2 effective circuit training programs for men for fat burning at home and in the gym

Good day everyone, friends! Today we will talk about the pressing topic - weight loss and six-pack abs. In practice, I often observe cases when guys, coming to the gym to prepare their bodies for the summer, begin to engage in masochism. Someone begins to torment their biceps, someone kills their abs, someone tortures themselves with incomprehensible diets.

There are many different methods of losing weight, but from my practice I can highlight the most effective one - circuit training for fat burning in men and women. In this article, I will tell you what kind of training this is, what it is needed for, what muscles it uses, and I will give a couple of tips for achieving a good result.

What kind of training is this

Circuit training is a set of exercises for all the main muscle groups of our body, which are performed with minimal rest between exercises (20-30 seconds). After completing the circle, give a couple of minutes to rest and start over.

The number of circles in an exercise depends on your fitness level and the composition of the exercises that they include. The total training duration is from 30 minutes to 1 hour. This training has gained popularity among boxers, wrestlers, hockey players and professional athletes in general.

Also, circuit splits will be useful for beginners - they will speed up the metabolism, help you lose a couple of kilograms of fat and gain a couple of kilograms of muscle mass. Plus, such workouts are usually simple and can be done both at home and in the gym.

Basic principles

Even the simplest fat-burning workout must obey certain principles, otherwise it will be of no use:

1. Take amino acids before and after exercise. Preferably - BCAA
2. The increase in load should be gradual.
3. Warm-up and cool-down are required.
4. Do complex interval training three times a week, which combines strength and cardio exercises.
5. On other days, you need cardio exercise: running, swimming, dancing, brisk walking, rollerblading, cycling, active team games.
6. At the same time, morning training allows you to burn fat by 20% more than evening training.
7. Duration: 30 to 60 minutes.
8. You cannot eat anything 1 hour before class and 1 hour after it.
9. The intensity is adjusted according to your heart rate.
10. The best type of exercise for fat loss is interval training with wave-like intensity.

If you can follow all 10 principles, you are guaranteed a super fat-burning workout. Just don’t forget about reducing your daily caloric intake.

What muscles does this type of training work?

One of the cool features of the training is that it works on all major muscle groups at once - legs, back, chest, arms. The exercises combine strength training with endurance work. We add cardio training to this (running, jumping rope) and the result is excellent stimulation for the whole body, a bunch of burned calories, muscle growth and a good mood.

Speaking of muscle mass. There is an opinion among beginners: if you want big biceps, bomb your biceps. If you want abs, torture your abs. And so on. This is complete nonsense, and if you want to lose weight and strengthen muscles, then there are only two goals:

• Speed ​​up your metabolism and get rid of excess weight.
• Stimulate the production of anabolic hormones and, as a result, improve protein synthesis.

If you only torment your biceps, then the stress necessary for the release of hormones is insufficient, and concentrating on one muscle group, on the contrary, destroys it, preventing it from recovering and growing. All these nuances are well worked out by circular training, stimulating all the muscles of the body and helping to develop movement techniques, as well as giving the body flexibility and endurance.

Is it possible to remove fat from certain parts of the body?

Issues of local fat burning have long been of concern to athletes, doctors, nutritionists and trainers. Most people agree that reducing fat only in a certain part by training nearby muscles will be impossible under any circumstances.

This is evidenced by significant scientific research, as well as the experience of performing athletes.

There is another opinion. Some people believe that local fat burning is possible, but to implement it it is necessary to use special training methods that combine static load and strength. There is practically no evidence of this.

Attention! The reality, unfortunately, is that training individual muscles is not enough to reduce nearby fat as well.

Fat burning requires an integrated approach, which is influenced by the following factors:

• the speed of metabolic processes in the body, that is, metabolism;
• nutrition, including both total calories and nutrient ratios;
• state of the body and hormonal levels;
• training process.

Only if all elements are observed is it possible to reduce fat, which will be produced from the entire body, and not from its individual parts. Taking into account the individual characteristics of the body, some locations will lose weight more slowly, and you will have to be patient for their volumes to decrease.

Be sure to check out:

Advantages and disadvantages

Let's start with the pros:

• You're losing weight. All functions of your body begin to work intensively. Metabolism accelerates. The body goes into combat mode, and in combat mode it does not need extra weight. For weight loss, circuit training is much better than just cardio.
• The functioning of the cardiovascular system improves. The heart is also a muscle, and if you plan to live happily ever after, be kind enough to devote time to it.
• Muscles are being trained. Moreover, almost everything at once.
• Endurance improves. It will be much easier for you to run cross.
• Improves body control. You have better control over yourself, your movements become fast and clear.

So, is that cool? Not so simple. There are also several disadvantages to such training:

• It's hard. Yes, you really have to work, sweat and try. Many cannot withstand such loads and either switch to simple cardio or reduce the load.
• You need to create a proper training program, otherwise you risk getting injured. The right thing to do would be to contact a good coach.
• You need space and shells. Some exercises require the presence of at least some equipment: horizontal bar, parallel bars, jump rope, dumbbells, etc. In addition, it is important that at the end of one exercise the equipment for the next one is free - you don’t have time to wait.

Intensity

Cyclic training for all muscle groups can be carried out using three main methods:

1. Low intensity . It is based on simple exercises performed at a comfortable pace for the athlete. Pauses between approaches are maximum (25–30 seconds). This regimen allows you to strengthen your physical fitness and maintain the health of your cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
2. Medium-intensive . Characterized by a combination of strength and aerobic exercises. The pace is average, slightly faster than comfortable, pauses are 15–20 seconds. It is allowed to increase the weights with each lap. The technique allows you to develop endurance, train your heart and burn subcutaneous fat.
3. High intensity . It involves an almost complete reduction of pauses between elements and an increase in the pace of execution to 80–90% of the maximum. This method of training helps to form a beautiful, defined muscle relief and “dry” the body. Not suitable for untrained athletes due to serious stress on the heart.

People who have never exercised are recommended to start with low-intensity activities. After 2-3 months of regular training, you can increase the intensity or switch to classical fitness.

Contraindications

Before starting any sporting activity, you should consult your doctor. The main contraindications are the following:

• Presence of injuries or recent surgeries.
• Problems with the cardiovascular system.
• Diseases of the spine, musculoskeletal system or joints.
• Pregnancy or postpartum period.

I also advise you to get examined in a good clinic. Life is such that we are not even aware of many illnesses. It is better to find out from them in advance than to feel the consequences during training.

Techniques and types of exercises for circuit training

During the training, both exercises familiar from physical education lessons at school and new movements are used:

1. Pushups. Allows you to work the arm muscles and pectoral muscles. The work can be done either with your own weight or with weights.
2. Twisting. Twisting is performed both on the floor and on a special bench.
3. Work with dumbbells. Alternately performing dumbbell swings allows you to work out the muscles of the shoulder girdle. You can also do squats and deadlifts with dumbbells.
4. Pull-up on the horizontal bar. Working with your own weight works well on your back muscles, biceps and triceps. High variability.
5. Squats. Classic squats. Before starting the exercise, be sure to ask for help from a trainer, as correct technique in this exercise is very important.
6. Deadlift. Develops the muscles of the legs and back. Similarly, with squats, perfect technique is required - otherwise injury. It’s better not to use heavy weights during circuit training; this is not powerlifting.
7. Jumping in the pros and cons of crouching. The position is like a push-up, then we jump and move to a sitting position. Works the muscles of the legs and abs.
8. Jumping in place from a sitting position. We try to jump as high as possible.
9. Plank position while lying down. For several minutes we stand in a fixed position, point-blank, lying on our elbows or hands. We keep our body vertical and don’t bend. Can be supplemented by alternately moving the legs to the side.
10. Shuttle run. For a given time you need to run within a given segment, at the end of the segment you need to sit down and touch the floor.
11. Jumping rope. A timeless classic that develops leg muscles well.

There are a huge number of exercises and variations for circuit training, which allows you to vary the composition and focus on one or another muscle group. The basic principles of all exercises: intensity, multi-joint exercises, high number of repetitions.

Examples of training programs

At home

At home we are limited in space and equipment, so we will use what we have: our own weight and available tools. Example workout:

• Squats 30 times.
• Lunges from a standing position 30 times.

• Lying push-ups 20 times.
• Plank 1 minute.
• Jumping rope (possible without the rope itself) 40 seconds.

Depending on your preparation, perform at least 2-3 such circles. If you have a horizontal bar, weights or dumbbells at home, then feel free to use them. You can use improvised means as weights: bags with books, bottles of water, etc. Fantasize.

In the gym

The hall gives us the opportunity to use all available equipment, the main thing is that it is free at the right time. The workout includes:

• Bench press 20 reps.
• Lat Pulldown 20 reps.

• Crossover 25 reps.
• Pull-ups on the bar 10-15 reps.
• Smith Machine Leg Rows 20 reps.
• Jumping rope 1 minute.
• Crunches on a bench for 1 minute.

The number of repetitions and the total number of circles depends on training and endurance. It is better to vary the exercises by day or week, for example: Monday with a barbell, Wednesday with dumbbells, Friday with a weight plate or on machines.

Content

• 1 What is circuit training 1.1 Features of strength circuit training (bodybuilding)
• 1.2 Making a plan
• 1.3 Example of a circuit training program with periodization

Training Tips

Sets and reps

First of all, work on your technique, learn how to perform the exercises correctly, and ask to be observed from the outside. During the training we use a large number of repetitions (from 20). The main thing is to keep a good pace.

Weights

Do not chase the scales, use a weight slightly less than the working one. It should be such that you can do 15-20 intense repetitions without much strain. The weights themselves can be used in a variety of ways; for girls and women it would be better to start with their own weight; men can try lifting iron. But first of all – the right technique.

Nutrition and sports supplements

If you intend to lose weight, this does not mean that you need to starve yourself. Your body will burn a tremendous amount of energy, so it is important to replenish the supply. The diet should consist mainly of protein foods: milk, cottage cheese, eggs. Limit fatty foods and sweets while losing weight.

The use of sports supplements is not essential; today their value is overestimated. However, if you are serious, then you can think about using BCAA complexes, fat burners and protein. All this will speed up the weight loss process and improve muscle nutrition. In addition, it is much more convenient to drink a glass of milk with protein than to stuff a can of cottage cheese into yourself again.

Diet features

Since circuit training requires a lot of energy, the nutrition must be appropriate. You need to fill your diet with protein foods and simple carbohydrates in order to have energy for training.

Eat a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits, try to drink your daily amount of water. We must give up fried, sweet and starchy foods and give preference to natural foods of plant origin.

In addition, do not forget about sports supplements and sports nutrition elements. These are proteins, amino acids and protein shakes that help keep the body in good shape.

Useful tips and common mistakes

• Drink more water. Don't let yourself get dehydrated.
• Warm up for at least 5 minutes.
• Get your training plan right.
• Keep an eye on your technique. The main thing is not quantity, but quality. Nobody wants to get hurt.
• Watch your body. If you feel bad, don’t play the hero; fainting is not a good idea.
• Eat right. Half the success is proper nutrition. Balance your diet correctly. Lots of protein, less carbohydrates and minimal fat.
• Don't lift heavy weights, this is not bodybuilding.
• Work at a good pace, but do the exercise correctly.
• Work with a trainer, he will help you set up the technique correctly.
• If you are tired and cannot continue the exercise, rest for 5-10 seconds and resume.