When it comes to working out, most of us have one goal in mind: to burn fat. We go to the gym to squat, press, and sweat our way to a flatter tummy and trimmer waist.
Ideally, we’d like to get the most bang for our buck and get an effective workout done in as little time as possible.
If fat loss is your goal, you’ll likely want to know which machine burns the most calories. However, which machine burns the most calories depends on what your training program looks like.
Resistance machines are different from cardio machines. Cardio machines are ideal for performing exercise which burns the most fat.
Cardio machines involve low resistance and continuous movement that gets your heart rate up to peak fat burning potential.
Resistance machines, on the other hand, involve higher resistance which causes your muscles to work.
Resistance machines help you build muscle, which helps you burn more calories in the long run (muscle burns more calories than fat at rest). However, resistance machines don’t typically burn as many calories as cardio machines.
Both types of workout machines are beneficial, it just depends on what your fitness goals are. But if you want to be a fat burning machine, you need to use a fat burning machine.
What Cardio Machine Burns the Most Calories?
1. Stair Climber
The stair climber is a popular cardio machine that can be found at most gyms (it’s also a great addition to any home gym equipment).
An average person can burn nearly 500 calories per hour using the stair climber at a moderate or brisk pace.
Climbing stairs is an exercise which burns the most fat because you are working your largest muscle group, your legs. Stair climbing machines mimic walking upstairs, which requires the use of your leg muscles, namely your quads.
The stair climber is indeed a cardio machine that burns the most fat for its heart pumping intensity.
2. Treadmill
Running is often considered the exercise that burns the most fat because it is a full body cardio workout. Every part of your body is active during running including your arms, legs, and core muscles.
Running burns on average 600 calories per hour at a 10km pace. What cardio machine burns the most calories by running? The treadmill.
Treadmills allow you to walk, run, or sprint in place in the comfort of a gym or home. Most treadmills allow you to change the incline you’re exercising at, which can further increase your calorie burn.
For a sweaty, fat burning workout, try doing intervals of sprints at different inclines. You’ll be a fat burning machine in no time.
3. Elliptical
The elliptical machine can burn a whopping 800 calories per hour when performed at a fast pace.
That’s a whole lot of calories, making the elliptical the number one fat burning machine at the gym.
The elliptical works both your cardiovascular system as well as strengthens your muscles through resistance. In combination, you end up burning twice the number of calories you would on other cardio machines.
Of course, keep in mind calorie estimates are based on average sized people exercising at a fast pace. Your exact calorie burn may differ.
Resistance Training: What Machine Burns the Most Calories?
1. Leg Press
The seated leg press is a resistance machine that involves pressing a weighted platform away from your body using your legs. All leg muscles are involved including your quads, hamstrings, and glute muscles.
The leg press is an intense lower body exercise that is a staple for anybody looking to build up their leg strength.
On average, you can expect to burn about 58 calories in 15 minutes of doing the leg press machine exercise.
While that number is significantly lower than any of the above-mentioned cardio machines, keep in mind that resistance machines are building muscle. Most of the calorie burn benefits of building muscle kick in after training during your body’s repair period.
2. Squat Rack
According to a team of Portuguese scientists, weighted barbell squats burn on average 35 calories per minute.
That’s a lot of calories and a lot of squats. By these metrics weighted barbell squats would be considered the exercise that burns the most fat. However, to burn the same amount of calories running 30 minutes, you’d have to continually do weighted barbell squats for nearly 10 minutes.
That being said, using the squat rack machine can increase your calorie burn even more.
Squatting while holding a weighted barbell increases your calorie burn as well as your strength training. Weighted barbell squats work your whole lower body as well as your core.