Master the Machines

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There's a Rube Goldberg aspect to cardiovascular exercise machines. It's not all the levers and pedals, it's the effort-to-reward ratio. Sometimes it seems we expend a lot of time, effort and goofy-looking movement for too small a payoff. For all the hours we've spent on these gizmos, our pants should fit more loosely.

But maybe (as we've heard a few times in our lives) we're doing it all wrong. Cardio machines are tremendous fat burners—when used correctly. And because you can work very hard in a very short time, they can make a lunchtime workout an exercise in efficiency or make a prework morning session not only possible but effective as well.

We asked the experts what they see people doing wrong on the leading machines, and found out how we can get more out of our time on them.

Follow their suggestions and you'll burn more calories and fat than the sweat-spraying cardio crazies with the blurry legs and burning lungs ... and still have time for a smoothie afterward (we recommend these 22 delicious shakes formulated for post-workout recovery).

Rowing machine

The mistakes

Form: Hands bump knees and "everything gets jumbled before the next stroke," says Mike Irwin, a top rowing coach.

Workout: A 30-minute block of steady rowing may seem OK, but "you probably won't be able to maintain your power and form for the entire workout," Irwin says. "Since form is so crucial, you need to take short breaks to keep your intensity at a higher rate for a longer time."

Bad form can make you sore, too.

The fixes

Form: Think of the stroke as a dance, counting 1-2-3 and 3-2-1. On 1, push with your legs; on 2, "swing up" your body by leaning back; on 3, draw your arms to the bottom of your rib cage, spinning the machine's flywheel. Then reverse it: 3, extend your arms; 2, swing your body forward from the hips; 1, bring your legs up after the handle reaches past your knees. "While you can define each stroke as a sequence, it should be a fluid motion when you tie it all together," says Irwin.

Workout: With medium resistance, do four to six 10-minute sets of rowing with two to three minutes of rest in between. "Your heart rate won't come all the way down, but you'll be able to regroup and start fresh," says Irwin.

Bonus: If you're looking for muscles, increase the resistance and do power sets of 20 strokes. "You will build explosive power by working through the range of motion very dynamically," says Irwin. And check out David Wright's workout to maximize your core strength and increase explosiveness.

Treadmill

The mistakes

Form: Too much pounding! Zack Barksdale, an exercise physiologist at the Cooper Aerobics Center in Dallas, says he sees too much up and down and not enough levelheadedness. Even with the soft landing surface, you'll tire out your joints—and yourself—too soon.

Workout: Too many long, steady, flat runs. They aren't bad, but they aren't best, especially for fat burning.

The fixes

Form: Smooth out your stride for a more efficient workout. Begin with flexibility, which can start with leg swings—a simple dynamic stretch. Hold the treadmill's handlebar, stand on one leg, and swing the other back and forth, keeping your upper body still and vertical. "It will loosen and warm you up, making your legs more pliable," says Barksdale. Do these before and after the workout.

Workout: Run shorter and harder, mixing speeds and inclines. You'll fatigue your muscles and your energy source more quickly, leading to more efficient fat burn throughout the day and a higher release of growth hormone. Start with a 2 percent incline and work your way up gradually to 10 percent (at this point you should just walk; a 10 percent incline is quite tough) over several workouts. Also, the more intense the workout, the shorter it needs to be. Pick one day a week and max out on the incline. Find more boredom-busting, fat-scorching treadmill workouts here.

Stair machine

The mistakes

Form: "The biggest mistake occurs when people hold themselves up with their arms," says Brian Holdsworth, Ph.D., director of health and fitness at the Healthplex Sports Club and Medical Pavilion in Indianapolis. Never put your arms straight down on the railing and lock your elbows. That's like using crutches, taking your body weight off the machine.

Workout: Generally, he sees people going too fast with too little resistance.

The fixes

Form: Rest your arms on the bars only for balance. "The ideal movement is with your body upright with a slight lean forward," says Holdsworth, "as if you were leaning to walk up a flight of stairs but not bending over at the waistline."

Workout: Keep the resistance challenging and slow down. "It'll make you work harder, your heart rate will be higher and faster, and you'll be able to maintain your time in the training zone longer," says Holdsworth. The payoff: You'll burn more calories and fat.

Elliptical trainer

The mistakes

Form: People rarely set the resistance high enough. "You need to add a good amount of resistance to tax the muscles," says Holdsworth. "People reach a point at which they are going so fast that it's almost momentum working for them as opposed to them having to propel the step."

Workout: Same old, same old. Elliptical users fall into ruts and reach a point at which they're not challenging themselves. Avoid a rut by trying these fat-melting, muscle-building, downloadable workouts on your weightlifting days.

The fixes

Form: Set the resistance correctly. Gliding isn't good. "When you make a revolution, you want to feel you're pushing the ramp down," says Holdsworth. "Have weight there rather than flipping around freely." As your balance improves, keep your hands at your sides. You'll concentrate more, utilizing core muscles to keep stable. Make sure you look forward (no matter how hot your neighbor is). Turning your body can make your kneecap track improperly.

Workout: Start doing intervals. "You'll be able to reach a higher intensity for a sustained period of time," says Holdsworth. Challenge yourself with 90-second blasts every two minutes. "Follow up with a recovery time twice as long as the exertion time. "As your fitness level increases, reduce that recovery time," says Holdsworth.

Stationary bike

The mistakes

Form: Adjust the damn seat, people! It's always too low or too high, and either way it makes you tire too soon. "It fatigues the legs a lot more if the seat is wrong," says Holdsworth. Additionally, if the seat is too low, you add stress on the knee. Too high, and your hips rock from side to side, which is uncomfortable, inefficient and makes you look funny.

Workout: Too much cruising, not enough charging.

The fixes

Form: Adjust the seat like this: Sit on the seat and place your heel in the middle of the pedal, where the ball of your foot would normally go. With this test, you want your leg fully extended, straight down, at the lowest point of the pedal rotation. "When you move your foot to the correct position on the pedal, it will bring the leg up, giving it the right amount of bend," Holdsworth says.

Workout: You're not 10, and this isn't a cruise around the subdivision. Vary the intensity, with two or three minutes of high-cadence pedaling and a three-minute recovery, then repeat for 15 minutes. Stand occasionally. "Standing requires more muscle, not only to push the pedals, but also to support and balance your body," says Joe Friel, a Scottsdale-based certified cycling coach and author of Cyclist's Training Bible. Chisel all your muscles and add years to your life with this total-body transformation plan.

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Provided by Men's Health