Guide : Burn More Calories Than Running: Check These 10 Exercises

Running is arguably one of the best exercises. You don’t need any equipment other than running shoes. It is liberating and offers several different experiences. You can opt to take a run in the evening on the beach and can enjoy the beauty of setting sun, while torching loads of fat. Or, you can opt for trail running, which will allow you to explore nature and improve your endurance and stamina at the same time.

However, if you aren’t a running enthusiast and want to lose weight, it doesn’t mean running is your only option. Yes, running effectively and quickly burns fat. But, there are exercises and workouts that can burn calories at more efficient rate. In fact, it has been found that doing high intensity weight training can be just as helpful as running in shedding weight. However, you have to ensure that you are doing compound exercises with higher repetitions. Also, it would be great, if you cut down your rest time.

Of course, weight training isn’t your only option. It is one of the several options. Here, are ten great exercises that would help you burn more calories than running.

The kettlebell swings is an explosive exercise that has always remained under the radar, despite having some obvious benefits. This exercise builds explosive lower body power and big muscles around your glutes and quads. Also, it sends your heart rate soaring up and turns your body into furnace, constantly torching fat away. In fact, this exercise’s fat torching benefits have been proved in a study conducted by American Council on Exercise. For the study, 10 subjects (male and female), aged 29 to 46 years, and with experience in kettlebell training were selected. The study found that the subjects doing one handed kettlebell swings and snatches managed to burn around 272 calories in a twenty minute workout. You have to agree that is quite a good burn.

Of course, the benefits of the kettlebell swings aren’t merely limited to burning loads of calories. The kettlebell swings work all the muscles that form the posterior chain of muscles. It can help you in relieving your lower back problem and improving your posture that often suffers from sitting hunched in front of the computer. Plus, it works your core really hard and is one of the rare exercises that engage and work the most number of muscles at the same time.

However, you have to make sure that you are doing this exercise with absolutely right form. Stand with your feet around shoulder width apart, toes pointed out. Bend your knees slightly and hold a 16 kg kettlebell between your legs, with both hands in an overhand grip. Now, keeping the arch in your back, push your hips back and down until the kettlebell is between and behind your legs. Squeeze your glutes and extend your hips to swing the weight up. In a controlled manner, swing the weight back between your legs and bend your knees and hips to get lower. Once again, squeeze your glutes and extend your hips to start the new repetition.

Indoor rowing machine gives you a dynamic workout that requires power as well as muscular and cardiovascular endurance. Its ability to work your full body and give a fun filled calorie burn has made it extremely popular. If weight loss is your target, the rowing machine is a great addition to your workout regime. A person weighing 185 pounds can burn about 377 calories in 30 minutes on a rowing machine. In fact, it is an excellent alternative to tiring and gruesome running sessions which are generally the first option for losing weight.

The indoor rowing is an endurance exercise that increases heart function and uses carbohydrates to provide the energy required to exercise. The indoor rowing is also a type of aerobic exercise that can improve lung, heart and circulation systems. Plus, unlike other cardio routines, the indoor rowing can be helpful in toning muscles as it virtually uses every major muscle group in the body. It works legs, and buttocks, strengthens the back, shoulders and arms, and engages the trunk and core.

One minute of basic burpees done with the right form can burn an average of ten calories. The burpees are a full body exercise that turns your body into a fat torching machine. In fact, it has been found that high intensity exercises such as burpees burn around 50 percent more fat than the regular exercises. Also, it is a well known fact that more the number of exercises involved in the particular exercise, the more will be the calories burnt. And, burpees engage and work pretty much every muscle in your body. Do them at the high intensity and you will see calories oozing out of your body and dripping from your brow.

Another great thing about burpees is that you don’t need any fitness equipment or gear. And, neither you have to join a gym. You can do it at your home, at your time. This is especially perfect for those who have super busy schedules and more than often don’t have time for a gym session. With burpees, even a ten minutes workout session will count. And, if you can do such three sessions in day, believe me, you will be much closer to your fitness goals.

AirDyne stationary bike can give you one of the toughest cardio sessions. Yes, I know it is difficult to accept that a workout session on a stationary bike can burn more calories than running. But, this is not the traditional stationary bike in which only your leg muscles were worked. This type of stationary bike gives a challenging workout to your entire body. And, the best thing is that the resistance progressively increases in this workout. The resistance comes from the fan blades at the front of the bike, which means the harder you pedal, the more resistance you achieve. Another great thing about the bike is that it is powered by you, so you don’t need electricity.

The best way to lose fat using the AirDyne bike is to use fast sprints workout. First, do a five minute workout, and then go all out for 30 seconds with a 45-second recovery time. You will have to do ten to twenty sprints to complete a fat torching workout. The beauty of the AirDyne is that you can get an arm workout as well. If you want to work your back, focus on pulling backwards on the arms of the Airdyne. If you want to work your chest and shoulders, push the bike’s arms away from you. You can do these push and pull movements during the recovery period after sprints. This way you can get a full body workout.

Jumping rope is a great way to fit in an effective cardio session when you’re on the go. Along with burning more than ten calories per minute, you can strengthen your legs, butt, shoulders, and arms. It is a nearly full body workout and it is kind of an off-beat fun cardio workout as well. You don’t want to do the same old cardio session day in and day out. Another great thing about jumping rope is you can do it at your home. So, in case, the weather is rough and you can’t get your usual outdoor workout, you needn’t worry. Plus, you can never get bored of jumping rope as there are tons of tricks and variations available to keep it interesting. And, here is a video of 16 rope jumping tricks from beginner to advanced level of fitness and expertise.

These monster trucks for cycling have become incredibly popular over the past couple of years. With tires as wide as 4.7 inches, these fatties not only allow you to tackle the harshest of terrains, but also give you extremely challenging cardio session. Yes, they are heavy and slow to turn. But, that is what makes fat tire biking a grueling and fun workout. Plus, having a fat tire bike means you don’t have to worry about the bad trial. The fatties float over fair-weather terrain that would otherwise be impassable such as deep sand or mud.

And, when it comes to torching calories, there are few workout routines that come anywhere close to fat tire biking. With this physical activity, you can burn up to 1,500 calories an hour or nearly 25 calories per minute. And, I know you are new to this cycling trend, so here is a video with introduction to fat tire bikes and five best bikes you can go for.

• Bodyweight Exercises Circuit

You don’t need expensive gym equipment to get a decent workout that will burn calories and would, at the same time, sculpt muscles. By clubbing together some great bodyweight exercises, you can create good enough workout that will give you a good cardiovascular as well as strength training workout. Here is a sample of bodyweight exercise circuit workout that can be done in 30 minutes. First, get warmed up with dynamic stretches. Then, do ten pushups, which are immediately followed by five pull ups and finally do ten squats. Repeat the circuit of these exercises as many times as possible in 30 minutes. Also, keep in mind that the number of repetitions can vary according to fitness levels. If you are in great shape and want even more challenging workout, you can add couple of exercises to the circuit and can also opt to increase the overall workout time. The burpees and mountain climbers can be great additions to the circuit. And, adding hanging leg raises will give your midsection a good burn.

And, even if you want more challenging workout, then check out celebrity trainer and fitness model Scott Herman’s ultimate fat broiler workout. You should check your fitness levels before trying the workout.

Who says that the weight loss workout has to be boring and monotonous? Zipping along the snow covered country is an excellent way to lose weight. You can burn up to 3000 calories during six hours of skiing. And, you won’t even notice because skiing is one of the most addictive and fun outdoor activities. A standard six days skiing sessions can help you lose as much as five pounds. What makes skiing such a great weight loss routine is the fact that the sport requires you to push with your lower-body and pull with your upper. The multiple muscles involved in the movement will need calories to fuel them, which in turn can help you deplete the energy stored as fat in your body.

Plus, you have to keep yourself steady over the slippery slope, which means you will have to engage your core muscles to maintain balance. And, the constant engagement of the core muscles over the long periods can deliver some amazing results.

Instead of toiling under the hot summer, take a dip in a cool water and jumpstart your weight loss program. According to a research data from the American College of Sports Medicine, a 180-pound person swimming at high intensity for one hour can burn up to 817 calories while swimming. The best thing about swimming is that it is easy on the joints. So, those who have bad knees and lower back problems can lose weight effectively with swimming without worrying about discomfort. Here is an excellent swimming workout to lose belly fat.

With people looking for off the track and challenging workout routines, the battling ropes have become quite a popular exercise routine. What makes this routine effective is the fact that it combines elements of resistance training and cardiovascular exercise. Along with your muscles, your heart and lungs also get a decent workout. Here are 12 battling rope movements to lose weight.