8 New Exercises to Triple Your Calorie Burn

Build A Better Body

By Su Reid-St. John
From Health Magazine
Your body is a marvel of efficiency: Do something over and over and, before long, you get so good at it you do it on autopilot. That’s a wonderful thing when it comes to learning a new language, it’s not so great when it comes to your workout.

There’s a simple way to get your body back in fat-blasting mode: Temporarily ditch your go-to moves. "When you change up your workout, your body works harder because it’s in unfamiliar territory," explains Amy Dixon, a Santa Monica, California–based trainer and exercise physiologist. "That’s what causes it to burn more calories and build more muscle."

medicine-ball-pro

Mix It Up

Cardio-wise, there’s no need to completely abandon what you love. Just tweak it. "At least one day a week, do a different activity than usual," Dixon advises. "If you’re a walker, hit the pool. If you’re a cyclist, get to know the rowing machine." Increase intensity during your second cardio workout of the week, and up your workout time during the third session. "Those three changes will keep your body guessing," she says.

rowing-machine-exercise

Use The Pro's Tips

To shake up your strength workout, replace the everyone-does-’em moves (crunches, etc.) with this fresh routine created by Dixon. Do this series two to three times per week, alternating with cardio days; you’ll start to see results in as little as two to three weeks. Each move hits the same major muscle groups as the old standbys; but challenges them more, giving you a stronger, sleeker body in the same amount of time. So it’s efficient—in the best way possible.

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