Super-charge your circuit routine
By Rob Parr
Short on time but eager for results? Try kicking up your circuit routine.
Like a lot of gym-goers, you may have a series of weight-training machines or stations that you hit one after the other, with a few minutes of rest time in between. This can be a great way to shape up your muscles, but what about your heart?
If you would like to get more of a cardio boost, try doing your circuit routine at a faster clip.
To do so safely, be sure to alternate an upper-body activity with a lower-body one. So, for instance, you could go from the biceps machine to the leg press, or from the lat pull-down to the inner-thigh machine. That way, your upper body and lower body will still get some rest time between bouts of exertion.
But instead of allowing a few minutes between each exercise, go straight to the next activity. The goal here is to keep moving as much as possible and keep your heart rate up.
This approach can help you build endurance, along with building muscle – and really maximize your time at the gym.
