“Circuit training is for the pansies in biker shorts wokring out on the nautilus machines…”

Normally I would agree with you but there are certain occasions where a particular style of circuit training could really benefit you. I’m talking about those times where you probably only have something like 20-30 minutes to get in a bodybuilding workout and you really want to pump iron and you also want to get in some cardio…

What to do right?

Here’s what I do when I find myself in the above situation:

Basically I tweak your normal circuit training routine and I mix in some cardio usually at the end of the circuit so I can still move a good amount of weight during the anaerobic exercises of the circuit training session/ bodybuilding workout.

I’ll be doing 4 sets of 4 exercises with a couple of minutes between sets, not individual exercises like you would in a typical bodybuilding workout. 3 anaerobic exercises and 1 cardio exercise at the end of the circuit.

For the cardio exercise portion of the circuit training I usually run on a treadmill, ride a stationary bike or ride an elliptical trainer. 9 times out of 10 I’m running on a treadmill for 5 minutes and it’s usually pretty damn close to a good sprint for 5 minutes.

Well there you have it… you get your bodybuilding workout in, you get some cardio in and you get it all in in under 20-30 minutes in this unique circuit training session.

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One of the things you want to avoid if you don’t want any more fat on your body is eating carbohydrates before you go to bed. Actually it would probably be best if you avoided them entirely at least 3 hours before bed for optimal fat loss.

You see when you consume carbohydrates before you hit the sack your body usually stores more of it as fat then it would during the day because you burn much fewer calories when you’re laying in bed doing nothing (not exactly a situation conducive for fat loss you know…

Makes sense right?

Another thing consuming carbohydrates late at night may do is result in decreased growth hormone production…

Ever seen a skinny guy with a big ‘ol beer belly?

Yeah… stay away from carbohydrates at least 3 hours before you go to bed and do everything you can to avoid the battle against fat loss.

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Perhaps even more important then the increased fat metabolism is that the split workout produced lower stress hormone levels which is obviously important if you’re trying to keep as much muscle on your frame as possible while maintaining a fat loss regimen as well.

Better fat loss results and keep more of your muscle… sounds like a good deal to me.

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The reason for the increase in fat loss is the absence of glycogen in your system.

The absence of glycogen allows or forces your body to find different energy sources other then glycogen and this usually leads to your body burning fat (fat loss) or protein (your muscles) as fuel.

In order to avoid sacrificing your muscles to burn fat, supplement with about 5 grams of BCAA’s (Branched Chain Amino Acids). BCAA’s help prevent protein breakdown and should spare your hard-earned muscle during your early morning cardio sessions. More fat loss and less muscle loss FTW

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It was a few years ago when I first read an article in Muscle Media Magazine (I don’t think it’s around anymore?) called:

High Intensity Interval Training

These days it’s just referred to as interval training but the principles are the same. In a nutshell, it’s a better, more efficient method for getting your cardio in and getting ripped in half the time and it’s great for fat loss.

Interval training basically entails  switching back and forth between jogging and sprinting in intervals. Jogging is great for fat loss while sprinting is great cardio and also great for burning calories. Personally, I like to use 1 minute intervals. Here’s how I do it:

First, I warm up first for about 2-5 minutes jogging at a brisk pace. You may need more time or less. Once I’m warm, I’ll start my interval workout:

1. Jog at a light pace for 1 minute
2. Sprint for 1 minute
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 5-15 times.

Basically all you’re doing is going back and forth between sprinting and jogging but the sprinting portion offers many benefits that some bodybuilders aren’t aware of. Jogging and fat loss most bodybuilders are already aware of…

Sprinting burns more calories then jogging because it takes more energy to run hard and sprinting recruits muscle fibers (fast-twitch) that normal jogging does not.

Practically, every cardio workout I do now involves some type of interval training because I find it much less mentally taxing and I also like the fact that I don’t dread doing my cardio workouts anymore. And I still get the benefit of the fat loss which we all need to stay lean and ripped.

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