Can I Lose Weight & Tone In Just 20 Minutes On a Cross Trainer?

With our schedules getting busier and busier every day, it can be hard to find the time to fit in a workout, meaning we might be forced to spend only 20 minutes a day working out or even less.

If you have goals to lose weight or tone up you might be wondering if 20 minutes on your cross trainer will be enough to see a difference in your body, and the answer to that is, yes, 20 minutes will be enough, as long as you do it 3-5 times a week, and focus on interval training during these short sessions to get a maximum fat burn effect. 

To help you figure out how to tone up and lose weight with a cross trainer, as well as how to get the most out of your short 20-minute workout sessions, we have put together a handbook below with everything you need to know to help you out.

Let's get into it!

Will I Be Able To See Results With 20 Minute Sessions On My Cross Trainer?

Even though 20 minutes might seem like a short amount of time to workout on your cross trainer, this is not the case.

Doing 20-minute high-intensity sessions 3-4 times a week on your cross trainer can be great for fat loss, and will reap the same benefits as it would if you spent 60 minutes on your cross trainer 3-4 times a week, but in half the time!

Being consistent with your 20-minute workouts, mixing them up between HIIT and LISS and eating healthy below your calorie maintenance will ensure you start to see some changes and results in your body within a month.

How To Lose Weight & Tone With a Cross Trainer

Toning and losing weight with a cross trainer is pretty easy, as cross trainers give you a full-body workout, and help to tone your muscles with their resistance settings and handlebars.

We have listed our top tips below for helping you tone and up and lose weight with a cross-trainer.

• Add resistance - Upping the resistance on your cross trainer is a great way to burn extra calories and tone up, especially on your lower leg muscles and glutes.
• Try HIIT - HIIT is one of the most effective workouts you can do on your cross trainer to lose weight in a short amount of time as it consists of high-intensity intervals and low-intensity intervals to burn the most fat.
• Be in a calorie deficit - Make sure you are eating within your calorie deficit to lose weight, this will ensure your body turns to your fat stores for energy rather than using food.
• Be consistent - The best way to tone your muscles and lose weight is by being consistent with your training, doing a HIIT session only now and the will not give you any results, however, sticking to your training routine will give results and you will start seeing changes in your body within a month.

Are Long Or Short Sessions More Effective On My Cross Trainer?

If you only have 20 minutes to spare a day for your cross trainer, you can still get an effective workout is called HIIT. HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training and is typically done in under 30 minutes, it's most effective for people who are short on time but still want to burn a good amount of calories.

We have listed the pros and cons of doing HIIT on your cross trainer down below.

Pros

• Time-saving.
• Continues to burn calories after.
• Challenging.
• Great for fat loss.

Cons

• Can be too intense.
• Hard on joints.

Longer sessions are great for your health too, but typically take around 30-60 minutes to complete, this is the better option if you have bad joints or hate intense exercise, it's also known as LISS.

This is the better option if you are really after fat burn, as it enters the fat burning zone rather than digging into your glycogen stores as HIIT does, but if your short on time, HIIT will still burn fat in the long run as it burns calories.

We've put the pros and cons together below of using LISS below.

Pros

• Easier to do.
• Kinder on the joints.
• Helps burn fat.

Cons

• Takes time.
• Not very challenging.

Conclusion

Overall, short and long sessions on your cross trainer are both very effective in helping you tone up and lose weight, if you only have 20 minutes to spare, you can still get a decent HIIT session it which will burn a good amount of calories and help tone your muscles too.

Tips For Getting The Most Out Of Your Cross-Training Sessions

If you only have 20 minutes on your cross trainer, then you will want to make sure you are getting the most out of that short duration of time, so we have put together our best tricks for maximising your cross trainer workout below.

• Add in intervals - As we mentioned above, doing HIIT on your cross trainer for 20 mins is a great way to burn the most calories and get some good cardio in.
• Pedal backwards to tone your glutes and thighs - If you squat your legs and pedal backwards you can engage your thigh and leg muscles, try putting some of these into your 20-minute workout for some quick muscle tone.
• Push and pull - Make use of your cross-trainers handlebars by pushing and pulling on them rather than using your legs on the pedals to power the cross-trainer.
• Drop your arms - That's right if you are looking to tone your core and engage your abs then try dropping your arms to work out your core, doing so will force your core to maintain your balance, therefore working it out.

Frequently Asked Questions About 20 Minute Cross-Training

How many times a week should I use a cross trainer to see results?

You should aim to use your cross trainer 3 times a week as a beginner or 5 times a weeks if your looking for the best results, HIIT sessions should be spaced out with rest days.

Is a cross trainer good for weight loss and toning?

Yes, using a cross trainer is a great form of cardio and can assist in toning as it works all the muscles in your body with resistance.

Will a cross-trainer hurt my joints?

No, one of the best advantages to a cross trainer is that it is very low impact in comparison to a treadmill and will not cause a heavy impact on your knees or other joints, making it a great option for people who can't do high-impact cardio but want to stay fit, lose weight or tone up.

Final Words

Overall, 20 minutes cardio on your cross trainer is enough to get a decent workout in and help tone your body, as well as assist in weight loss. We recommend doing 20 minute HIIT sessions to increase calorie burn, as well as working out 3-5 times a week with 20-minute sessions on your cross trainer to see the best results.