Burn Calories On The Treadmill By Increasing Workout Intensity

The average adult walks at a speed of about 4.79 feet per second, with older adults walking around 4.11 feet per second. In terms of miles per hour, this translates into 3.25 mph for adults and 2.80 mph for older adults.

For every mile you walk, you burn off 100 calories. With this in mind, the average adult burns 325 calories an hour from walking, while the average older adult burns 280 calories per hour.

To increase the amount of calories you burn per 20 minute cardio session, increase your rate of speed and gradient (degree of incline).

• Normal Speed (3.25 mph) and Zero % Incline – Baseline calories burned, as noted above.
• 4 mph and 1% Incline – Burns 24% more calories than baseline levels.
• 4 mph and 2% Incline – Burns 28% more calories than baseline levels.
• 4 mph and 3% Incline – Burns 33% more calories than baseline levels.
• 4 mph and 4% Incline – Burns 38% more calories than baseline levels.
• 4 mph and 5% Incline – Burns 42% more calories than baseline levels.
• 4 mph and 6% Incline – Burns 47% more calories than baseline levels.

• 5 mph and 2% Incline – Burns 56% more calories than baseline levels.
• 5 mph and 4% Incline – Burns 68% more calories than baseline levels.
• 5 mph and 6% Incline – Burns 79% more calories than baseline levels.

• 6 mph and 2% Incline – Burns 84% more calories than baseline levels.
• 6 mph and 4% Incline – Burns 98% more calories than baseline levels.
• 6 mph and 6% Incline – Burns 112% more calories than baseline levels.

What rate of speed and incline levels do you use on the treadmill? Let us know in the comments section below.

Build Muscle And Burn Calories By Using Tri-Sets

A tri-set involves the performing of three different exercises back to back to back without maintaining any rest in between sets. Tri-sets are not only a great muscle building tool, but they also work to keep your heart pumping and help to burn more calories.

Here are some ways to incorporate tri-sets into your workout.

3 Exercises per Body Part

For larger muscle groups start with a compound movement, move to a machine or less taxing compound style movement, and finally finish off with an isolation exercise. for example:

• Chest – Dumbbell Bench Press, Hammer Strength Bench Press and Dumbbell Flyes
• Legs – Squats, Lunges and Leg Extensions

For smaller body parts, like biceps and triceps, you can simply perform any 3 appropriate movements:

• Triceps – Close Grip Bench Press, Cable Tricep Extensions and Skullcrushers

3 Exercises, Different Body Parts

You can also work 3 different muscle groups using tri-sets.

• Upper Body – Pec Dec, T-Bar Rows and Dumbbell Lateral Raise
• Lower Body – Leg Press, Leg Curls and Calf Raises

Do you use tri-sets? Tell us about some of your favorite exercise and body part combinations.

Recover Faster From Workout Muscle Soreness Using These Practices

Muscle soreness can be debilitating.  We’ve experienced workouts that have left us feeling completely immobile due to muscle soreness, or DOMS. (Delayed onset muscle soreness)

Here are some tips to relieve muscle soreness, so you can get back into the gym and building muscle or burning calories again.

1. Hot Baths – A long, hot bath will not only help loosen stiff muscles, but is also extremely relaxing.
2. Active Recovery – Get out and move. Perform some very light forms of exercise that drive blood to the muscles.
3. Massage – Who doesn’t like a nice deep tissue massage?
4. RICE – No, not the food. RICE stands for: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.
5. Stretching – Perform a few 10-15 minute stretching sessions each day.
6. Anti-Inflammatories – Take ibuprofen a few times each day.

Has anything helped relieve muscle soreness for you? Let us know in the comments section below.

Know The Difference Between Fat Loss And Weight Loss

Did you know that fat loss and weight loss are two different things? Fat loss involves the use of proper training and nutrition, and creates the amazing bodies you seen on bodybuilders, fitness models and even Hollywood stars. Weight loss is usually backed by sub-par nutrition and/or fad diets along with ineffective (or no) training.

Let’s look at the some of the differences between weight loss and fat loss.

• With weight loss you lose fat and muscle mass. With fat loss you lose fat and very little to no muscle mass.
• Fat loss creates an increase in fitness, while weight loss usually results in the same, or worse fitness levels.
• Fat Loss will allow you to maintain, or even build strength in some cases.Weight loss results in the loss of strength.
• Fat loss increases or maintains your existing immunity levels, and improves disease prevention. Weight loss can decrease your immunity levels.
• When you lose fat and maintain muscle, you loss far better after your “diet” is over. When you lose fat and muscle – weight loss – you will look thinner but far from toned.

Build Your Chest Using These Top 5 Exercises

If you’re looking to build up your chest (pectorals), you can’t do wrong with the following 5 muscle building exercises. While it is hard to compile a top 5 for chest, because there are so many quality exercises, these movements are definitely very potent and well worth your time.

1. Bench Press – The bench press is the king of all chest movements. While there is some debate to whether it is the best chest exercise, it certainly allows for the greatest amount of resistance.
2. Dumbbell Bench Press – A top quality chest builder that works well with volume and slightly higher rep ranges. A good 5 set x 10 rep workout will leave your chest very sore the next day.
3. Dips – Some consider the chest dip to be an old school and dated exercise, but not so. Dips were once considered the upper body squat for a very good reason.
4. Incline Bench Press – Many top physique stars and bodybuilders considered the incline bench press to be the king of all chest builders.
5. Dumbbell Flyes – Flyes are the go to isolation movement for the chest. Try them with a 2, 3 or even 4 second pause at the bottom for extra intensity.

Which chest exercises are your favorites? Let us know in the comments section below.

Burn 200 Calories In Only 3 Minutes Using This Cardio Approach

A recent study revealed that by adding 2.5 minutes of intense cardio to your session, your body can burn an additional 200 calories.

Researchers had 5 healthy men perform interval training on a stationary bike. They would cycle with all out intensity for 30 seconds, and then follow this period with 4 minutes of low intensity cycling. The result: 200 more calories were burned on that given day.

Let’s look at applications for you in the gym. For every 20 minutes of moderate to low intensity cardio you do, add 2.5 minutes of very high intensity intervals. Your workouts should go something like this:

• Low Intensity – 4 minutes
• High Intensity – 30 seconds
• Low Intensity – 4 minutes
• High Intensity – 30 seconds
• Low Intensity – 4 minutes
• High Intensity – 30 seconds
• Low Intensity – 4 minutes
• High Intensity – 30 seconds
• Low Intensity – 4 minutes
• High Intensity – 30 seconds

This takes your 20 minute cardio session and bumps it to 22.5 minutes. You can use this same strategy to any form of cardio, from skipping rope to running and sprinting.

Have you tried this form of intensity cycling? Let us know in the comments section below.

Build Your Back Using These Top 5 Exercises

Back training is often an afterthought. The go to back exercise for most gym lifters is the lat pull down. While this isn’t a bad exercise there are much better ways to build an impressive back. Here are 5 back exercises well worth your time.

1. Deadlifts – Often avoided or seen strictly as a lower back exercise, deadlifts are one of the best ways to build huge traps, spinae erectors and general back size.
2. Barbell Rows – The perfect complement to heavy bench presses, barbell rows are one of the best ways to build mid-back thickness.
3. Pull Ups – Hands down the best exercise you can perform for lat thickness. Choose pull ups first before lat pull downs.
4. Seated Cable Rows – An underrated movement, seated cable rows allow you to work the mid-back while reducing the strain put on the lower back. You are also able to achieve a quality contraction with this movement.
5. T-Bar Rows – Old school but effective, T-bar rows are a great way to cap off a quality back workout

Which back exercises are your favorites? Let us know in the comments section below.