Have you ever heard of ‘the dog taking you for a walk’ rather than you taking the dog for a walk? You can sometimes apply this analogy to the elliptical and stationary bike (and cardiovascular training in general). The momentum created by these machine’s circular pattern can often lead to a surprisingly inefficient workout by the user unless the resistance, cadence, pace or incline is/are continually increased (or intervals are used) as the body warms up. By using focus, effort and/or heart rate monitoring you can prevent the machines from walking you into an inefficient workout!