Lateral Elliptical Trainer
Also known as: wave machine
- Primary muscleCardio
- EquipmentCardio Machine
- DifficultyBeginner
- TypeCardio · Locomotion
- Secondary muscles
- Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings, Calves, Abductors, Adductors
- Body part
- Cardio
- Position
- Standing
- Laterality
- Bilateral (both sides together)
- Category
- Cardio
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Pedals that sweep side to side instead of front to back are what set this machine apart from a standard elliptical: every stride recruits the abductors and adductors along with the usual leg muscles. It stays low impact, and it is one of the few cardio options that trains the hips laterally.
How to do the Lateral Elliptical Trainer
- Start with a low resistance and step amplitude on the console.
- Step onto the pedals with feet centered and hip-width; grasp the handles lightly and stand tall with core braced.
- Begin the lateral pedaling motion smoothly, driving through the whole foot.
- Keep knees tracking over toes and hips square; avoid letting knees cave inward.
- Maintain a steady cadence and relaxed shoulders; do not lean on the console.
- Breathe rhythmically and increase resistance or cadence to reach the desired intensity.
- Finish by gradually reducing resistance and cadence for 2–3 minutes to cool down.
- Stop the pedals completely before stepping off safely.
Tip: Swing the arms and keep an upright posture rather than leaning forward into the incline.
Muscles worked
Primary
Cardio · Cardio
Walking and elliptical work raise the heart rate at a moderate, easy to sustain level and are the simplest form of conditioning.
Secondary
- Glutes — Incline walking and monster walks load the glutes with every step, especially the outer part of the hip.
- Quads
- Hamstrings
- Calves — The calves push off on every step and get more work on an incline.
- Abductors
- Adductors
Common mistakes
- Holding the treadmill rails — leaning on the rails on an incline walk takes most of the work out of it; swing the arms and set the incline lower if needed.
- Slouching on the elliptical — keep the chest up and the shoulders back rather than leaning on the handles.
- Big, fast monster walk steps — keep the band tight, the knees bent and the steps short, since the whole point is constant tension.
- Strolling instead of walking — steady walking is easy, but that is the point; keep the pace brisk enough that you could talk but not sing.
Where it fits in a workout
Walking goes at the start of a session as a warm-up, at the end as a cool-down, or as its own easy conditioning on rest days. Monster walks pair well with hip abductions in a lower body warm-up.
How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.
Variations and alternatives
When to talk to someone
- Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
- Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
- Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.
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More exercises
Sources
- ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
- ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
- ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
- CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)
Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.
Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.