Is running the only intense way to lose calories?

[Leego]

I want to know, because I'm not really enjoying it all that much anymore.

 

Last summer, before I hurt, I enjoyed running on a treadmill enough. I would just plug some earbuds into my ears, listen to music, and fantasy while alternating between walking, jogging, running, and sprinting for 1-2 hours. Now when I try to do this on a treadmill, I feel myself getting bored or anxious about the amount of time I've been on, and for some reason, I feel heavier than in the past. Even though I lost (supposedly) 40 lbs. Like my feet drag a little when running on a treadmill, which doesn't feel safe at all.

 

Granted, I haven't been resting well lately, and I still have a sinus infection. I also kind of already do a fair bit of walking and bike riding during the day when on campus.

 

Last semester, I would get up at 5:00 AM in the morning, and do interval training around the field track, and I plan on doing that again this semester...it just seemed more enjoyable when it was cold outside, and not many people around. Now, it's like I got to share the track with a running class (that I didn't join because at the time it felt silly paying $500 to join a class where I run), and I can't run around campus because I have to keep my backpack close to me, but if I run with my backpack on and it happens to have a lot of books, I put myself at risk of overloading my knees again. Or at least that's what I'm paranoid about. It also messes with my form to run with a backpack.

 

So I've been looking for ways to burn calories in the morning besides running. I could just continue to bike ride. It gets pretty exhausting when going uphill a lot and going all around campus, but I've heard and read that biking doesn't have the same impact on the body and generate the same calorie burn as running.

 

But I hear boxing does. So I might practice boxing in my apartment.

 

Also, is 100 squats a day really a good idea?

[TheOtherScott]

It almost doesn't matter what you do as long as you're doing it regularly and safely.  I'd hesitate to give up running based solely on your experience with treadmills, because treadmill running is a different animal altogether, but if you don't enjoy it, don't do it.

 

What kind of fitness goals are you after?

[Leego]

Something simpler than before. Right now, I just want to focus on:

 

Losing weight

Improving posture

Maintaining some level of strength

Improving flexibility

 

In that order from most important to least important.

 

I'm doing bodyweight training, this time around, because I feel the progression fits my goals and condition better, and it's easier to do with my current lifestyle. Instead of counting what reps and weights I can reach each time and trying to push myself to lift more weight (which is how I hurt my knee).

 

I will just keep doing the same exercises until all parts of my body are at the same level, and I can hit 3 sets of 20-30 reps with ease. That's doing things like: Push-ups, pull-ups, bodyweight squats, and something else I'm forgetting right now.

[JPrev]

Burning calories is tough, no matter what exercise you choose.  That's one of the reasons why people say what you eat is so important: it's easier to avoid eating 200 calories than it is to burn 200 calories, whether you're running, biking, swimming, or whatever.  Personally, I choose exercises based on what I like and what kind of adaptations I'm after, not based on how many calories I can burn.  When I'm concerned about calories I focus on what I'm eating and view whatever I burn through exercise as a bonus.

 

As for squats, I'd prefer to do fewer harder squats rather than a lot of easier squats.  So instead of 100 bodyweight squats, I'd rather progress to 30 pistol squats.  And I like to give myself a couple days of break before doing them again.

[Leego]

Yeah, I figured 100 squats a day is not a good idea. It's just something I came across when I was googling for some squat something.

 

I have to be able to run at least a mile as a military requirement, but I'm not even close to my weight goal yet. So I don't think I should worry too much about running right now, but later on, I will.

[Juni0r83]

There is KB swings, box jumps, Burpees, barbell complexes, etc, that are all well known for being fairly intense calorie burners that also drive me slightly less crazy than running on a dreadmill.

 

And there are whole workout programs that revolve around squatting every day, but they're specific barbell strength programs that are designed to completely break you down, and aren't always quite so high volume. JPrev is definitely pointing you in the right direction there.

 

At the end of the day, if running is killing your soul, don't do it. If you still feel you need to up your fitness level, find something else you can do that doesn't suck for you so much. There is almost always another style of training you can choose from.

[Leego]

Yeah. It's just, It's not that I don't enjoy running. I DO enjoy running when I feel lightweight or like I am literally running from or towards, or for something. I run when I get frustrated, I run when I get anxious, when I get angry, when I'm excited, euphoric, etc. But when I don't feel those types of ways, and the weather or surroundings aren't to my liking, it just feels like a chore that drains me.

 

I loved running in the morning time during my last Spring semester and it was freezing cold outside because running warmed me up, and I didn't sweat as much. NOW, during this summer heat, oh my God.

 

I don't know what's changed about the treadmill, but for some reason, I just don't like it anymore.

 

I guess I'll try kettlebell swings or kettlebell training at some point, if there's some way to incorporate it into bodyweight training. Maybe I'll try Simple & Sinister. How expensive is it to do kettlebell training at home? I also hear that I need someone to teach it to me for it to work right. I guess I'll ask this in the Kettlebell thread.

[Dradis]

I was gonna suggest kettlebells too. Swings and get-ups will take care of fat loss, strength and posture

[Leego]

Yeah. I was thinking of trying the whole Simple & Sinister routine. I just wish there was an overview of the movements and routine, and the equipment I need for it, before I decide to go order the book.

[Dradis]

Yeah. I was thinking of trying the whole Simple & Sinister routine. I just wish there was an overview of the movements and routine, and the equipment I need for it, before I decide to go order the book.

 

Check this page out:

https://www.reddit.com/r/kettlebell/comments/1s29hc/pavels_new_simple_sinister_program_minimum/

 

I don't have the book, but i'm doing simple and sinister as well as i can having not read it.

I'm a fairly regularly sized male, 5"9 180lbs. I have about a year or lifting behind me but i'm not especially strong.

At the moment i'm using a 20kg bell for swings (although moving up to 24kg) and 8kg for TGUs. TGUs i actually started with zero weight and the progress is quick. I would not buy light bells for the get-ups but maybe get a cheap adjustable dumbbell that goes up to whatever weight bell you might need for swings.

I've only been on it a week (5 workouts). I'm taking things particularly slowly due to a shoulder injury. I'll probably do 8kg get ups all this week and then i'll probably use 9-10-11kg dumbbells for a week each before going back to the 12kg kb. That is overly cautious progression though.

 

Youtube is the best place for form guides. TGUs can be cumbersome at first (hence me starting with no weight) but once you get them down they're a pretty fun exercise imo. The key things i've found that help are:

Pack shoulders (this is a must for most exercises really. Sometimes its tough to coordinate doing so while balancing and thinking of the movement though. Practice)

Look at the bell (its amazing how easily you can lose the bell above your head when you take your eye off it)

Get really sideways when you push off with your raised leg at the start. The more sideways you get the easier the part where you bring your leg from back to front is (and vice versa on the way back) 

[Juni0r83]

I would suggest getting a simple adjustable dumbbell set (if you don't already have one) and this:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00C3DV1L4/

Then you have the best of both worlds

[BaconHunter]

The best fat-loss exercise: A movement that you're not good at, i.e. for which your body will be inefficient. If you do a lot of running, you will become good at running and therefore more efficient, which burns less calories. Same goes for jumping rope, kettlebells, burpees, squats, etc.

 

But Warnamon, I've seen you stumbling across the forums for some time now. I really love to help you and give you advice, but it seems like you're still collecting underpants.

 

It all sounds like "yeah I wanna do this fitness thing but until I've found the perfect plan, let's discuss this a little more".

 

Freakin do something. Push-ups, bodyweight rows, squats, running, swings, it doesn't matter. Do SOMETHING. NOW!

[Leego]

I would suggest getting a simple adjustable dumbbell set (if you don't already have one) and this:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00C3DV1L4/

Then you have the best of both worlds

That thing looks beast. It looks expensive, but beast.

 

Well, I did try some bodyweight exercises that I saw on your website yesterday. It was kind of pitiful how poorly it went.

 

I managed to do 1 set of 18 squats, but on the second set, I only had enough energy to do 8 more squats. I tried to find a place on the field track to do inverted rows, but I couldn't find a good position that let me get low, and I felt afraid that my arms wouldn't be able to hold me.

 

I did flexed arm hangs, but I could barely flex my arms, and I forgot chalk, so my hands were burning. I managed to hold it for 20 seconds the first time, but only 8 seconds the second time.

 

I tried inverted push-ups on a riggidy old wooden bench, but I felt my right hand hurt after I put pressure on it the wrong way. A leftover from a hand injury. I didn't let the pain stop me, though.

 

It's frustrating, because before, I could do bodyweight exercises so easily, even if it was just the beginner stuff. Now I'm stumbling through the beginner stuff because of old injuries and, or at least I think, I lost the strength and form I gained learned from barbell training.

 

This Friday, if not tomorrow, I'm going to pack my weightlifting shoes and try the kettlebell exercises at my school's rec center, and see if that's more manageable for me.

[BaconHunter]

Alright cool. And it doesn't have to be bodyweight stuff, by the way, that's just what I think is most accessible to most people. 

 

And don't be frustrated because of where you are right now. The thing is you must start somewhere (if you want to get somewhere else). You could do just some simple circuit of push-ups, bodyweight rows and bodyweight squats. If 18 and 8 are your numbers for squats, that's fine. It will increase when you do this regularly. That's one option, one that will work and is fairly simple to implement.

 

Kettlebells are also wickedly cool! I love those things. Pick a program (Simple & Sinister is a good one), figure out how to perform the exercises with good form (you can post videos on this forum in an appropriate thread and we'll help you) and stick to it no matter what.

 

From what I know, Simple&Sinister means daily workouts with kettlebell swings and turkish get-ups (TGU).

 

This looks like a good TGU demonstration:

 

 

And I like this introduction to the swing:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zAkYWo_4ts

 

 

Figure out the form and what the size of the kettlebell should be. From the numbers you've posted, my guess is 16 kg for the swing and 8-12 kg for the TGU. But that's just a guess, figure this out for yourself.

 

Hope that helped!

[Leego]

Yeah, it does! I'm not too sure about the daily workout thing, though. If possible, I'm going to try a kettlebell workout that sticks to the 3 day split pattern I'm used to.

 

I feel like I've asked this before, but what stretches do you do or recommend for bodyweight training or kettlebell work? I had a stretching routine before, but I can't remember what it was, and it seems like there are several ways to stretch. It would be neat if you also had some kind of stretching progression guide to go along with your bodyweight training progression guide, as well.

 

Often times when I try to stretch, I kind of feel like I'm not sure what I'm doing.

[BaconHunter]

The thing with stretching is this: Have a reason to do it. Stretching just for the sake of stretching makes no sense to me. There are two good reasons:

 

- Gain flexibility for a particular move that you currently don't have

- Prevent tightness in muscles that got worked during a workout

 

If you do S&S, you're in luck because the TGU is a self-corrective exercise. Practising TGUs can naturally resolve mobility issues you might have. For the kettlebell swing, you don't need much flexibility. 

 

What get's primarily worked during a swing are the hamstrings, glutes, low back and abs. A simple toe touch after the workout might be enough for you right now.

 

However, if you desire a full stretching routine, I recently did a guest post for Maximum Potential Calisthenics that includes 7 of my favorite stretches.

[Dradis]

The thing with stretching is this: Have a reason to do it. Stretching just for the sake of stretching makes no sense to me. There are two good reasons:

 

- Gain flexibility for a particular move that you currently don't have

- Prevent tightness in muscles that got worked during a workout

 

If you do S&S, you're in luck because the TGU is a self-corrective exercise. Practising TGUs can naturally resolve mobility issues you might have. For the kettlebell swing, you don't need much flexibility. 

 

What get's primarily worked during a swing are the hamstrings, glutes, low back and abs. A simple toe touch after the workout might be enough for you right now.

 

However, if you desire a full stretching routine, I recently did a guest post for Maximum Potential Calisthenics that includes 7 of my favorite stretches.

 

Also, S&S includes a (imo) decent, quick warmup. Haloes, prying squats and hip bridges hit all the common tight areas for us modern day desk jockeys.

 

I know its a "warmup" rather than a stretching routine but those (especially the prying squats) will help a lot with mobility.

[Leego]

Great! Awesome! I mostly wanted to just learn a stretch for after workouts, but I am interested in increasing flexibility. Ill check those out.

 

Starting today, I have about 10 months and 4 1/2 days to get down from 240 lbs to 168 lbs. Assuming I lose 2 lbs a week, that's 8 lbs a month. So in a perfect world, I could lose 80 lbs in 10 months, getting as low as 160 lbs, but that's not counting any issues or snags in the future.

[Leego]

Good news, everyone! I/my body kind of remembers how to do proper low squats! And they don't hurt my knees!

 

Meanwhile, my right knee still aches after sitting for too long or walking under load for too long. And it occasionally makes a popping sound when I stand up.

[fitwownerd]

Ec stack is more effective

boosts your metabolism like crazy just gotta make sure you dont have a heart condition or its gg

[jfreaksho]

Ec stack is more effective

boosts your metabolism like crazy just gotta make sure you dont have a heart condition or its gg

[sarcasm] Yeah, drugs are definitely the best way to lose weight. [/sarcasm]

[RisenPhoenix]

Ec stack is more effective

boosts your metabolism like crazy just gotta make sure you dont have a heart condition or its gg

[sarcasm] Yeah, drugs are definitely the best way to lose weight. [/sarcasm]

 

+1

 

Supplements have their place,  but they are just that - supplemental.  At the end of the day, it pills will not help you.  Besides, it's a lot cheaper to run/lift/swim/train regularly than to constantly buy a supply of supplements to keep at equilibrium.  

 

 

As for the question.... I hate running, efficient calorie burner be damned.  That being said, I love hiking.  Tell me to run 7 miles, and I'll laugh in your face.  Tell me to wear a 50 pound backpack and hike for 7 miles, and I'll see you in about 2 hours.  Burns as many (if not more) calories as the run, but is much more enjoyable.  Find the thing you enjoy doing first, worry about the calories it burns second.  Because if you ain't gonna do it, it doesn't matter how efficient it is at burning calories.

[Leego]

Hey, I'm back. I meant to make another post in this thread for some time now, but I kind of let college get the better of me, especially this week.

 

So I've been trying bodyweight exercises, making use of some gymnastic rings I got and a pull-up bar beside a field track at my school. I still enjoy doing bodyweight exercises so far, and I noticed how as I steadily kept doing arm hangs, my arms went from not being able to move at all, to being able to wiggle, to being able to flex and at least get me swinging. Yet, at the same time, I kept getting this feeling like my shoulders were gonna pop out from the sheer weight being pulled on them.

 

Also, I'm still not a fan of Hindu push-ups, and their progression into a hand-stand. I don't like the idea of a hand-stand push up at all, even if by the time I can do it, I ought to have the balance, strength, and weight to do it tbh. Sorry, BaconHunter. D:

 

I like bodyweight training, but for now, I kind of want to save it for any point in my life where I cannot access a gym or barbells for any reason. Also, now that I have recently learned (assuming it's true) that building muscle helps you burn more calories by increasing your metabolism, and thinking of how being stronger will allow me to do more physical feats, which in turn will make me want to do more physical activities, and now that I have easy access to a gym again, I want to go back to barbell training. I just appreciate how slow and straight-forward it is.

 

My only concern with barbell training is my knee issue, and I think with proper care and form, it will actually help my knee issue.

 

I also tried kettlebell training, and while it is quicker, I couldn't find anyone to teach it to me, and I had trouble with the TGU. I'm tempted to just move on from it from there, but then I think back to when a friend often tells me how I give up on things I'm not good at too quickly, just to keep moving from thing to thing until I find something I'm good at quickly, so I might try the kettlebell again the next time I go to the gym, and hopefully someone there will know how to do it.

 

So for now, I'm going to go back to basic barbell training (the Starting Strength routine), practice my squats and arm hangs, and run/walk/bike-ride/box in my spare time for my cardio and stamina training...now I just got to find out what weight I start with for each barbell movement, since I'm basically starting over from the beginning.

[DarrylSpiers]

Running is best way to reduce calories but not only this exercise. We can do lot of other exercises for losing calories like jogging,walking and swimming or cycling. All these are best way to reduce calories.

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[magma169]

Burning calories is tough, no matter what exercise you choose.  That's one of the reasons why people say what you eat is so important: it's easier to avoid eating 200 calories than it is to burn 200 calories, whether you're running, biking, swimming, or whatever.  Personally, I choose exercises based on what I like and what kind of adaptations I'm after, not based on how many calories I can burn.  When I'm concerned about calories I focus on what I'm eating and view whatever I burn through exercise as a bonus.

 

As for squats, I'd prefer to do fewer harder squats rather than a lot of easier squats.  So instead of 100 bodyweight squats, I'd rather progress to 30 pistol squats.  And I like to give myself a couple days of break before doing them again.

 

.......actually I don't quite agree on that second point. Bodyweight squats in high reps burn serious calories, and they have their place in sports training. I know that football coaches incorporate fast BW squats as they increase the stamina/ muscular endurance of the player's legs. Obviously after a certain level you need to make variations of each exercise, cause your body will adapt but in my opinion BW circuits (like the ones you mentioned in a post above) are a great way to keep fit and lose fat. Additionally, you can pair these with muscle building barbell training to increase your strength.

So sth like 3-4 cycles of bw squats, pushups, pullups and leg raises + 3-4 sets of barbell squats with progressively increasing weight is optimal in my opinion.