Work in a shorter range of motion. When performing a motion, stop where you feel the most tension in your muscle, and then work your range of motion around that angle eliminating the full bending and straightening of your joint. For example, when lowering into a squat stop when your thighs are parallel to the floor, and then push up only about two inches before lowering back to the parallel to the floor position. Only return to your straight leg upright position every third or fourth rep.

Add in cardio-bursts. Take a few minutes at regular intervals during your cardio workout and double up the intensity into a sprint. For example, every three minutes perform a high speed sprint interval lasting from twenty seconds to one minute. Keeping the cadence high and piling on the resistance for a muscle overload for twenty to thirty seconds will also serve as a cardio burst.

Do back to back exercises. Choosing two or more moves for the same muscle group or movement pattern together without rest will improve difficulty due to a reduced rest cycle. For example do a set of cable pulldowns, immediately followed by a standing dumbbell row, immediately followed by a free-weight single arm row. Do ten to twelve reps each, followed by a thirty second rest. Then repeat the two or three moves until all sets are complete.

Increase your weights to lift with heft. Adding weight will increase the overload on our muscles to promote strength results. Try adding an extra plate of weight or choosing the next set of dumbbells for one set or several sets, then decrease reps if needed. Be sure to keep your movement pace under control and safe, being mindful of posture and stability.

Slow down your reps. Increasing the time muscles are kept under tension will fire up muscular endurance. Pay attention to continue breathing at your normal rate and keep your stabilizing muscles engaged so only the goal muscles are working.

Crank Up the Intensity! By Nicole Bryan

This is an Add-On Workout. Add on the fun by adding one exercise at a time! Super efficient and super fun.

(Consult your physician before beginning exercise.)

Begin doing #1, then #2, then #1. Then do #3, #2, #1. Repeat until you’ve completed #7- #1.

1.    10 Plank Up Downs
2.    15 Squats
3.    10 Jump Lunges
4.    10 Tricep Dips
5.    10 Pushups
6.    30 Mountain Climbers
7.    10 Burpees

Tera Busker is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and owner of Fitness To Go, an exclusive In Home & Private Studio Personal Training Service based out of Roberts, WI. www.fitnesstogo.net

Add-On the Fun by Tera Busker

There are endless ways to create circuits, even adding in plyometric moves or treadmill sprints to your circuits to log cardio while lifting weights. Choose the cardio machine you like the best and after each circuit do 1-2 minutes at a high intensity to get your heart rate up. Working out this way also makes the time fly by and keeps workouts interesting. If you don’t have hours to burn at the gym, circuit training is going to be the best thing for your goals and your schedule.

Here is a sample circuit training workout:

Squat with dumbbell shoulder presses- 15 reps

Seated on stability ball biceps curls- 15 reps

Plank holds- 45 seconds

1-2 Minutes treadmill sprints

*Repeat 2-3 times

Create the circuits that fit your weekly workout schedule. Stick with the same schedule for 4 weeks, and then change it up to keep from getting bored and to keep your body challenged!

Angelena is a mom, healthy living blogger at On Fire Fitness Healthy Living (www.OnFireFitnesspt.com), a NASM Certified Personal trainer and Fitness Nutrition Specialist. Her goal is to inspire others to take the steps to living a healthy lifestyle. Visit Angelena on Facebook and on Twitter.

Beat Boredom with Circuit Training by Angelena Riggs

Get Fit Quick Tip

Circuit train! Adding cardiovascular intervals in between strength training sets is a great method to an efficient time-saving workout. Simply alternate 1 weight-set, immediately followed by a cardio interval, until all sets are complete. Be sure to include a warm-up and cool-down.

Make our Get Fit Quick column your daily go-to for motivation and inspiration to live healthy!

Get Moving!

30 x 3 Workout

This workout is fast, effective and FUN!!!!
30 seconds WORK, 30 Seconds REST, 30 Minutes (thus the 30 x 3) and you’re done. Complete this circuit 6 times for a great, full body workout. Be sure to consult your physician before beginning this or any exercise program.

30 Seconds: Squat/Shoulder Press
30 seconds: Rest
30 Seconds: Renegade Row Pushup
30 seconds: Rest
30 Seconds: Alternating Reverse Lunge with Rotation and Bicep Curl
30 seconds: Rest
30 Seconds: Tricep Extension with Hip Bridge
30 seconds: Rest
30 Seconds: Plank with Walkout
30 seconds: Rest
Repeat for a total of 6 circuits

Squat with Shoulder Press: Holding weights in both hands at shoulder height, lower your body into a squat. As you stand back up, raise weights straight over head in one smooth motion. As you lower back into a squat, lower weights back to shoulder height.

Renegade Row Pushup: Place a pair of dumbbells on the floor and set yourself up in pushup position, grasping the handles with each hand. Lower your body to the floor, pause, then push yourself back up. Once you’re back in the starting position, row the dumbbell in your right hand to the side of your chest, keeping your elbow close to your ribs. Pause, then lower the dumbbell back down and repeat with your left arm. Try to keep your hips from rotating while performing this exercise.

Alternating Reverse Lunge with Rotation and Bicep Curl: Hold dumbbells at your sides and stand with your feet hip-width apart. Step back with your left foot, and bend both knees to lower your body until your right knee is bent at least 90 degrees. At the same time, rotate your upper body toward your right leg and curl the dumbbells to your chest. Reverse the movement by lowering the weights and rotating your chest to face front, then return to standing. Repeat on opposite side.

Tricep Extension with Hip Bridge: Lying on your back with arms extended straight above your shoulders, lift hips off of the ground. As you lower the hips back to the mat, bend arms from the elbows only and lower weights down towards the ears. (Imagine putting earmuffs on and then taking them back off.) Repeat the motion by lifting the hips back up as you raise the weights.

Plank with Walkout: Set yourself up in a plank position on the elbows. Pull the navel in tight and keep the back and hips flat, step out to the side a few inches with your right foot, step out to the side a few inches with your left foot, step back in with your right foot and step back in with your left foot. Repeat. Try not to rock the hips as you perform this exercise.

Are you an advanced exerciser and want to take the workout to the next level? Here is a calorie torching version:
30 Seconds: Squat/Shoulder Press
30 seconds: Mountain Climbers
30 Seconds: Renegade Row Pushup
30 seconds: Jumping Jacks
30 Seconds: Alternating Reverse Lunge with Rotation and Bicep Curl
30 seconds: Mountain Climbers
30 Seconds: Tricep Extension with Hip Bridge
30 seconds: Jumping Jacks
30 Seconds: Plank with Walkout
30 seconds: Rest
Repeat for a total of 6 circuits

Tera Busker is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and owner of Fitness To Go, an exclusive In Home & Private Studio Personal Training Service based out of Roberts, WI. www.fitnesstogo.net

Total Body Workout! By Tera Busker

What workout can I do at home to save time on busy days?

Here are 4 examples of effective workouts that will get you the results you want in a short amount of time.

Circuit Training
Circuit training is a series of strength or cardio exercises (or both) that are repeated two or three times with little or no rest between sets. Circuit training requires you to move quickly from exercise to exercise, which elevates your heart rate. If you add strength training exercises into your circuit, you can burn fat and tone your muscles in one workout. Circuit training is also a great boredom buster. Who can get bored when you are darting quickly from exercise to exercise? Choose 5-6 exercises, like lunges, mountain climbers, bench dips, burpees or jumping jacks, do each back to back for 30 seconds each. After you have completed all of the exercises, rest for 1-2 minutes. Repeat the same circuit 1-2 more times.

Tabata Training
Tabata training is a type of workout that only lasts four minutes but creates an “after burn effect.” This means that your body continues to burn calories well after the workout is over. A tabata workout consists of eight rounds working at high intensity for 20 seconds, and then 10 seconds of rest. Tabata training hardly takes any time at all, can easily be incorporated into your day, and offers huge benefits. Try it with jump squats, push-ups, or even sprints! An example workout would be do jumping jacks for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, do pushups for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds. Repeat this sequence for a total of 4 minutes. 2 examples of workouts that work great with equipment that you may have at home (cardio machines/weights)

HIIT
Your cardio workout doesn’t have to be long to be effective. Rather than doing steady-state cardio for 60 minutes, opt for 20 minutes HIIT. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a form of exercise that alternates between short bursts of high intensity exercise with longer periods of lower intensity. These high intensity bursts that melt the fat away – up to 50% more effectively than low-intensity exercise. It also speeds up your metabolism, which enables you to burn more calories throughout the day. Try this beginner HIIT workout. After you have warmed up at a low intensity for 5 minutes, start your first HIIT cycle. Work at an intense level for 30 seconds and follow with 90 seconds of moderate effort. Repeat the HIIT cycle for a total of 10 minutes, then cool down for 5 minutes.

Compound Exercises
Compound exercises are movements that combine an upper body and lower body exercise together. Movements that utilize both the upper and lower body at the same time create a better workout than exercises like, bicep curls, which only focus on one part of the body. How do you “build” a compound exercise? Take a lower body exercise like lunges, squats, bridges or planks and fuse it with an upper body exercise like bicep curls, shoulder presses, rows or tricep extensions. Some great examples are the squat and press, the rowing plank and the hip bridge with a tricep extension. Create a workout out of only compound exercise or add compound exercises into your Tabata or Circuit Training for a fast and effective workout.

Tera Busker is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and owner of Fitness To Go, an exclusive In Home & Private Studio Personal Training Service based out of Roberts, WI. www.fitnesstogo.net

Time-Saving Workout Tips by Tera Busker