In today's hectic world, many of us can't find as much time for exercise as we might like.  For the gym-goer on a tight schedule, exercise efficiency is at a premium. Exercise efficiency means getting the most out of each minute you spend in the gym. The principles in this section will help you the maximize the efficiency of any exercise program involving resistance training and cardio. Following the principles (in place of the usual action steps), we provide a quick and easy workout program involving three high-yield resistance training and cardio workouts, each of which takes only 30-35 minutes, and provides a thurough muscular and cardiovascular workout. This is a great program for anyone looking to lose weight and improve their health, who can only find half an hour or so three days a week to hit the gym. 

Quick and Easy Workout Principles:

1. Warm Up Fast

Normally we recommend a 6 to 8 minute cardio warm up before starting the resistance training portion of a workout. A warm up literally heats up muscles and joints, preventing injury. In addition a warm up mobilizes adrenalin and other stimulatory chemicals that help you get a better lift, while also raising your metabolic rate and tapping into fat stores. A 6 to 8 minute warm up is ideal, but if you’re in a hurry, you can limit your warm up to four or five minutes. Jog one minute, then walk for 30 seconds, then run the last 21/2 - 3 1/2 minutes, trying to push your pace hardest during the last minute. After your four or five minute warm up, stop moving, and rest for one minute before you start lifting. This one minute rest will give your body a chance to respond to the exercise you just did, mobilizing energy reserves and priming you to get the most out of the resistance training workout that will follow.

2. Circuit Train and Push to Failure

For the resistance training portion of your quick and easy workout, choose three muscle groups (say, Chest, Back, and Abs) and work them through four sets each. To save time, work these three muscle groups in a "circuit". In a circuit, three different exercises are performed back to back with no rest in between. Circuiting is an efficient way to train since the muscle group you work during one set recovers while you are working the other two muscle groups. Make the first of your four sets on each body part a warm-up set, and choose a lower level of resistance (less weight). For the last three sets, work out at higher resistance (more weight) and push each set to failure (the point at which you can't possibly do another rep). When you have more time to spare, working a given muscle group (say chest) through six to nine sets is generally optimal for toning your body and reducing body fat. If you are doing this many sets of exercise for a given muscle group, you generally shouldn’t push to failure. But if you’re pressed for time, cutting the number of sets in half and pushing to failure will still do a solid job of conditioning your muscles.

At the end of this section we provide a sample program containing three full circuit workouts based on three different combinations of lifts. Between them, these workouts will hit most of the major muscle groups in your body. If you do choose to follow this program, take a day or two off between each workout. A Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule for circuit training is great. Of course given the 35 minute time limitation, a few important muscle groups get left out in this program. It’s a good idea to try to find additional time at least twice per month to work out your rear deltoids, spinal erectors, and deep core muscles to keep your body balanced and functional (see Improving Posture and Alignment).

The four sets of  three different lifts contained in each day’s circuit workout should take about 12-15 minutes to complete. Since the exercises in each circuit are all done back to back, they should provide a light aerobic workout (they’ll accelerate your metabolism and get you out of breath) as well. This will prime your body to tap into fat stores during the brief cardio session that will follow. As a general rule, you should always do cardio after resistance training precisely because of this effect (see Getting Started with Exercise for more).

Take a 1 or 2 minute break after you finish your circuit workout before starting on cardio. Sit down, catch your breath, and really recover. Don’t be tempted to short change this break. Taking breif rests at the right times during workouts actually leads to more calories burned and better results (more below).

3. Do a Two Sprint Cardio Session.

The cardio portion of your quick and easy workout should be made up of two or three high intensity intervals broken up by rest breaks. High intensity interval training maximzies both the fat burning and cardiovascular benefits of exercise. The kind of interval training we recommend is a little different from what you'll find in most fitness books and magazines. Specifically, we encourage you to take full rest breaks in between intervals. During these breaks, you should slow way down or even stop moving entirely and fully catch your breath before staring to move at a fast pace again. Don't be tempted to skip these breaks, or to dive back into the active portions of the workout before you've fully recovered. To burn fat, build muscle, and become fitter, your body has to make a variety of biochemical and physiological changes. Exercise brings these changes about, but they take place when your body is resting and recovering from exercise, and not while you're actually working out. Taking rest breaks during workouts gives your body a chance to start making some of these changes, and makes your workouts more effective. In addition, taking a few breaks allows you to work out with greater intensity during the active portion of your workouts, and intensity, not consistentcy or duration, is the key to maximizing results. 

We provide a detailed, step by step interval cardio workout as part of the quick and easy workout program at the end of this section.