Think about this first.
Engage your core
Many people have asked me how to get the most out of our Cardio Core upper body motion which is featured on the Yowza Sanibel and Captiva elliptical models. First, let me say to you that this Core abdominal motion works just great, but you must put some effort into using your core and upper body muscles. Resist the temptation to let the legs do all the work. Also, you should understand that since you will be doing roughly 1500 repetitions of the movement at a relatively low resistance level, the machine is not designed to make you sore.
Unlike conventional weight training, Cardio Core is designed to target your core muscles effectively without having to tear the muscle fibers in order to make the muscles leaner and stronger. So you will feel the muscles working (if you do it right), but you wont be excessively sore the next day.
Here is the workout!
Start by doing a few minutes of regular elliptical motion to warm up at a medium speed roughly around 30rpm. Experiment with the various grip positions and make sure you begin to accentuate the body motion. Try to do more work with the core muscles and upper body than you normally would with a straight handled elliptical. Click here to watch the Cardio Core Workout video – New!
Now put your palms facing up to the sky and under the bottom of the lower handles and aggressively push upward with each motion trying to make you arms and abs do 80% of the work with you legs doing only 20%. You should see your heart rate really spike up quickly and that is how you can tell it is working. I recommend doing this motion in 30-90 second intervals depending on your physical condition.
Return to a normal movement for a few minutes and then cup your hands on the top of the handlebars with your palms facing down. Pull downward aggressively while twisting at the waist and you will really feel it in your upper abs and obliques. Again this movement is fairly intense and your heart-rate will spike upward so do it in short intervals always returning back to the standard movement when your heart rate begins to exceed it’s upper limit.
Lastly the most intense Core interval motion involves criss-crossing your arms by grabbing the right handle with your left arm and visa verse. You should grab the middle of the upper grip position and aggressively pull across your body and down with each movement. Be Careful because your heart rate can shoot up to over 200 beats per minute and this is not the motion for novices or deconditioned folks.
Repeat these intervals as you see fit and remember that you need to activate your abs by accentuating the twisting movement.
Good luck. Your on your way to a stronger leaner core!
Click here to watch the Cardio Core Workout video – New!
Joe Alter
CEO Yowza Fitness
Awesome! I’ve scoured the owners manual for just this kind of information. Thank you for posting this very useful guide! Loving the Captiva!
I appreciate your ideas. My husband and I purchased both the Captiva and the CoreX. I would appreciate some tips on the proper use of the CoreX as I do not think we are maximizing the workout.
Thanks,
Laurie Reinsmith
Thanks Laurie. I appreciate the feedback. I will be posting a 9 minute web commercial on the core X in a week or so, along with three different Core X workouts.
JA
I love my Sanibel elliptical. I am almost 68 yrs. old and I am taking it very easy…starting with just 15 min. and the next day I feel much more flexible and will gradually work up to a half hour. I have arthritis so I am loving this machine. …I know that I just have to be consistant with using it every day and working my way up…I think of it as an investment in my health….thanks Janice
My husband and I are thinking of buying an elliptical -we’re both in our late 50′s and WAY out of shape! I’ve had 2 back surgeries -he’s had 2 knee surgeries (we used to be jocks). Honestly -we don’t know what we need. Any suggestions?
I’ve had surgery on both my knees and find that the Captiva is easy on them. I’ve also not felt any back issues. Just stretch properly and you should be fine.
WOW! That pretty well sums it up for me. My Sanibel arrived in perfect condition and I opened the box and pulled the instruction manual to read thoroughly. Completely assembled it the following morning after breakfast, easy process with labeled/numbered bags and all the tools supplied with it. Took about 1.5 hours to assemble, clean up packaging, and place it in my workout area.
I setup my personal profile and started my first workout.
Again WOW! Smooth, quiet, and I like the Core Trainer arm movements. Gotta go it’s time to workout and I’m really looking forward to it!!!
Joe, Thanks for helping me in my decision process.
Fantastic product & company.
tryin to decide between the Sanibel and the Captiva. Can you give me some thoughts as to the advantanges/disadvantages of either.
The Captive is better for multiple users or people that want to be able to change the stride intensity. The Sanibel is a mid/high intensity elliptical.
I would love to know what the machine sounds like (or doesn’t sound like). Do you have a video that has the natural sound, say, with someone talking and a TV in the room so I can get an idea? Does being trackless really help with noise?
Our rear drive units are virtually silent since there is no friction device like a ramp. You would not hear anything from a video.
It really is virtually silent.
Great Feedback! Thanks Adam…
Just received and assembled my Captiva late yesterday. I have to say the assembly was as easy as it gets. Tools were suppllied and the parts located in bags marked for the steps they would be used in. The instructions were clear and easy to follow.
I have seen plenty said about the quality of the machine and the great core workout but this is one of the few times I have been as pleased with a product I had to put together. Cudos Yowza team for making an assembly process even I couldn’t screw up
I have been using a top model backed by Sears for about 3 years. Even though very noisy I love an elliptical work out and used it a minimum 3 times a week 30 minutes a day. I am very excited about Captiva and I am looking forward to the work out it has to offer.
We just got our yowza a week ago and it is so much easier to use then we thought it would be. I was hesitant to get it because it looks like it would be hard to stay on, but it’s just the opposite. My 320 lb. husband stayed on it for an hour this morning, only a week into using it. Once you get on you just get in the groove. Much easier than other machines we have used. Just wish I knew why it makes that noise when you slow down, but I’m sure their warrenty is as great as their machine.
I’m 5’1″ – will the handles be too high or wide for me for an effective workout?
Good question Tina. No the Cardio Core handles are perfect for someone with shorter arms because your hands are able to stay right in front of you without you having to lean forward too much. With conventional ski-type handles you would have to rock your shoulder forward with each and every stroke. So within our lineup, you should be looking at the Bonita, Pompano, Sanibel or Captiva.
Thanks..
Total Body Fitness…
[...]How to properly use a Yowza Cardio Core elliptical - Yowza Fitness Blog[...]…
Joe,
I’m in the market for an elliptical. I’ve been using them for 10+ years. I’m 5’10 and 180lbs,my wife is 5’2, 105lbs (she’s never used one). I’ve been looking into your competition and I’m torn between a front drive and a rear drive. I thought I found the solution with your Bonita, but then I saw somewhere that it could pose a problem with a bad back (I have lower back problems a few times a year). Typically I can still use an elliptical when my back is sore – it loosens my muscles.
How aggressive is it on your back? I’m also curious about how sturdy it is while only weighing 121lbs.
Any feedback is appreciated.
Thanks,
John, I would stay way form ellipticals that have straight handles and those tend to strain the back easily by making the users lean forward with each stroke. Our Cardio Core ellipticals all keep you in a very upright position and this better posture will allow you to workout more often with less risk of injury.
Thanks,
Joe