I have a question about resistance on the Cardio Machines

[annee258]

How much resistance should I be using on the elliptical and the other cardio machines!

I have been working out 4 and 5 days a week cardio every day, mixing up with the different cardio machines and alternating weights
example
elliptical 20 minutes stepper 15 minutes/ and then I weight train-legs MONDAY

treadmill 20 minutes elliptical/15 minutes then I do arms......

I continue every day alternating and of course doing abs and so on....
I just wasnt sure if I should use a high resistance on the cardio machines or not.
Is that too much on muscles?????
.

[fitoverforty]

As with anything, I think you need to work up to the higher resistance levels. If you are only on there 20 minutes I would suggest a HIIT workout. One that I like to do on the elliptical is: 5 min. warmup, resistance set at about 5 (moderate but not too much) then I do 5 sets of intervals @ 1 minute fast - as fast as I can go, no hands on the bars or holding on (resistance level 4 - light to easy) then 1 minute slow (resistance level 8 - harder requires a bit of effort - but not so much that you aren't ready for the next fast interval), repeat this 4 more times. Then 5 minutes cooldown, resistance level back at 5. So thats 5 min. warmup / 10 min. HIIT / 5 min. cooldown. Also, I have the incline level set up high, more like running as opposed to incline level low more like skiing. It really engages the glutes and quads - feel the burn!!
I don't know what your elliptical is like or what your settings are, but the general idea is to do intervals fast/slow alternating the resistance levels up and down with each one. It is a great short cardio workout, and keeps things from getting boring.
Just an idea.

[annee258]

Thanks

Yes Ive actually worked myself up to about a level 8 on the elliptical for resistance, with an incline about 10!
I just didnt know whether that was ok or not since Im doing weights also