I’ve run in to plenty of people over the past year or so that swear they “work out” but their “bag o donuts” appearance doesn’t change. Here is the reason why…they eat like crap(or don’t eat at all) and then go to the gym and run on the treadmill till it says that they’ve burned 800 calories.  Great job tough guy(or girl). You’ve accomplished absolutely nothing :) .

For one thing, those calorie counters are TOTALLY inaccurate. Are you “running” while you’re reading something? Are you gripping the hand rails? Sipping Gatorade? Talking on the phone? Guess what… all those things significantly alter the reading. Matter a fact, if you are doing a “hopping” motion while you’re running where your foot to treadmill belt contact is very minimal, you can shave off a few more calories.

Here are a few tips from men’s fitness:

HOW TO MAKE CARDIO MORE EFFECTIVE
1.) Pick the Right Machine
Ellipticals with levers that you push back and forth with your arms offer a better workout, since integrating your upper body will activate more muscles.

2.) Don’t Hold On
If you grip the frame of your machine, you’re making it easier. Use the arm levers or move your arms in a natural running motion. 3.) Forget the Numbers
stay focused on how you’re burning the calories. “Don’t expect the activity to do the work,” says Stankowski. Throw a towel over the display and just concentrate on pushing yourself hard.

3.) Forget the Numbers
stay focused on how you’re burning the calories. “Don’t expect the activity to do the work,” says Stankowski. Throw a towel over the display and just concentrate on pushing yourself hard.

4.) Pay Attention
“Listen to your own body and monitor your own effort,” says Rodriguez. “Soon you’ll be able to rate the quality of the workout by how your body feels when you finish.”

Ok make believe meat heads…. quit screwing around and get to it. No one wants to hear excuses, we are ONLY interested in results. Keep the “I’m so important at work, I’m so tired, I don’t have any time” stories for the camp fire. Oh…don’t let me catch you with a pedometer unless you’ve got some type of ailment.

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