The fitness thinking that results are causally tied to long gym sessions and abacus-worthy rep counts that bring you to the brink of puking is relativy new. Long before women were working out (or voting), fitness enthusiasts were hatching tricks to achieve more with less time and effort. Aspects of high intensity circuit training (HICT)emerged in 1953 when University of Leed research revealed gains in strength, endurance and aerobic fitness in less than the time it takes to unjam a gym locker.
OLD WAY
Resistance training performed separately from aerobic training - typically on two or three non-consecutive days each week. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recomnaends two to four sets of eight to 12 repetitions per resistance training exercise for each major muscle group at an intensity of 40 to 80 per cent one-rep max (1RM). Two to three rninutes of rest is recommended between exercise sets to allow for proper recovery. That leaves 150 minutes of aerobic training at 46 per cent to 63 per cent V02Max to be made up when you can fit it in (or 75 minutes at 64 to 90 per cent V02Max), Yeah, we know, you've got a life.
NEW WAY
The two keys to making it work are intensity (think demon pace) and limited rests, "The incorporated resistance training contributes significantly to the amount of fat burned during a workout," researchers wrote. What's more, "When resistance training exercises using multiple large muscles are used with very little rest between sets, they can elicit aerobic and metabolic benefits," Metabolic spike can last up to 72 hours from your last squat, research has found, meaning you bum more calories for up to three days. Better yet, studies suggest that HICT may burn more subcutaneous fat than steady state cardio thanks to increased catecholamines and growth hormones piqued by furious workouts with sub-30-second rests. On the cardio front, short HICT sessions have been found to elicit similar gains as garden variety tread milling.
YOUR WAY
▶ Choose exercises employing large muscle groups.
▶ Stage them in an order that allows opposing muscle groups to recover while another is working - while you're cranking out push-ups (upper body), your legs are taking a breather, ready for high-intensity squats.
▶ Splice dynamic moves with static ones to give your ticker a chance to regain its composure - think chasing jumping squats with a stationary plank or crunches,
▶ Factor in exercises to cover off all muscles,
▶Base reps on what lets you maintain supramaximal intensity for an entire set. A good guide is 15 to 20 reps per exercise, or around 30 seconds.
▶Adjust sets and reps to enable you to push past 100 per cent and stay there (with the help of short rests); more is not better.
▶ Rests of 30 seconds or less have been shown to elicit maximum metabolic perks, but the ACSM suggests 15 seconds or less.
▶ For the following circuit, perform each exercise for 30 seconds, resting for 10 seconds between stations. Repeat the circuit two to three times (approximately 14 to 21 minutes in total).
1. Jumping jacks (whole body)
2. Wall sit (lower body)
3. Push-up (upper body)
4. Abdominal crunch (core)
5. Chair step-up (whole body)
6. Squat (lower body)
7. Triceps dip on chair (upper body)
3. Plank (core)
9. High knees (whole body)
10. Lunge {lower body)
11. Push-up and rotation (upper body)
12. Side plank (core)
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