3 Best Ellipticals for Full Body Workouts in 2026

Key Takeaways

• Full-body elliptical training engages more muscles simultaneously than running or cycling; your arms, chest, back, and core work alongside your legs with every stride.
• The key to effective upper body engagement is handle design: moving handles with multiple grip positions let you target different muscle groups by varying your hand placement throughout your workout.
• Power incline shifts emphasis between muscle groups; higher inclines intensify glute and quad engagement, while lower settings emphasize hamstrings and calves.
• SOLE ellipticals feature dual-handle systems (moving and stationary) plus forward/reverse pedaling, giving you the versatility to train your entire body or isolate specific muscle groups.

Why Ellipticals Excel at Full-Body Training

Most cardio equipment forces you to choose: running works your legs, cycling works your legs, rowing works...mostly your legs (despite the arm motion). Ellipticals are different. With properly designed moving handles, they engage your arms, chest, back, and shoulders alongside your legs and core. Every stride becomes a full-body movement.

The key is understanding what separates a genuine full-body elliptical from one that's essentially a leg machine with decorative handles. This guide breaks down the design features that matter and compares the three best options for complete muscular engagement.

The 3 Best Ellipticals for Full Body Workouts

SOLE E95: The Complete Full-Body Training Platform

The D-shaped handle design accommodates five distinct grip positions, each one shifting which muscles do the heavy lifting.

Price: $1,899.99

The E95 represents SOLE's most comprehensive approach to full-body elliptical training. Every design element optimizes for complete muscular engagement.

The multi-position rubber-coated handlebars set the E95 apart. You can grip higher to emphasize shoulders and upper back, grip lower to shift work toward chest and triceps, or use a neutral position for balanced engagement. The handles move in an articulating pattern that follows natural arm motion, creating genuine upper body loading.

The stationary handles provide an alternative when you want to isolate your legs or give your arms a break. Built-in pulse sensors let you check heart rate without interrupting your workout.

The 10-position adjustable pedals with worm drive let you customize pedal angle to match your natural stride. The oversized footbeds with durable foam cushioning prevent numbness during longer sessions. The PT-designed 2-degree inward slope reduces joint stress.

The 27-pound flywheel delivers smooth, consistent resistance through the entire rotation, allowing continuous muscular engagement rather than momentum-assisted coasting.

20 resistance levels combined with 20 incline levels create 400 workout configurations. Forward and reverse pedaling doubles your training options.

The 13.3" touchscreen provides access to streaming apps and the FREE SOLE+ App with coached workouts, all without subscription fees.

OLE E98: Commercial-Grade Full-Body Power

The E98 is SOLE's light-commercial elliptical, built for hotel gyms, corporate fitness centers, and demanding home users who want gym-quality equipment.

Price: $2,499.99

The E98’s 32-pound flywheel is the heaviest in SOLE's lineup. This creates a riding experience that feels effortless even at high resistance levels. The smooth momentum allows continuous upper and lower body engagement without choppy transitions.

40 resistance levels (double the standard 20) provide granular control over workout intensity. Combined with 20 incline levels, you can fine-tune exactly how hard your arms and legs work through each session.

The multi-position rubber-coated handles engage your upper body through pushing and pulling motions. Stationary handles with pulse sensors let you isolate your lower body when desired.

The Fitness Test Program automatically adjusts resistance based on your heart rate response, providing objective feedback on cardiovascular fitness over time.

The 13.3" touchscreen includes built-in streaming apps and the FREE SOLE+ App. Wireless charging keeps your devices powered.

SOLE E35: Best Value for Full-Body Training

The E35’s cushioned pedals reduce foot fatigue during longer sessions.

Price: $1,599.99

The E35 delivers the essential features for full-body elliptical training at a more accessible price. The multi-position rubber-coated handles engage your upper body through every stride. The design creates the push-pull pattern that loads chest, back, shoulders, and arms.

Stationary handles with built-in pulse sensors provide the option to isolate your lower body and core. Switching between moving and stationary handles mid-workout lets you create intervals that alternate between full-body and lower-body emphasis.

The 3-position adjustable pedals allow meaningful customization. The PT-designed 2-degree inward slope maintains proper joint alignment.

The 25-pound flywheel is above what most home ellipticals offer, creating smooth momentum for consistent muscular engagement.

20 resistance levels and 20 incline levels provide the same training variety as more expensive models. Forward and reverse pedaling adds another dimension. The 10.1" touchscreen includes built-in streaming apps plus the FREE SOLE+ App, no subscription fees required, while the wireless charging keeps your phone powered.

Best Full-Body Elliptical Comparison

How to Maximize Full-Body Engagement

Actually Work the Handles

The most common mistake on ellipticals: holding the moving handles without actively pushing and pulling. This turns a full-body machine into a leg machine with arm-shaped decorations.

To engage your upper body, consciously drive the handles with each stride. Push forward during the forward leg motion; pull back during the backward leg motion. You should feel your chest contract during the push and your back engage during the pull. If you don't feel your upper body working, you're coasting.

Vary Your Grip Position

If your elliptical offers multiple grip positions, use them. Higher grips shift work toward shoulders and upper back. Lower grips emphasize chest and triceps. Varying your grip throughout a workout creates more complete muscular development.

Alternate Handle Types

Switch between moving handles and stationary handles during your workout. Moving handles create full-body engagement; stationary handles isolate your lower body and core. Alternating between them, perhaps every 5 minutes, adds variety and ensures you're training all muscle groups.

Use Incline Strategically

Power incline changes which leg muscles work hardest. Higher inclines (15–20) dramatically increase glute and quad activation. Lower inclines (5–10) emphasize hamstrings. Varying incline throughout your workout creates more complete lower-body development while your upper body maintains consistent engagement through the handles.

Include Reverse Pedaling

Pedaling backward shifts muscular emphasis and challenges your balance differently. The quadriceps work harder in reverse, and your core engages more actively to maintain stability. Incorporate reverse intervals, perhaps 2–3 minutes of reverse pedaling every 10 minutes, for more complete training.

Maintain Upright Posture

During long or intense workouts, you'll naturally want to lean forward on the handles. Resist this. Maintaining upright posture keeps your core engaged throughout the workout. If you find yourself leaning heavily, reduce the resistance or take a brief rest.

Train Your Entire Body With SOLE Ellipticals

Not all ellipticals deliver the same workout. Some are essentially leg machines with decorative handles, while others, like SOLE ellipticals, engage your entire body from shoulders to calves with every stride.

After breaking down handle design, flywheel weight, incline systems, and pedal adjustability, the case for ellipticals as genuine full-body training tools is clear, provided the machine is actually built for it. Decorative handles that move without real resistance don't count. The machines covered here do.

Each of the three SOLE options serves a distinct user. The E35 covers the fundamentals: multi-position handles, 25-lb flywheel, full incline and resistance range, at the most accessible price point. The E95 adds 10-position pedal adjustment and a larger display for users who want more customisation without stepping into commercial territory. 

The E98 is the choice for high-volume households or anyone who wants the build quality that survives institutional use, with 40 resistance levels and the heaviest flywheel in the lineup.

What all three share is the same commitment: no subscriptions, no locked features, no ongoing fees to access what you already paid for. The SOLE+ App and built-in streaming come included. Lifetime frame and flywheel warranties back every machine.

If you've been treating cardio as leg work, the right elliptical changes that equation permanently.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How does elliptical training compare to running for full-body exercise?

Ellipticals with moving handles engage more upper-body muscles than running. While running primarily works your legs and core, elliptical training with active handle use adds chest, back, shoulders, and arms to the equation. Ellipticals also eliminate the impact stress of running, making them easier on joints while providing comparable cardiovascular benefits.

How long should a full-body elliptical workout last?

For general fitness, 20–30 minutes of moderate-intensity elliptical training provides substantial benefits. For more significant cardiovascular adaptation or calorie burn, extend to 45–60 minutes. Beginners should start with shorter sessions (15–20 minutes) and build duration gradually to prevent overuse and allow adaptation.

Should I use high resistance or high incline for better full-body engagement?

Both serve different purposes. Higher resistance increases the muscular demand across your entire body: your legs push harder and your arms work harder through the handles. Higher incline specifically intensifies lower-body engagement, particularly glutes and quads, while upper-body engagement remains relatively constant. Use both strategically: resistance for overall intensity, incline for targeted lower-body emphasis.

Can I isolate my lower body on these ellipticals?

Yes. All three SOLE models feature stationary handles in addition to moving handles. Holding the stationary handles removes upper-body engagement, shifting all the work to your legs and core. This lets you create a workout variety (perhaps full-body intervals alternating with lower-body isolation intervals) using a single machine.

What's the benefit of the heavier flywheel on the E95?

Heavier flywheels like the E95's 27-lb flywheel)create smoother, more consistent momentum through each stride cycle. This eliminates the choppy feeling at transition points that lighter flywheels can produce. Smoother motion allows continuous muscular engagement rather than momentum-assisted coasting, making your workout more effective and more comfortable.

Disclaimer: Products and prices mentioned in this article are accurate as of the date of publication and are subject to change. Please visit the official SOLE website for the most current information.