In the hustle and bustle of our hectic lives we barely get an hour to fit in a good workout. So like I talked about on yesterday’s post about HIIT workouts, you’re going to want to make sure you are utilizing this time to the best of your ability and getting the most out of your workout.
Besides upping the intensity and adding intervals, here are some other great tips to help burn more calories and maximize your workout:
Use Resistance– when you are pedaling and pedaling as fast as you can on your elliptical, you’re not exactly getting a quality workout. When you are using no resistance, it’s the momentum that is helping you to move, not you muscles. By increasing the resistance you’ll burn more calories and gain more strength, this makes for a more challenging, effective workout.
Always make sure to use those handlebars!
Use your WHOLE body– like it states in this article, by using your whole body you’re incorporating more muscles and therefore burning more calories. When on the elliptical “make sure to be holding on to those handlebars, you increase your calorie burn by using more muscle groups, without having to work out as long.”
Add Incline– the benefits of running on a treadmill at an incline are amazing. “The idea of walking up a hill is exactly what makes an incline trainer more effective than a regular treadmill. You can go at all the same speeds, you can use all the same technology, you have the same size walking surface, the only difference is you can get very steep inclines.” At only a 5% incline, you’ll burn double the calories for the same amount of time if you were at a zero incline.
Treadmills such as the NordicTrack Incline Trainer X11i are going to offer up to a 40% incline!! If only 5% doubles your calorie burn, think about how many more calories you can burn with 8 times that!
By increasing the intensity, adding intervals, resistance and incline while using your whole body during your workout will ensure you are receiving the most from your time spent! Make sure to use these tips next time you’re running on the treadmill or elliptical to burn more calories!
Written By: Jentry
