The Normal Exercise Pulse Rate for Men on an Elliptical Trainer

Elliptical trainers are lauded for their calorie-burning potential and low-impact nature on your joints. Ellipticals are aerobic exercise machines, so your heart rate should be in a moderate-intensity zone during your workout. How high your heart rate climbs on the machine will depend on your age, level of fitness and rate of exertion.

The American Heart Association recommends that most people work within a safe target heart rate zone during exercise to get a good workout and avoid unnecessary health risks. For a moderate-intensity workout, you should stay between 50 and 70 percent of your maximum heart rate. You can estimate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. For a 35-year-old man, the maximum heart rate will be about 185 beats per minute. To be in the recommended range he should shoot for a heart rate of between 92 and 130 beats per minute when working out.

Although elliptical trainers offer many of the same benefits as treadmills or other forms of steady-state cardio, the elliptical might offer a better workout. Most elliptical trainers come equipped with arm handles that operate as levers to allow your arms to get involved in the workout. The combined upper- and lower-body exercise results in a higher heart rate than isolated exercise, according to a study at University of New Mexico.

Many elliptical trainers come standard with heart-rate calculators. You can enter your age and physical statistics to get a live reading of your heart rate as you exercise, but the level of accuracy can vary. You can measure your heart rate manually by taking your pulse for six seconds, then multiplying that number by 10. A more basic way to measure exertion is to simply pay attention to how you feel. Understanding how hard your body is working should allow you to exercise in a safe, moderate-intensity range throughout your workout.

Not all elliptical trainers are created equal, according to a report published by the American Council on Exercise. Although each of the machines measured in their report gave subjects a quality workout, higher-end models resulted in smoother paths of motion during exercise and less strain on the joints. If you want to improve your heart health, invest in a high-end machine that gives you heart-rate feedback, or a gym membership, where a trained person can help you get the info you need.