Lose More Fat Without a Treadmill!

Whenever a client comes to me with the goal of losing fat, they always ask, "How long do I have to walk/run on the treadmill?" Well, they become very shocked when I reply, "You don't have to even touch a machine."

Let me explain: people still think they must be a slave to a treadmill (or other "cardio" machine) in order to lose fat, get a better body, and get healthy. It's just not the case. In fact, there are other training methods that could get you results faster and in less time.

Sound too good to be true? Stay with me for a minute.

First of all, if you hate doing something (such as spending endless time on a machine), what makes you think you're going to be consistent? If you're not consistent, you won't get long lasting results. It's as simple as that. Plus, who has the time to spend hours per week on a machine?

Instead of spending time on a machine, I suggest other, more effective, alternatives.

1) Bodyweight circuits. Pick a few exercises and perform them back-to-back with no or minimal rest time. For example: squats, pushups, jumping jacks, lunges, and planks. You could perform several repetitions (about 10-15) of each exercise and perform the circuit for 10-15 minutes. You'll get your heart rate up for sure. The other benefit to this over a treadmill: you'll build muscle. Muscle increases your metabolism, which allows you to burn more calories. Get creative here: pick any bodyweight movements you can think of. Also, feel free to perform each exercise, rest 1-2 minutes, and repeat the circuit for about 5-6 total rounds.

2) Dumbbell intervals. Pick an exercise: dumbbell thrusters*. Perform about 10 repetitions of this exercise, rest 60 seconds, and repeat for about 5-6 more rounds. You could pick many other exercises, too, and mix and match. For example: you could do a few rounds of dumbbell thrusters, and then perform a few rounds of squat thrusts**. For a progression, you should either increase the number of rounds you perform and/or decrease your rest periods.

There are many other methods you can use, but these two should be sufficient for now.

You may never step foot on another machine again!

*Dumbbell thruster: stand with the dumbbells at your shoulders. Perform a squat, and as you are standing up, simultaneously press the dumbbells overhead. Lower the dumbbells back to your shoulders, and immediately perform another squat.

**Squat thrust: stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Squat down and put your hands outside your feet on the floor. Kick your feet back so you are in the top of a pushup position. From here, jump your feet back up to your hands, and then stand up. You could also use dumbbells for extra resistance. You would just hold them in your hands the entire time. Make sure they don't roll away from you!