Fat-Burning Plans for a Gym with an Elliptical, Treadmill and Bike

Most gyms have a multitude of cardio machines to choose from, but almost all gyms have at least some variation of a stationary bike, treadmill and elliptical. According to MayoClinic.com, all of these machines will produce fat loss if done at a moderate intensity with a moderate amount of resistance. However, you need to take into consideration duration, muscles used and intensity level when making a plan for optimal results on each machine.

High-Intensity Elliptical
A workout on the elliptical burns fat due to three factors: intensity, muscles used and resistance. Simply put, standing burns more calories than sitting because standing requires you to use more muscles to balance. Most elliptical machines have a setting that increases and decreases the amount of incline, which also requires you to balance. Changing the incline periodically burns more fat. Also, the International Sports Science Association notes that resistance training burns more fat over time than simple cardio. For maximum fat burning, increase the intensity.

Running Faster
There are many ways to burn fat while running on a treadmill. High-intensity runs like sprints burn more calories than running at a moderate pace for an extended time. On a treadmill, you can increase the speed to a sprint and do intervals sprinting mixed with a minute of light jogging or walking. Some treadmills have this as a program option, so you can set both the sprinting and jogging pace before you start. According to an article on the American Council on Exercise website, this high-intensity workout will burn as much fat as running for 30 minutes at moderate intensity. However, running at a moderate pace also burns fat, so sometimes a 30 minute jog will suffice. Constant high-intensity runs on a treadmill can take a toll on the body, so mixing in the occasional jog also allows you burn fat while giving your body a rest.

Don't Just Sit There
Exercise bikes, like treadmills and ellipticals, burn fat based on the amount of intensity and resistance. In a spinning class, you go though intervals of high and low intensity mixed with varying amounts of resistance, and participants sometimes stand while spinning. The American Council of Exercise says this constant varying of resistance, intensity and body position is what burns fat when working on a stationary bike.

Go for Variation
MayoClinic.com explains that intensity and duration are inseparable when talking about burning fat. Whether on an elliptical machine, treadmill or a stationary bike, you can choose how fast or slow you move. The site recommends 150 minutes per week of moderate activity to maintain fat loss and more than 30 minutes a day to increase fat loss. However, it also says that doing the same exercise over and over at the same intensity and resistance leads to diminishing returns. A mixture of all three types of exercise prevents plateauing.