Losing excess weight: it’s the most common fitness goal of all, but one that can prove a huge challenge for many.
In principle, effective weight loss is about ensuring that you take in fewer calories than you expend, or run a ‘calorie deficit’. While factors like metabolism, hormones, sleep and stress also play their part, ultimately diet and exercise will be your most important concerns.
In this guide we’ll focus on the latter, and work to understand cardio for weight loss: how to maximise fat burn with cardio, and the best cardio equipment to use for fat burning workouts.
The role of cardio in weight loss
Cardio exercise is the type that activates your cardiovascular system, which uses the lungs and heart to circulate oxygen-rich blood around your body.
Cardio is exercise that gets you puffing. It differs from other workouts like strength, flexibility and stability training in that it tends to burn more calories over a given period of time, and is therefore an excellent choice for anyone looking to lose weight.
Cardio exercise rewards consistency. When you do cardio regularly you build your fitness and endurance, so you can do more exercise and burn more calories in every session.
The best cardio equipment for weight loss
Let’s look at the best cardio equipment for weight loss, and exactly how to burn fat with cardio machines.
Treadmills
From our time as persistence hunters on the African plains, running is something that we humans have been more or less born to do – and treadmills let us do it anywhere, any time, no matter the weather.
You can optimise your fat burn by setting your speed near your limit, or by cycling between jogs and sprints. Many treadmills also let you adjust the incline to increase the intensity of your run.
Elliptical trainers
Some people, particularly those with aches and pains in their hips, knees and ankles, can find the jarring impacts of running a little uncomfortable.
Elliptical trainers, AKA cross trainers, are designed to replicate the action of running, minus the thud of your feet on the ground. Elliptical trainers also engage the arms, providing more of a full-body workout than running can offer.
Exercise bikes
Another low impact yet high intensity cardio option that delivers effective cardio workouts for beginners, exercise bikes bring the joy of cycling indoors, and can deliver a fantastic lower body workout.
You might be surprised at the range of different exercise bikes available. Depending on your goals and preferences you can choose from:
- Spin bikes: Designed to replicate the feeling of riding a road bike
- Upright bikes: A cardio-focused option that can be a little easier on your spine.
- A perfectly comfortable option that lets you lay back and pedal.
- Air bikes: A high-intensity option most commonly used in interval training.
Rowing machines
Looking for a full body cardio workout that engages every major muscle group? Look no further than the rowing machine, a piece of cardio equipment that arguably offers a more intense workout than any other option on this list.
If you’re looking for the most efficient and effective way to burn calories, air rowers, water rowers and ski machines – cousins to rowing machines – are great options.
Strategies and tips for maximising fat burn
The most effective cardio for weight loss is less about the specific equipment you use than how you use it. The following tips and strategies can help to increase the number of calories you burn, and the excess weight you lose, during your workout sessions.
- Incorporate intervals: High intensity interval training (HIIT) is great for fat burn. It sees you alternate between high and low intensity cardio exercise across a number of different workouts.
- Monitor intensity: Use a heart rate monitor to stay in the fat-burning zone (about 70% of maximum heart rate, which is 220 minus your age).
- Add resistance: Use inclines or resistance settings on treadmills, bikes and rowing machines to increase the intensity of your workout.
- Focus on duration: Tap into fat stores by aiming for at least 30 minutes of sustained activity each session.
- Mix it up: Combine steady-state cardio with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and a little bit of strength training to keep things fun and interesting. Attack different muscle groups with each exercise so you don’t get tired as quickly.
- Maintain good posture and technique: Proper form helps you to perform at your peak and prevent injuries.
Completing the puzzle with nutrition and recovery
As mentioned at the top, exercise only forms one half of the weight loss puzzle. Diet is generally considered as the more important part of the equation – not just in terms of running a calorie deficit, but ensuring your body has the fuel it needs to maximise your cardio performance too.
You should aim to consume balanced pre- and post-workout meals that allow you to run a calorie deficit while giving your body the nutrients and protein it needs to reach peak performance. Cardio is an inherently sweaty activity, so you should also be careful to stay hydrated through your workouts.
Finally, proper rest is critical. Ideally you’ll do 300 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio or 150 minutes of high-intensity cardio per week. It should be spaced out throughout the seven days so your body has time to recover from the last session before kicking on with the next.
Take control of your weight loss journey with GymQuip
At GymQuip we’ve spent the last three decades helping people reach their weight loss goals, by providing all the advice, encouragement and equipment you need to burn unwanted fat.
Home to one of Australia’s largest fitness showrooms, at GymQuip we offer a complete range of cardio equipment, from high-end treadmills, bikes and rowing machines, to basics like gym mats, skipping ropes and recovery equipment. We offer an even larger range of weight loss equipment for home gyms through our online store, which we can deliver to your door anywhere in Australia.
Not sure what equipment you should choose? Get in touch and our friendly team will be happy to help!