The Music that Burns my Calories.

If you are doing cardio workouts and wonder how to maximize that burn, I am going to tell you how I went from burning 520 calories an hour to burning anywhere from 620-680 calories a workout.

The trick isn't anything spectacular.
I started out easy.  I work out strictly on the elliptical.  Some will tell you that this isn't the best way to work out, but the proof is in the pudding or so they say, and I am losing weight, so... elliptical it is.

I began working out on the elliptical with a 10 incline and 1 resistance.  Nothing difficult at all.  I enter my weight and age.  I monitor my heart rate nearly the entire workout.  I would do this while watching TV shows on the TV connected to the gym equipment.  For the first 15 lbs or so of my weight loss journey I have to thank my guilty pleasure General Hospital, Superman, Lord of the Rings, Taken, Jumper... among other shows that I watched. Doing this would burn me about 480-500 calories.

After about 3 weeks I began adding resistance.  I would start out at 10 incline - 1 resistance then after 10 minutes I would move to 8-3 then 9-2 then 10-1 again.  Doing this I would burn about 520 calories.

When I really hit my stride was the day that I decided I was getting fit enough to up my resistance and instead of watching TV I found the magical calorie burning awesomeness of music...

Right now, my workout consists of a 5 minute warm up at 10 incline - 1 resistance, then I switch it to 6-5 and keep it there unless I hit a slower paced song, then I switch it to 6-8.  Doing this I burn anywhere from 620-680 calories.

Now for the music that makes my workouts AWESOME.
1. Muse... any Muse really, but the only Muse album I have on my iPod right now is The 2nd Law.

Often I will repeat the last song for cool down since the album doesn't quite take up 60 minutes plus a 5 minute cool down.  I usually burn about 678 calories keeping up to the pace of the songs on this album.

2. Hillsong United - Zion.  This album is very ambient.  It's got good steady beats.  It is a worship music album so I don't know that you will want to work out to this album if you don't particularly care for worship or Christian music.

This album is 70 minutes so it will last your full workout and cool down... The songs have steady rhythms to keep pace to and the music is really uplifting.  I burn about 645-660 calories to this album.

3. PANDORA station: Phoenix

I found these guys by accident (yes, I live under a rock).  I was listening to Muse Pandora station and a song from this album called "1901" came on and I loved it, so this introduced me to a wonderful Pandora station full of indie pop.  All of the music has a good steady pace to set your workout to and the music is fun.  I burned 642 calories today working out to this station.

4. PANDORA station: Muse (of course)

This station has it's really awesome days and then some days the songs can be slower and not a good workout pace.  I usually burn about 620 - 675 calories with this station.

Finding great music with a good pace you can set your rhythm to is what took my workouts to the next level.  And that is all.  The music that burns my calories.  Happy exercising.  Find your niche.