GirlsGuideTo | Spring Into Summer: Calorie-Crushing Cardio

You can lift weights to you go blue in the face (which, please, don’t do that…something would clearly be wrong…) but to really drop some pounds, you have to add in the cardio. It’s the only way to blast away major calories. Aim for three to four sessions a week and add one of these special workouts to keep your body guessing (and burning as many calories as possible).

Make sure you warm up for five to ten minutes before each of these intense calorie burners!

30-Yard Shuttles

Remember suicides from your high school basketball team practice? Yeah, get ready to embrace them again!

Place two markers (use water bottles, spare clothes, the basketball court, or whatever you have on hand) 30 yards apart, or about 30 paces. Start at one end, sprint to the other marker, touch it with your hand, then sprint back to start and touch that marker. That's one. Continue going back and forth as quickly as possible, and stop your timer as you cross the finish line for the sixth time.

Rest twice as long as it took you to complete the drill, then repeat the shuttle, aiming to finish in the same amount of time or less. Do three drills total. To emphasize different muscle groups, change it up: Sprint to one marker, then return to start by running backward or doing side shuffles, high knees, or butt kicks.

Gym Intervals

Hop on a cardio machine (e.g., treadmill, elliptical, bicycle, rowing machine) and alternate your pace: Go as hard as you can for one minute, then move at a catch-your-breath pace for one minute. Try to do 10 to 12 intervals.

Hill Climbs

Find a hill in your neighborhood and run up it at a faster-than-average pace. At the top, turn around and slowly jog or walk back down, then power up again.

No hills nearby? Hop on a treadmill and run uphill for one minute, then lower the incline and take two minutes to recover. Start with a 4 or 5 percent incline for your climbs, and work up to as much as 10 percent. Outdoors or in, aim to do at least six to eight hill climbs per cardio workout.

{Workouts from Women’s Health}