calorie burning

I had a session with my friends trainer, and when i asked him how much cardio I should be doing he said to get a heartrate monitor and aim for 500 kcal burned per session.

I'm 5'2'' and 146 lb.

what would be the most effective way to burn 500kcal (machines etc) and how long should i be planning to work out for?

thank you

Mon. May 5, 2:27am

That trainer sounds crazy, especially if you're just starting to work out or a moderate exerciser. Along with cardio (and weights), diet is the biggest thing if you're trying to lose weight. It's a lot easier to cut down on calories than to burn them off through exercise. Plus, you get so hungry with too much exercise and end up overeating. I think starting off doing 30 minutes of cardio a few times a week if you're just starting off is fine.

Monday, May 5, 2008, 2:38 AM

Whew, yes, 500 calories per workout is a lot to expect of a newbie. Yesterday, I swam laps steadily for 40 minutes and I figure I burned between 350 and 450 calories in that time. Perhaps spending some time studying activities and calories on www.caloriesperhour.com would be helpful to you. Find the activities you like the most, and build your workout around those. Maybe working up to 500 calories per workout over 6-12 months would be more realistic. You know yourself better than anyone -- pace yourself and keep it enjoyable. The real enemy is the desire to quit, so do whatever you have to do to keep yourself loving it!

Link

Monday, May 5, 2008, 10:03 AM

Not Crazy!

I totally agrree with the trainer. If you have the time you SHOULD be shooting for a high calorie burn workout. So to actually answer your question rather than discourage a good workout:
You can burn that much in anywhere from 40-60 minutes depending on how hard you push yourself.
I like to use the bikes (upright or recumbant) for 1/2 my workout and the treadmill for the other half. Pedal fast and move your legs, it will burn (good).
Or I go for a run (outside) 3-5 miles.
Try to clock 400-600calories per workout. On the less cardio, lower calorie workout days, add in strength training to get the extra bit =)
You can do it!

Monday, May 5, 2008, 11:42 AM

I dont think 500 is too much to ask , it is about one hour of gym cardio.

Monday, May 5, 2008, 11:44 AM

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