Are you spending hours at the gym and not getting the results you want? Do you feel like you never have time to exercise? When it comes to working out, quality is certainly better than quantity.
If you workout the right way, you can burn as much as 600 calories in just a half hour! Here’s how to get the most out of your workout in a short amount of time:
The Importance of Interval Training
The only way to slim down is to burn more calories than you consume. Interval training is the key to burning maximum calories. Interval training combines short spurts of high intensity work with short periods of rest.
Varying your heart rate in this way is not only great for your cardiovascular endurance, but is also the secret to increasing calorie burn. And high intensity interval training increases your after-workout burn by as much as 300%.
So instead of running at a steady pace on treadmill for an hour, try this to burn up to 500 calories in 32 minutes:
· Run at speed seven for one minute
· Walk at speed four on incline 15 for three minutes
· Repeat this sequence eight times (32 minutes total)
Add some pump to your strength training
Add more calorie burn to your strength training by incorporating cardio. This will increase calorie burn and promote muscle lengthening and toning. Here are two examples of how to add a little extra sweat to your strength:
· Jumping squats
At the end of your squat, explode up through your heels using your arms to launch yourself upwards. Be sure to land low and softly, absorbing shock with your weight over the center of your feet and with your knees over the ankles.
· Add a plank jack to your push-ups
When you lower your chest in a standard push-up position, split your feet apart at the same time into a wide leg stance. As you push back up, jump them back in. Repeat at a fast pace to get your heart rate up.
Don’t Stop Moving!
Believe it or not, it’s possible to burn up to 200 calories in only ten minutes! So if you have a busy day, there’s always time to squeeze in a quick sweat session. Try this:
· 10 burpees (push-up into a jumping squat)
· 30 mountain climbers (15 on each leg)
· 20 jumping squats
*REPEAT for three rounds and take no breaks!