Toning thighs and bum with a cross trainer

[krisskross]

So i went mad and bought a cross trainer on ebay.

I am not really overwweight, though I'd like to lose about a stone.

The main thing I'd like to do is tone my thighs and bum which are flabby and bigger than the rest of me.

Can you advise me on this? I am pretty unfit...so where do I start?
Should use it every day or is that bad? How long should I use it for?

Advice please !! Thanks

ps it doesnt have settings like uphill or anything, but it does have variable resistance.

any thoughts? thnaks

Not in anyway an expert here but my personal trainer makes me do intervals on the cross trainer and it is awful but really feels like a good work out. So warm up for 5-10mins then start alternating 30seconds as fast at you can (I try and keep over 180cycles per min) with 30seconds normal speed. You might need to play with the recovery time depending on fitness.

I've only used one as part of a workout but I'm sure someone will be along to advise. Maybe you could do something like the couch to 5k program on it? Good luck!

And I don't think working out every day is advised because your muscles need chance to recover and you're more likely to pick up an injury that way. I love rest days!

Use it backwards and forwards, this works different muscles.

Hmmmm. ... Cross trainers are a great cardio/fat burning tool, but not what I would use to tone specific areas. So it will reduce the flab but to actually tone, you also need specific exercises like good old fashioned squats.

thanks purple,....have you noticed much toning happening...i suspect i am after a miracle! (summer is coming)

Step machines are really good for bum and thigh toning. Really worked on my thighs which noe have zero wobble. Cross trainers are good for cardio and also core muscles of you do it backwards and don't hold on. Takes a bit of practice to feel confident with balance.

Oh no!! Does that mean my cross trainer wont do my thighs and bum????

Thanks

Agree that cross trainer is for cardio.

Step machines, while evil bastards, are very effective for thigh and bum toning.

Thigh abductor machines also great.

With regular use it'll burn the fat but fat burning is totally different to toning.

I have but I suspect that the toning is more to do with the squats, lunges and leg weights I also do. But you can't see tone of there's loads of wobble on top so cardio definitely has a role to play.

thanks everyone. i guess it won't do me any harm!! I defintely need to do something. !!

Bunny- what is a thigh abductor (sounds scary)!

This yoke She looks like she's got stubbly legs .

I have a X trainer - I always thought that you weren't meant to go backwards, don't ask me why.

Best for bum and thighs I find is this - forget your arms (or you might fall off, well, in my case anyway) hold on and squat down a bit, lowering your bum .... feel the burn.

I do a 30 min HIIT class on the Kaiser machines- involves a warm up, lots of intervals (hill climbing, up by 2 levels every minute), sprints followed by short rest interval, squatting down on the machine followed by short rest interval, pushing and pulling with arms, running (not holding on to anything) and going backwards. Its v effective!