bestmachinestoburncalories-blog

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Can A Treadmill Desk Help You Burn More Calories?

So unless you’ve been living under a rock lately you’ve probably heard about the trend to get people to stop sitting at their desk - and start walking.

Sitting is the new smoking today.

You shouldn’t do it (for too long anyways) or else there will be major health consequences down the road. Or at least that’s what experts tell us.

I also notice that when you start to sit for too long, the bottom starts to expand as well. Not good.

So to fight this problem, enter a new hero - the treadmill desk.

This comes in various forms. Sometimes you can buy an actual treadmill with a fold-down-fold-up desk part. So you can work on the desk portion of the treadmill with your laptop, phone etc as you walk.

You can also get an actual treadmill-belt-only part that you put under your current desk. Although I think this might cause some problems with ergonomics unless you want to re-work your actual desk height.

There are also massive specialty desk attachments like the Trekdesk (see pic below) that fit over almost any treadmill (so you don’t have to go out and buy a whole new treadmill).

This gives you a really large surface area and it’s strong enough to support your desktop computer, phone etc.

I’ve used a Trekdesk on my treadmill before and it was great - sturdy and strong. The only thing I didn’t like was that it covered up a lot of my treadmill’s console. So when I wanted to actually used it as a treadmill and not a walking desk, it was a bit of a pain.

Now let’s talk about calorie-burning benefits.

First of all the way to use a treadmill desk is not like a regular treadmill. You won’t be going very fast at all. After all, have YOU ever tried to make a business call while power-walking or running? Not fun.

No, what you’re actually supposed to do is walk at around 1.0 - 1.5 MPH very gently while you work. This means you should NOT be out of breath at any time.

It’s really more of a shuffle type motion when walking at this pace - and very easy to do. Even if you’re out of shape it’s not difficult at all.

So where does the calorie-burning part come in?

With the magic of time my friend. Sure you’re only burning about 150 calories an hour. But if you’re working for 6 hours that 6 x 150 = 900 calories!

Who wouldn’t see results by burning an extra 900 calories a day!

And since you’re walking so slowly (you’re more like standing really), then it’s not really hard on your body.

I can see how this would help you shed some pounds. I don’t think it’s the best equipment specially for burning calories fast - as it involves hours on the treadmill.

But if you’re doing it for health reasons, then the weight loss might be a built-in bonus.

So what do you think? Do you think a treadmill desk can help you burn more calories?

More Reading at:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treadmill_desk

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Ugly Fitness Fads That NEVER Worked For Burning Calories

So today is kind of a throw-back post. I came across an old article on the thigh master - you remember that one? That 1980′s monstrosity that Suzanne Sommers told us was going to change our lives?

Basically it was a massive grip strengthener for our thighs. I never noticed a difference despite a half hour in front of the TV every night using it.

Did you? (Admit you tried it, I won’t judge).

That got me started thinking about other forms of fitness equipment and devices that NEVER worked throughout the years. These are the ones we all had high hopes for - but they never materialized.

So in the spirit of good fun, let’s remember the ugly fitness fads through the years the NEVER worked for burning calories:

#1 The Ab Belt:

This came in many different packages but basically it promised to force your ab muscles to contract and tone as you sat - and watched TV, or relaxed by the pool or as you dipped into an entire carton of Ben and Jerrys.

It didn’t matter cuz the Ab belt had your back, baby.

Sadly though, most people never saw those 6 pack abs and some even added some more weight to the spare tire in the front. Forget it, it never worked.

#2 Vibration Machine

How cool would it be to stand on a machine that just shook you until the fat fell off? How easy is that?

I truly wanted this one to work. Shake the weight off. It could work...right? Right?

Sadly no. It didn't. All it did as far as I could tell was move your lymph around a bit - and severely piss off your dog.

Toss another one in the junk pile.

#3 Total Gym

Now this one strangely enough wasn’t really a fad - despite the cheesy infomercials with Chuck Norris and Christy Brinkley.

We had one of these babies in the 90s and they did work. But there were so many levers and pulleys that moved one way or another, eventually I gave up.

Super-coordinated I’m not.

Still, this one does survive today and it actually seems to help people tone up a bit. Although it’s really for muscle toning, not for cardio or high intensity training as far as I can see.

#4 Tae Bo

Aaaaahhh Billy Blanks and his crew - who could forget them kicking your ass into fitness? I had these tapes as well and they were pretty hard ass - especially when you compare them to what we have now.

However the one downside is that I had to go so fast to keep up with Master Blanks, I never actually got the ergonomics right. And I ended up pulling a new muscle or straining some knee joint at least once a week.

In the end it was just too high intensity. But it did actually work for a lot of people.

I kind of miss Billy Blanks yelling at me today. My online fitness coach app just doesn’t have the same charm.

So those are some of the most popular fitness fads of yesterday that we look back on fondly today.

What will be tomorrows fad do you think? Fitbit? The Treadclimber? Only time will tell fitness fans...until next time.

Read More Here:

https://greatist.com/fitness/17-biggest-fitness-fads-flopped

http://www.mensfitness.com/styleandgrooming/fashion/the-25-biggest-fitness-fads-of-all-time

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Best Treadmill Exercises To Lose Weight?

So let’s say you’re not an elliptical junkie like me - you’re more of a treadmill fan. I like treadmills too. They’re versatile with much better cushioning than running outside on the road.

But sometimes I’ll admit, they can be a little bit...bland. So what can you do if you want to lose weight faster on your treadmill?

Well, there’s always this:

But if you’re not that coordinated what can you do? Here are some ideas I’ve come across to burn more calories on your treadmill over the years:

#1 Treadmill Lunges

My friend from university used to swear by these. This is where you slow the treadmill right down to about 0.5 MPH (as low as it can go) and you do slow, well-placed, ergonomically correct lunges for about 3 minutes (or as long as you can go).

Then walk normally for about 5 minutes to get your breath (and you WILL need to catch your breath, trust me). Then you go back to lunges. Then to normal for about 5 to 10 minutes. Then back to lunges.

You get the idea.

This is one kind of high intensity interval training and it’s not surprising that it works pretty well. And don’t worry ladies, you won’t be building bulky muscle here. My friend from university who swore by these lunges was one of the tiniest girls I’ve even known.

#2 Treadmill Inclines

So we’ve gone down - now let’s go up. I’m talking about walking uphill on an incline for 2 -3 minutes at the highest incline you can handle.

Then relax for about 5 - 10 minutes at a regular, slower 0% incline pace. Really relax and catch your breath here. Now go at an incline for about 2 minutes. Now back to normal for about 5 - 10 minutes. And repeat about 10 times.

This is a wicked workout - even if you can do it just for 5 or 6 intervals you will feel the difference after your workout trust me.

High incline walking basically obliterates calories.

Why?

Because it uses more of the larger muscles in your legs. And as we all know by now, big muscles burn big calories.

This is why I always like the treadmills at the gym with the higher 15% inclines and not the dinky 10% inclines. I need more challenge if I’m going to get more from my interval workouts!

The next time you’re walking on a treadmill and want to burn more calories, try this technique. Trust me you’ll be feeling it afterwards.

#3 Running

I’m not a huge fan of running since I think it’s haggard on the body no matter if you’re on a treadmill or running outside. But you can’t deny the power running has for burning fat FAST.

I have a friend from my gym who runs very little. She mostly walks - and socializes. But when she has a wedding coming up or needs to shed pounds in a week, you can tell because suddenly she’s running on the treadmill with a big “don’t talk to me” expression.

And it does work. She will cut weight very quickly. Of course she pushed herself pretty hard because she likes to wear those super-tight dresses, which aren’t up my alley.

But there’s no denying that running for long stretches of time (think jogging, not sprinting here) does blast a lot of calories super-fast.

So if you’re in a bind, you may want to try this trick.

Bottom line? If you’re looking to burn fat faster on your treadmill, try one or all three of the tricks above. You’ll probably start to notice looser jeans in about a week.

Until next time fitness fans - keep fit and have fun!

More Reading Fun:

https://www.runnersworld.com/treadmills/treadmill-training-five-great-treadmill-workouts-for-treadmill-runner

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/5-treadmill-workouts-in-an-hour-or-less#1

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Best Elliptical To Burn Calories Faster?

So let’s start off with one of my favorite cardio machines - the elliptical trainer.

Precor was the brand that started it all with the first trainer in the mid-90s. However since then there are tons of brands on the market that are much more affordable than Precor.

This type of equipment is popular with runners, especially in the winter or on bad weather days.

Why?

Because an elliptical trainer simulates the running motion without the strain and stress and high impact that outdoor running (or treadmill running for that matter) takes on your joints.

A good elliptical can help you really work those lower body muscle groups - and you can even get a good crosstraining workout since you can go both forward and backwards. It’s almost as good as the real thing (running outdoors).

However it’s better than running outdoors if you have joint strain or shin splints or knee problems since you’re not getting the impact on these places.

I also love the fact that a good elliptical trainer will also help you train your upper body arms at the same time as training your legs. So you get two areas of fitness going at the same time, pretty cool.

Given this background, I was pretty pumped last year when I discovered this new kind of elliptical. You see it in the Bowflex Max Trainer here:

Or the Proform Cardio HIIT Trainer here:

These look like elliptical trainers but they are actually enhanced.

Instead of a flat-path running like a regular elliptical, they have you doing a more climbing motion. I call this a kind of vertical climbing elliptical trainer.

And the upshot is that you use more of the larger lower body muscles.

So you naturally burn more calories.

I decided to try both of these trainers out to see if they were the real deal. And first of all, let me just say that even though I’m a regular elliptical user, both machines KICKED MY BUTT.

I was sweating and straining within 5 minutes on either one of them. So yes these are hard-ass machines that will definitely make you work harder (and burn calories faster).

The Bowflex Max Trainer has a bit more proof as far as calorie burning goes. There are tons of people online that have lost weight with their Max Trainer ellipticals.

And according to the experts at Bowflex, they’ve proven that you can burn around double the calories on one of these babies vs a regular elliptical.

The Proform HIIT trainer is a bit newer and I don’t think they’re really pushing the whole more calories burned thing yet - but rest assured you will burn more calories on this baby, just like the Max Trainer.

I found that the HIIT trainer was a bit more “elliptical-like” than the Max Trainer. The Max was more of a stair-stepper machine on the bottom (with elliptical arms on top). Whereas the Proform trainer was more of a vertical elliptical. You still moved forward a bit and it wasn’t as up-and-down strict stepping.

I’m not really sure which motion I preferred more. They were both pretty intense though. I think that the Proform model is kind of a hidden gem right now - it’s cheaper since not as many people know about it.

But I have noticed that there are a lot of other brands like Sole that are also coming out with their version of the Max Trainer (which was really the one that started it all).

So I think I’ll sit back and watch this year to see if something new comes out that really rocks my socks off.

The only drawback with these machines really is that since you’re climbing or stepping, there is no way to pedal backwards, like you can on a regular elliptical crosstrainer.

Some people really like to do that - and that’s just not possible on these trainers.

But still overall, if you love using an elliptical trainer and you want to burn calories faster, then one of these trainers may be right for you.

Want to learn more?

I found the sites below helpful in my research:

http://www.maxtrainerblog.com

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/14/hiit-workout_n_4426903.html

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The Journey Starts Here - Best Time To Workout?

So before we start to get into the best machines to burn calories, I decided to talk about the best TIME to burn calories.

Have you ever wondered about the best time to workout? I have. I used to workout late at night and even in the afternoon.

I loved going to the gym when it wasn't that busy - which was usually in the afternoon. Then I could have all the machines to myself - choose the best treadmills, jump on the good elliptical trainers, you know what I’m talkin’ about right?

But then I read an article in Men’s Fitness magazine that actually said the latest experts were saying that the best time to exercise was not at night - or in the afternoon, but in the morning. On an empty stomach.

The theory being that because you’ve used up all your glycogen stores from the night before, you’re more likely to go straight into (or close to that) that fat stores for fuel.

That made sense right?

Another benefit to doing this is that you actually get it over and done with for the day (your exercise time). So you’re actually more likely to get it done instead of waiting until late at night when you may decide not to go since you had a long, hard day.

Again, this made sense - although I tended to workout regardless of my day since I find exercising actually GIVES me energy!

But I digress.

I decided to put this theory to the test.

For 1 month I decided to suck it up buttercup and get to the gym at 7:30 am every morning for my workout - instead of at night or in the afternoon.

I would to the same routine I usually did (5 days cardio, 3 days alternating weights) but the only thing I would change was the time.

What were the results?

I actually DID lose about 3 pounds that month! I was floored. And they weren’t just water pounds either ladies if you know what I mean. They were genuine “Gee, my pants feel looser” pounds.

That may not seem like a lot but keep in mind that I didn’t change ANYTHING else! Nada. My food was the same.  My workout was the same. The only thing I changed was the time of exercise (and I didn’t eat before I worked out either - just like the article recommended).

Now that doesn’t mean it was easy. I like to have some fuel in the system when I go on the elliptical or the treadmill. But after about a week, I did start to get used to it.

Also, I did have to actually suffer through a more crowded weight room and I did have to (horror of horrors) weight my turn (see what I did there, “weight” my turn?... sorry) But overall it was a fascinating experiment in find out the optimal exercise timing for the day.

So that pretty much convinced me that the best time to exercise is in the morning. If you can bring yourself to get out of bed earlier than usual and skip your breakfast until later, it might be worth it if you want to see faster results!

Until next time my friends, stay fit!!!

More Resources:

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/whats-the-best-time-to-exercise#1

http://www.livestrong.com/article/291565-the-best-time-of-day-to-exercise-or-work-out-for-maximum-weight-loss/

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Welcome To the Best Machines To Burn Calories Tumblr!

Welcome and thanks for visiting my new Tumblr Blog on the Best Fitness Machines to Burn Calories.

I’m a fitness fanatic and have been going to the gym since I was 15 and had a few extra pounds to lose.

However over the years, I’ve found that certain workouts give me better results than other.

And when I took a job where I didn’t have hours to spend at the gym, I was nervous that I’d lose all of my fitness-bod-hard-work-results.

Has that ever happened to you?

It was a real worry for me - which is why I started researching into HIIT training and different fitness machines that could burn calories faster in less time.

This Tumblr is a result of my past - and future research into this area.

I’ll be posting my thoughts on the latest fitness machines that are supposed to get you faster results. Some actually work - and some, well, not so much.

Hopefully we can all discover some of the best ways to burn fat faster without spending hours in the gym!

Thanks again and I hope you find this blog useful!