Circuit Training Ideas
With the weather turning colder, many emails to me this week discussed
running in the cold weather, or alternative exercises you can do in the weight
room that will also have a cardiovascular effect. Circuit training is one of the
best ways to make a resistance and strength training workout that is also
challenging for your heart and lungs.
This workout is a 20-minute workout
that will take you to your maximum physical effort as well as your maximum heart
rate. The object of this workout is not to rest in between exercises. You will
see that one minute of a particular exercise will burn out the targeted muscle
group as well as increase your heart rate to a fat and sugar burning zone. Try
the 20 minute workout below - if it is not challenging enough for you try it
again, totaling only 40 minutes of your time in the weight room.
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bench press* or pushups - max in 1:00 
squats - max in 1:00
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Pullups or
pulldowns - 1:00
bike or jog - 3:00 
military press* - 1:00
lunges - 1:00 each leg 
bicep curls - 1:00
bike or jog - 3:00
tricep extensions.- 1:00 
leg ext - 1:00 (requires leg machines - or repeat squats
with weights)
leg curls - 1:00 (requires leg machines - or repeat lunges
with weights)
Situps - 2:00
Crunches - 2:00
Stretch
There is an
unlimited number of ways to organize a circuit workout. The above workout is
organized with upper body, lower body and cardiovascular exercises. By simply
doing the above upper body and lower body exercises in such a way, you will be
able to rest your upper body muscles while you workout your lower body muscles,
but you will never rest your heart. This is how you make the circuit workout
challenging to your cardiovascular system as well as your major muscle groups.
Studies have shown that mixing a resistance training regimen with a
cardiovascular element will increase your metabolism, therefore burning fat and
building muscle. The result is a decrease in body fat percentage.
So, if
you are looking to lose inches and body fat, workouts like this coupled with 4-5
smaller meals and 3-4 quarts of water everyday will help you achieve your goal.
The best thing about this diet program is that you do not need a single dietary
supplement - just good old fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish and other lean
meats. The key is to burn more calories than you take in and this workout will
help you with that - promise.
Send in your emails to stew@stewsmith.com - next week I will answer several
emails as part of the column. Even if you are not in the column, I will answer
the question or direct you to the answer. The above workout is from many of the
eBooks listed on the StewSmith.com Fitness eBook Store.
Have any fitness questions? Send them to me at stew@stewsmith.com.
The Complete List of Stew Smith's eBooks:
General
Fitness and Nutritional Guides for Everyone
The 45 Day Beginner Guide to
Fitness
The 45 Day Intermediate Guide to Fitness
The Diabetic Prevention Workout /
Diet
The Athlete Workout - Rugby, Soccer, Lacrosse
& Football
The Busy Executive Workout
Routine
The Special
Forces Physical Fitness Workouts
New - Combat
Conditioning Workout
The Army Special Forces / Ranger Workout Phase 1 & 2
The Army Air Assault School Workout
USMC RECON Workout Phase 1 & 2
NEW - The Coast Guard Rescue
Swimmer Workout - NEW
The OCS, ROTC, Service Academy, &
Bootcamp Workouts
Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard OCS Workout
The Air Force OTS Workout
The Service Academy Workout (West
Point, Navy, Air Force Academy)
The Navy, Air Force, Marine Corp Bootcamp Workout
The Army Air Assault School
Workout
The Law Enforcement
Physical Fitness Test Workouts
The FLETC Workout - Ace the PEB
/ Same as Blackwater's TestThe State / Local Police Academy Workout
The Public Safety Diver
Workout
The Fire Fighter
Workout
Border Patrol Agent Workout
ATF Agent Workout

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