Best gym machines / exercise for burning calories

cjmcork

I've a slight calf-pull thing going on at the moment so have reduced my daily run on the treadmill in the gym from 35 to 10 minutes, I've added 10 minutes on the rowing machine and 10 on the exercise bike, but I find that while I'm giving my calf a rest, I'm also resting my butt because I'm only burning half the calories I used to - anyone got recommendations on which machines I should hit to increase calorie burning (can't say I'm wild about the cross trainer or the stair yoke though)!

meijin

cjmcork wrote: »

anyone got recommendations on which machines I should hit to increase calorie burning

I recommend a pull-up bar
And you can add some squats and push-ups to the mix. See http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056185716 for other ideas.

PS ignore calorie burning, it doesn't really matter. Read this instead: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055963342

The Davestator

The rower is good for burning cals as you're using your whole body. The problem i personally find wiht it is that its the most boring place on Earth!

Sometimes your 'perceived exertion' can be low but your heart rate can be high (and thus burning more cals) Invest in a heart rate monitor so you're not relying on the readout of the machines as they vary wildly.

cjmcork

thanks for the responses, I actually quite enjoy the rowing machine, so that's a good alternative if it's good for calorie burning

ckeego

Get yourself a TRX or try a TRX class at the gym or at one of their centres.

You look like a mad baboon doing it, but some of the static rope exercises really get your HR up.

If the gym has a spinning class try that or do 20 intervals on a spinning bike as it replicates a real bike a lot more than a standard exercise bike.

Swimming is also a great non load bearing workout.

cjmcork

I have the worst hand-to-eye co-ordination, so classes are always a no-no for me

I am going to learn to swim though, classes start in a fortnight in my local pool

so I guess it's no harm to have a body of exercises that can be done without putting too much pressure on my legs

traco

Rower for the win. Forget cals. Benchmark yourself off the O'Neill fitness test http://concept2.co.uk/training/oneill_test Then work out a 500m split for 5k or 10k or search to see what a reasonable time if for them distances and target them.