Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Bodyweight Circuit Training for Fat Burning

 new reader asked how he could do intervals at home without any equipment. The answer of course, is to use bodyweight exercises. 

Here is a great routine that you can use to burn fat fast while saving hundreds or even thousands of dollars by not having to buy an expensive piece of cardio equipment. Besides, no matter how much money you spend, no cardio equipment will give you the same "functional strength and endurance" results as bodyweight training interval circuits.

And those aren't the only benefits you can get from a mid-day bodyweight circuit workout. You'll relieve upper body stress and tension, and stimulate your creativity, allowing you to be much more productive all afternoon. And all this from 15 to 20 minutes of bodyweight exercises.

Here's a beginner bodyweight circuit workout:

  • 2-Leg Hip Extension (15 reps)
  • 2-Leg Ball Curls (12 reps)
  • Wall Ball Squat (12 reps)
  • Kneeling Pushups (6-10 reps)
  • Stick-ups (8 reps)
  • Side Bridge (20 second hold per side)
  • Bird Dog (5 reps per side, holding the top position for 3 seconds)

Don't rest between exercises, but rest 1 minute at the end of the circuit. Repeat the circuit 1-3 times for a fitness-boosting, fat-blasting workout that will improve ability to do daily activities a thousand times better than any 20-minute session on the elliptical trainer.

Here's an intermediate bodyweight circuit workout:

  • Y-Squat x 15
  • Siff Squat x 20
  • Walking lunge x 12 per side
  • 1-Leg RDL x 6 per side
  • Decline Pushup x 12
  • Inverted Row OR Stickup x 12
  • Spiderman climbs x 15 per side
  • Ball Jackknife x 15
  • Close grip Pushups x 20
  • Side plank x 30 seconds

Don't rest between exercises, but rest 1 minute at the end of the circuit. Repeat the circuit 3-5 times for fat burning and even a little bit of muscle building.

All of these exercises are in the 6-Month TT Bodyweight Manual.

No need to drive to the gym today,

CB


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