Burning 2000 kilojoules in a workout is like achieving a perfect 10 for a gymnast or a sashimi grade for tuna. It's the gold standard. "It's a great target: it means you've spent some serious time moving your body. Plus, seven 2000-kilojoule workouts, added together, are really significant. That means you've exercised away a full pound [0.45kg]," says Gregory Florez from the American Council on Exercise. Even better, most women really can burn 2000 kilojoules in less than an hour. No need to eagle-eye those annoying red numbers on the treadmill; we've gathered four innovative, super-effective workouts that all blitz 2000 kilojoules.* Each workout has a different focus, so by alternating them regularly you'll gain a strong heart and lungs, sleek muscles, and, overall, a more capable body. And unlike other gold standards, with a little sweat, you'll easily meet the mark on these workouts.

Cardio blast

Super strength set challenge

Triathlon workout

Trail-blazing interval training

Note: kilojoule count is based on a 60 to 65 kilogram woman. If you weigh more, you'll burn more. If you weigh less... you get the idea.

Fuel to burn

Get the energy you need to power through - and recover from - these workouts.

Nobody wants to cancel out a fat-frying session with two bites of KFC, but challenging workouts do require food before and after.

The best mix?

In both cases, protein and carbs. Protein helps keep you satiated during your workout and build muscle after, while carbs give you energy and replace the glycogen you've burned. Within an hour or two before and after, have a combo such as 1 tsp peanut butter on a wholegrain English muffin, a handful of raisins and nuts, or even 115 to 225g of a smoothie with low-fat milk, yogurt and a banana.

Like energy bars? Pick one that has around 8g of protein, at least 3 to 5g of fibre, and no more than 2g of saturated fat.