Are Cross Trainers Good For Burning Calories?

Using a cross trainer is a great form of cardio, whether you are looking to get fit, tone up or just burn off some excess fat, a cross-trainer can help you with all of this.

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However you might be wondering, just how many calories can a cross-trainer help you burn? Well, this differs according to many factors, but on average, a 150-pound person could potentially burn up to 230 calories if they use one of these machines for 30 minutes.

So as we can calculate the specific amount of calories you can burn on a cross-trainer, as well as how to lose weight with one and the workouts you can try, we have put together an informative guide below which should tell you all you need to know about cross-trainers and calorific burn.

How Many Calories Can Your Burn On a Cross Trainer?

The amount of calories you can burn on a cross-trainer comes down to multiple factors, such as your weight and fitness level, however, we will list the average statistics out below so as you can get an idea of the calories burned.

All these statistics are based on someone with a weight of 150 pounds, so do keep this in mind when calculating your calorific burn.

• Walking at 5km/h for 30 minutes could burn 100 kcal.
• Low-intensity training for 30 minutes could burn 225 kcal.
• Medium intensity training for 30 minutes could burn 325 kcal.
• High-intensity training for 30 minutes could burn 415 kcal.

The more resistance and speed you add to your cross-training session, the higher the number of calories you can burn.

Factors Affecting Calorie Burn On a Cross Trainer

Now you know on average how many calories can be burnt on a cross-trainer, we can discuss the different factors that will affect this burn so as you can be able to calculate your statistics.

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• Gender & age – Men tend to have more muscle tissue than woman, so when they use a cross-trainer they could potentially burn more calories, you are also likely to have a slower calorific burn as you get older.
• Weight – How much you weigh will have a huge impact on how much your burn, for example, a 160-pound person could burn 280 calories using a cross trainer for 30 minutes, but a person who weighs only 120 pounds may end up burning just 200.
• Fitness level – If you are already fit, then you will burn fewer calories on a cross-trainer than if you are unfit or a beginner.
• Intensity – Doing HIIT or high-intensity workouts on your cross trainer will allow you to burn more calories in a shorter amount of time than if you work at normal intensity for the same duration.
• Duration – Working out for an hour on your cross trainer will inevitably burn more calories than working out on it for just 30 minutes (unless you raise the intensity).
• Muscle mass – Having a higher amount of muscle mass will allow you to burn off more calories from working out with a cross-trainer than someone with a lower amount of muscle mass.

What’s The Most Accurate Way To Calculate Calorie Burn?

Many calorie counters on cross trainers tend to be inaccurate as they don’t take into account all the factors mentioned above. Some accurate ways to track how many calories you are burning on a cross-trainer is by using a smartwatch like an Apple watch or a Fitbit.

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You could also use an online calculator which will require you to enter your details such as weight, then compare this against your cross-trainers calorie counter to see if there is an average.

How To Lose Weight By Using a Cross Trainer

If you are interested in how many calories you can burn from a cross-training session, then you might be looking to lose weight with one. Cross trainers are pretty great tools for losing weight as they get your heart rate up and give you a full-body workout.

So as you can get the most out of your machine and lose weight, we have listed out some tips below that will tell you how you can lose weight with one of these cross-trainers.

• Eat healthy with a calorie cut- If you want to lose weight with your cross trainer then you need to be eating healthy and getting the right nutrients in to provide your body with energy, if you have a goal of losing weight you will also need to be in a calorie loss so as you body can use your fat store as fuel.
• Add in interval training – Interval training on your machine can promote weight loss as it raises your heart rate and uses your fat stores to provide for the high-intensity bursts during your workouts.
• Stick to a training schedule – When losing weight you should be training 5 times a week for at least 30 minutes on your cross-trainer.
• Up the resistance – To burn extra calories and challenge yourself adding more resistance each week will help accelerate your weight loss.
• Sleep well – Getting enough sleep reduces stress hormones in your body and will allow you to lose weight easier.
• Stay hydrated – Keep hydrated thought out your cross-training sessions and don’t mistake thirst for hunger as this could encourage you to eat excess calories when you don’t need to.

How Long Will It Take To Lose Weight With a Cross Trainer?

To lose weight on your cross trainer it could take up to 3 months too see large changes in your body, however, within a month you should start seeing some small changes in your body such as excess pounds falling off, better endurance and more muscle toning.

As long as you are working out at least 3-5 times a week on a cross-trainer for 30 minutes to an hour, you can easily lose half a kg or even a kg within a month, just ensure you are eating healthy and below your calorie maintenance too.

Does HIIT Or Cardio Burn More Calories On My Cross Trainer?

When working out on your cross trainer, you might be interested in adding some HIIT into your daily workout routine rather than just regular cardio.

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HIIT is an effective way to burn fat in short periods and can be used to aid weight loss. We have compared the two types of workouts you can do on your cross trainer below to see which is better for burning calories.

HIIT On a Cross Trainer

Doing HIIT on your cross trainer for 20 minutes could allow you to burn the same amount of calories that you can burn by doing steady state cardio on your machine for an hour.

HIIT also can boost your metabolism and keep you burning calories long after your cross trainer workout, making it very effective for weight loss.

The downfalls of doing HIIT on a cross-trainer is that it doesn’t burn more calories than steady-state cardio, it only burns the same but in a shorter amount of time, making it more convenient for people.

So if you don’t like very intense cardio, HIIT is not for you, and might not be suitable for people with a beginner fitness level. HIIT will additionally put a lot of stress on your muscles for you to perform well on the machine during the high-intensity periods, making your recovery period longer.

Advantages

• It burns a larger amount of calories in a short time.
• Raises your metabolism.
• Has afterburn which continues to burn calories after training.

Disadvantages

• Not suitable for beginners or people who don’t like high intensity.
• It burns the same amount of calories as regular cardio, just in a shorter period.
• The recovery period is longer.
• Hard on joints.

Steady-State Cardio On a Cross Trainer

Regular cardio on your cross trainer is the best for burning calories and fat as it uses these stores for fuel rather than sugar stores which HIIT does as it needs instant energy.

Anyone can do normal cardio on a cross-trainer too and can still burn a large number of calories, it will just take slightly longer than if you were to do HIIT. Normal cardio is additionally easier to recover from and the best for building up your fitness and endurance.

The drawbacks of steady-state cardio on your cross trainer are that it will take longer to burn the same amount of calories than it would if you did a HIIT session instead. People may also find steady-state cardio less challenging and a little boring.

Advantages

• Easier to do and recover from.
• Still burns a decent amount of calories.
• Uses fat stores rather than sugar stores.
• Builds endurance.

Disadvantages

• Uses more time.
• Can be boring.

So Which Is Better For Burning Calories?

Overall, for fat burning and weight loss goals, we recommend sticking with regular cardio on your machines as this will burn your fat stores, rather than just your carbs and sugar stores.

However, this does not mean you shouldn’t do HIIT now and then on your cross-trainer. For example, if you are short on time, HIIT can be a great way to burn through a large number of calories in a very short period.

Cross Trainers Vs Treadmills – Which Burns More Calories?

When looking for the best exercises to do to burn calories, you might find yourself stuck in between using a treadmill or a cross trainer, both are great at getting your heart pumping, but begs the question – which one is more effective in burning calories?

Well, on average, a treadmill is reported to be more effective in burning calories than a cross trainer, but only slightly more.

For example, the average person can burn 705-866 calories on a treadmill within an hour, but on a cross-trainer, this number is around 773 calories an hour.

So overall, both machines are a great choice if you want to burn a good amount of calories during a workout, the choice here would be which style of exercise you prefer, for example, cross trainers are more low impact on your joints while treadmills are high-impact.

Calorie Burning Workouts To Try On Your Cross Trainer

If you want to burn the largest amount of calories you can on your cross trainer and get your sweat on, then we have listed out three different workouts you can try on your trainer below to help you burn some fat.

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Beginner Cross Training Workout

If you are new to cross-training and want a workout to follow that will help you burn 230 calories in just 30 minutes (depending on some variables), we’ve got you covered below. When we talk about levels in our workouts we are referring to resistance.

• 3 minutes, Level 3, Average speed (warm-up)
• 2 minutes, Level 5, Average speed (warm-up)
• 5 minutes, Level 5, Sprint
• 5 minutes, Level 7, Maintain pace, Backwards
• 5 minutes, Level 7, Maintain pace, Forwards
• 2 1/2 minutes, Level 6, Push with hands
• 2 1/2 minutes, Level 5, Pull with hands
• 5 minutes, Level 5, No hands
• 5 minutes, Level 3, Cooldown

HIIT Cross Training Workout

For the people who are short on time but still want to burn maximum calories, try out this 20 minute HIIT workout that can burn up to 250 calories.

• 3 minutes, Level 5, Low speed (warm-up)
• 2 minutes, Level 6, Slight speed increase
• 2 minutes, Level 8, Increase speed
• 1 minute, Level 10, Sprint
• 2 minutes, Level 5, Recover
• 2 minutes, Level 10, Sprint
• 2 minutes, Level 8, Recover
• 1 minute, Level 10, Sprint
• 2 minutes, Level 7, Recover
• 1 minute, Level 8, Sprint
• 1 minute, Level 5, Recover

Intermediate Cross Training Workout

People of a mid-range fitness level can try out this workout on their cross trainer below which should help to burn around 300 calories in around 30 minutes.

• 3 minutes, Level 3, (warm-up)
• 2 minutes, Level 3, Increase speed slightly
• 1 minute, Level 5, Maintain speed (no hands)
• 2 minutes, Level 7, High speed (pull with hands)
• 2 minutes, Level 6, Slow speed (no hands)
• 2 minutes, Level 9, Increase speed (push with hands)
• 2 minutes, Level 5, slow speed, (no hands)
• 5 minutes, level 7, increase speed
• 4 minutes, Level 5, no hands
• 2 minutes, Level 8, increase speed
• 3 minutes, Level 5 (cooldown)
• 5 minutes, Level 3

Frequently Asked Questions About How Many Calories You Can Burn With a Cross Trainer

Does a cross-trainer burn more calories than a treadmill? 

No, a matter of fact is treadmills and cross-trainers burn a similar amount of calories, with the treadmill tending to burn only slightly more.

How many calories should I be cutting each day to lose weight?

To lose weight with exercise most people can eat around 1,500 calories when they are trying to cut and lose weight, this is with working out on your cross trainer around three times a week too.

What does LISS mean?

LISS is just another term for regular cardio and stands for low-intensity steady-state cardio. You use 60% of your max heart rate in this zone and a LISS workout on your cross trainer will tend to last around 30-60 minutes in most cases.

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Final Words

To conclude, the number of calories you burn on your cross trainer will depend on some variables such as your weight and the type of workout you are doing on your cross-trainer. Do remember that calorie counters on cross trainers are often inaccurate too, so you might need to double-check your stats online or use a smartwatch instead to track.