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By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS,
MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com
You don't have to do cardio to lose fat, but cardio
machines can be helpful for boosting your metabolism and
burning more fat.
And if you use interval
training, you can get more results than if
you did traditional aerobic cardio. But that's another
story for
another time. Let's take a look at which machines burn
the most
calories and which ones are worth your time.
An okay choice: Elliptical
Machines.
The biggest reason to
choose elliptical machines...
=> you've got a bum knee.
I have worked with clients
with extreme osteoarthritis and we
were able to use these machines for a decent workout
without pain - but the results didn't compare to clients
that used a stationary bike or treadmill for their
interval training.
So in general, I'm not
overly impressed by the elliptical machine
for fat loss.
If you go into any gym,
compare the bodies on the ellipticals to
the ones on other machines...most of the time, the
people on the
ellipticals make no progress from month to month.
And having given the
elliptical a "go" once or twice on my own, it
just didn't challenge me as a treadmill does.
But if you have bad knees,
or if you are an exception to my
experience, feel free to keep rocking the elliptical!
Up next...The Stationary
Bike
The bike can be easy on
your knees as well, particularly if you are overweight
and can't support your bodyweight on the treadmill.
Personally, I like the
stationary bikes a lot. The set up allows
you to do a large amount of mechanical work during your
interval training - and that is what puts Turbulence on
the muscle and allows you to increase your post-exercise
metabolism.
In fact, when I first
started designing the interval workouts back in 2001, I
used stationary bikes exclusively.
I also think that the bike
allows you to work very hard with less
risk of injury. Running sprints outside or on a
treadmill requires
a much more extensive warm-up due to the explosive
nature of
sprinting.
If you don't know your
body, running sprints or hills probably
isn't the best place to start. I've met too many people
that have
jumped right into hill training and been hurt within 1
week.
sprints.
So I recommend starting
with the bike unless you are an experienced runner that
knows your body well.
In addition, here are
three more key points about the bike.
a) Stick to the upright
version if possible. When using a recumbent bike for
intervals, your hips tend to rock too much and your body
tries to get into awkward positions in order to push
hard against the resistance. That's my experience. The
upright bikes are set up better for intervals.
b) For intervals, increase
the resistance against your pedalling,
and not the speed of your pedalling. I don't like high
RPM
spinning. I think you'll get more results and do more
work when you keep the RPM between 80-100 and work
against a harder resistance.
Forget that high-RPM spinning stuff...I find it is rough
on your
hips and knees.
c) When on the upright
bike, sit as upright as possible for the
recovery intervals or even stand for some of the work
intervals.
Just avoid the "rounded over" posture as that can be
hard on your low back.
So the winner is...The
Treadmill.
The treadmill can burn
16-20 calories per minute of exercise
during your workout. That's a big burn, but of course
only advanced fitness levels can achieve that - but
hopefully you fit that category now or you will someday
with consistent training and nutrition.
Some tips: Don't go crazy
with the incline (as that can lead to
tight calves), but if you are able to run at more than
10mph, use a 1% incline to help offset the need for
speed. The last thing
you want to do is end up in a crazy video on YouTube
flying off the end of a treadmill into an elliptical
machine.
So as with all types of
sprinting, be careful.
Honorable mentions go
to...The Rowing Machine and
Stairmaster...these can be used in place of other
machines for
variety and are still effective.
Better yet, if you are
able, use your body as the best fat burning
machine. I highly recommend bodyweight circuits for
interval
training. These are fun, effective, and perhaps even
better at
sculpting your body.
I really like bodyweight
interval circuits for advanced
fat-burning, plateau-busting workouts. If you're stuck,
you'll
benefit from bodyweight circuits.
Sincerely,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training
About the Author
Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning
Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness,
Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen
magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss
workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s
Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped
thousands of men and women around the world lose fat,
gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three
times per week. For more information on the Turbulence
Training workouts that will help you burn fat without
long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit
www.TurbulenceTraining.com