Best Cardio Machines for Weight Loss

You don't have to do cardio to lose fat, but cardio machines can behelpful for boosting your metabolism and burning more fat.

And if you use interval training, you can get more results than ifyou did traditional aerobic cardio. But that's another story foranother time. Let's take a look at which machines burn the mostcalories and which ones are worth your time.

An okay choice: Elliptical Machines.

The biggest reason to choose elliptical machines... => you've got a bum knee.

I have worked with clients with extreme osteoarthritis and wewere able to use these machines for a decent workout without pain -but the results didn't compare to clients that used a stationarybike or treadmill for their interval training.

So in general, I'm not overly impressed by the elliptical machinefor fat loss.

If you go into any gym, compare the bodies on the ellipticals tothe ones on other machines...most of the time, the people on theellipticals make no progress from month to month.

And having given the elliptical a "go" once or twice on my own, itjust didn't challenge me as a treadmill does.

But if you have bad knees, or if you are an exception to myexperience, feel free to keep rocking the elliptical!

Up next...The Stationary Bike

The bike can be easy on your knees as well, particularly if you areoverweight and can't support your bodyweight on the treadmill.

Personally, I like the stationary bikes a lot. The set up allowsyou to do a large amount of mechanical work during your intervaltraining - and that is what puts Turbulence on the muscle andallows you to increase your post-exercise metabolism.

In fact, when I first started designing the interval workouts backin 2001, I used stationary bikes exclusively.

I also think that the bike allows you to work very hard with lessrisk of injury. Running sprints outside or on a treadmill requiresa much more extensive warm-up due to the explosive nature ofsprinting.

If you don't know your body, running sprints or hills probablyisn't the best place to start. I've met too many people that havejumped right into hill training and been hurt within 1 week

So I recommend starting with the bike unless you are an experiencedrunner that knows your body well.

In addition, here are three more key points about the bike.

a) Stick to the upright version if possible. When using a recumbentbike for intervals, your hips tend to rock too much and your bodytries to get into awkward positions in order to push hard againstthe resistance. That's my experience. The upright bikes are set upbetter for intervals.

b) For intervals, increase the resistance against your pedalling,and not the speed of your pedalling. I don't like high RPMspinning. I think you'll get more results and do more work when youkeep the RPM between 80-100 and work against a harder resistance.Forget that high-RPM spinning stuff...I find it is rough on yourhips and knees.

c) When on the upright bike, sit as upright as possible for therecovery intervals or even stand for some of the work intervals.Just avoid the "rounded over" posture as that can be hard on yourlow back.

So the winner is...The Treadmill.

The treadmill can burn 16-20 calories per minute of exerciseduring your workout. That's a big burn, but of course only advancedfitness levels can achieve that - but hopefully you fit thatcategory now or you will someday with consistent training andnutrition.

Some tips: Don't go crazy with the incline (as that can lead totight calves), but if you are able to run at more than 10mph, use a1% incline to help offset the need for speed. The last thingyou want to do is end up in a crazy video on YouTube flying off theend of a treadmill into an elliptical machine.

So as with all types of sprinting, be careful.

Honorable mentions go to...The Rowing Machine andStairmaster...these can be used in place of other machines forvariety and are still effective.

Better yet, if you are able, use your body as the best fat burningmachine. I highly recommend bodyweight circuits for intervaltraining. These are fun, effective, and perhaps even better at sculpting your body.

I really like bodyweight interval circuits for advancedfat-burning, plateau-busting workouts. If you're stuck, you'llbenefit from bodyweight circuits.

For your own interval program, get a copy of Turbulence Training &the Nutrition Guide here: http://www.turbulencetraining.com/

Sincerely,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

PS - Is Turbulence Training a fat burning machine? Is it ever!
"Hi Craig, I have just turned 45 years old and run my own PTBusiness meaning I dont have a lot of time to train your TTworkouts have provided me with time and made my workouts moreintense leaving me feeling recharged and looking forward to mycardio!! I feel like a fat burning machine even when I am doingnothing thanks for making my time in the gym more fun and achievingbetter results!! I am also doing this with my clients and they arealso reaping the benefits."
Denise Brown

"Dear Craig, for the last year or so, I've plateaued in the mid tohigh 170s, having come from the low 190's. I wasn't gettinganywhere with my old program, so I started the TT program just 5weeks ago. Since then, I have not only increased my strength,endurance and overall energy level, I've gone from 175 lbs to 166lbs. That's more than 9 lbs of fat since I've definitely gainedmuscle. I finally have a waist again, and I can actually begin tosee what abs look like! Thanks!"
John Sobraske