If your goals are...
1. Burning calories:
Interval training is the best way to lose weight and increase your stamina. It involves alternating between periods of high heart-rate intensity and periods of rest and recovery.
2. Toning all or parts of your body:
Want to tone up your whole body?
The more you push with your arms, the more you will work out your upper and lower body.
3. Giving your upper body a workout (chest, back, arms, stomach)
The repeated movements back and forth will help you strengthen your back and chest.
By pushing hard on the handles on your cross trainer and focusing all your effort on your arms, you'll tone up your triceps and chest area.
And if you pull hard on the handles, you'll work your back and biceps more.
4. Giving your lower body a workout (hips, thighs, glutes)
To tone up your lower body (hips, thighs and glutes): take your hands off the handles, keep your posture upright and focus on working your legs while increasing the incline of the pedals (depending on your level of ability). This will allow you to work on your legs only.
If you want to tone your legs, you can set the pedals at an angle and increase the resistance manually and gradually.