Opinions on next circuit workout to purchase

Hi LoDo and bitmover.

bitmover: I will try to put something together and email it to you this weekend. It's a busy weekend (20-year H.S. reunion - woo-hoo!) but I will really really try to email you.

LoDo: I think you can do what I do, but on a much modified basis. The biggest modification would be to not use really heavy weights. Let me clarify: what's heavy for me will not be the same as what's heavy for you. Heavy for me is a 20-lb dumbbell bicep curl (I have weak biceps), a 25-30 lb. tricep extension, 40-lb chest press, etc. Heavy for you could be a 10-lb DB bicep curl, a 15-lb tricep extension, and a 15-lb chest press. So, just make sure you are working out according to your condition. And, if you've never lifted weights, make sure you give yourself a couple of weeks of super-light workouts to get your muscles accustomed to it, or else you'll be so sore you won't be able to move. And during the circuits, you might want to forego weights altogether and just go through the motions until your body adjusts. That's what I used to do, and now I'm incorporating weights in my circuits.

Lastly, I'll address how I work in circuits with heavy weight training days: I use LIGHT weights on my circuit days (although I do still feel it - just not to the extent that I do on heavy days). I use circuits more as a way of getting some good oxygen-debt cardio going. Circuits and running have been proven the best methods to burn fat, so I'm trying to work more circuit training in vs. straight cardio. And being that I'm only focusing heavy training on each body part only one time per week, and resting each part at least 24 hours (usually 48-72 hours) before hitting it again, I'm not "overtraining" any one part. I think the only body part getting hit after 24 hours of rest is shoulders (circuit on Monday, chest/shoulders on Tuesday) - everything else gets 48 hours or more of rest.

OnFitness magazine has a couple of great articles in the last two issues regarding weight training. I can scan them and email them if you'd like.
 
I would definitely go for the Bootcamp/Muscle Endurance dvd...two great workouts on 1 dvd (of course you pay a bit more for it).

If you could get another workout then I recommend LIC. This is a great low impact workout. If you're doing 3 days of cardio and 2 days of ciruits then you're really doing 5 days with some form of cardio...it's nice to have some low impact workouts to choose from when you're working that hard.

Enjoy!
 
>I really like the LIC circuit. Not too much, not too little
>- just right!
>
>And might I recommend a different training schedule for weight
>loss:
>
>2 days circuit
>3 days weight training (hit each body part HARD once a week)
>1 day straight cardio
>
>I recently changed up my workout schedule as follows, and it
>has really garnered good results:
>
>M: Circuit (LIC) & abs (lighter weights in the circuit than on
>my weight training days)
>T: Chest & Shoulders (heavy weights)
>W: Cardio only (45-60 minutes)
>Th: Biceps and Back (heavy weights)
>F: Legs and triceps (heavy weights)
>S: Circuit or cardio, maybe abs depending on how I feel
>S: Off


It doesn't seem you are getting rest between Monday circuit and Tuesday C&S and Friday L&T and Saturday Circuit - so you are working muscles on back to back days.... how is that working for you? I've not done much circuit training - either strictly weight work or cardio - so I'm wondering how to incorporate into my workouts as well.

Thanks, Mary
 
1. Drill Max

2. Bootcamp/ME OR the terminator. the terminator is harder and is a compliation that includes Bootcamp & ME, Imax 2 and C&W. I personally prefer the terminator for circuit training. However, I am a big fan of ME for a total body workout. I think BC/ME is more versatile in that regard.

enjoy!
 

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