This is a start of my week long series about my workout calorie burn! I get a lot of questions about my workout progress, whether I’m adding in cardio and how can I possibly workout only to lift weights and not worry about cardio.
I am not advocating not to add cardio in your routine. I believe there is a time and a place for cardio and I believe it depends on the type of workout plan you are following. That said, I have learned the hard way through the years that we often (us women mainly) spend way too much time on cardio machines thinking we are getting ‘fitter’ when we are not.
Through this week, I am advocating to reduce the cardio and add in high intensity weight lifting. Throughout this week, without modifying a single thing we do each day I will monitor my calorie burn through the workout using my Polar Fitness Heart Rate Monitor (this particular monitor was recommended by my friend MP, a Kinesiologist.
I wrap the strap around under my chest, attach the monitor to the two snaps and then add the watch to my wrist. I make sure the signal finds my heart rate before we begin our workout. I have plugged in my height, weight, age and gender so that the Polar Fitness heart rate monitor has a much higher level of accuracy with regards to showing me my output calorie burn.
Here’s how our leg day looks –
- 15 – 20 minute warm up, including walking on the treadmill for 5 minutes to start our circulation pumping through our legs
- 60 – 75 minutes of high intensity leg workout that includes a full rotation of exercises inside a set. A small break in between sets and then we go at it again. Our breaks last anywhere from 30 – 90 seconds on average, long enough to clear out our heart rate a little and reduce some of the burn we are feeling
- 20 – 30 minutes of low intensity work to include calves and abdominals.
Entire workout time including breaks was just under 2 hours (as pictured below) and my calorie burn was just under 700 calories (shown by the Polar Heart Rate fitness monitor below). WOW! Not a lick of cardio and yet I was burning big.
Remember! when you lift weights, you do get a 24 – 48 hour afterburn! I will touch on the after burn and the theory & science behind it this week!
I highly recommend you purchase a very good heart rate monitor such as the one I am wearing in the photos. It will help you understand more about the work you are putting forth during your fitness sessions. This also will help you figure out what you need to eat throughout the day to continue to fuel your body properly for the level of work you have put in.
I’ll leave you with one of my favorite leg exercises! I just love the lying leg press now! Never used to but now to me, it is such an awesome challenge, I can’t wait to see what I can do on it next!
Ciao for today! Make it a great day!!
Jenn @ DYB
(Co-Founder Do You Bake & Founder of CRAVE IT)
PS : Follow our exercise routines on Teresa Bragado’s Instagram Feed! and don’t forget to check out CRAVE IT newly launched Instagram feed too!
Remember! Before starting any workout routine, any new movement or exercise consult with your physician and a certified personal trainer to prevent any strain or or injury.
