When you think ‘bowl full of jelly we want to imagine Jolly Old Saint Nick and not our reflection in the mirror.  Use these three calorie burning variations during your workout to burn fat, shrink fat cells and create long lean muscles.

1.) Low intensity cardio sessions will build a great fitness foundation. Hop on the treadmill and move–but not so fast! Bring a friend and chat it up!  Read a book while walking. You want to be moving at a relatively slow pace for more than 45 minutes which will train your muscles to keep going, so no matter what type of workout you are doing, you stay strong at the end. This will also serve as an active recovery, refueling you for more intense bouts on other days. If you get bored easily on the treadmill, then hop on the Elliptical for 45 minutes instead. Just keep in mind that you want your heart rate to remain low.

2.) Think TEMPO! Tempo workouts push you closer to your anaerobic threshold which is the point that your body shifts from burning fat to burning carbs. In this workout, you will be breathing hard but not breathless– classes are great for tempo workouts like Zumba or a sculpt class that incorporates cardio intervals. Your calorie burn will spike in this zone. Three sessions of this type of fitness a week is perfect for weight loss.

3.) High intensity interval training. In other words, KILL it! Take a cycle class or Boot Camp. Get out of your comfort zone and stay out of your comfort zone.  High intensity exercise creates greater metabolic demand. The quick intervals activates fast-twitch muscle fibers which makes you stronger. The more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn.

Cardio is a great way to burn calories and melt fat. Do not repeat the same mind- and body- numbing workout! Put an end to that tedious routine by switching your cardio up! You will find that doing fewer “kill yourself” sessions will actually help you get past plateaus and burn more fat than ever. So incorporate the easier slow paced workout twice a week, the Temp workouts 2-3 times a week, and the “Kill it” workout no more than twice a week.