Workout of the Week: Calorie Burn Assessment Plus Leg Day

Using various cardio machines can make your cardio time in the gym a lot less monotonous. Here is a way to assess how much work you actually are getting done, with a focus on calories burned versus time on the machine.  Add a true variety of activity into your leg day. The goal is to burn 100 calories as fast as you can on as many different methods as you have available.

Cardio/Leg Day

100 calories of cardio of

Run or walk: _____

Bike: _____

Elliptical: _____

Stair stepper: _____

Row: ____

Other: _____

If you want to burn 100 calories as fast as you can, it helps to go faster than normal, and increase the resistance and incline, depending upon the machine. If you just want to monitor what your normal pace cardio looks like gauged at 100 calories, do your normal pace.

Keep track: How long does it take to get 100 calories for each method?

Between each 100-calorie event, do the following leg and core exercises before transitioning to the next machine:

Squats 20

Lunges 10/leg

Abs of choice 25

If you prefer to do weights or leg machines, replace the above calisthenics leg exercises with the following:

Leg press 10

Leg curls 10

Leg extensions 10

Plank pose 1 minute

Or

Squats 5

Deadlift 5

Step-ups 5/leg (holding dumbbells in each hand)

Abs of choice 25

The goal is to do at least five machines of the above 100-calorie cardio events, followed by any of the leg exercises during the transition. It is fine to repeat the same machine if you prefer or do not have access to multiple machines.

This should take less than an hour if you move fast and challenge yourself on the 100-calorie events. A 500-plus calorie burn workout is considered a good, above-average effort, especially if you can get it in under an hour -- maybe even push it and try to finish in 45 minutes?

Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL and fitness author certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Visit his Fitness eBook store if you’re looking to start a workout program to create a healthy lifestyle. Send your fitness questions to stew@stewsmith.com.

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