Bike, treadmill, transport or stairs: choose your workout and eliminate 2 kg in 1 month –

To eliminate those extra pounds and help shape your body, nothing better than investing in an aerobic activity. At the gym, the menu of equipment is varied: treadmill, bike, transport and stairs. Find out a little more about these super machines below and learn four simple workouts – to be done three times a week – that melt about 500 calories per session, which can result in up to -2 kg per month.

Bike

If the idea is just to lose weight, perhaps the bike should not be the number one device on your list. Scientific works show that the caloric expenditure on the machine is up to 40% lower in relation to the exercises practiced on the treadmill during the same period and with the same intensity. However, she can be the best friend of beginners and obese people. “Since it has a low impact, it generally has no contraindications”, says physical educator Guto Vasques, from Academia Bodytech Vila Olímpia, in São Paulo. “But, if you have back problems, prefer the horizontal bike, with back support”, warns Rodrigo Sangion, personal trainer at Les Cinq Gym, in São Paulo. For those who dream of toned legs, the bike is the right choice, as it works especially on the lower limbs. To ensure correct posture and achieve better results, the tip is to adjust the seat at hip height – just stand next to the bike and make the adjustment. And attention: while you’re pedaling, don’t support your body weight on the handlebars, as it decreases the intensity of the exercise and, consequently, makes you lose less calories.

Workout to burn 500 calories
Warm-up: 5 minutes light.
Main part: 10x (3 min moderate + 2 min hard + 1 min easy).
Finishing: 5 min easy.
Total time: 1h10.
Tip to boost the exercise: sit with your butt way back on the bench and lower your torso. You can also increase speed or load.

Belt

It is the champion device of audience in gyms. “You can vary the speed and incline, allowing you to perform interval training, which enhances caloric burning and improves physical conditioning”, argues Carossi. In addition to working the lower limbs, running on the treadmill moves the core a lot (set of muscles that supports and protects the center of the body). But because it is an activity that causes a high impact on the joints, it should be avoided by anyone who has pain or has suffered an injury to the spine, knees or ankles or even if you are very overweight.

Workout to burn 500 calories
Warm-up: 5 minutes light.
Main part: 6x (3 min easy + 3 min hard + 1 min easy).
Finishing: 5 min easy.
Total time: 52 minutes.
To spice up the workout: increase the speed and/or incline.

Ladder

In terms of caloric expenditure, climbing three flights of stairs is equivalent to ten minutes of moderate walking. Therefore, it is necessary to be in good condition to face the equipment. “On the stairs, we work the lower limbs, emphasizing the quadriceps and glutes”, explains Vasques, from Bodytech. Going up two steps at a time the effect is enhanced. But it’s worth remembering that this is one of the devices that make the most demands on the knee and lumbar joints. Therefore, red alert for those who have problems in these regions. To ensure a pain-free and injury-free workout, do not support your body weight on the equipment’s side bars and step with your entire foot on the steps to avoid overloading
the calf.

Workout to burn 500 calories
Warm-up: 5 min easy (50/60 steps per minute).
Main part: 6x 2 min moderate (70 steps per minute), 1 step at a time + 2 min hard (80/90 steps per minute), every 2 steps + 2 min easy (50/60 steps per minute), 1 step at a time.
Finishing: 5 min easy.
Total time: 46 minutes.
To spice up the exercise: go up 2 steps at a time and increase the speed of passing the steps. When you have complete mastery of the apparatus, you can still increase the difficulty by holding dumbbells in your hands and trying to lean your torso forward, flexing your hips, in order to intensify your gluteal work.

Transport

The transport (or elliptical) is great because it works all muscle groups and generates low impact on the joints, since there is no need to take your foot off the platform. “By leaning the torso forward, it places more demands on the quadriceps, pectorals and triceps. When the slope is backwards, the hamstrings, biceps and back are recruited”, explains Carossi, from Reebok. Here, the correct posture is also fundamental – so always keep your abdomen contracted. Beginners should familiarize themselves well with
the movement, the pedals and the grips: everything has to be in rhythm. “Tensioning the shoulder musculature when moving the arms can cause pain in the cervical region”, warns the
physiologist Turíbio Leite de Barros.

Workout to burn 500 calories
Warm-up: 5 minutes light.
Main part: 5x (3 min easy + 3 min hard + 2 min easy).
Finishing: 5 min easy.
Total time: 50 minutes.
To boost the exercise: try doing the movement in reverse gear. It’s also worth increasing the intensity of traditional exercise.