very helpful..thanks!

Okay so quick question they "say" you should burn the amount of calories you take in so if you eat
1,500 calories how can you possibly burn that in 60 Minutes?

@becomingofme:
I don't think that you're supposed to burn your calories all at once.


@ the over all topic:
I'm so green, I don't even know what most of those are. 0.o
That is nice to know about the 60 minutes, although. That makes me feel a little better about not exercising like omgnonstopkeepitmovingfatty.

You burn calories all day long, not just while exercising.

The 60 minute "ineffective exercise" is inaccurate as it is presented. The notion that extended cardio causes muscle loss has been largely disproven. Whether there are more effective ways of approaching cardio is another matter but to call it harmful is misleading.

I found this article interesting, it makes me rethink some changes I made to my gym routine.

I've been doing half an hour of cardio (sometimes elliptical, sometimes treadmill), and then after I do weights. I started using the adductors and abductors to tone up my thighs and now I'm rethinking whether I should put the effort in on that machine. My legs are thinning up nice, so now I'm looking to start the toning process with my body.

To think I wanted to join a gym for the adductor,glad I saved money and time.

i didn't know the body could only burn 2lbs of fat a week before going into muscle. Good to know.

How do you determine ineffective. If the only criteria is weight loss, or size reduction, sure there are other exercises better. But to say all of these are useless is wrong. The ab and adductor machine will absolutely strengthen the muscles involved, and increase flexibility. As for upright rows, if you build slowly, and use good form, they are an excellent exercise for traps and delts. I've worked up to 205 in the past, and had no damage. Same with press behind the neck. you have to work on form and start slow.

i think the article was just sensationalism. some truth though. i feel like i wasted the time i spent doing almost all of those machines. i gained a little muscle but lost a whopping 0.5 pound per week and didn't lose that until i started counting calories. then i later found weights classes and my body started to change, and then i found a bootcamp class. i have since learned that those machines isolate everything except the one muscle you are working, but freeweights make you work your body closer to real life movements and multiple ones together. that is why you can burn more calories and get the muscles stronger. when i was doing machines, one trainer told me there was no reason to do more than 3 sets of 8. i will never ever do that again. the bootcamps and other more intense programs do more than that and they usually get awesome results.

as for the thighs, i want ALL my muscles to be strong. even squats have certain ones that will work the inner/outer thigh, etc. so what's wrong with that??? all that will happen is your thigh gets stronger, and eventually helps your body to burn more calories.

i've been told to do weights first, then cardio for the reasons stated here. now i've had to separate my cardio days.

and, to burn calories, it's better to do intervals at a higher intensity instead of that lower intensity "fat burning zone" for alot longer time. also, supposedly your body wants to hold on to fat more because you just used alot of it for your longer time workout.

I haven't read the original research, but apparently that two pounds per week theory only came about because in a study that was done back whenever, that is the average that was lost. We all know that people can lose more and it's not always a problem.

however, i do still do the back [extension??] crunch machine to strengthen my back and it's working wonders for that purpose!!! also is the ab crunch machine. i do that ab rotator which is supposed to work the outer obliques. maybe that or the side bends wouldn't make me gain 10 pounds of muscle, but they do need to be strengthened.

I have never liked the idea of seated isolation weights machines at the gym. Now I have proof! Thanks for the article!

I really would like to lose weight, and I have all the diets and stuff, all I need to know is the most effective exercise and the exercise that works quickly. Thanks

Regarding the (ab/ad)ducter, I agree that just isolating those muscles is silly, but my trainer showed me a new way of using the machine, where you don't sit on the seat, but rather hold onto the machine and hold yourself about 6 inches off the seat. That works both your thighs and your butt, and it feels amazing!

Wow, I love the article on the most effective ab workouts. If only they showed you how to do each one of the moves. :/

Oh wow. Good thing I don't do a lot of these exercises. I used to use the abductor and adductor machines, but stopped using them when they didn't really put in any effect. I was actually quite surprised at some of the workouts because a lot of them seem to be useful.

Now I don't have to waste my time on these workouts that I once thought were good.

Thank you!

I've used the abductor and adductor machines several times, I'm a little saddened to read they aren't worth it. =(