Showing posts with label body weight circuits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label body weight circuits. Show all posts

Wednesday, 9 March 2011

Fat Burning Body Weight Circuit Workouts That Can Be Done Anywhere

Are you having trouble finding time to fit a fat burning workout into your busy life? Are you constantly skipping fat loss workouts because of work and family commitments?
If so, you will want to take a look at the workout program in this article.
I have been using the proven and effective Turbulence Training Program for over a year now, and what I love most about it is the incredible variety of workouts Craig Ballantyne has assembled. The variety has allowed me to put together a modified body weight workout that I can do if life gets in the way of me getting to the gym. It is a circuit of five body weight exercises, followed by a 20/10 Tabata Interval Workout. If I warm-up quickly, I can do this routine in 20 minutes, and it really gets my heart rate up, and burns a lot of fat fast.
So no more excuses! If you cannot make it to the gym, you can still work out and burn fat.
Here is my basic fat loss philosophy:
Intermittent fasting to create a slight caloric deficit and to decrease insulin levels to slow down fat storage.
Superset resistance training to increase HGH levels which burn fat and build lean muscle.
Interval Cardio to force fat burning during and after the workout.
So, based on this philosophy, here is the workout I use when I cannot get to the gym because life gets too hectic.
Body weight exercise for warm-up. 5 minutes

5 exercise circuit. Each exercise is done one after the other with a 1 minute rest at the end of the circuit. Repeat up to 2 times, for no more than 3 rounds.

12 pushups
12 Bulgarian Split Squats (use a chair if at home)
12 Stick-ups
12 single leg dead lifts
30 Mountain Climbers (30 reps each leg)

Tabata. 20 seconds of jumping jacks followed by 10 seconds of rest. Do eight rounds. You can also make it harder by doing dumbbell or kettlebell swings instead of jumping jacks. Or, side jumps. Or anything else you can think of that will get your heart rate up. Use your best judgement.

Stretch and cool down.

So if life gets too hectic do not fear. You can still get a great fat burning workout in without going to the gym.


Saturday, 12 February 2011

A Body Weight Military Style Workout

Here is a quick body weight military style workout for you to check out. It contains 6 exercises for you to do if you need a quick but effective workout.


Check out this military style workout.

Friday, 11 February 2011

A Great Fat Burning Body weight circuit.

Check out this great body weight circuit that will burn fat and keep you fit.


Using your own body weight is a great way of keeping fit and if you workout hard enough it can be one of the hardest things you come across.

Thursday, 10 February 2011

Gym Free Body Weight Circuits

Body weight circuits are a great way of improving your strength and overall fitness. Using your body weight means you can train on the move with little or no equipment, e.g if your in a hotel in the middle of nowhere you could find a small bit of grass or court yard and bang out a 15 minute circuit. You shouldn't however assume that you will find using your body weight easier than other exercise methods.

If you have never been into a gym or haven't done any training for a while it can be very nerve racking and you can feel very intimidated with the surroundings and your body so why not try simply body weight circuits to combat against this and tone your body up a little before walking in there.

Body weight circuits can be tougher on you than anything you've ever experienced but only if you put the effort into it, by doing this it can boost muscle growth and your fitness levels. That is why the military use this on a regular basis in basic training because it pushes people to their limit if worked hard enough.

A simple circuit could consist of the following exercises:

Press ups, Squats and Crunches. These exercises done in a simple plan just 15 minutes a day could help you accomplish some fat loss and muscle growth especially as a beginner to training.

A more intense circuit could consist of the following exercises:

Press Ups, Squats, Crunches, Close Arm Press, Sit Ups and Lunges. Again these exercises done in different ways like burn out sets for instance or slower reps can blast the body in record time.

I personally love using my own body weight as I have used it in the forces and lost a lot of weight and toned my body up. But its not all down to exercise, you should also be looking at what your eating and how much as a lot of it depends on if your taking enough calories in, because if your not it can have an opposite effect on what your trying to achieve.
Workout what calories your body needs to function properly with this formula:

Women - 655 + (4.3 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)

Men: 66 + (6.3 x weight in pounds) + (12.9 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)

After that add your activity levels

If you are sedentary: BMR x 20 percent
If you are lightly active: BMR x 30 percent
If you are moderately active (You exercise most days a week.): BMR x 40 percent
If you are very active (You exercise intensely on a daily basis or for prolonged periods.): BMR x 50 percent
If you are extra active (You do hard labor or are in athletic training.): BMR x 60 percent

And this should be the total calories your body needs.
For example myself - 66 +( 6.3 x 210) + (12.9 x 72) - (6.8 x 31) = 2041
2041 x 30% = 612 + 2041 = 2653 calories I need a day.
If your training is consistent then you would have to increase this for example a Royal Marine wound need 5000 calories a day to complete his basic training.

A Great Body Weight Circuits Out In The Field

Here is a great body weight circuits I did whilst serving abroad.

Body weight circuits aim at the progressive development of muscular and circular respiratory fitness. The muscular benefit in the circuit training is mainly endurance and will achieve increased efficiency of complete circulatory and respiration systems.

With this body weight circuits you don't need weights just a mat or some grass and music.
You will be working your ARMS, LEGS then your ABS and a little bit of running, so this workout is not for the faint hearted. It might look easy but believe me if you put the effort in you will feel it. I did this workout 3 times a week and came back from a 4 month deployment very fit and with a good physique.

Do each exercise for 30 secs first time through, then rest for 1min 20 secs, then 15 secs second time through, rest, then if you can 15secs.

Start with

ARMS
Press Ups
Wide Arm Press
Close Arm Press
Tri Dips (on wall or anything knee height)
Arm Punches

LEGS
Squats
Lunges
Squat Jumps
Side Jumps
Lunge Jumps

ABS
Sit Ups
Leg Raises
Trunk Curls
Cycling Twists
Half Sits

Rest for 2 mins, then depending where your training work out a 25m stretch, a 50m stretch and a 100m stretch. Sprint 25m jog back slowly, then 50m, then 100m do this 3 times through.
It is hard but it will get you fit and you will feel the benifits after a few weeks.
I'd like to say I'm not a fitness instructor or a qualified trainer I'm just giving you this body weight circuits that we did in the forces that helped me stay fit and active for service so good luck.

Wednesday, 9 February 2011

Basic Body Weight Circuits

Basic Military Fitness Body Weight Circuits

Enduring basic training will push you to the limit, both physically and mentally. In preparing for time at boot camp, every possible advantage counts. Advance preparation for military body weight circuits is crucial to keeping one's sanity during the transitional period between civilian and military life. For those unsure of where to best focus their preparation, read on to discover the general idea behind basic training military fitness.

Running and Marching

The crux of every military workout revolves around distance running. Because a soldier's life depends largely on the mobility of his unit, it is imperative that he is conditioned enough to survive long treks over various types of terrain. Almost every basic training workout includes some kind of jog or march. Army training regularly employs 5 km marches, and the Army fitness test includes a timed 1-mile run. The Royal Marines include a timed 3-mile run in their testing protocol, which is considered the toughest standard out of all the branches of the armed services. In preparing for these workout routines, always include timed jogging in a regime, aiming to lower 1- mile (or 3-mile) times progressively over the course of several months.

Body Weight Circuits

Military workouts also place great stock on an individual's ability to perform traditional body-weight exercises. The Marines test on pull-ups and abdominal crunches, while the Army tests on push-ups and crunches, but quality basic training workouts can revolve around all three, regardless of which branch you have joined. On the physical fitness examinations, push-ups and crunches are tested with a 2-minute time limit. Pull-ups have no time limit, but each repetition must be performed from a dead hang (arms locked and fully extended). Those looking to emulate military workout routines should make it a point to train all three body-weight exercises under identical testing conditions, always aiming to improve their totals from week to week.

Putting It All Together

Body weight circuit training is the ideal way to combine all of these exercises into a basic training military fitness. Circuit training is where various exercises are completed back-to-back, leaving little time for rest and conditioning endurance as well as pure strength. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, perform the bodyweight exercises in the following fashion: push-ups (max repetitions in 2 minutes), crunches (max repetitions in 2 minutes), and then pull-ups (max repetitions with no time limit). That concludes one body weight circuits. Complete a total of three circuits on each day. On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, go for progressively longer jogs. Take Sundays off. This emulates the actual conditioning that you will experience in military fitness.

Tuesday, 8 February 2011

A Quick 10 Minute Body Weight Circuit


A Ten Minute Body Weight Circuits to get rid of belly fat.

Are you looking to change the shape of your body or trying to get rid of belly fat without joining a high priced gym? If so, try this high energized cardiovascular fitness routine.

With this 10 minute simple body weight circuit you can burn up to 150 calories every single day.
So lets get to it, the first two minutes of this fat burning routine is:

Skipping - Begin by performing two jumps for each turn of the rope. Safety: Use the correct size jump rope and always land softly on the balls of your feet (that is the upper part of the bottom of your foot). Keep thinking I am losing weight.

Minutes two to three:

Squat Thrust into a Push Up. - The proper technique for this exercise is to stand with your feet shoulder width apart and your arms strait down next to your sides. Slowly squat down with your head forward and bring your hands to the floor just outside of your feet. Your hands should be pointing forward as well. Then in one movement, push your legs back and out behind you (into a pushup position). Perform one strict pushup and then jump back into your squat position and then stand back up. Keep thinking, the fat is vanishing.

Minutes three to four:

Skipping with only one jump per turn. Keep thinking, The fat is melting away.

Minutes four to five:

Back to the Squat Thrust and Push Up only this time you are going to add the Side Plank. After completing your squat thrust and push up, you are going to lift and rotate your left arm off of the ground and over your head. Your left foot will rotate and rest on top of you right foot. And you will rotate your neck so you are looking up at your ceiling. Rotate back to the center and repeat on the other side. When finished, hop back into your squat position, stand up and start again. Keep thinking, no more belly.

Minutes five and six:

Skipping. Same as minutes three and four. keep thinking, I am on the way to get rid of belly fat.

Minutes six and seven:

Back to the Squat Thrust and Push Up only this time you are going to add the Leg Lift. This is the same as minutes two and three only this time you will lift the toes of one foot about twelve inches off of the ground only after you have performed your push up. Lower your foot and repeat on the other side. Hop back up to your squat position, stand up, and start again. Keep thinking, goodbye belly.

Minutes seven and eight:

Skipping. Same as minutes three and four. Keep thinking, my belly is getting smaller.

Minutes eight and nine:

Back to the Squat Thrust and Push Up only this time you are going to add Mountain Climbers. Repeat everything as in minutes two and three only this time after your push up, you will quickly jog in place from your push up position. Make sure you bring your knees up to your chest on each rotation. Perform 5 jogs and repeat this entire process. Keep thinking, I am going to lose weight.

Minutes nine and ten:

Skipping. Same as you first two minutes. Keep thinking. If I do this everyday, I will get rid of belly fat. Good luck to everyone.
We recommend using a soft padding such as a yoga mat when performing this exercise. This will cut down on any injury and save some of those knee joints for you. 

Monday, 7 February 2011

A GREAT MILITARY STYLE BODY WEIGHT CIRCUITS



A GREAT MILITARY STYLE BODY WEIGHT CIRCUITS.

An At Home Bodyweight Circuit to bulk up the legs


Bulk up the legs with these simply but effective at home bodyweight circuit.

Skinny legs are shared by both men and women, fitness buffs and slouchers, weight lifters and runners, regardless of what many people do to try and improve their chicken leg appearance, it can still be hard to build attractive leg muscle. Now, through modern research, several old and new fitness approaches have been shown to help grow those pigeon legs into muscular masterpieces. It really comes down to both diet and exercise.

Weightlifting is a great way to improve overall appearance; and when it comes to improving leg size, some bodybuilders get it right. Unfortunately some don't. And all the squats in the world won't make a difference if there isn't a targeted diet to go along with exercise. That's why many bodybuilders fail to build their skinny legs into powerhouses to match their mammoth bodies. The diet part of their exercise equation is missing.

As for runners, they often see worse gains than their bodybuilder buddies. In fact, runners are often notorious for having skinny legs -- even men and women who once had impressive drumsticks end up with skinny runner legs.

It's important for runners to include some resistance-based exercises (like weightlifting) into their routine, especially with their legs. Not only can this shave a few seconds off their overall time, but it can help runners maintain or even build full, attractive legs.

For anybody with skinny legs, the following tips should build some muscle when followed for 6 months to a year. As for muscle tone, most people see gains within a couple weeks.

FUEL YOUR MUSCLE GROWTH

To make a long story short, protein builds muscle -- even leg muscle. But not all protein is equal. Some foods are better than others at providing adequate protein to fuel muscle growth. To build leg muscle, start with the foods listed below:

* eggs

* liver

* kidneys

* beef

* fish

* chicken and turkey

* milk, yogurt, and cheese

* nuts

* beans

* peas

* some grains (especially barley)

Don't overcook meats. Overcooking your food can actually breakdown and damage protein and other nutrients your body needs to build muscle. Try baking meats instead of frying, it's easier to control the temperature. Steaming vegetables instead of boiling also keeps more nutrients in your foods.

Most nutritionist advise 1 1/2 grams of protein for every pound of body weight each day, for maximum muscle growth. With this type of diet, it's easy to fuel the muscles in your legs for proper growth.

DRINK, DRINK, DRINK

You've probably read it before, but it's got to be said again. Drink plenty of water. I personally try to make 8 glasses of 12 ounce water per day part of my diet. And all that water doesn't need to be from the tap. Include fruits and vegetables as part of your daily amount. Melon (like watermelon and honeydew) are a huge source of water. They're really flavorful too.

LEG PRESSES

Exercise is the most important thing you can do to build leg muscles. By focusing on just your legs and making most of your workouts push those muscles to their limits, you'll definitely build more attractive legs.

Perform the leg press at the gym using a machine by the same name.

* Sit on machine with back on padded support. Place your feet on platform and grasp handles to sides.

* Push the platform away by extending your knees and hips. Return and repeat.

If your not a member of a Gym then try squats with your finger tips touching the side of your temple and use good form by squating with your knees bent to just over 90% with your back straight.

LUNGES

This is one of the best at home bodyweight exercises for your legs and butt muscles:

* Stand with feet 3 to 4 inches apart, with hands on hips. Starting with your right leg, take a giant step forward. Your toes and knee are pointed directly in front of your body.

* Bend your right knee slightly, with your whole foot on the floor. Your left heel lifts up.

* Lower your body straight down from this position. Your front knee must lower down over your ankle, or behind your shoelaces.

* Raise your body and bring your left leg in to return to the standing position.

* Repeat with your left leg. Alternate right and left each time.

CALF RAISES

* Grasp a dumbbell in one hand to side.

* Position toes and balls of feet on calf block with arches and heels extending off.

* Place hand on support for balance. Lift other leg to rear by bending knee.

* Raise heels by extending ankles as high as possible. Lower heels by bending ankles until calves are stretched. Repeat. Continue with opposite leg.

Fuel your workouts, drink plenty of water, and perform exercises that really hit those leg muscles. Before you know it, you'll turn your skinny poles into shapely legs you'll be excited to show off in shorts.

Tuesday, 1 February 2011

Body weight circuits Stretching Exercises

10 Things You Should Know About Stretching

Before fitness training, one must give importance to doing warm-up or stretching exercises to prevent accidents or to enhance the output during the training. There are also a number of precautionary measures and tips to serve as guidelines when doing fitness exercises. Here are some of them.

1. To increase your flexibility and to avoid injuries, stretch before and after workout. Almost everyone knows that stretching before workout prevents injuries during the exercises, but only few people know that stretching after workout, when muscles are still warm, can increase flexibility.

2. Hold your stretching position for more than 60 seconds to increase flexibility. While holding your position for 20 seconds is enough for warm ups, holding each position for at least 60 seconds will develop the body's flexibility.

3. Do not go into a stretching position then immediately return to the relaxed position, and do it repeatedly. This is more appropriately termed as bouncing while in a position. When stretching, hold that position for several seconds, and then slowly relax. You may do this exercise repeatedly this way. Bouncing or forcing yourself into a position during stretching can strain or damage some joints or muscles.

4. Work slowly in increments instead of immediately proceeding to doing the hardest exercise or position.

5. Make sure that you have stretched or warmed up all muscle groups. For some people, even if they have strong bodies, they tend to neglect the neck when working out of stretching. Stretching the neck muscles can be as simple as placing the palm of one's hand against the front of the head and pushing it. Then, do the same to the sides and the back of the head.

6. Stretch regularly to continually increase your range of movements and your level of flexibility and strength.

7. Workout considering only your capabilities and not of others. Do not force yourself to do exercises that you are not yet capable of just because there are people who can do it. Increase your limits slowly. Listen to your body. There are days when your body may be too tired that you may have to consider reducing your range of motion.

8. Learn to rest. Rest in between sets and stations to make sure that the body has enough time to recover its energy. Also, it is advisable that you don't work the same muscle groups consecutively for two days. The muscles grow during the period when you rest and not when you are working out.

9. Do aerobic exercises to strengthen your heart. Aerobic exercises are those physical activities that much oxygen for fuel. This includes cardiovascular exercises such as skipping rope, running or swimming.

10. Music may help you when you want to train for longer periods or to increase your intensity. You can use mp3 players, CD players or lightweight am radio receivers for this. Just make sure that you brought your headset with you so you wouldn't disturb people who don't prefer music while exercising.

Apart from preventing injuries and increasing one's limit, it is also said that stretching exercises are good for a tired body and also for a stressed mind and spirit.

Friday, 28 January 2011

Body Weight Circuits In The Winter Why ?

Why do body weight circuits in the winter ?
There are several reasons to train in the winter and here are just a few of them :


To Defend Against Colds and Flu
So according to researchers keeping active can cut the risk of catching flu by 20–30 %. So hit the streets for 45 mins of running daily and you could rid yourself of those blocked up noses and feeling like you just wanna stay in bed.
Layers of clothing are crucial, as you don't want to be seizing up after the first 10 minutes. The extra clothing keeps your muscles warm but be careful not to over heat so wearing something with vents would help keep this in check.


Help Shed That Excess Blubber
Yes that's right, calorie burn in the winter is higher because the body has to expend more energy to stay warm. After warming up try doing a rope jumping routine, skip as fast as you can for a minute, rest for 30 secs and repeat it for 10 – 20 mins or until you have fallen. This will then activate your brown fat which in turn helps burn more lard calories from your lard stores. Just stimulating 85 grams of your brown fat it can help burn 400 –  500 extra calories, so get outside.


Train Your Body To Take In More Oxygen And Use It Efficiently
In Sweden they call this workout the FARTLEK. Nice eh, and consists of this :
10 mins jogging, Sprint for 30 secs, recover for 90 secs, do 3 sets then reduce the recovery by 5 secs until you reach 15 secs, after the last sprint  jog for a 10 mins warm down.
This can also help build higher fitness and smash your personal best in the summer.

So get out there in the cold and get training improve your fitness and fight off those winter blues.
I was an ex-serviceman and am now passing on my fitness tips onto others http://exservice29.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, 26 January 2011

A BODY WEIGHT CIRCUITS

Just to help all you readers out, here is a body weight circuits we used to do in the forces while on tour. Its nothing special but it works the whole of your body and burns off lots of fat. Its also a killer at times and you feel it the next day.
So here we go :

Start by warming up for 10 mins, jogging round and shaking out the muscles.

Close Arm Press 10 reps
Sit Up Twists 20 reps
Squats 30 reps

Wide Arm Press 15 reps
Sit Ups 20 reps
Lunges 30 reps (15reps on each leg)

Tri Dips ( on a wall / bench ) 20 reps
Crunchies 20 reps
Step Ups ( on a wall /bench ) 30 reps

Press Ups 15 reps
Leg Raises 20 reps
Squat jumps 30 reps

Do this body weight circuit 3 times through rest for 1 min after completing each of the 12 exercises all the way through without stopping, then jog for a 1 min and start again.

After you have done the circuit for the third time rest for 2 minutes and jump into this Abs circuit,

Sit ups
Sit up Twist
Crunchies
Leg raises
Alt Ankle Taps
Inners
Scissors

Do 10 reps of each ab exercise all the way through without stopping, rest for 2 mins and do the ab circuit again. Once you have mastered it you can do it for a third time.

Finished the workout routines so time to stretch off and warm down.

This body weight circuit may look easy but it is for people with a moderate fitness level and you only get out of the circuit how much you put in it. So give it a try and let me know what your thoughts are.
Like I said we did it when there was no weights about and to keep ourselves fit.

Tuesday, 25 January 2011

BODY WEIGHT CIRCUITS - The Training

I'm very "old school" when it comes to exercising, weight training and circuit training. In this modern age too much emphasis is places on style over substance when it comes to getting fit. People join trendy gyms, wear fashionable clothing, drink the latest sports drinks, and usually pay extortionate amounts in the hope to achieve short term goals. I prefer the old school approach, and by that I mean the simple, basic exercises that have been proven to increase strength and fitness and use your body weight. These are the exercises that used to be taught in School Physical Training classes, and are the core training in military schools, dance and body weight circuits.

Circuit Training
I believe that circuit training is one of the best ways to gain all round fitness and strength. The most intensive circuit training I have ever done has been in large indoor halls, with "stations" where different exercises are done. There are usually no or few weights involved. Generally the exercises include:

- press ups
- sit ups
- star jumps
- squat thrusts
- squats
- step ups (onto a gym bench)
- jumping onto then over gym bench with both feet together
- burpees (sort of star jump followed immediately by a squat thrust - a killer !)
- skipping
- sprints up and down hall
- running backwards, side ways etc.
- dips (using gym bench to hold onto behind)
- passing a medicine ball between two people, either back to back or throwing

There are often many others that are incorporated to ensure that each class is varied, but these for the core of any circuit training class. Great for building overall strength and cardiovascular fitness and they exercise all the major muscle groups while keeping the heart rate high.


Weight Training
Basic compound weight training is what I consider to be the "old school" weight training. By this I mean the exercises that use several different muscle groups at once. The best compund exercises to do are:

- Bench Press
- Should Press / Military Press
- Bent Over Row
- Shoulder shrugs
- Pull ups
- Cleans and Clean and Presses
- Barbell curls
- Dips
- Lateral Pull downs

If you plan take up body weight circuits, you do not really need any equipment just yourself. For weight training it is advisable to invest in some decent equipment, or join a proper weights gym, for that old school experience.

Monday, 24 January 2011

BODY WEIGHT CIRCUITS - Recovery Drink


Here is a  great home made recovery drink for you to try after a workout in the gym or body weight circuit.
A higher-fiber alternative to plain milk, this smoothie doubles as a smart breakfast or a milk shake-like treat. One serving of the smoothie contains 315 milligrams of calcium, roughly the same amount as a glass of milk. Freeze and store extra bananas in zip-top plastic bags so you can whip up this smoothie in a flash.
Yield: 2 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients

  • 1  cup  sliced ripe banana (about 1 large)
  • 1  cup  vanilla low-fat yogurt
  • 1/2  cup  1% low-fat milk
  • 2  tablespoons  whole wheat graham cracker crumbs (about 1/2 cookie sheet)
  • 1  tablespoon  nonfat dry milk
  • 1/2  teaspoon  vanilla extract
  • 3  ice cubes (about 1/4 cup)
  • Graham cracker crumbs

Preparation

Arrange banana slices in a single layer on a baking sheet, and freeze until firm (about 1 hour).
Place frozen banana and remaining ingredients in a blender. Process until smooth. Sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information

Calories:
216 (12% from fat)
Fat:
2.8g (sat 1.5g,mono 0.8g,poly 0.3g)
Protein:
9.8g
Carbohydrate:
39.3g
Fiber:
1.9g
Cholesterol:
9mg
Iron:
0.4mg
Sodium:
145mg
Calcium:
315mg

Blast Fat With Bodyweight Circuits

More and more people want or need to burn fat and most will give up
after getting little or no results. The reason they don't get the results is
because they are not doing the right body weight circuits that will burn fat and
build muscle all at the same time.

Most people go to the gym and when they get there they train using
cardio equipment ( treadmill, stationary bike, etc. ) then they move
on to weight training, and they spend up to 1 hour or more in the gym,
and after a month or so, they are not getting the results they want they
stop exercising all together.

The best way to exercise and get results is to stay home and to exercise
using a bodyweight circuit, with little or no rest at all for five to fifteen
minutes a day.

Most people think jogging will answer all their fat loss problems and the
fact is that even if you jog you still need to do some kind of strength
training to burn fat and this will take more time.

When you exercise using body weight circuit you will be working "cardio"
building muscle and burning fat at a very rapid pace.

Body weight circuits are the answer for building muscle, flexibility, and
fat burning they always have and always will, after all this is how the
military gets men and women in shape and ready for battle in record
time.

Just to show the benefits of a body weight circuit try this sample circuit:

10 push ups


10 bodyweight squats


10 jumping jacks


10 sit ups

There is no rest in between exercises, move from one exercise to the other,
when you get to the bottom start over and go through the circuit again.

The circuit should be done as fast as possible for five to fifteen minutes.

Sunday, 23 January 2011

A QUICK BODY WEIGHT CIRCUIT


Do these exercises 3 times a week, rest for 30 secs between each exercise, do one complete circuit all the way through then rest for 1-2 mins. E.G start with squat thrusts 10 reps then 30 sec rest then Push ups 15 reps etc... step up the reps if you find it easy at first or after the first week.

FULL BODY WORKOUT

Exercise                        Sets                                                   Reps
Jump Squat                     3                                                     10-15
Push Up                         3                                                      15-20
Pull Up                           3 try to aim for 5 Walking Lunges     10-15 each leg
Dips                               3                                                      10 - 15
Inverted Pull Ups            3                                                      10 - 15


Don't forget to have a 10 mins warm up first e.g 5 mins jog / walk 5 mins warm down shaking your muscles.
This is only a beginners workout.
Good Luck

Body Weight Circuits - Knowing The Muscles

If you become familiar with the muscles of the body you can actually gain great benefits than simply allowing you to get straight into a body weight circuit. The more information you get on the muscles your working the more you can improve on areas your not doing so well at and improve what your working.


So lets start looking at the muscles of the body :


The lower body muscles -

1. Quadriceps femoris - a group of four muscles at the front of the thigh. They are the vastus lateralis on the outside, the vastus medialis on the inside, the vastus intermedius between them, and the rectus femoris above them. The role is to extend the leg from a bent position.
2. Hamstrings - found to the rear of the leg and consist of the biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus. They are used to flex the knee in the act of pulling the heel towards the buttocks.
3. Gluteals - they make up the buttocks and consist of the gluteus maximus covering the hip joint and the gluteus medius and minimus on the outside of the hip. Gluteus maximus facilitates hip extension while the other two lift the leg to the side in an action called hip abduction.
4. Hip flexors - found opposite the glutes on the front of the pelvis which consists of the psoas major and iliacus and raise the leg to the front.
5. Calves - consist of the gastrocnemius and the soleus and their role is to extend the foot at the ankle.


The core muscles – great to work with body weight circuits core muscles are the key to the muscles of the body and lock down parts of our torsos to give us extra stability when our bodies need it, for example, when throwing a ball or picking up a toddler. The three most important core muscle groups are:


Pelvic floor muscles - they support the pelvic bone and in doing so provide support for the organs like the bladder and maintenance of continence in the urinary and anal sphincters. In women it facilitates birth by resisting the descent of the presenting part, causing the baby to rotate forwards to navigate through the pelvic girdle.
Transversus abdominis muscle - helps to compress the ribs and viscera and provides thoracic and pelvic stability.
The multifidus - a very thin muscle deep in the spine which spans three joint segments and works to stabilize the joints at each segmental level.
Abdominal internal oblique muscle - the intermediate muscle of the obdomen in performs two major functions, one it acts as an opponent to the diaphragm and helps to reduce the volume of the chest cavity during exhalation. Second function is its contraction rotates and side bends the trunk by pulling the rib cage towards the hip and the lower back.
Abdominal external oblique muscle - pulls the chest downwards and compress the abdominal cavity which increases the intra abdominal pressure as in a valsalva maneuver.
Rectus abdominis muscle - an important postural muscle responsible for flexing the lumbar spine and assists with breathing and playing an important role in the respiration.
Erector spinae muscles - a bundle of muscles and tendons in the back they allow unilateral flexion and bilateral extension of the spine.
Diaphragm - functions in breathing, enlarging the cavity which then creates suction that draws air into the lungs.

Upper body muscles -
Upper back muscles - trapezius muscle is a triangular shape that runs from the centre of the back right up to the neck and running across the shoulder blade. It stabilizes the shoulder blade and provides a base for the movements of the arm and creates a shoulder girdle for stability to the upper body.
rhomboids - small muscles in the centre of the back that help maintain good posture.
Shoulder muscles - deltoids are wrapped around the top of your shoulders and split up in three areas, front, side and rear. They give the shoulders their versatility and range of movement.
rotators are four small muscles beneath the shoulders and help to hold your arm in place.
Chest muscles - pectorals, everyone talks about these two large muscles that run across the surface of the chest and generally come into play when you push something or hug someone.
Arm muscles - everyone wants big biceps, they are situated at the front of your upper arm and work when you bend your arm or pick something up.
triceps are at the back of the upper arm and oppose the biceps. They come into play when you want to straighten your arm or push something.
forearms muscles run from the wrist to the elbow and there are loads of them that do many different jobs.
This is just a short overview of the major muscles of the body and more simple ones for you to know when training and doing body weight circuits.