Bodyweight Interval Circuits
Written by Mike Cheliak on April 23, 2009 – 11:51 am -Cardio. Yuck! Long, steady state cardio has no purpose for anyone other than endurance athletes. This mantra is shared by thousands of REAL fitness experts. Long cardio is catabolic in nature (it eats your muscles as well as fat). This causes long term issues in being able to maintain adequate muscle mass.
While strength training is almost always first and foremost in any effective fitness and weight management program, there is another dandy tool that is widely thought of as your next best tool. Interval training. Interval or HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is based on a period of high exertion followed by a period of recovery.
Intervals can be performed anywhere. A treadmill, a track, a stationary or riding bike, some fitness machines although most are not designed to provide the type of speed and resistance you need to get this done. Intervals are also great because they are adaptive. At first, you won’t push it as hard as you will eventually. You can start at any level and you will be astounded at the progress you make.
My favorite intervals are bodyweight circuits or groups. You can pick almost any bodyweight exercise and turn it into a fat burning monster in 10 minutes! I often do a 5 minute bodyweight squat challenge and have managed to do 250 bodyweight squats in 5 minutes! Your imagination can come up with any number of combinations of bodyweight exercises that you are comfortable doing. The key is to push yourself hard, recover and repeat.
Craig Ballantyne from Turbulence Training is a master of the bodyweight Interval. He has more combinations and permutations than anyone else I know. Check out his video below, visit him online or check out more of his great videos on You Tube.
In happiness and health as always!
Mike C.
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