Bodyweight Circuits for Fat Loss

Bodyweight Circuits for Fat Loss

As you know, I've been recommending bodyweight circuits for fat loss as an improvement over traditional cardio for fat loss, but a reader asks...

"Won't doing more bodyweight training on off-days make you sore?"

That's a great question.

But it all comes down to individual fitness. After all, if you're only strong enough to do a maximum of 5 pushups per set, then it's not going to be a good idea to do 3 more sets of push-ups in your extra workouts.

But you might be able to do incline pushups - as these will be low-intensity. This lower intensity exercise on "non-TT-workout" days will not only help you burn more fat and calories, but will also help you recover from your harder workouts (by getting blood flow into your muscles to help muscle repair and recovery).

So when you choose exercises for your extra bodyweight workouts, make sure they are relatively low-intensity.

You should be able to do each of these exercises for at least 20 reps without difficulty.

For beginners, that might mean:

a) Lying 2-Leg Hip Extensions
b) 20 seconds Plank
c) Wall Pushups or Incline Pushups
d) Stick ups
e) 2-Leg Stability Ball Leg Curls

That is a potential bodyweight interval conditioning circuit for a beginner that should not cause soreness. If doing 15 reps of this causes soreness, back down to 8 reps per set.

Aim to do the circuit up to 3 times. 15-seconds rest between exercises. Rest 90 seconds after each circuit.

Why is this better than plodding along on the elliptical machine for the same amount of time?

1) Greater increase in "life-applicable" strength and fitness.

2) Just as many calories and grams of fat will be burned with this training method.

3) Increased self-confidence in your ability to do these exercises.

4) Decreased risk of overuse injury - what I refer to as the darkside of high-volume cardio. If you are unfit, weak, and overweight, then doing the same weight-bearing movement over and over and over and over again is probably not the best idea.

5) You will be able to sculpt your body better with bodyweight circuits than you ever will with those ridiculous elliptical machines.

For intermediate and advanced exercisers, good bodyweight choices include the Y-Squat, any of the pushup variations, split squats, bodyweight row, and ab exercises like the Stability Ball Jackknife.

And you should also start with a low volume of exercise...that means start with one circuit of 4-5 relatively easy exercises. That way you won't be sore after your first day with this workout. The next time you do it, you can add another round or more exercises. And so on...

Here's a good one if you are advanced and up to speed:

a) Jumping Jacks (60 reps)
b) y-Squat (15 reps)
c) Spiderman Pushups (8 reps per side)
d) Bodyweight Rows (15 reps)
e) 1-leg Stability Ball Jackknife (8 reps per side)
f) Burpees (6 reps)

No rest b/n exercises. Rest 30-60 seconds at the end of each circuit. Do 3 circuits.

I hope everyone understands the principles of the extra bodyweight workouts...

Not a day goes by that I don't perform some type of bodyweight training. I use bodyweight exercises for recovery (read my workouts on my blog here: www.turbulencetraining.blogspot.com).

You can do a lot with a little,

CB

P.S. You can get more bodyweight circuits here...

There are 3 ways to get more bodyweight circuits.

i) The October Monthly Workout here.

ii) The 6-Month Bodyweight Manual here.

iii) The TT Membership here.

"Craig's Bodyweight Turbulence Training program lets you use your body as the most comprehensive home gym available. In turn the results are like nothing else out there. If going to the gym ever feels stale, I immediately switch to CB's Bodyweight TT program to get and stay in shape."
Anthony Belza, one of Toronto's top Strength & Conditioning Coaches

"I want to thank you for kicking my a**. Seriously. I tried the one-legged deadlifts and the one-legged squats and literally cursed you. I was shocked at how little I knew about bodyweight training (i had Matt Furey's course but it didn't go into detail as yours did) and being in the military, I've had experience with calisthenics but WOW...it was incredible!"
Lee Smith, Iraq/Vegas



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