Nikki's Core-Crunch Ab Circuit!

Here is a great 10 MIN Abs/Core Circuit ... all you need is a bit of space and some Dumbbells

Click here to see the rest of the workout

If Granny can do it - you can do it!

The Any-One-Can-Do-It Workout!
Warmup with mobility exercises for 5 minutes.

Perform each exercise listed below for 45 seconds going from one exercise to the next with about 5-15 seconds to transition between exercises.

Continue repeating the circuit for 30 minutes. Add in 5 minutes of your favorite core exercises then cool down with 10 minutes of mobility and stretches for the entire body. That's a 50 minute full body workout that's great for weight loss, fatloss, endurance, and strength.

Traveling squats w/ sandbag (or medicine ball) press
Rolling ropes
TRX bodyweight rows
Bosu lateral step ups w/sandbell chop
Lebert bars modified pushups
Kettlebell swings
Suicide runs

Modifications: Make this more challenging by going 50 seconds on each exercise and taking no rest between exercises (continous work circuit). Make it easier by doing 30 seconds of each exercise and eliminating all chopping motions, bosu, and/or traveling portion of squat if you (or your clients) do not have the core stability for all that. Also the one thing I would change about this workout is I would set up the lebert bars higher so a person with less upper body strength can just do incline pushups from a standing position.

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)

Leg and Core Day

This is what I did today at the gym - enjoy!

Leg and Core Day

Warm up
Treadmill 10 minutes
3 minutes: shoulder shrugs, arm circles walking at 3 speed
2 minutes: jog at 4 speed
5 minutes: 4.5-5 speed jog/run

Super set #1: Repeat 2 - 4 times

1A: Assisted Pull-ups – 12 reps
1B: Sumo Squat with 20lb DB – 20 reps


Cardio:
Spin Bike Adjust Resistance
peddle as fast as you can 1-2 minutes

Superset #2: Repeat 2 – 4 times

2A: Leg Curl – 12 reps
2B: Heel Drops – 12 reps each side

Cardio:
Treadmill 15 minutes
2 minutes: incline: 0 speed 4
30 seconds: incline: 1 speed 4.5
30 seconds: incline: 2 speed 4.5
30 seconds: incline: 3 speed 4.5
30 seconds: incline: 4 speed 4.5
30 seconds: incline: 5 speed 4.5
30 seconds: incline: 6 speed 4.5
30 seconds: incline: 7 speed 4.5
30 seconds: incline: 8 speed 4.5
30 seconds: incline: 9 speed 4.5
30 seconds: incline: 10 speed 4.5
* Decrease incline by 1 every 30 seconds until back at zero incline
1 minute incline: 0 speed 4
1 minute incline: 0 speed 3.5
1 minute incline: 0 speed 3

Superset #3: Repeat 2 – 4 times

3A: Donkey Kicks – 12 reps
3B:Hip Bridge – 12 reps


Cardio:
Rowing machine 2 minutes

Superset #4: Repeat 2-4 times

4A: Lunges with 20lb DB – 12 each side
4B: Side Bends with 20lb DB – 12 each side


Cooldown:
10 minute treadmill – speed walk speed 3.5

ABS – repeat sequence 1-3 times

Plank with alt. side tap – 12 each side
Plank knee tuck – 12 each side

Side plank with leg lift – 30 seconds each side
Front plank – 30 second hold

Superman – 30 seconds

Stretch!

20 Minute Circuit Workout

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.

20 Minutes Circuit Workout

(*choose light weights for max reps)

1) Bench press or pushups - max in 1:00
2) Squats - max in 1:00
3) Pullups (assisted) or pulldowns - 1:00
4) Bike or jog - 3:00
5) Military press - 1:00
6) Lunges - 1:00 each leg
7) Bicep curls - 1:00
8) Bike or jog - 3:00
9) Tricep extensions.- 1:00
10) Leg ext - 1:00 (requires leg machines - or repeat squats with weights)
11) Leg curls - 1:00 (requires leg machines - or repeat lunges with weights)
12) Plank - 2:00
13) Crunches - 2:00
14) 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 key is to burn more calories than you take in and this workout will help you with that - promise!