How Many Calories Should You Burn for Weight Loss

!±8± How Many Calories Should You Burn for Weight Loss

If you depend on classic aerobic cardio for weight loss, you probably spend 30 minutes on a machine trying to burn a set number of calories. But does that work? Does burning 500 calories per day cause you to lose 1 pound of fat per week?

Well, according to science, it should. But if it did, you probably wouldn't still be reading this article.

I used to write a column on fat loss myths for Men's Fitness magazine. Here's a classic weight loss topic I covered.

Myth: I need to burn 500 calories each workout to lose fat.

Truth:
Possibly one of the worst inventions for fat loss was the calorie-counting monitor on treadmills, elliptical machines, and stairmasters.

Because of these, millions of men and women now obsess about the number of calories burned per session. You've probably even been one of those people, watching it creep up ever so slowly during a slow-cardio session. All the while knowing that you can wipe out a 30-minute, 300-calorie treadmill session with one fell swoop of the Krispy Kreme hand.

Too many people are brainwashed into thinking that if they don't burn 300-500 calories per session, then they won't lose fat. After all, that is what you've been told time and time again in those fluffy fitness/fashion magazines.

The problems with this approach to fat loss are numerous. First off, it's difficult to say if the calorie counters are even accurate. A story on CBS news showed that cardio machines overestimate calorie burning by up to 20%.

Next, depending on slow cardio for advanced fat loss is relatively useless and at the very least, inefficient. It takes a long time for you to burn a lot of calories and one study showed that men who only used cardio training for weight loss ended up with a reduced resting metabolism. You are basically undoing the calorie burning by depending only on cardio. On the other hand, guys in the same study that used strength training didn't suffer a reduced metabolic rate.

So what is the solution to burning fat in a faster, more efficient method? The answer is to use strength and interval training to burn fewer calories in less exercise time, but with a more intense form of exercise.

Your body will burn more calories after exercise (when you use intervals) than it does after you do slow cardio and your metabolism will stay high. Some experts refer to this as the afterburn effect. How do you do intervals? Well, you could sprint for 30 seconds and rest for 90 seconds and repeat that for 6 sets - using the bike preferably or treadmill if you are experienced with it.

Within that short time frame the intervals will cause your muscles to go crazy with activity (I call it a metabolic turbulence). This crazy metabolism boost causes lots of calorie burning after exercise to get your body back to normal. The result is you would end up burning more fat and more calories in the post-exercise period as your body tries to get things under control.

Now there is one time where you'd want to count calories, but that is when you are counting up and determining how many calories you eat per day. Again, you can wipe out an entire workout's work in less than a minute simply by eating garbage. Without some structure and discipline to your nutrition, there is nothing that even my programs can do to help you lose fat.

So exercise nutrition control and interval training. These are the two anti-calorie counting methods that will help you lose fat and get lean.

How Many Calories Should You Burn for Weight Loss

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Elliptical vs Treadmill: Which Burns added Calories?

!±8± Elliptical vs Treadmill: Which Burns added Calories?

There is considerable controversy these days on whether a treadmill or an elliptical trainer burns more calories. Treadmills and ellipticals are the #1 and #2 most popular selling fitness equipment.

Many dedicated treadmill users are switching to elliptical trainers. The appeal is the low impact, upper and lower body workout. Although treadmills still outsell elliptical trainers. The reason being, the most common form of exercising is walking and jogging.

In my research, I came across a number of reports and studies, and in general, it appears that both machines give comparable results in burning calories. In fact, using a calorie burn calculator on http://www.healthstatus.com, I found that a workout on an elliptical gives you the same results as running on a treadmill, but you burn fewer calories if you walk or jog on a treadmill.

Calories burned in 60 minutes by a 150 lbs. user:

Walking, 2 mph - 189

Walking, 3 mph - 297

Jogging - 477

Running, 7 mph - 783

Elliptical Trainer - 774

There was a basic flaw to the results, since it allowed you to compare calories burned at different levels of exertion on the treadmill, but not on the elliptical trainer. Often I see people working out on an elliptical at health clubs, and they are basically going through the motions. The calories they burn are no more than what you would achieve from a casual walk.

So which machine is better at burning calories?

It depends on which machine will motivate you the most and push you to the highest level of exertion.

If you are a devoted walker or runner then the treadmill is an obvious choice. The treadmill offers you a more forgiving surface in comparison to asphalt or concrete. It provides you with various programs that can add variety to your exercise. But to get results you need to crank up the speed and/or incline. Without pushing yourself, you will limit the number of calories you burn.

As mentioned, the elliptical trainer is growing in popularity due to the low impact, and combined upper and lower body workout. Since the machine moves in an elliptical motion and your feet never leave the pedals, it minimizes the impact and strain to your ankles, knees and back. This is an appeal feature to the aging baby boomer generation.

In addition, an elliptical trainer workouts both the upper and lower body simultaneously. The upper and lower body exercise utilizes the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, chest, back, triceps and biceps. Studies suggest that exercising numerous muscle groups increases fat burning efficiency. The larger the muscle mass involved in an exercise, the more effective that exercise is for improving fat mobilization, burning calories and building muscle endurance in an efficient period of time.

This would suggest that an elliptical trainer would burn more calories, but there is no denying that running also efficiently burns calories.

So which machine should you purchase?

If your joints are suffering from strain or just old age, and if you would like to exercise your upper body, the elliptical trainer is a good choice. For walkers, joggers or runners you can't go wrong with a treadmill.

In either case, to burn calories you need to exert yourself. Both machines offer a variety of challenging program. Most now come equipped with an "Interval Training" program. You alternate between high-level exertion and cool down periods. This type of training burns calories more efficiently in less time. With proper supervision from your doctor, try to push yourself to new limits.

I'm sorry I did not offer a definitive answer. It really is up to you to find the machine that best suites your needs, and will help you achieve your personal best.

Elliptical vs Treadmill: Which Burns added Calories?

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