In the past, most resistance training workouts have been performing exercises in a straight set format, which means you perform a certain number of reps for a given exercise or you perform as many reps as possible for a given exercise and then you rest anywhere from 30 seconds to five minutes based on your fitness goals before repeating this set a certain number of times based on your goals. Fat loss and lean muscle gain emphasize shorter rest period and longer rest periods are used for more of a strength or power emphasis.

So, what’s the problem with this format?  It goes a little like this, straight sets are very easy to comprehend for people new to fitness, but they are also an extremely inefficient way to put together your exercises. In most commercial gyms you’ll typically see someone perform three sets of 8,10 or 12 reps for let’s say the leg press. They push out 10 reps, go to the water cooler, talk with a friend, read a couple of subtitles on T.V., and then take their time walking back to the leg press area to hit up their second set. In general, most people, (guys in particular), tend to take about 3-5 minutes between sets. In the case of three sets of 10 on the bench that means it would take up to 15 minutes to complete only one movement pattern (a horizontal push). That means you’d need at least an hour to perform four different exercises!

A much more effective and time-efficient approach to ordering your exercises is utilizing the alternating set format. Here you’ll perform one exercise, rest for a short period of time, then perform another non-competing exercise, rest for a short period of time, and so forth. Alternating sets allow you to work different areas of your body when you would otherwise be resting with the straight set format. Plus, by working another area of your body with a non-competing exercise you allow your body to recover from the previous exercise(s). The result is improved training economy and density: more work accomplished in less time, the cornerstone of any sound fat loss program. There are several ways to perform alternating sets outlined below:

1.)   Supersets: Alternate between two different non-competing exercises (e.g. upper body and lower body such as push-ups and lunges)

2.)   Trisets: Alternate between three different exercises (e.g. push, pull, and lower body such as push-ups, rows, and lunges)

3.)   Circuits: Alternate between four or more different exercises

Though supersets and trisets are excellent alternating set options, I believe circuit training is by the far the best option time and time again. To demonstrate why, let’s examine one of my very effective circuit training templates using timed set intervals:

                              The 50-10 Five Exercise Circuit: You will alternate between 50 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest for all five exercises in the following 5-minute circuit:

Exercise#1- Squats

Exercise#2- Dips

Exercise#3- Single-Leg Hip Extensions

Exercise#4- Pull-ups

Exercise#5- Sprint (40 yards)

Perform this circuit up to four times for a 20-minute total body fat burning workout.

         Basically, in the same 15 minutes that it took to get in three sets on the bench you could have gotten in three sets of five different exercise for a staggering total of 15 work sets! Plus, the intensity on each exercise will be just as high as in the straight set format because in this five exercise circuit you will have full recovery with over four minutes before you return to any given exercise (just as you did with the straight set format described earlier).

         To recap, the key to creating the optimal hormonal environment for fat loss is to perform each exercise with maximal intensity while separated by brief rest periods in order to accumulate a high volume of total body work in the shortest amount of time possible. Circuit training provides for the best of both worlds and is thus simply unmatched for simultaneously maximizing fat loss and lean muscle gain. Use the following template I use with my many boot camp clients for some killer, yet simple fat loss circuits:

Exercise#1- Raising & Lowering Center of Mass

Exercise#2- Push

Exercise#3- Core  

Exercise#4- Pull

Exercise#5- Locomotion

         Here’s a workout video showing you a great circuit you can perform anywhere:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PQxV-tLF1o

         I’ll be sharing some more great circuit training workouts from my boot camps in the weeks to come

Committed To Your Success

Jeff & Tiffany Larson

www.NapaBootCamp.com
www.SonomaBootCamp.com