Shed Those Holiday Pounds with Circuit Training!

Is this the year you get FIT or FAT? During the holiday season I ate 6 month’s worth of calories, most of them were crap calories (a technical term). Why does my mother have to be such a good cook, and why does she have to make so much food? I wonder if my mom is secretly sponsored by Weight Watchers; getting commission for each new customer! I’m sure I’m not the only one. During the holidays we tell ourselves that we absolutely had no choice but to pig out because it was with family and friends during the holidays. Why do family and friends facilitate my engorgement? And what can we do about it? Circuit training might be the answer

Here’s a question for you: Are you someone who goes to the gym, wanders over to a cardio machine for 30 minutes, strolls over to some strength machines for a few sets, shimmies over to some free weights for a couple exercises and finally stumbles over to a mat for some crunches and stretching? If that is you, then you are not alone. This is a typical 60-70 minute workout for most gym goers. This pattern allows gym goers to say “Yes, of course, I worked out today!” and while that is true, it may not be the best thing for you, let alone for your goals.

Here is another question: During 2013, did you get the type of results you were looking for in your: overall fitness, body fat and energy levels? If the answer is “no”, then you really should continue reading. Many people get the satisfaction of “hitting the gym” but not the results they seek. If that might be you, then it’s time to shake it up!

One incredible way to evolve your workout program is to try circuit training. The essence of circuit training is performing one exercise after another in rapid succession with minimal breaks in-between. This allows you to shock your body in order to cause noticeable changes quickly. A key benefit of this type of training is that it enhances your cardiovascular system while also strengthening countless muscles in your body. It enables you to actually lose the excess body fat which is covering the muscles you are certain you have been working on, but are unable to see. Bottom line: it is all about maximizing the results by combining the best of weight training with cardio.

Some other key benefits to circuit training include:

Time efficient– A high quality workout is completed in just 30 to 40 minutes, which in most cases will be far more effective than workouts of twice that time.
Lots of fun! – Time passes by a lot faster with circuit training than generic cardio and weight training. The minimal breaks in the workout cause you to be challenged for the entire time, which doesnâ€™t give your mind a chance to wonder or get bored. Also, you will find that this type of training gives you an amazing energy boost both during the session and for the rest of your day.
Can easily be done with groups– Other individuals in the group can either do the same exercise or do another one. Then when the exercise is complete, each individual moves onto the next one at the same time.
Extra calories burned– It increases your metabolism during the workout and, more importantly, it helps keep your metabolism amplified for many hours after the workout is complete. This will cause much more calories to be burned during the day.

There are countless types of circuit training methods. Typically, in my coaching, I suggest clients work their full body each time. Here is an example of a workout I do with my clients:

12 exercises to make up a full body routine. Perform 15-20 reps of each exercise, followed by a maximum 15 seconds of rest. When you are finished all 12 exercises (in the circuit), take up to 3 minute rest and start over. Complete the full circuit 2-4 times to get a 30-45 minute full body workout.

i) Squat curls – just as they sound, squat while holding dumbbells, then on your way up, do a bicep curl
ii) Cable shoulder raises – stand on a cable with handles. Push the handles over your head so each hand extends fully over each shoulder. Then go up and down in the straight line.
iii) Weighted side shuffle – hold a weight at chest level while side shuffling a few steps each direction. Get down as low as possible to make this more challenging.
iv) Dumbbell rows – tilt body to 45 degrees while holding a dumbbell in each hand. Then pull up the dumbbells to your lower chest while engaging your upper back muscles
v) V holds – sit on a mat or a bosu and do your best to shape your body like a V with your arms in front, and hold
vi) Burpees – make sure you are using your core to allow you to jump up onto your heels, rather than just to your toes. It is much harder and more beneficial when performed this way. These can be done with or without a pushup and jump.
vii) Pushups – keep your back flat, core tight and try to touch your chest to the floor
viii) Knee ups – running in spot bring knees up as high as you can
ix) Mountain climbers – hands and toes or on the floor. Bring each knee towards your chest like you are climbing a mountain!
x) Lunges – When bodyweight lunges become too easy, grab some dumbbells to hold. Make sure you keep your shoulders back so your back does not tilt.
xi) Side planks – when you can perform 45 seconds with a bent arm, progress by straightening the arm.
xii) Leg raises – begin with bent leg raises, then progress by gradually straightening your legs to eventually being able to raise your butt a few inches off the floor every rep.

Circuit training is an excellent tool to help you get in wonderful shape. The reality is that just a few weeks after the New Year, the vast majority of people are either back to their old boring ineffective workouts, or even worse, decided that working out is just not for them. I have noticed that the biggest reason why gym goers stop working out is because they get discouraged from not seeing results. Circuit training, when combined with the right nutrition, is a highly effective method for attaining results fast. This means when March comes, you will still be working towards your New Year’s goals and continuing to see great improvements in your body, strength and energy levels. So try adding circuit training to your workouts and see what your body is truly capable of in 2014.