Intensity Burns Calories! | Pittsburgh Fitness

by Jim Crowell on November 17, 2012

If you have ever set a fitness or weight loss goal, you know that not all workouts are created equal. The American Heart Association suggests 150 minutes each week of moderate exercise, like walking, or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise. As these guidelines suggest, the type of exercise that is chosen impacts the level of fitness achieved.

Think of your body as a car; the faster the car goes, the more fuel is burned. The same goes for high-intensity workouts. Speeding up the body burns more calories, plain and simple. The best workouts are the ones that push physical limitations, burning a high amount of calories in less time.

If you want to amp up the intensity of your fitness routine, consider these three exercise options:

CrossFit: Based on core strength conditioning and increasing endurance, people that follow CrossFit faithfully swear by its benefits. CrossFit routines vary in length and it is not uncommon to find a workout that is 20 minutes or less. The basic premise of CrossFit is to attack the workout at hand and not hold back. Some of the common exercises associated with CrossFit include jump rope, burpees, pull-ups and sprint running. With over 5,000 affiliate gyms and several fan websites, anyone can find a CrossFit routine that fits his or her level of fitness.

Rowing:? You may think that because you are sitting down, you are not getting a real workout but in truth, rowing is a major calorie blaster. Instead of rowing for 30 minutes at a moderate speed, row for 15 minutes at a higher resistance and a faster speed. Arms get an obvious boost from rowing but core strength is also improved. Rowing combines aerobic and anaerobic exercise to burn calories while building muscle. Flexibility, especially in the joints, also improves with consistent rowing.

Spinning: Despite its name, this is not a form of dancing. Spinning is the term given to a high-intensity aerobics class that implements a stationary bicycle. Forget sitting your way through a class; an average spinning class includes variety of tension and intensity to burn optimal calories. Because these exercises are performed on a bike, spinning is considered a lower impact option that keeps pressure off of feet and knees. An added benefit of spinning is the ab workout that comes with it. Try a class ? you will feel the workout in your tummy the next day.

?

Whatever workout you choose, remember to build the intensity gradually. Find the best combination of pushing your personal limits and setting a safe pace that prevents injury.

?

?

Jim Crowell

Source: http://if-fit.com/crossfit-blog/intensity-burns-calories/

wii u breaking dawn part 2 breaking dawn part 2 hostess ufc McKayla Maroney Susan Rice