I’m a fitness trainer and do not recommend circuit training to burn fat. Just because circuit training has wide appeal doesn’t mean it’s the best way to burn fat. Circuit training has appeal for several reasons, one being variety, and another being the nature of hitting many muscle groups in a short period. But this doesn’t translate to ultimate fat burn effect. Circuit training is touted because it keeps the heart rate continuously elevated. But again, nonstop heart rate elevation doesn’t mean maximum fat burn or even efficient fat burn. Read more on burning fat before continuing on.
If someone asks me, “What’s the best way to burn fat?” or, “What’s the fastest way to burn fat,” I will never advise this person to do circuit training. Never. If someone asks, “How do I work every muscle group in 25 minutes,” then I’ll suggest circuit training. If someone asks, “What kind of exercise hits all muscle groups and keeps my heart rate going for 30 minutes?” I’ll suggest circuit training, the VersaClimber, swimming or rowing.
But best fat burn?
Two exercise principles leap into mind: High intensity interval training (HERE)
and heavy weight lifting. Circuit training is not ranked high for a substantial fat burn (though any exercise will burn some fat) because it is not intense enough. By definition, circuit training is continuous movement. But in order to sustain movement, motion or exercise nonstop for 25 or 30 minutes, it cannot be strenuous or highly intense.
Because if it were, you would not be able to sustain it continuously for so long. Yes, you may feel whipped after 30 minutes of circuit training, but exercise that can be sustained for half an hour does not qualify as “intense” or “strenuous.”
Intense and strenuous is that which you can maintain for only moments to a few minutes. And then a rest is absolutely mandatory and unavoidable.
Maximum fat burn occurs when the intensity of the exercise is high enough to trigger heightened release of two hormones: testosterone and human growth hormone. In order for these hormone levels to jump up, the exercise must be downright strenuous, so intense that you cannot sustain it for longer than 30 to 90 seconds or so. After which, you’re zonked and in bad need of a passive rest for at least a minute or two.
When these hormone levels are increased, fat burning accelerates, and stays accelerated for many hours after the workout is finished. In circuit training, the intensity isn’t high enough to promote sufficient increase in these fat burning hormones to induce what would be considered a stellar fat burning effect.
As for heart rate elevation, very intense, short bursts of cardio or weight lifting, will crank up the heart rate, often beyond 85 percent heart rate max. The passive rest that follows each burst may be as long as several minutes, but you’ll notice that by the time you start up the next punishing burst, your heart rate is still elevated. This kind of training will leave metabolism elevated for hours after the workout. Traditional circuit training will not achieve this.
Tighten inner thighs:
HERE
