Arc Trainer
Standing arc-motion cardio where a long, low-impact stride and adjustable incline load the quads and glutes.
- Works
- Quadriceps
- Also works
- Glutes, Hamstrings, Calves
- Equipment
- Machine
How to
- 1Step onto the footplates with your feet flat and rest your hands on the fixed console handlebar.
- 2Set the incline for your target: low to bias calves, glutes and hamstrings, high to bias quads.
- 3Dial resistance in separately from incline so effort and muscle emphasis stay independent.
- 4Press one foot down and back along the arc while the opposite plate rises into position.
- 5Keep your torso tall and let the legs set the rhythm instead of pulling on the bar.
- 6Wind resistance down for the last minute, then step off once the plates have stopped.
Common mistakes
- Hanging your bodyweight on the fixed handlebar, which unloads the legs and flattens the training effect.
- Leaving incline on the default, so the machine only ever loads one part of the lower body.
- Chasing stride rate with a short, choppy range instead of completing the full arc.
- Stepping off before the plates stop moving, which is how ankles get caught.