Fat Loss Techniques for Your Workouts: Cardio-Resistance

To continue your goal of losing fat and building muscle with your workouts you need to add in forms of exercise variety. Variety simply means to make a change that modifies your existing workout to keep it working for you.

This article will cover a form of variety called, cardio-resistance. Cardio-resistance means to incorporate short bouts of high intensity cardio exercise within your resistance exercise workouts.

By incorporating short bouts of high intensity cardio in your workout you’ll be throwing in some great calorie and fat burning strategies. One way you can do this is in the form of a mini-circuit. That is, you’ll do 3-4 resistance exercises one-after-another followed by a 30-90 second cardio burst exercise. Here is an example:

1) Push-ups for 12 repetitions

2) Pull-ups for 12 repetitions

3) Alternating leg lunges for 12 repetitions

4) Cardio-burst: boxing punches (either using a heavy bag or shadow boxing)

You can do this mini-circuit for 3-4 sets resting only 30-60 seconds between the circuits.

*For more of these workout tips and strategies check out our Xpress Workouts website!

Fat Loss Techniques for Your Workouts: Exercise Order

If you want to continue losing fat and building muscle with your workouts you need to add in some exercise variety. Variety simply means to make a change that modifies your existing workout to keep it working for you.

This article will cover a form of variety called, “exercise order.” Usually, the basic rule with exercise order is to do your large muscle groups before the smaller ones. For example, you would do your chest exercises before your triceps exercises. But, it is not etched in stone to do it this way.

A good example of changing your exercise order is to focus your attention on your weaker areas first. Say on a chest and back workout day you always do your chest exercises first then your back (Lats) second. If you have weakness in your back muscles you may want to choose to do your back exercise first while you have the most energy and strength.

Or, if you do a full body workout and always start with your upper body exercises first do your lower body exercises first instead. This simple rearranging of your exercises in your workout will add the necessary component of variety that will keep your progress moving forward.

*For more of these workout tips and strategies check out our Xpress Workouts website!

Fat Loss Techniques for Your Workouts: Unaccustomed Exercise

If you want to continue losing fat and building muscle with your workouts you need to add in some exercise variety. Variety simply means to make a change that modifies your existing workout to keep it working for you.

Exercise variation (variety) comes in many forms which is why there is no reason you should be stuck at a plateau for very long. One such type of variety we can add to your workout is called, “unaccustomed exercise.” Unaccustomed exercise is placing in your workout an exercise that you haven’t done before or that you haven’t done in awhile.

The body will become “accustomed” to an exercise after about 4-6 weeks of consistent workouts and then your progress will begin to slow down. Therefore, by tossing in an exercise that you haven’t done in awhile, or a new exercise, it will shock your body into continued progress.

Here are some new and/or replacement exercise examples you can use to add in some unaccustomed exercise into your existing workout.

New and/or Replacement Exercises:

Push ups in place of bench presses

Chin ups in place of lat pulldowns

Dumbbell rows in place of seated cable rows

Leg press in place of barbell squats

Back-step lunges in place of forward step lunges

*For more of these workout tips and strategies check out our Xpress Workouts website!

What the Experts Say About Short-Duration Workouts

Both the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association (AHA) has released their updated “Physical Activity Guidelines” and both support short duration exercise just like all our workouts in our Xpress Workouts Website!

Here’s a segment straight from their website, www.ascm.org:

"With busy work schedules, family obligations, and packed weekends, it can often be difficult to get the recommended amount of physical activity. Try these tips for incorporating exercise into your life:

• Do it in short bouts. Research shows that moderate-intensity physical activity can be accumulated throughout the day in 10-minute bouts, which can be just as effective as exercising for 30 minutes straight. This can be useful when trying to fit physical activity into a busy schedule.
  

• Mix it up. Combinations of moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity can be used to meet the guidelines. For example, you can walk briskly for 30 minutes twice per week and jog at a higher intensity on two other days.
  

• Set your schedule. Maybe it’s easier for you to walk during your lunch hour, or perhaps hitting the pavement right after dinner is best for you. The key is to set aside specific days and times for exercise, making it just as much a regular part of your schedule as everything else.
  

• The gym isn’t a necessity. It doesn’t take an expensive gym membership to get the daily recommended amount of physical activity. A pair of athletic shoes and a little motivation are all you need to live a more active, healthier life.
  

• Make it a family affair. Take your spouse, your children, or a friend with you during exercise to add some fun to your routine. This is also a good way to encourage your kids to be physically active and get them committed early to a lifetime of health."
  

*Even the leading health and wellness organizations support and recommend short bouts of exercise, like our Xpress Workouts, have a positive impact on your fitness and well being.

My 10 Minute Circuit

Today I did a circuit consisting of pulldowns/rows, heavy bag flips, and push-up variations. Here's how I organized the circuit.

Set-up: At one end of my studio's walkway I have a Lat pulldown/Row machine. I also station a 90 lb. heavy bag lying on the floor (long way) at the beginning of the walkway.

1) I begin by doing a set of Lat pulldowns for 20 repetitions at 100 lbs.
2) I quickly go over to the lying heavy bag and after 10 seconds rest I flip the bag over down the walkway (10 times to the end).
3) After 10 seconds rest I do a set of push-ups with my hands on the heavy bag and my feet on the floor for 20 repetitions.
4) Another 10 seconds rest I then flip the bag back down to the other end again.
5) 10 seconds goes by and I now do a set of 20 Lat rows with the same 100 lbs.
6) Back to the heavy bag flipping it down to the other end.
7) Complete the circuit with 20 close hand position push-ups on the heavy bag.

Finished and revitalized!

10 Minute Dumbbell Circuit

Time Limit:
This workout circuit should take less than 10 minutes to complete.

Goal:
To go through the circuit twice resting only 20-30 seconds between exercises and a full 60 seconds between the 2 circuits.

Weight/Resistance:
Use a weight that you can do for 15-20 reps for the first set and then adjust a bit heavier to challenge you for 10 reps on the second set.

Exercise
1 Arm Clean and Press 1. Start by straddling the dumbell and grab it with one hand. 2. Clean the bar to the shoulder. Then slight squat down and press the dumbell overhead. 3. Return to the starting position and repeat. Trainer's comments: Use a weight that you can do with good form for 15 reps each arm. On your second circuit do 10 reps moving up in weight accordingly.	Sets Reps 1 15 ea. 2 10 ea.
Standing Bent Over Row (dumbbell) 1) Stand with feet hip width and knees slightly bent. 2) Start position: Bend at hips with back straight. Hold DB in each hand with neutral grip (palms facing each other) and let arms straight down (perpendicular to floor). 3) Keeping elbows close to body, pull DB’s up to body and squeeze shoulder blades together at top of movement. 4) Return to start position. Remember to keep back and head straight - hyperextension or flexion may cause injury Trainer's comments: Use a weight that you can do with good form for 15 reps. On your second circuit do 10 reps moving up in weight accordingly.	Sets Reps 1 15 2 10
DB curl with shoulder press 1. Start by holding the dumbells at your side with a neutral grip. 2. Curl the dumbells up to shoulder level and then proceed into a shoulder press. 3. Keep your abs tight throughout the movement. 4. Return to the starting position and repeat. Trainer's comments: Use a weight that you can do with good form for 15 reps. On your second circuit do 10 reps moving up in weight accordingly.	Sets Reps 1 15 2 10
Dynamic Lunge and Curl 1. Start by holding the dumbells at your side. 2. Lunge forward and down with your left foot. 3. As you stand up curl the dumbells up to shoulder height. Return to the starting position with the dumbells. 4. Repeat with the opposite leg until all recommended repetitions are completed. Trainer's comments: Alternate the legs for 20 reps on the first circuit set and 10 for the second circuit set.	Sets Reps 1 20 total 2 10 total