Circuit Training Workouts: Let Your Favorite Music Be Your Trainer

For most people, weight loss and management is an ongoing, unforgiving, and challenging part of life. Eat like a rabbit for a month, exercise religiously, forgo sweet or fatty foods, and most of us can tip the scales in our favor. However, it seems that only a few indiscretions like a bowl of ice cream or a few missed workouts will reverse the process post haste; the battle is uphill and constant. Due diligence is the only way to win the day. The good news is, the battle won't be so hard to fight if we get creative with the ways that we use the forces on our side: food choice and exercise.

There is a myriad of weight loss plans, potions, pills, and promises out there. Some preach food combinations, others forbid certain foods, and even more sources promise everything the customer wants: weight loss without deprivation or strenuous exercise. The truth is, there is no magic pill to pop or wand to wave over yourself to get the results you're after. The fine print always says, "Use with enclosed diet and exercise plan." The only way we achieve a physique that includes more muscle mass and tone with less fat is to find a balance of activity and food choice that we can live with.

Of course, developing a healthy friendship with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins is essential to replacing "inert" fatty tissue with its lean muscular counterpart. Choose the ones that you like, eat them daily, and find new ways to prepare them that will keep you interested. But what about exercise? How can we keep workouts from becoming repetitive, boring, or downright tedious? Let music be your trainer. Choose a variety of exercises to go with it. Call it circuit training, "boot camp" philosophy, muscle confusion, or exercise grab-bag if you wish. Working all of your muscle groups, each for a few minutes at a time, for five to six "blocks," will keep your workouts fun and different each time. You will look forward to exercise for a change.

First, choose five or six songs in a few different sets that you like the most. This is your "set" for the day (do these workouts every other day for best results). Invest in some hand weights, power bands, and leg weights. Find a cardiovascular exercise that you like (a treadmill is best, but you can use your neighborhood block or local school track): fast walking or running, aerobic dancing, kickboxing, or even a stationary bike works well. For your music player, MP3s or even cassette tapes in a portable player is fine. The key is to have your song queue ready, your equipment near to hand, and a half-hour to work. Research some exercises for arms, legs, and abdominal muscles. Get your plan mapped out in the way that you are comfortable.

Start your circuit workout with a light cardio warm-up for one song. Then move on to leg exercises (with weights if you like): do lifts, kicks, and circles. Alternate legs and types of moves for this song. During the next song, do some more cardio work. When the song switches again, move on to abdominal exercises. More cardio for the song following. After that song, work on arms and upper body with your weights or power bands. Finish off with a light cardio cool-down. After your half-hour of changing up targeted areas, you will have challenged all possible muscle groups.

This workout is easy to modify to your own fitness level and ability. It changes every few minutes to something new. You can choose different songs at varying speeds to keep it fun. A bonus that comes with using MP3 players is the shuffle button, which switches the songs around so you don't know which one will be next. The music itself can train you because it provides a subtle structure and intensity that you may not follow when working out in silence or to television. Best of all, you may just look forward to this workout because of its variety -- and the way it makes you feel. Using all muscle groups in stages brings fresh oxygen to your whole body. There may be no "free rides" to successful weight loss, but there are ways to make the ride much more enjoyable ... and effective!