Burning 500 calories in a workout is like achieving a perfect 10 for a gymnast, a thumbs-up from Ebert, or a sashimi grade for tuna. It's the gold standard. "It's a great target: It means you've spent some serious time moving your body. Plus, seven 500-calorie workouts, added together, are really significant. That means you've exercised away a full pound," says Gregory Florez, a spokesman for the American Council of Exercise. Even better, most women really can burn 500 calories in less than an hour. No need to eagle-eye those annoying red numbers on the treadmill; we've gathered four innovative, super-effective workouts that all blitz 500 calories.* Each workout has a different focus, so by cycling through them regularly you'll gain a strong heart and lungs, sleek muscles, and, overall, a more capable body. And unlike other gold standards 1,600 on the SAT, anyone? With a little sweat, you'll easily meet the mark on these workouts.
*Note: Calorie count is based on a 135-pound woman. If you weigh more, you'll burn more. If you weigh less...you get the idea.
Cardio Blast
Total Time About 42 minutes
Put away the dog-eared copy of Caribbean Getaways: This cardio routine requires undivided attention. "It gives you a great aerobic workout, hits most of the major muscle groups, and mixes it up so you're not bored and don't invite overuse injuries," Florez says. Head from one piece of equipment to the next as quickly as possible.
15 minutes Treadmill
Warmup 5 minutes. For the first minute, walk at 3 mph. Every minute thereafter, up the speed 0.3 mph.
For the next 10 minutes, increase your speed to an easy jog (5 to 6 mph) for 1 minute, then bring it down to 4.5 mph for a brisk walk for the next minute. Do this sequence five times.
10 minutes Elliptical Trainer
Use a full-body machine that involves arm movement. Make your arms your primary movers: Emphasize pushing and pulling them, instead of letting your legs do everything. Go hard. "You should be uncomfortable enough so that, every minute, you're checking when 10 minutes is up," Florez says. (If your gym's elliptical machines target legs only, then increase the incline on the ramp. Shoot for an incline that is about two-thirds of the maximum.)
12 minutes Treadclimber, Stairmaster, or Rower
If you have access to a Treadclimber a newly released machine that looks like a treadmill split in half, get on that. If not, a Stairmaster (either one with pedals or with moving stairs) or a rowing machine will do.
Do 2 minutes of hard work (you should be on the verge of gasping for breath), followed by 1 minute of recovery. Get to the breathless state by increasing the incline or speed, then lower it for a minute of rest. By the end of the easier minute, you should be able to carry on a conversation.
5 minutes Stationary Bike
Pedal at a low intensity to cool down. You're done!
Super Strength Set Challenge
Total Time About 45 minutes
You can improve your tone, strength, agility, balance, and reaction time with this challenge by Keli Roberts, director of group fitness for Equinox in Pasadena, California. The jumping moves really stimulate your metabolism. You'll need 8- to 12-pound dumbbells or an 18-pound body bar. Don't rest between exercises.
5 minutes Warmup. Jump rope or walk briskly.
About 5 minutes Combo 1
Clean Press (a) Holding dumbbells with palms facing you, stand with feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent to 45 degrees. Quickly pull your hands up to shoulder height; simultaneously straighten legs and stand upright. When your elbows reach shoulder height, drop them beside ribs. Press your hands overhead and straighten your legs. Return hands to shoulder height, then slide them down your thighs and bend knees back to start. Do 8 to 10 reps.
Power Squat (b) Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes at 11 and 1 o'clock, hold dumbbells at sides (or body bar behind your shoulders). Take three counts to squat, lowering until hips are the same height as knees. Return to standing as quickly as you can. Do 8 to 10 reps.
Rest for up to 2 minutes.
About 5 minutes Combo 2
Power Side Step (c) Standing with feet together, leap as high and far as you can to the right. As soon as you land on your right foot, cross your left foot behind your right ankle, but don't allow the foot to touch the ground. Then leap with your left leg and cross your right foot behind. Do 8 to 10 reps with each leg.
Lateral Lunge (d) Stand with feet together, holding dumbbells. Take a large step to the left, transfer all your weight to left leg, and sink into a lunge while your back stays straight. Then step your left foot next to the right. Pause, then repeat to the other side. Do 8 to 10 reps on each side.
Rest for up to 2 minutes.
About 5 minutes Combo 3
Plyometric Pushup (e) Get in a pushup position on hands and knees. Lower your chest, then push up as fast as you can. (If you can, clap hands in the air.) Do 8 to 10 reps.
Bench Press (f) Lie on your back on a bench, feet flat on the floor. Hold dumbbells or body bar, hands shoulder-width apart. Slowly lower elbows until hands are above your chest. Return to start position. Do 8 to 10 reps.
Rest for up to 2 minutes.
About 5 minutes Combo 4
Jump Power Lunge (g) Stand in a staggered lunge: right leg forward, left leg behind you. Jump straight up and switch legs midair so that you land with legs in opposite positions. Do 16 to 20 jumps.
Forward Lunge (h) Take a large step forward with right leg. Keep your spine straight as you lean slightly forward. Using right leg, push back to standing. Repeat on left side; do 10 reps per leg.
Rest for up to 2 minutes.
About 20 minutes Repeat combos 1 to 4
Trail-Blazing Interval Training
Total Time About 50 minutes
Time on the trail doesn't have to hit only your lower body; you can combine hill climbing with strength training. "You strengthen your whole body as well as your heart," says Patrick Goudeau, the Los Angeles trainer and Nike Fitness Athlete who designed this workout. Find a long hill one that would take you about 2.5 minutes to climb if you were walking. You'll also need an 8- to 12-pound object: a backpack, rock, or log.
5 minutes Warmup
Walk briskly on flat ground for 5 minutes, stretch your calves, quads, and shoulders, and warm up your ankles with foot circles in both directions.
5 minutes Walk up a steep hill as quickly as possible, using normal-sized steps (count how many). Climb for 2.5 minutes. Then turn around and head down.
About 4 minutes Back at the bottom, do two sets of 8 to 10 body-weight squats. Rest 1 minute.
5 minutes Power Lunges
Head up the hill again, but this time take half the number of steps you took the first time; you'll need to power lunge (take big steps forward but keep your knee over your toes). At the 2.5-minute mark, walk back down normally.
About 3 minutes Pushup Plus (a)
Place hands on two similar-sized rocks and get into a pushup position: hands under shoulders, weight resting on knees or toes. (If you can't find two rocks, use the ground.) Do eight pushups. With your hands still on the ground, jump forward so your feet are close to your hands. Then shoot your legs back into the pushup position. That's one. Do eight. Rest 1 minute.
5 minutes Sprint (or jog, if you're new to running) up the hill as fast as you can. Walk down. If you reach the bottom in less than 5 minutes, do jumping jacks until time is up.
About 4 minutes One-Legged Windmill (b)
Standing with feet shoulder-width apart, transfer weight onto right leg as you raise left off the ground. Bend your right knee. Keeping a straight left leg, press left heel forward; swing left leg behind you as you straighten right leg. Then touch the ground with your left hand. Return to standing upright with your left foot still off the ground. Do 8 to 10, then switch sides. Rest 1 minute.
About 4 minutes Biceps/Triceps Curl
(c) Grab object in left hand. Curl object to left shoulder, then lower. Do 8 to 10 reps on each side, then 8 to 10 more with both hands holding object. To add intensity, stand on one foot during single-arm curls. (d) Then take object overhead, holding it with both hands. Keeping elbows pointed up, lower forearms behind your head, then straighten again. Do two sets of 15 reps. Rest 1 minute.
5 minutes Hop/Sprint Combo
Take two big hops feet hip-width apart, elbows bent 90 degrees, and arms swinging to provide momentum then sprint eight steps up the hill. Repeat sequence for 2 minutes. Take an easy walk down.
About 5 minutes Abs Trio
Do one set each of three ab exercises of your choice. For example, lie on your back on ground so that head is uphill. Arms, palms down, are at sides. Keeping legs glued together, bend knees and bring them toward chest. Slowly lower until heels touch ground. Do 15 reps.
5 minutes Cool down with walk or light jog.
Triathlon Workout
Total Time About 45 minutes
One of the key ways to prepare for a triathlon is a brick workout: doing one of the sport's three disciplines (swimming, biking, running) followed immediately by another. But anyone can benefit from this kind of training. "People too often train in the gray zone: not too hard, and not too easy," says exercise physiologist Tom Holland, who designed this workout.
Part I Cycling
10 minutes Warm up. By the end of 10 minutes, you should have broken a sweat.
5 minutes Time trial. Pedal as hard as you can. Stay in an easy gear, and stay seated. Try to keep your revolutions per minute over 90.
2 minutes Pedal easily; recover.
5 minutes Time trial. Again, go all out, but this time stand up and out of the saddle as much as you can and push a big gear.
5 minutes Pedal easily. Then transition as quickly as you can to your choice of:
Part II Running or Swimming
Option 1 Running
5 minutes Jog at a pace at which it takes about 10 minutes to cover a mile.
6 minutes Three pairs of 1-minute intervals: Run hard for 1 minute (hard enough that you can't carry on a conversation), then slow down for 1 minute to an easy jog (a pace at which you could talk to someone, or about 5 mph on a treadmill). Repeat the sequence two more times.
5 minutes Cool down with an easy jog. For extra leg-strengthening and toning in the last minute, do a series of 20 high knees (bring knees up toward shoulders), 20 butt kicks (bring heels towards butt), and 20 skips.
Option 2 Swimming
5 minutes Swim an easy freestyle. Count the number of strokes it takes to cover one length of the pool, and maintain it.
8 minutes Swim freestyle hard for 3 minutes, then easy for 1. Repeat.
5 minutes Swim easy freestyle, keeping the same number of strokes.
Fuel to Burn
Get the energy you need to power through and recover from these workouts
Nobody wants to cancel out a fat-frying session with two bites of coconut shrimp, but challenging workouts do require food before and after. The best mix? In both cases, it's protein and carbs. The protein will help keep you satiated during your workout and build muscle after, while the carbs will give you energy and replace the glycogen you've just burned. Within an hour or two before and after, have a combo such as a teaspoon of peanut butter on a whole-grain English muffin, a handful of raisins and nuts, or even 4 to 8 ounces of a smoothie with low-fat milk, yogurt, and a banana. Like energy bars? Pick one that has around 8 g of protein, at least 3 to 5 g of fiber, and no more than 2 g of saturated fat, like the Luna Bar.
*Note: Calorie count is based on a 135-pound woman. If you weigh more, you'll burn more. If you weigh less...you get the idea.
Cardio Blast
Total Time About 42 minutes
Put away the dog-eared copy of Caribbean Getaways: This cardio routine requires undivided attention. "It gives you a great aerobic workout, hits most of the major muscle groups, and mixes it up so you're not bored and don't invite overuse injuries," Florez says. Head from one piece of equipment to the next as quickly as possible.
15 minutes Treadmill
10 minutes Elliptical Trainer
12 minutes Treadclimber, Stairmaster, or Rower
If you have access to a Treadclimber a newly released machine that looks like a treadmill split in half, get on that. If not, a Stairmaster (either one with pedals or with moving stairs) or a rowing machine will do.
5 minutes Stationary Bike
Pedal at a low intensity to cool down. You're done!
Super Strength Set Challenge
Total Time About 45 minutes
You can improve your tone, strength, agility, balance, and reaction time with this challenge by Keli Roberts, director of group fitness for Equinox in Pasadena, California. The jumping moves really stimulate your metabolism. You'll need 8- to 12-pound dumbbells or an 18-pound body bar. Don't rest between exercises.
5 minutes Warmup. Jump rope or walk briskly.
About 5 minutes Combo 1
Rest for up to 2 minutes.
About 5 minutes Combo 2
Rest for up to 2 minutes.
About 5 minutes Combo 3
Rest for up to 2 minutes.
About 5 minutes Combo 4
Rest for up to 2 minutes.
About 20 minutes Repeat combos 1 to 4
Trail-Blazing Interval Training
Total Time About 50 minutes
Time on the trail doesn't have to hit only your lower body; you can combine hill climbing with strength training. "You strengthen your whole body as well as your heart," says Patrick Goudeau, the Los Angeles trainer and Nike Fitness Athlete who designed this workout. Find a long hill one that would take you about 2.5 minutes to climb if you were walking. You'll also need an 8- to 12-pound object: a backpack, rock, or log.
5 minutes Warmup
Walk briskly on flat ground for 5 minutes, stretch your calves, quads, and shoulders, and warm up your ankles with foot circles in both directions.
5 minutes Walk up a steep hill as quickly as possible, using normal-sized steps (count how many). Climb for 2.5 minutes. Then turn around and head down.
About 4 minutes Back at the bottom, do two sets of 8 to 10 body-weight squats. Rest 1 minute.
5 minutes Power Lunges
Head up the hill again, but this time take half the number of steps you took the first time; you'll need to power lunge (take big steps forward but keep your knee over your toes). At the 2.5-minute mark, walk back down normally.
About 3 minutes Pushup Plus (a)
Place hands on two similar-sized rocks and get into a pushup position: hands under shoulders, weight resting on knees or toes. (If you can't find two rocks, use the ground.) Do eight pushups. With your hands still on the ground, jump forward so your feet are close to your hands. Then shoot your legs back into the pushup position. That's one. Do eight. Rest 1 minute.
5 minutes Sprint (or jog, if you're new to running) up the hill as fast as you can. Walk down. If you reach the bottom in less than 5 minutes, do jumping jacks until time is up.
About 4 minutes One-Legged Windmill (b)
Standing with feet shoulder-width apart, transfer weight onto right leg as you raise left off the ground. Bend your right knee. Keeping a straight left leg, press left heel forward; swing left leg behind you as you straighten right leg. Then touch the ground with your left hand. Return to standing upright with your left foot still off the ground. Do 8 to 10, then switch sides. Rest 1 minute.
About 4 minutes Biceps/Triceps Curl (c) Grab object in left hand. Curl object to left shoulder, then lower. Do 8 to 10 reps on each side, then 8 to 10 more with both hands holding object. To add intensity, stand on one foot during single-arm curls. (d) Then take object overhead, holding it with both hands. Keeping elbows pointed up, lower forearms behind your head, then straighten again. Do two sets of 15 reps. Rest 1 minute.
5 minutes Hop/Sprint Combo
Take two big hops feet hip-width apart, elbows bent 90 degrees, and arms swinging to provide momentum then sprint eight steps up the hill. Repeat sequence for 2 minutes. Take an easy walk down.
About 5 minutes Abs Trio
Do one set each of three ab exercises of your choice. For example, lie on your back on ground so that head is uphill. Arms, palms down, are at sides. Keeping legs glued together, bend knees and bring them toward chest. Slowly lower until heels touch ground. Do 15 reps.
5 minutes Cool down with walk or light jog.
Triathlon Workout
Total Time About 45 minutes
One of the key ways to prepare for a triathlon is a brick workout: doing one of the sport's three disciplines (swimming, biking, running) followed immediately by another. But anyone can benefit from this kind of training. "People too often train in the gray zone: not too hard, and not too easy," says exercise physiologist Tom Holland, who designed this workout.
Part I Cycling
Part II Running or Swimming
Option 1 Running
Option 2 Swimming
Fuel to Burn
Get the energy you need to power through and recover from these workouts
Nobody wants to cancel out a fat-frying session with two bites of coconut shrimp, but challenging workouts do require food before and after. The best mix? In both cases, it's protein and carbs. The protein will help keep you satiated during your workout and build muscle after, while the carbs will give you energy and replace the glycogen you've just burned. Within an hour or two before and after, have a combo such as a teaspoon of peanut butter on a whole-grain English muffin, a handful of raisins and nuts, or even 4 to 8 ounces of a smoothie with low-fat milk, yogurt, and a banana. Like energy bars? Pick one that has around 8 g of protein, at least 3 to 5 g of fiber, and no more than 2 g of saturated fat, like the Luna Bar.
Related Link
Last Updated: 12/01/2006 09:18:26