Best calorie-burning workouts?

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ivylaurenolsen
ivylaurenolsen Posts: 56 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
What workouts do you do that burn the most calories? Just curious, looking for new ways to switch up my workouts :)

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  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    The one that you enjoy doing so you'll do it again, at high enough intensity to burn the calories, but not so high the effort knocks out being able to workout the next day.

    For pure calorie burn being high - any of the cardio workouts where you can maintain a high HR will burn the same number of calories.
    So pick one you can sustain for the time available.

    For me, I arrange my workouts so that my 3-4 hr bike rides can be as intense as I can make them, so rest day proceeding, and I can hit 1000 cal/hr per VO2max test results formula - not made up or database calorie burn.

    My running is the lower aerobic training though, because I just don't get as much enjoyment pounding the pavement going hard. Well, except for hill sprints, but that's not overall a big calorie burn anyway.

    Nothing like a good burn to allow you to eat more to adhere to a diet well.
  • Amber_hanson27
    Amber_hanson27 Posts: 66 Member
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    Check out fitness blenders 1000 cal workouts on youtube!!
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,740 Member
    edited May 2015
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    ...oopsies..
  • ivylaurenolsen
    ivylaurenolsen Posts: 56 Member
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    PAV8888 wrote: »
    The one you do. Consistently and again and again. Without being incapacitated the rest of the day.

    So it's fine if I do the elliptical for like an hour 4x a week? It will still be effective if I do it a ton?
  • glasshalffull713
    glasshalffull713 Posts: 323 Member
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    Your body will become more efficient at any workout that you consistently do. It's a great idea to mix things up a bit. If you love the elliptical, try adding intervals to your workouts on some days. Spin class is a great calorie burner for me, as well as circuit training.
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
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    I wouldn't recommend starting out on three to four hour bike rides. If you can join a gym, please do. Start with a treadmill for 20 or 30 minutes on a zero incline at about three miles an hour (which isn't fast and doesn't include jogging). Then gradually increase. If you can afford it, get a personal trainer for a few weeks. If you can't afford it, continue on the treadmill, plus a stationery bike. Observe others in other exercises.

    If you can't afford a gym, dance and/or lift weights in front of your television. Walk around your neighborhood twice a day for 20 minutes. If you aren't comfortable doing that, walk your dog. If you don't have a dog, offer to walk your neighbor's dog. Play Cupid Shuffle really loud on YouTube and do that for five minutes. Pace back and forth while talking on your phone. Tell yourself, "NO EXCUSES"! And guess what, you will do it, and you will lose weight. Mind over matter.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,740 Member
    edited May 2015
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    Your muscles will become accustomed to and will become more efficient doing cardio as time goes on. Most gyms seem to recommend mixing things up to avoid that. You can also hope that by the time your muscles adapt you will be ready to do other, or more intense exercises. And don't forget strength training. It does depend on where you're starting from. I didn't like my original answer much which is why I edited it; but, it was already quoted : - )

    ETA: if you are already in what could be defined as a normal weight you might prefer to check out the exercise forums and learn about strength training and body recomp as opposed to concentrating on a straight weight loss.
  • glasshalffull713
    glasshalffull713 Posts: 323 Member
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    It is true though PAV8888. Finding an activity that you actually enjoy is key because then you are far more likely to do it. For example, I love going hiking. I went for one this weekend and burned 440 calories! Bonus! But more importantly I look forward to it and it doesn't feel like work. I am not thinking "15 more minutes til I've burned off that chocolate I had earlier" :smile:
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
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    PAV8888 wrote: »
    Your muscles will become accustomed to and will become more efficient doing cardio as time goes on. Most gyms seem to recommend mixing things up to avoid that. You can also hope that by the time your muscles adapt you will be ready to do other, or more intense exercises. And don't forget strength training. It does depend on where you're starting from. I didn't like my original answer much which is why I edited it; but, it was already quoted : - )

    I love my Y because it offers so many different types of exercise classes. If you can't afford joining the Y, they have scholarship programs. Meanwhile, you don't need the Y to do jumping jacks, etc., but it sure does help to be in a structured environment.
  • epixstudiosnh
    epixstudiosnh Posts: 72 Member
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    atypicalsmith wrote: »
    Play Cupid Shuffle really loud on YouTube and do that for five minutes.

    Hahaha this is my go-to aerobic workout when I don't have a ton of time!!
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    edited May 2015
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    The whole more efficient so therefore less effective so therefore switch it up totally depends on what the workout is.

    Things like Zumba that have complex movements to a beat start out inefficient, so indeed even if weight stays the same, you burn a tad less as you become more efficient. But then that effect stops.
    Now with things like Zumba to a beat, you can usually only speed up so much.

    But most cardio stuff like biking, running, elliptical after the first week, swimming, rowing, ect - that's not the case.

    Your cardiovascular system becomes more efficient, that's it.
    Your heart can now beat less to provide the same amount of oxygen to burn the same amount of calories if you weigh the same.
    The energy required to move the same mass against gravity didn't change, your calorie burn doesn't change.

    And if you start weighing less - increase the pace/speed/intensity to make up the difference.

    Actually, as you become more fit even at same weight, you usually can pick up the intensity and actually burn more than before, even if HR is exactly the same.

    There is no real need to switch it up unless bored. Just go harder.

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