If you've got an hour, you've got 500 calories to burn. Circuit training uses a variety of exercises to burn 30 percent more calories -- about nine per minute -- than a typical weight-lifiting routine. It increases cardio and decreases rest time. The greater number of repetitions will get your heart pumping, but you'll also be strengthening muscles for a total body workout that will sculpt and tone. Maximum results require maximum intensity, but working hard will make it easier to break through the boredom plateau.
Who Can Do This?
Anyone who is motivated to be healthy and get fit can do this calorie-blasting workout. It requires a fast pace, but the more physically fit you are, the higher the intensity you should work. "A person with a weight of 150 pounds will burn around 500 calories if done at a high intensity level," says Emily Ruth, a CPT-NASM certified trainer at the Philadelphia Sports Club in Society Hill. "During exercises, the individual's heart rate should reach the high-end, or zone three, of the heart-rate scale, nearing their anaerobic threshold. This is a great cardiovascular and muscle endurance training workout," she adds.
What You'll Need
Minimum equipment means more body reliance. You will need a soft medicine ball, a bench or sturdy chair, a jump rope, and a watch with a second hand in order to utilize all of the muscle targets in this workout. If you don't have a jump rope, Ruth suggests mimicking the movements done while jumping rope. "In all of the exercises, prescribed focus must be put on form and posture. Chest out, shoulders back, and engage the core by using the drawing-in maneuver (pulling belly-button towards the spine). Breathing is also important," says Ruth.
Warm-Up
A five minute warmup will get your blood flowing, loosen your muscles and prime them for full-body performance. According to Ruth, each exercise will last 30 seconds, completed consecutively and with no rest in between. Your sequence can be jumping jacks, body weight squats, jumping jacks, alternating front lunges, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, jumping jacks, squat jumps, jumping jacks and medicine ball Russian twists.
Circuit #1
Complete 10 reps of each exercise, consecutive and with no rest. Follow the sequence of plank ups, box jumps, burpees, front bench skip-ups with five for each leg, and medicine ball slams. Finish it off with one minute of jumping rope. "This circuit should be done three times with a one minute rest between each round. Give yourself a 2-3 minute rest before starting the next circuit, enough time to allow your heart rate to return to its resting state," says Ruth.
Circuit #2
Just as in the first circuit, complete the second one with 10 reps of each exercise, consecutive and with no rest. Do this three times with a one minute rest between rounds. Start off with pushups, standard or modified; side lunges, five to each side; bench dips, prone knee drives, five with each knee; and the medicine ball squat toss. Complete this circuit with one minute of jumping rope. Moving quickly from one exercise to another will keep you focused on your body movements, and your mind will be less likely to wander. Staying concentrated during circuit training helps the time fly through the repetitions. Beginners can adjust their intensity accordingly.
References
- Emily Ruth, CPT-NASM Trainer; Philadelphia Sports Club: Society Hill; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Fitness Magazine; Circuit Training Workout: Burn 30 Percent More Calories; Liz Neporent
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