We are all about getting the most out of your workouts in less time. Most people have no interest in spending more time at the gym. Most of us wish we could get more results in less time. An impossible dream, you say? Not anymore. Follow these tricks and you will be burning more calories while exercising less.
1.Use All Four Limbs
Machines like the stationary bike and treadmill focus on your lower body. Adding your upper body to the mix will help you elevate your heart rate and burn more calories in the same amount of time. Get those hands off the handlebars and pump your arms!
2.Work Out Next to the Fastest Runner
Group exercise can increase motivation causing you to work harder (and burn more calories) but if working out in a group isn't your bag, you can still make this principle work for you. Hop on the treadmill beside the fastest runner you can see and you could come close to almost doubling your calorie expenditure. A study from Michigan State University suggests that having a work out partner of any kind can lead women to work out twice as hard. So, if you are the solo sort at the gym, choose your work out spots wisely.
3.Use Resistance
Aerobic exercise and strength training are both essential parts of a good fitness routine. Why not combine the two? Using weights helps build muscle mass which burns more calories than body fat. Give ankle weights a go during your next cardio work out to reach your highest calorie burn. If you don't have leg weights, increasing the incline on the treadmill counts as adding resistance.
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4.Add Intervals
Alternate periods of high intensity and low intensity activities to get a greater calorie burn. Short periods of full on effort will allow you to burn the same amount of calories in a shorter period of time than you would with a steady pace.
A study out of Australia found that women who alternated 8 seconds of high intensity exercise with 12 seconds of low intensity activity not only slimmed down faster but burned more fat than those who worked out at a steady pace for twice as long.
5.Jump
If you are already interval training, you can go that extra step with plyometrics. To elevate your heart rate add some explosive, high impact moves, like jumping or hopping, to your cardio routine. Up the intensity even more by doing total body movements like burpees. These will challenge your muscles and increase your overall calorie burn.
6.Take It Outside
Exercising outside may not be an option for you all year round but doing it as often as possible gives you great calorie burning help. The little bit of wind resistance and the varying terrain will give you a boost without adding time to your routine.
7.Confuse Your Muscles
Do not let your routine fall into a rut. It takes only a few weeks for your body to adapt to a work out and became more efficient. The more efficient your body becomes, the fewer calories it burns. Try to confuse your muscles, keep them guessing. Change your intensity, incline or resistance to keep your muscles working harder.
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