If you want to burn fat quickly, get toned and keep your body moving, you want to try circuit training. Circuit training is a combination of strength and cardio moves done one right after another for a period of time, usually 30 seconds to a minute on each exercise, rotating for a total of 30 minutes to one hour. Depending on your goals, you can add specialization to your circuit to fit your needs or do sports specific workouts.
Specifically for Cardio
Perform each exercise for 30 seconds, with a 30-second break in between, and then start again for 30 minutes or one hour: High knees, jog, jump and jacks, ski run, plyo lunge, drop squat, squat jump, abdominal crunches and finally stretch. If you are just beginning, alternatives or lower intensity options would include: March or march with high knees, walk around the room, step touch, low jog, stepping lunge and squat without a jump.
Specifically for Total Body
Perform each exercise for 30 seconds, with a 30-second break in between and then start again for 30 minutes or one hour. For this set, remember to do the same amount of movement on one side as you do on the other. For example, if you do biceps curls on the right hand for 15 seconds, switch to do the same on the left. Total body circuit: Squats, pushups, high knees, dips or triceps kickbacks, jump rope, bicep curls, jumping jacks, shoulder press or side raise, abdominal crunches. Stretch at the end of the workout.
Sports Specific Circuits
Each sport has various body mechanisms used to perform the activity most effectively. If you are a swimmer, you might focus on upper body strength and lung capacity (cardio endurance). If you are a wrestler, you will want to be able bench press a maximum amount of weight as well as squat heavy amounts. One of the best options if you need sports specific training is to go to a facility where sports training is the focus or find a trainer specifically trained to work with athletes in that sport.
What You Will Need
In addition to circuit training being an effective workout method, it is also convenient. You can set up a circuit almost anywhere and with little to no equipment. Items that might be helpful for an effective circuit include dumbbells, a jump rope (though you can simply jump up and down with your feet together) and a mat. It is simple and effective.
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