Yes, it’s possible – but only if you’re prepared to mount a mechanical climber and put your body through 60 minutes of serious sweat. Result? Major fitness gains.
Gym devotees know that exercise classes like F45 and Barry’s Bootcamp are notorious for their gruelling, sub-60-minute sweat sessions that leave you staggering out of the gym, often feeling simultaneously nauseous and elated.
But if you’re a fitness lover and keen to limit your time in the musky hot box as much as possible, then making the most of a smaller number of sessions each week – with classes that promise to burn maximum calories – might just be a cheat’s way to staying ultra fit.
Like what you see? Sign up to our bodyandsoul.com.au newsletter for more stories like this.
Introducing the latest fitness craze
According to Jarrah Brownhill, a personal training coach at Melbourne-based gym, SLM, it’s possible to push your calorie burn count past the one grand benchmark in a single session, with one provision: exercising at ultra-high intensity is something you’re comfortable with. Here’s the nitty gritty.
“Increasing your [calorie] burn rate comes down to how long you can sustain your cardio efforts in zones four and five of training,” explains Brownhill. “It’s about keeping your heart rate high. In zone four, you’re drawing on the anaerobic energy system which should translate to 80 to 90 per cent of your max heart rate. Zone five utilises the same energy system, but focuses on short-burst training to take you to the 90 to 100 per cent range.”
This, Brownhill assures, will push your average cals per hour into the high hundreds. Cal-blitzing workouts have long been the rage, even before the rise of HIIT (high-intensity interval training). Unsurprisingly, it’s the fitness-obsessed city of LA that’s produced the newest workout machine to put a person’s max heart rate to the test. And this weapon of mass reduction’s name: the VersaClimber.
It’s a beast of a machine, intimidating at first glance, but designed to mimic the natural motion of climbing – and one hell of a whole-body workout if you can see past its industrial structure. And experts say you’ll burn more calories on it than during any HIIT class.
“Having worked with the VersaClimber for over seven years, I can confidently state that it’s the best workout option for burning max calories,” says Rise Nation Australia’s founder, Silvia Kramska. “It’s a fantastic workout because it engages not only your cardiovascular system, but all of your major muscle groups at once. Then added resistance during the workout ups the challenge, pushing your muscles to their limits.”
While it’s been around for a few years, it wasn’t until group fitness gyms offered high-sweat VersaClimber-centric classes that both the public and celebs started to appreciate the benefits. Andy Murray, Matt Damon and Jennifer Aniston are just a few of the stars known to regularly mount the Versa and take their burn to the next level.
But how do gyms get past the ‘it’s not fun’ factor? “In each VersaClimber class, the music changes and the atmosphere is enhanced with lights to create an exciting experience,” explains Kramska. “This makes it feel like more than just a workout, keeping you energised, engaged and encouraged to work in a high-intensity state for an extended period of time.”
Ready to give it a sweaty, red-hot go? Well, therein lies the rub (for now). While studios like Rise Nation have topped the ranks of popular gyms in the US thanks to this ultimate fat-blaster, finding the mechanical climber in Australia is step one of the Versa challenge. Only Rise Nation’s single Aussie franchise gym offers the machine, but it’s currently in the middle of an interstate move, having shut up shop in Melbourne this year. It’s set to open in Sydney in 2024.
How to efficiently achieve a maximum burn
But if you’re dying to work out like a demon and kick your summer fitness into gear, we have encouraging exercise news. According to Brownhill, you don’t need a fancy new bit of gear to hit the 1000-calorie milestone. In fact, there are a number of alternative ways to push your hourly calorie efforts into PB territories using equipment you’re likely already familiar with. All it takes is a little willpower, with a side of sweat.
“The longer you can work in the 80-plus heart rate percentile range, the more calories you’re going to burn, taking into consideration individual fitness levels, of course,” he explains. “In a gym, the most efficient use of your time to burn 1000 calories would be to train in HIIT scenarios where the efforts are repeated.”
Oh, and you can forget about rest for that 60 minutes. Every minute counts in the calorie-burn quest. “Basically, it’s working really friggin’ hard for as long as you can,” says Brownhill. But when it comes to efficiency, health gains and one seriously big dose of feel-good endorphins, trust us, it’s more than worth the effort for a clearer mind and stronger body.
Other max-burn workouts to bust out now
Uphill Running (1000 to 25000 cals)
Hill sprints are hard for a reason. Add any kind of incline to your workout and you’ll see a jump in your burn rate. According to the fitness pros at Asics, an ordinarily fit adult would burn about 1250 calories per hour running uphill, compared to 1000 calories on flat turf.
Skipping (800 cals)
It’s no coincidence this fast-paced exercise is the primary form of cardio training for boxers – a mere 15 minutes of high-intensity skipping can burn an average of 250 calories. If running’s not your thing, pick up a rope and get skipping, pronto.
Boxing (800 cals)
Because boxing requires immense amounts of oxygen, it’s one of the most effective ways to burn calories in a short amount of time. Step into the ring with a friend, as sparring with a partner is shown to burn way more than simply hitting away at a stationary bag.
Assault Bike (900 cals)
More Coverage
Churning up to 80 calories a minute – ahem, the equivalent of a small glass of wine – this seemingly harmless stationary bike is one of the toughest workouts out there. It combines resisted arm pumping with leg-burning cycling that will have you sweating in minutes.
Skierg (800 cals)
Much like the VersaClimber, the SkiErg is a major calorie burner because it requires the use of both the upper and lower body. According to manufacturers, this low-impact cardio device chews 12 calories every minute by repeating the motion with max force.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.