EPOC PROGRAM 1: Keep Up the Tempo
Run, walk or bike at a steady pace that has you working at 80%—90% of your maximum heart rate(MHR) or 6—7 intensity rating. (To calculate your MHR, subtract your age from 220; see "What Is Intensity Rating?" on page 73.)
Duration: 30—60 minutes
Intensity: High (6—7 intensity rating)
Why it works: University of New Hampshire (Durham) researchers examined the effects of constant walking at 70% intensity on a treadmill for 20, 40 and 60 minutes with three hours of recovery. While EPOC was elevated in each of the three trials as compared to the control, it was significantly higher after the 60-minute bout of exercise. More specifically, the 60-minute-duration EPOC measurement was approximately twice that of the 20- and 40-minute durations.

EPOC PROGRAM 2: Slow and Steady
Go the distance doing the activity you like—biking, running, walking—at a light to moderate pace.
Duration: 60—80 minutes
Intensity: Light to moderate (about 3 intensity rating)
Why it works: Researchers at the Laboratory of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology at Nakamura Gakuen University (Fukuoka, Japan) examined the EPOC effects after moderate exercise. Subjects performed 30 or 60 minutes of exercise on separate days of 60% VO2 max, which equates to about 70%—75% MHR. Results indicated that longer-duration exercise results in a greater and longer EPOC. More specifically, EPOC lasted for 116 minutes after the 60-minute bout compared to 46 minutes for the 30-minute workout.

In a separate study, University of Victoria (Canada) researchers found similar results and concluded that increasing work time elevates energy cost during and after exercise.

EPOC PROGRAM 3: Cross-Train
Can't commit to just one activity? With this workout, you don't have to. Mix up your cardio activities by doing 2—4 bouts of high-intensity exercise that are 15—20 minutes each. Or switch between weight training and cardio, but keep the intensity high. Rest up to five minutes between each bout, or walking to your next machine will do.
Duration: 30—80 minutes
Intensity: High (6—7 intensity rating)
Why it works: Want to save time in the gym? Researchers at Brigham Young University (Provo, Utah) found that workouts in which resistance training followed aerobic activity exhibited greater EPOC than workouts that are resistance only, running only or resistance training followed by running.