Short, Smart Workouts for Spring

With the nice weather here going to the gym to get in a strength workout gets harder and harder.  We would all rather be outside taking a walk, lying in the yard, or going for a hike.  However, if you neglect your strength training until the warm weather is fading in the fall, you’ll spend 5 months losing muscle mass, increasing body fat, and lowering your metabolism – yikes!  Without strength training women also put themselves at risk for future health problems such as osteoporosis, poor cholesterol, reduced overall strength, and increased risk of injury.

So how do you keep that muscle up without spending hours inside?  Easy.  Circuit training.  Circuit Training is a strength training technique where you move quickly from one exercise to the next until you’ve completed a set amount of exercises.  You then rest for a few minutes and start the circuit over.  The biggest benefit of circuit training is that it builds both strength and stamina while keeping the time to a minimum.  You improve muscle strength and keep your heart rate up to burn calories and improve your endurance.

The downside of circuit training is that you won’t get as much muscle building as you would with a regular strength workout.  However, I recommend you save the hard muscle building for those cold winter months and enjoy the long walks outside this spring!  Another downside is that circuit training can be nearly impossible in a crowded gym.  Hit the off-peak hours at your gym or find a empty are of the gym where you can go with a few free weights, stability ball, and medicine balls to set up your circuit.  Some fitness centers have areas dedicated to circuit training so make sure to check that out too.

To plan a circuit workout, decide how many days and how long you can be at the gym.  Most people should aim for 2-3 days and keep workouts between 20-40 minutes.  Circuit workouts are most often done as full-body workouts.  The exercises you choose should get each major muscle group working at least once or twice. 

Below are two examples of circuits you can do this spring.

Circuit #1: Free Weights 

1. 5-minute cardiovascular warm-up
2. Kettlebell swings (see a Certified Trainer to learn Kettlebell exercise)
3. Walking lunges
4. Stability ball push-ups
5. Single-leg deadlift to single-arm shoulder press
6. Stability ball hamstring curls
7. Crunches
8. Bent over rowing
9. Side plank holds
10. Repeat exercises #2-#10 two more times
11. Stretch

Circuit #2: Machines 

1. 5-minute cardiovascular warm up
2. Leg Press
3. Chest Press
4. Hamstring Curl
5. Lat Pulldown
6. Leg Extension
7. Shoulder Press
8. Repeat exercises #2-#7 two more times
9. 5 minutes of abdominal work
10. Stretch

You can change your circuits each week or each month or you can have a few circuits that you alternate between.  Just make sure you’re lifting enough weight to make your muscles really work (you should only be able to do between 10-15 repetitions of each exercise) and make sure you keep active on the days you’re not in the gym.  Have a great spring!