2 Quickie Circuits For You

Looking for a quick workout? Here are 2 super fast workouts that engage lots of muscles and will fire up your metabolism.

Do them when you're crunched for time or after your regular strength training session in place of traditional cardio.

You can do the circuits different ways:

* Perform 15 reps of each of the 4 exercise with no rest in between. When you've completed all 4 exercises, rest for 30-60 seconds and repeat the circuit 4-6 times.

* Do them Tabata style. Perform as many reps as you can (with good form, of course) in 20 seconds. You then get 10 seconds to rest and get set for the next exercise. Repeat the circuit 4 times. You'll see how intense an 8 minute workout can be.

* Choose other work/rest interval times depending upon your fitness level. If you're a workout pro, you could perform all 4 exercises for 1 minute each with no rest in between. Then, rest 1 minute and repeat. Total time 10 minutes. If you're a novice, play around with different times to see what works for you. Results come from challenging yourself, not from specific interval times.

To get the best workout and to avoid having to keep your eye on a watch or clock, use some kind of timer with an alarm. For around 20 bucks, you can't go wrong with the GymBoss. I use mine all the time and I love it. If you want access to a ton of quickie workouts with a built in timer, check out BodyBot.

Try these and tell me what you think.

Easier:

Prisoner Squats
Pushups / Incline Pushups
Lying Hip Bridge
Plank Lift

Plank Lift: Start in a Plank position then lift your butt up in the air. Pause. Return to Plank position. These are the only photos I could find and they call it "Dolphin Pose" (and she doesn't seem to be coming all the way back down to the plank position).

Harder:

K.B. or D.B. Swings
Pushups - Incline, Standard, Decline or T-Pushups
Alt. Reverse Lunge
Spiderman Climbs


Remember to always warm up properly.

.