Fit, Firm, Flexible, Fast!

Try our new total-body strength training plan

The concept behind this plan is circuit training, and it works like this: You have a series of strength training exercises, which you perform back-to-back with little rest in between. Like traditional strength training, circuit training builds muscle, which helps you burn more calories when you're not exercising.


In addition, circuit training gives you a cardio workout. Because you move quickly from one exercise to the next, your heart rate stays up, and you burn more calories while you're lifting weights. (Traditional strength training has more rest time.)


To add flexibility benefits--an essential fitness component, especially as you get older--we've mixed in a few yoga poses. These easy moves stretch your muscles, while also helping to further increase your strength. (Research shows that stretching while you lift weights can boost strength gains by 20 percent.)


"With circuit training, you can get a good cardiovascular workout and great muscle definition in a short time," says Vern Gambetta, a conditioning coach in Sarasota, FL, who often trains Olympic and pro athletes using circuit training.


Get this workout to go! Download it to your iPod, iPhone, or media player. 

Lifting Weights Versus Jogging

Research has shown that when volunteers performed circuit training for just 20 minutes, 3 days a week, they improved their fitness levels by up to 11 percent. That's about the same cardiovascular boost a similar group got when they jogged 30 minutes, 3 days a week.


More recently, researchers found that when previously sedentary adults either circuit trained or did endurance exercise such as cycling or cross-country skiing for 40 minutes, 3 days a week, both groups had similar aerobic benefits, with the circuit trainers reaping the added benefit of increased muscle strength.


Another advantage of circuit training is that it's fun, because you're constantly moving to a new exercise, which keeps it interesting, says Prevention fitness advisor Wayne Westcott, PhD.

Total-Body Toning Plan

Do this workout, and you'll see results in as little as 4 weeks. Remember to rest for 15-second intervals between each exercise within each circuit.


The exercises are bunched into groups of three followed by a stretch. Perform each exercise for 60 seconds, doing as many repetitions as possible. (It helps to have a clock with a second hand or a timer nearby.)

[pagebreak]You can use a lighter weight and perform more repetitions or a heavier weight and perform fewer, slower repetitions, so long as you maintain good form and challenge yourself. The effort should feel tough during the final 10 to 15 seconds. To avoid injury, allow at least 3 seconds to lift and 3 seconds to lower the weight for each repetition.


Rest no more than 15 seconds between exercises. Always warm up with 5 minutes of moderate exercise such as walking or stationary cycling before you start. Then cool down with 5 minutes of easy activity when you're done.


Though you'll see results from circuit training alone, you'll get even greater results if you make it part of a cross-training, variety-packed program. For instance, you might try circuit training Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, cycling on Tuesdays, walking on Thursdays, and nature hiking on the weekends.

Eat for Success

What you eat can speed up--or slow down--your success. For the best results from Prevention's new Total-Body Toning Plan, try this advice from Liz Applegate, PhD, of the University of California, Davis, and author of Eat Smart, Play Hard (Rodale Inc., 2001).


Start with a snack. Too many women exercise on empty, hoping they'll burn more calories and lose more weight. The reality: You don't perform as well and can't lift as much when you're not well fueled, so the workout is less effective.


If it's been more than 2 to 3 hours since your last meal, eat a small snack such as a banana about 30 minutes before lifting. Just make sure that you compensate for these additional calories (that's 110 for a medium banana) by cutting back a little at a later meal.


Pump up your protein. Protein helps to repair your working muscles after a bout of lifting weights so that they get stronger. To make sure you're getting enough, plan on eating about 1/2 g of protein per pound of body weight. So a 140 lb woman would aim for 70 g of protein a day.


Make sure with a multi. People who exercise regularly have a higher demand for many vitamins and minerals than sedentary folks. The best way to get them is to eat more fruits and vegetables. Prevention recommends nine a day. It's also a good idea to take a standard multivitamin for insurance.[pagebreak]

Circuit 1

Twisting Crunch on a Ball: Sit on an exercise ball with your feet on the floor shoulder-width apart. Place your fingertips lightly behind your head. Lean back (the ball will roll slightly forward) so your rear and the small of your back are pressing against the ball. Using your abs, lift your shoulders up and forward, twisting your right shoulder toward your left side as you lift. Pause, then lower. Repeat, alternating sides, for a total of 60 seconds.



Dumbbell Squat: Stand with your back to a chair and your feet about shoulder width apart. Hold the dumbbells at your shoulders, palms facing in. Keeping your back straight, bend at the knees and hips as though you are sitting down. Don't let your knees move forward beyond your toes. Stop just shy of touching the chair, then stand back up. Repeat for 60 seconds.



Chest Press: Lying on the floor (or a bench), hold the dumbbells end to end just above chest height; your elbows should be pointing out. Press the dumbbells straight up, extending your arms. Hold, then lower. Repeat for 60 seconds.



Stretch, Cobra: Lie facedown with your feet together, your toes pointed, and your hands on the floor, palms down just in front of your shoulders. Pressing your hands into the floor, gently extend your arms, lifting your upper body off the floor as far as comfortably possible. If you feel any strain in your back, alter the pose so that you keep your elbows bent and your forearms on the floor. Hold for 15 seconds.



Quick Tip: Perform to a soundtrack. Because it's rhythmic and consistent, circuit training works well to music. Pick a CD with a steady groove that will keep you humming along. Anything R&B works well.


Circuit 2

Reverse Curl: Lie with your arms at your sides, your palms down. Bend your hips and knees so that your legs are over your midsection and relaxed. Slowly contract your abdominal muscles, lifting your hips 2 to 4 inches off the floor. Hold, then slowly lower. Repeat for 60 seconds.



Biceps Curl: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding dumbbells at your sides. Bending your elbows and turning your wrists upward, lift the dumbbells toward your shoulders. Don't move your upper arms. Stop when the dumbbells are at chest height, palms facing your body. Pause, then lower. Repeat for 60 seconds.



Step Up: Stand facing an aerobic step or regular stair, holding dumbbells at your sides. Place your right foot on the step, and lift yourself up. Just tap your left foot on the top of the step, slowly lower your left foot to the floor, then step off with your right foot. Repeat, alternating feet, for a total of 60 seconds.



Stretch, Praise pose: Kneel with toes pointed behind you. Sit back onto your heels, and lower your chest to your thighs. Stretch your arms overhead, and rest your palms and forehead on the floor (or as close as comfortable). Hold for 15 seconds.



Quick Tip: Do the shuffle. Keep the workout fresh and interesting by changing the order whenever it feels too familiar. Since the exercises are bundled in groups of three followed by a stretch, just rearrange the groups, one week starting with group two, the next week group three, and so on.


Circuit 3

Chest Lift: Lie facedown on the floor with your hands under your chin. Lift your head, chest, and arms about 5 to 6 inches off the floor. Hold, then lower. Repeat for 60 seconds.



Lunge: Standing with your feet together, hold dumbbells down at your sides, your palms facing in. Take one big step forward with your left leg. Plant your left foot, then slowly lower your right knee toward the floor. Your left knee should be at a 90-degree angle and your back straight. Press into your left foot, and push yourself back to the starting position. Repeat, alternating legs, for a total of 60 seconds.



Dip: Sit on the edge of a sturdy chair, hands grasping the seat on either side of your rear. Walk your feet out slightly, and inch your butt off the chair. Keeping your shoulders down and your back straight, bend your elbows back, and lower your butt toward the floor as far as comfortably possible. Slowly push back up. Repeat for 60 seconds.



Stretch, Downward Dog: Position yourself on the floor on your hands and knees, your feet flexed. Press your hands and feet into the floor, raising your hips toward the ceiling. Your body should look like an upside-down V. Keep lifting your tailbone toward the ceiling as you lower your heels to the floor as far as comfortably possible. Hold for 15 seconds.



Quick Tip: Keep it fun: Form a circuit circle. First there were sewing circles, then book groups. Invite a friend or two to work out with you. Each person starts at a different point in the circuit; every 60 seconds, shout "Switch," and move to the next exercise.


Circuit 4

Calf Raise: Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, holding dumbbells at your sides. Slowly rise up onto your toes while keeping your torso and legs straight. Hold, then lower. Repeat for 60 seconds.



Back Fly: Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor and about hip-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand so the weights are about chest level and about 12 inches from your body. Your palms should be facing each other and your elbows slightly bent as if you were holding a beach ball. Bend forward from the hips about 3 to 5 inches. Keeping your back straight, squeeze your shoulder blades together, and pull your elbows back as far as comfortably possible. Pause, then return to start. Repeat for 60 seconds.



Overhead Press: Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor. Hold dumbbells up at shoulder height, your palms facing your ears. Press the dumbbells straight overhead, without locking your elbows. Hold, then lower. Repeat for 60 seconds.


Stretch, Warrior: Stand tall with your feet about hip-width apart. Take a giant step forward with your right foot, bending that knee. (Be sure your knee does not jut out over your toes.) Turn your left foot to the side so your left arch faces the heel of your right foot. Raise your arms over your head, your palms facing each other, lifting your chin slightly. Hold for 15 seconds, then switch sides.



Quick Tip: Go through the circuit routine twice. It'll still take less than an hour, and you'll get even more muscle-building, calorie-blasting benefits.
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