Circuit Training Helps Fight Fat

Circuit Training Helps Fight Fat
by Mark Kravjansky


Circuit training involves doing a series of weight and callisthenic exercises rapidly — you do an exercise and then proceed quickly to the next. It’s a great training method because it develops strength and endurance fitness at the same time.

But, how effective is it for cutting the fat? Dr. Robert Haltom and colleagues studied the number of calories people burn during and after circuit training. They also studied the effects of rest time between exercises on overall calorie cost.

Their subjects did two circuits of eight upper and lower body resistance exercises of 20 reps. Subjects rested for either 20 or 60 seconds between exercises. The researchers found people burned approximately 260 calories from doing the circuit workout and the rest interval between exercises didn’t make much difference.

Though 260 calories might not seem like much, it only took 20 minutes of time, and when you consider this kind of training also builds and tones muscle, circuit training could turn you into a calorie burning dynamo. Those calories will add up!

(Med Sci Sports Exer, 31:1613-8,2000)