Gym Equipment To Torch Fat
Right about now you are probably one of the millions of people about to the adopt the New Year New You mantra. Isn’t it about time you dusted off that gym membership and reintroduced your body to its long lost abs! They’re still under there, hanging onto the muscle memory from earlier last year. Back then you were frantically trying to drop a few kilos for your summer vacation, suddenly in a panic that you had to take your top off and hit the beach. Your 6-pack has been enjoying its own vacation since then, taking refuge under a warm and protective coating of roast potatoes, mince pies, and those obligatory Christmas choccies.
No matter what time of the year, committing to get fit is a serious intention and one to be actively encouraged and applauded. We’re here to motivate you all in discovering your inner Adonis, that well-chiseled physique, all honed and toned, lean and mean, like the proverbial James Brown sex machine! We sense though that you are impatient young Padwa and want to see results. We get it. You want to target and torch that fat, blast it into oblivion, pulverize it into submission. Being overweight and out of shape was too 2018!
To do those lads, you are going to have to break out into a sweat. There are no short-cuts or magic pills you can swallow. Effort delivers results, and you are going to need to elevate that heart rate, turn your body into a highly effective fat burning machine and prepare to see your fat literally crying in pain as it hits the floor of the gym in a sweaty puddle at your feet. Adios Amigo! We’re bringing sweaty back! So let’s take a look at the most effective 8 pieces of gym equipment to torch fat.
A Couple Of Pointers Before You Get Started
As you all know by now, new bodies are made in the kitchen and not just down the gym, so we make sure you’ve got the nutrition side of things fully covered too. Eat clean, to train mean. It’s not rocket science despite what all these new fad diets breaking the internet right about now might try and tell you. Load up on your protein intake if you want to seriously torch fat. A great way of doing this is to invest in a good, high-quality protein powder which will really help you supplement your training. For pre and post workout recovery a protein shake is a great option and will actively support your weight loss as well as muscle gain goals.
You also need to be taking on board plenty of nature’s good stuff, H2O. Water is the source of life, it will also help your body eliminate all those toxins and flush out your system which is essential if you are committed to losing and sustaining the fat loss. Try and go for at least 3 liters a day. You will be surprised how much you get through during a targeted gym session on just one of the pieces of recommended fat burning gym-equipment we’re about to reveal. So protein powder, a water bottle and while you’re at it, pick up a cooling towel for yourself as yes, you are going to sweat like a mutha! They’re inexpensive, highly portable and will easily fit into your gym bag. Now might be a good time to get yourself a new gym bag too. You’re serious about this right? So get yourself all the gear to motivate you to hit that gym hard.
Ask Yourself What Your Goals Are, Apart From Just Losing Body Fat
While all 8 of the specific pieces of gym equipment we’re going to run you through do all ultimately help to torch fat, they do plenty more besides. So if you do have a specific goal or challenge in mind for 2019, get clear on what that looks like as it will help you to better define your workout program.
Narrowing down your goals and getting clear on what you are looking to achieve with your fitness training will help you to put a motivational regime in place that utilizes the best equipment the gym has to offer to smash your targets. You might be training for a marathon, about to enter your first triathlon, toning up for your wedding, under Doctor’s orders to lower that blood pressure and get diabetes in check. Whatever supplementary goals you have in addition to melting away those excess pounds, there’ll be a machine that can help you.
Ok, so are you ready for the great reveal; the 8 pieces of gym equipment to torch fat? Buckle down as you’re about to break out in a sweat!
Assault Bike
You may also see these referred to as Fan Bikes or even an Airdyne Bike which is a particular make popularised by this genre. Fair warning. Assault Bikes are not for the faint-hearted or the uninitiated so if you are a total newbie to working out, perhaps swerve the Assault bike until you have built up some cardio strength, That said, boy, do they deliver fat burning results and then so. They are loved by the Cross Training fraternity, and you will see many spit and sawdust style gyms, frequently by Cross Fitters, full of nothing more than ropes, climbing frames, gymnastic rings, plenty of Olympic barbells and Fan Bikes. It’s one of the most grueling, demanding and possibly hated pieces of gym equipment but no pain no gain as they say and if you have the commitment and stamina to start incorporating fan based workouts into your routine, yes you will be in pain, but by gosh will you see you quick and impressive gains.
Assault Bikes are similar to the regular stationary bikes you will find in most gyms only they are differentiated by having two handlebars that are noticeably higher than the seat and feature an impressive and oversized fan which acts as a front wheel. They require a significant amount of energy expenditure just to get them powered, and unlike with a stationary bike, your arms and not just your legs are called into play, so you get an all over body workout. The machine creates resistance through the fan which creates wind and conversely the harder you pedal, the more challenging the activity becomes. It seriously and we do mean seriously, smashes those calories.
Due to the intensity of Assault Bike training, most professionals recommend you start out with a modest 10-minute workout compromised of 10 seconds activity and 50 seconds rest and build up on that drill. Might not sound impressive or challenging but until you jump onto an Air Bike, you’ve no idea what exactly you are letting yourself in for. You can make life even more challenging for yourself by wearing a weighted vest while you workout! Especially if you are looking to build muscle mass and not just fat. We’ll go on later to consider the advantages of weighted vests in more detail, but they help to take all your chosen exercises not only up a notch, but also provide stability and support too. If you are serious about torching fat, it doesn’t come more deadly than and Assault Bike and Weighted Vest double whammy workout!
Battle Ropes
For a truly butt busting workout that’s as much fun as it is fat burning, you should give the battle ropes a swing. Most gyms will have them these days, and they are one of the best and most dynamic pieces of fat burning equipment around. Just put on your favorite playlist and get ready to slam your way to a better day as well as a more toned body. There’s nothing better than working out with battle ropes to raise the spirits and the heart rate! You’re not only getting the benefits of a brilliant workout but you are going to see your mood brightened and your stress levels dissipated.
They provide a really excellent full body workout as you are engaging your core, stabilizing through your legs, and of course using those arms to power the ropes up and down, slamming against the floor or undulating them in a rhythmic flow. You only need to do about 20-second drills as the activity is so explosive, then rest for 40 seconds and repeat. Every single time you power the ropes you are engaging and firing up your entire core, so they really do make an excellent adjunct to any other exercise routine you already have in place and make the perfect workout finisher.
Medicine Balls
All the professionals will tell you that fat burning isn’t just about cardio. You need to be incorporating weight training into your program too to really see results. Weight adds resistance and strength to the equation so not only will you build muscle, but you will also lose fat. Medicine balls, also known as fitness balls, are weighted balls that have been around for centuries. They’re old school but they deliver results and again, are a tremendous supplementary piece of equipment that you should be using alongside something like a Treadmill or a Stair Climber. They work by challenging your muscles from a wide variety of angles and can be used before or after your workout on your chosen machine to target and tone further specific problem areas. Medicine Balls, for example, are especially effective used as part of a core routine.
To use a weighted ball, you need to use both your hands, so your upper body is always being challenged. The balls can be bounced against a wall, the floor or passed to a gym partner and can be an entertaining, interactive and challenging addition to your usual workout. Who would have thought that playing “catch” could be so challenging! Try also squatting and lunging with your medicine balls to really give yourself a full body workout.
Rowing Machine
The rowing machine is a great go-to option if you are feeling a bit sore from your previous workout and want to increase your overall endurance, burn body fat but also workout in a low impact way. Rowing machines seem to have been out of favor lately with Assault Bikes and Battle Ropes taking more of the glory and as such can be underutilized and underestimated when it comes to their cardio benefits. This makes them a great choice if you are a member of a busy gym which will be heaving at this time of year with all the newbies desperate to burn off the excesses of the previous year. The Rowing Machine, also known as an ergometer or erg for short is an all-encompassing piece of gym equipment which combines endurance with stamina in a low-impact machine. Working out on the rowing machine requires 85% muscle activation which is higher than many other activities including the treadmill or elliptical trainer so don’t neglect or overlook including the rowing machine into your training program if losing unwanted fat is the name of the game. Due to its low impact nature, it also reduces the risk of injury so can be an excellent machine for both recovery training as well as aerobic and anaerobic workouts. As with the treadmill too, don’t forget that you can also very effectively use a Rowing Machine for your interval HIIT style training. Use a combination of timed intervals and power strokes throughout a quick blast session, and you will be sweating buckets before you know it. A sure fire sign that fat is being torched!
Kettle Bells
Don’t be deceived by the look of these things! They may well look like bowling balls with a handle, but like medicine balls, they are an incredible piece of extra equipment to incorporate into your routines if you are hell-bent on losing weight, strengthening your body and giving yourself an extra cardio blast. They increase the intensity of your workouts which means you have to exert more energy ergo you burn more calories. Kettlebells are far more dynamic and flexible than medicine balls too, or than dumbbells for that matter and can be used in a wide range of full body exercises. You can isolate and work one side at a time which is particularly useful if you are weaker or more dominant on one side than the other.
They come in a wide range of sizes so you may want to select two different ones, starting out light and working your way up. For a double handed kettlebell swing, you will be able to work with a heavier weight than a one-handed overhead snatch for example. When it comes to kettlebell training, you can get really creative, incorporating them into all kinds of exercises. From squats to lunges, tricep extenions to shoulder presses. Move the kettlebells by swinging, cleaning and snatching. They really do offer a diverse and fun, fat burning workout.
Treadmill
If you are training for a race or just generally trying to shift some of that excess weight, then the treadmill is a great option. Some people affectionately call it “the dreadmill” but it really is a marvelous piece of equipment to get the heat quickly pounding and perfect for fair weather runners who want to bring their training indoors during the winter months. It also happens to be very beginner friendly too and can be used in a low impact way.
Even if you start out just walking and don’t run, the beauty of the treadmill is that it is a weight-bearing exercise and so it will automatically burn more calories than a non-weight bearing exercise, such as working out on a stationary bike for example. If you are using the Treadmill as part of an overall training program to increase your endurance, then you should also be doing interval style sessions and not just plodding away on a flat incline at 10 MPH for 30 minutes. Mix things up a bit to challenge your body. Trying sprinting flat out for 20 seconds, walking at a fast pace for 60 seconds and repeating this process for at least 8 rounds, incrementally increasing your speed. This type of HIIT training (which stands for High-Intensity Interval Training) is hands down one of the best ways to torch fat.
If you’re not familiar yet with HIIT, you don’t know what you are missing! Literally, your heart rate if revved to the max during a session which subsequently causes your body to use more energy not just in the here and now but for up to 24 hours afterward. The process is known as afterburn, and if you are looking to blast fat, then afterburn is definitely your new best friend. Please be careful though and before starting any new rigorous program, consult a Doctor or Personal Trainer and make sure you get your BMI checked out too. Treadmill’s do offer a safe but also progressive way of carrying out a cardio workout.
Stair Climber
The Stair Climber or Stair Master as it’s sometimes called really targets your lower body to build strength and definition. It’s also a highly effective piece of gym equipment once again for shifting the excess weight and it a great alternative to a treadmill to mix things up a bit and add some variety into your cardio sessions. If you consider the lower intensity act of walking on a treadmill, versus on the Stair Climber, you are going to burn more calories overall. That’s because walking on a treadmill is more efficient as opposed to climbing stairs which require your body to work in a different and more challenging way. Running on a treadmill will still be more, but if struggle with the impact of running or you specifically do want to build leg muscle and strength, then a Stair Climber is a good alternative and worth considering introducing, even if it’s a just 15-minute leg blast. For cardio combined with building leg strength is makes great sense.
Weighted Vest
You’ve no doubt seen people down the gym wearing a weighted vest and wondered what planet they were from! As if exercise isn’t challenging enough without adding more weight into the equation. You have a hard enough time hauling your sorry butt down the gym as it is and already might feel like you have lead in your new training shoes, without then throwing a weighted vest onto your back! However, think again, as there are a tremendous amount of additional benefits to be had from wearing a weighted jacket and not just because they will ultimately help you to torch fat faster. A Weighted Vest is a fitness tool, just like a Kettlebell or a Medicine Ball that feature lots of small pockets that can be filled with steel bars, sand or other small weights. That extra weight is beneficial to a wide range of body weight exercises and will increase your stamina if you are running, walking or carrying out agility drills. From rope climbing to pull-ups, burpees to push-ups, there’s a whole heap of exercises that you can make even more challenging by wearing a weighted vest. In a nutshell, a weighted vest will help to increase your endurance and stamina, provide an element of variation and fun into your workouts, deliver considerable gains to your cardiovascular and your musculoskeletal system as well as torching that all-important fat!
Mix It Up If You Want To Continue To Make Gains
Bodies adapt quickly and while you might start out seeing some quick and immediate results, in order to continue on your fat burning mission and not plateau, it’s a great idea to really liven up your workouts and challenge your body by changing the modality, the intensity and the types of equipment you incorporate into your regular sessions. No one machine is really better or more effective than the other overall. They have their specific benefits and advantages, some of which you might personally find more advantageous than others. It’s all a part of your own unique fitness journey and your specific goals and challenges which are likely to evolve as you progress and make serious gains. So be prepared to switch things up too. Get creative with your time in the gym and take full advantage of all the fantastic gym equipment at your disposal. Don’t just get stuck in a rut like a hamster in its wheel and become a slave to the Treadmill. You won’t know how much you love the Kettle Bells or the Battle Ropes until you actually give them a go!
Sources:
- Calculate Your BMI, BMI Result
- 4 Must-Try Cardio Workouts, WebMD
- What is the most effective cardio machine in the gym?, NBC News
Comments