Fat-Loss Circuit Training—A Revolutionary Fat-Burning, Metabolism-Boosting Training Technique!

Experience a training technique so powerful you can literally FEEL your metabolism firing up and burning fat!

By Nick Nilsson

"The proper combination of weights and cardio into one workout is, quite simply, phenomenal for fat burning."

Want to burn off any holiday weight gain before it even starts to accumulate? Fat-Loss Circuit Training is the BEST place to start.

Fat-Loss Circuit Training is a program of my own invention. I developed it for losing fat quickly. It's challenging but very effective! It's also one of the core components of my extremely powerful "Metabolic Surge—Rapid Fat Loss program (available at fitness-ebooks.com).

Fat-Loss Circuit Training is very simple once you get the hang of it, but it can be one of the most demanding (and most extraordinarily effective) styles of training you can do.

If you're familiar with normal circuit training (with timed, light-weight intervals), please put aside any notions you might have of how this program works. You will not only be harnessing the muscle-building and metabolism-stimulating power of intense, full-set weight training (NOT the typical light-weight, timed intervals of normal circuit training), you will also be incorporating the great calorie-burning effects of cardiovascular training.

The proper combination of the two styles (weights and cardio) into one workout is, quite simply, phenomenal for fat burning.

To use Fat-Loss Circuit Training, you will need access to both weight equipment and cardio equipment (and/or benches or stairs), preferably located in fairly close proximity to each other.

This type of training is harder to do in a crowded gym as it will involve you moving back and forth quickly between different pieces of equipment. If someone is waiting to use your cardio machine the moment you step off, it will defeat the purpose of the workout. So it's best used in a fairly uncrowded gym where you have more freedom to use equipment or, even better, in a home gym with weights and cardio equipment and no one waiting for anything! (But if you do work out in a crowded gym, no worries. I will tell you exactly how to get around it!)

How the Training Works:

• Essentially, this is combined circuit/interval training.
• You will be going back and forth between your weight-training exercises and one cardio exercise for the duration of the workout.
• Your rest period for weights will be your cardio, and your rest period for cardio will be your weights.
• You will be doing some sort of activity for your entire workout without any break!

"By using resistance training and cardio training, you get all the benefits of both in one time-efficient workout."

This combination is very effective for a number of reasons:

• It forces your body to burn calories continuously during the workout.
• It uses resistance training and cardio training, so you get all the benefits of both in one time-efficient workout.
• By forcing your body to work like this, you dramatically increase your metabolism leading to increased fat burning long after the workout (more so than either weights or cardio alone).
• It saves time—you get both your weights and cardio in the same amount of time as your regular workout.
• You will still be able to use heavy weights in your weight training, helping to preserve muscle mass.

How To Do It:

Step 1—Set Up

For the most efficient workout possible, try to have most or all of your exercises pre-set and ready to go. The less time you spend on preparation during your workout, the more effective that workout will be, especially since you want to be continually active throughout the workout. You can use any type of cardio that is convenient and enjoyable to you, be it a machine, stair stepping, or even skipping rope.

If you are working out in a crowded gym, try to claim an area for yourself and focus on dumbbell exercises. You won't have to wait in line to use any weight machines that way.

If you don't have access to convenient cardio machines, you're going to have to go low-tech. You'll need to do stair-stepping (stepping up two stairs then back down works well), bench-stepping (step up onto a flat bench or step platform then back down), or rope-jumping (be sure you're not close to anyone if you choose this). These approaches work just as well as cardio machines and allow you to perform this training style in a busier setting.

If the stair-stepping method is what you need to use, have a look at the stepping pattern demonstrated here.

Step 2—Warm-up

Do a few minutes of low-intensity cardio as a warm-up. You may wish to do a few light sets of a few of the exercises you'll be working with before you start into it. Don't tire yourself out, though. Just get a light sweat going.

"Don't rush your weight sets—perform them with the same form and speed as you would if you were doing a regular set in your training."

Step 3—Start with 30 to 40 seconds of moderate intensity cardio

This could be setting a stair machine to a level that is not easy but is not so challenging that you're going to exhaust yourself right away. Watch the timer on your machine and go for approximately 40 seconds. (I say approximately because there will generally be a slight time lag when you step on and off.)

Many cardio machines have a "rest period" feature where you can leave the machine on and it will not erase your program while you have stepped off. Normally, this is about two minutes. This should be enough time to complete your weight set.

If you are using a machine such as a bike, treadmill, or stair machine that you will leave on with the timer running, just watch the time counter on the machine and keep track of when you get on it to get the designated period. It may require a little mental math! You can also use your own stopwatch or timer on your watch to keep track. (This is easier.) Start the timer when you start the cardio.

Many machines also have a feature that runs through a series of time periods. I've found on the StairMaster, if you set the length of the session to 20 minutes, this results in a 40-second time period, making it perfect for judging your cardio periods.

Step 4—Do a set of weights

Go as quickly as you can to your first exercise. Do a set of the first exercise on your program for the day. Do this with no rest, going from the cardio immediately to the weights. Do all your reps until you start to approach muscular failure.

While this is definitely still intense weight training, don't push yourself to muscular failure as you would in your regular training. Due to the high training volume we'll be doing in this program, pushing to failure on every set will compromise muscle recovery.

Also, be very sure to use proper form and tempo when lifting the weights. Don't rush your weight sets—perform them with the same form and speed as you would if you were doing a regular set in your training. Fast, light, or sloppy weight sets are NOT what we're looking for here.

Step 5—Go right back to the cardio

Get back to the cardio and do another 40 seconds of moderate-intensity cardio.

Step 6—Repeat the cycle for the duration of the workout.

You will be going back and forth continuously between cardio and your weight-training exercises, using the cardio as the rest period between your weight sets. What this means is that over the course of your workout, you'll be burning calories via cardio and weights, AND you'll be working your muscles with intense, heavy weight training as well. It's tough training but very effective!

"You can use any type of cardio that is convenient and enjoyable to you, be it a machine, stair stepping, or even skipping rope."

In Conclusion:

• As you improve your cardio ability, you can choose to increase the intensity of your cardio training between sets. You may wish to start at a lower level and gradually increase the resistance over the course of the workout or start at a higher level and keep it there. It is perfectly acceptable to keep it at a steady, moderate level, however.
• This Fat-Loss Circuit technique can be used with nearly any form of cardio exercise as long as it is convenient to go back and forth with the weights. The real key here is to maintain activity for the entire workout.
• Keep your workouts to no more than 45 minutes at the very most when doing this type of training. Any more than that and you will be breaking yourself down too much. It's an extremely demanding form of training as you'll be working every major energy system in your body. You will also find it will crank your metabolism up pretty seriously!

For a sample workout to follow, taken directly from my Metabolic Surge—Rapid Fat Loss ebook, please click here. You will be able to print this workout and take it to the gym with you to try out.

About the Author

Nick Nilsson is Vice-President of the online personal training company BetterU, Inc. He has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been inventing new training techniques for more than 16 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding eBooks, including Metabolic Surge—Rapid Fat Loss, The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of, Gluteus to the Maximus—Build a Bigger Butt NOW!, and The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of—all available at fitness-ebooks.com. He can be contacted at betteru@fitstep.com. For a copy of Metabolic Surge for the low price of only $29.95, click here. Your new body is waiting for you!

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