you lift your feet a full "stride" of about 6.5 to 8 inches to fully engage the muscles of the legs, buttocks, and back. Short, choppy steps or tiptoe steps will mainly work the calf muscles and thus will not provide as much benefit as full steps. Improper form-such as bending at the waist, supporting the upper body with shoulders and wrists, short stepping, or tiptoe stepping-not only reduces the benefit of the workout, but can lead to knee, hip, wrist, or lower back discomfort or injury.

STAIR-CLIMBING TIPS
• Before you start your workout: Read the instructions for the stair-climber!
• Check out the console and familiarize yourself with the particular characteristics of the stepper.
• Know where the shut-off is for the staircase ergometer models.
• Stepping rate: Choose an initial stepping rate that allows you to keep good form.
• Complete a few manual sessions before moving on to the programmed workouts.
• Have a towel and water bottle handy.
• Grip the handrails lightly.
• Keep your posture upright.
• Wear appropriate, supportive footwear.
• Include a proper warm-up and cool-down with every session.

SAMPLE WORKOUTS FOR STAIR-CLIMBING

WORKOUT 1: Base Building Session
Warm-up
Approximately 10 minutes, slowly building your effort and step rate
Main Set
30-60 minutes of steady aerobic effort on the climber
Workout Total: 40-70 minutes

WORKOUT 2: Interval Session
Warm-up
Approximately 10 minutes, slowly building your effort and step rate
Main Set
Complete 3 to 4 _ 6 minutes hard effort, with 2-minute easy step recovery
Cool-down
10 minutes of easy stepping
Workout Total: 44-50 minutes

WORKOUT 3: Tempo Session
Warm-up
Approximately 10 minutes, slowly building your effort and step rate
Main Set
20 minutes steady state, moderate effort
Cool-down
10 minutes, easy stepping
Workout Total: 40 minutes

WORKOUT 4: Pyramid Session
Warm-up
10 minutes, slowly building your effort and step rate
Main Set
• 1 minute hard, 1 minute easy
• 2 minutes hard, 2 minutes easy
• 3 minutes hard, 3 minutes easy
• 4 minutes hard, 4 minutes easy
• 3 minutes hard, 3 minutes easy
• 2 minutes hard, 2 minutes easy
• 1 minute hard, 1 minute easy
Cool-down
10 minutes of easy stepping
Workout Total: 52 minutes