Why a Circuit Workout Routine Is Better Than Cardio
Very often there are those who have never exercised or have been sedentary for a long time. Some have tried many forms of steady state cardio; walking or jogging, elliptical trainers, treadmills, exercise bikes and treadmills.
These people have either experienced marginal results, quit because they were discouraged or bored, or in the case of the complete novice, haven't the foggiest idea where to start. After years of success in the military and sports teams, a tried and true method of fast weight loss and muscle building is reaching the mainstream.
Circuit workout routines are a fantastic way to keep your workout routines lively while inducing fast weight loss. Since you have to move to exercises rapidly in sequence, your mind is on what exercise is next and how many reps do I do?
Not only does circuit training burn 30 per cent more calories than weight lifting, eliminating rest time gives you all the benefits of cardio without the dangers of overuse injuries.
With circuit training you can burn fat and build muscle simultaneously.
How to Perform a Circuit
A circuit workout routine is simply a series of of resistance and cardio exercises, with or without weights (usually dumbbells). The exercises are performed with 30 seconds to no rest period between exercises. When I use them for myself and when I condition my high school soccer players, there is no rest to maximize the cardio effect.
Designing the Right Workout Routine
Now it's time for you to design your own workout routine. This will depend on several things. Do you have a specific weight loss goal? Are you looking to develop a specific body type? Are you training for a particular sport. I will give you a few examples.
I am a soccer player and coach so I have a lot of lunges, kicks, step ups, and burpees in my circuits be cause I want leg strength for myself and my players. I also want them to able to leave their feet. If you are looking for extra upper body strength you may want to include chest presses and overhead presses with dumbbells, as well as some pullups and dips. If you want a nice slim athletic build, you may want to go with a bodyweight circuit without weights.
Anyway you slice it, circuit training, with or without weights, with minimum or no weights is ideal for fast weight loss and building muscle. Here's a circuit to get you started.
Bodyweight Rows X 25 reps
Squats x 25 reps
Push Ups x 25 reps
Step Jumps x 25 reps
Grasshoppers x 25 reps total
Dips x 25 reps
Perform 2 rounds
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