1. Jumping rope
The burn: 667–990 calories/hour if you’re jumping at 120 skips per minute
The bonus burn: Try using a weighted jump rope to engage your arms and shoulders even more.
2. Running Up Hill/Stair Sprints
The burn: 639–946 calories/hour
The bonus burn: Sprint at a pace that you can only maintain for about 20 seconds, and follow that with a recovery run at half of the intensity of the sprint and double the time.
3. Kickboxing
The burn: 582–864 calories/hour
The bonus burn: Make sure you keep the rest periods between rounds of jabs and kicks super short. Aim for 30 seconds of rest for every 90 seconds of sparring.
4. Cycling intervals
The burn: 568–841 calories/hour
The bonus burn: Adding high-intensity intervals throughout a steady-state or low-intensity ride will increase the afterburn even more.
5. Running
The burn: 566–839 calories/hour at a 10-minute mile pace
The bonus burn: Run at a steady-state pace (i.e. a 7 out of 10 in terms of effort), and you’ll continue to burn extra calories over the rest of the day.
To torch more during and after your workout, add short bursts of sprints or faster running into your jog. Keep a 2:1 work-to-rest ratio to get the most afterburn. For example, if you run for 60 seconds, walk 30 seconds.
6. Kettlebell circuit
The burn: 554–822 calories/hour
The bonus burn: HIIT circuit using kettlebells can keep the afterburn going for 36 hours after you leave the gym. To get the best results, make sure you’re not stopping to rest between each move.
Switch between upper- and lower-body movements so you can keep exercising for a longer period of time. Try doing a set of kettlebell swings, kettlebell squats, and kettlebell push presses. Then, rest for 15 to 20 seconds after completing the three moves.
7. Stationary bike
The burn: 498–738 calories/hour (at a vigorous pace)
The bonus burn: To get the most afterburn, start with 10 seconds of intense pedalling (100 RPMs or more) and 50 seconds of rest. Then, move to 15 seconds of sprints and 45 seconds of rest, and do 20 seconds of sprints 40 seconds of rest after that. Don’t forget to turn up the resistance as you progress!
8. Rowing machine
The burn: 481–713 calories/hour at 150 watts, which you can check on the machine
The bonus burn: To get maximum torching power, row in super-fast, one-minute intervals (150 watts), and take 30- to 60-second active rest periods by alternating between squats, pushups, and planks.
9. Loaded kettlebell carries
The burn: 476–705 calories/hour
The bonus burn: Walking with weighted kettlebells forces you to practice strong posture and core control. Start walking with two kettlebells overhead, walk as far as you can until you need to stop. Then, drop the bells to the front racked position and continue walking until you need to stop again. Finally, drop them down to the farmer’s carry position (at your sides), and continue walking as long as you can. This is one cycle, rest two minutes, then repeat.
10. Stairs
The burn: 452–670 calories/hour when going 77 steps per minute
The bonus burn: To up the ante, hold a two- to four-kilo dumbbell in each hand to get your upper body fired up, too.
Bottom line: Whether you’re working the Stairmaster or running steps around town, à la Rocky, stair climbing provides a good mix of aerobic and anaerobic exercise.
