Burn Calories in a Crunch
by Robert Best
I know when a lot people get into the gym, they are confused about what exercises to do, especially if they are in a hurry and want a full body workout that burns a lot of calories really fast. The key to getting your metabolic rate going (the amount of calories you burn) is to use movements that utilize a lot of muscle, for a decent amount of repetitions, with a decent intensity. That being said here are a few exercises that you can piece together or do solo if you have a time crunch and are looking for a quick efficient workout.
Deadlifts or Kettlebell Swings
The hip hinge is one of the most powerful movements that we can do (if done correctly and safely). The back muscles must stay tight when holding the bar, the abs braced like a plank and every muscle in the lower body is pushed to its max.
Aim for weights your can do 5-10 times for deadlift, for the swing a weight that gets your huffing and puffing after 15-20 swings.
The Squat and Press (Thruster) or Wall Balls
The squat and press (otherwise known as the thruster) uses a whole lot of muscle in the legs and upper body. Make sure the shoulders hold the weight in the front squat to not hurt your wrists. If doing barbells or dumbbells use weight that gets your tired around 10 reps. Wall balls are lighter but can really amp up your heart rate if you do weight that tires you out after 20-30 reps.
Sprints on the Tread, Row Ergometer, or Air Bike
All three of these exercises require a lot of muscle to work in sync which can jack your heart rate up pretty quickly. The key, though, is to pick a speed or intensity that you can only maintain for about 30-60 seconds. The reason being is that you push every muscle to its max in that time. If you go longer, you start working more steady cardio (which is fine) but it takes longer to boost your metabolic rate.
Now that you have some exercises that will really work a lot of muscle and get the heart going quickly, try and piece together some workouts with them and see what you can come up with. Here are a couple sample exercises you can start with that should only take 15 minutes or so (after a proper warm up of course)!
Circuit 1
Heavy Deadlift – 5 Reps
Wall Ball – 20 Reps
30 Second Air Bike Sprint
Repeat 5 Times
Circuit 2
Moderate Squat and Press – 10 Reps
Swings – 15 Reps
200 Meter Run
Repeat 5 Times
