Faster Workouts for More Results

Everybody desires to work less and achieve more. Training is just the same. And there is a solution. I'm talking here not about training frequency but about workout time. You need to train faster for more results.

You can't cut the rest periods because it will impair your performance through recovery ability between sets. The key here is density. So how can you up the productivity by tightening your workout? There are techniques. They are called Alternating Sets or Circuits. The difference between them is that Alternating Sets are about two exercises and Circuits are about more than two. The main principle is the same. You take two or more exercises and alternate between sets of them. Here's the important point. I'm not saying straight sets are crap. They are cool but they take significantly more time to finish. You can use them when you're not short on time. But why not to workout faster and have more time for other activities?

Steve Reeves on the beach. He wasn't wasting his life in the gym 24/7

Some points of using these techniques

1. You'll want to choose right exercise pairings and/or order. For upper body pairings are quite obvious: upper body push/upper body pull, chest/back, biceps/triceps, dips/pull-ups, bench press/bent-over rows etc. But lower body pairings are not that obvious. The viable option is to pair heavy lower body movement like squats or deadlifts with light upper body movement like curls, triceps extensions etc. Order is important when you perform a circuit. You'll want to perform less demanding exercises at first. For example presses and rows at first, squats and deadlifts after.

2. You'll notice that you can recover faster between sets. Number one reason is that you actively rest between the sets of exercise. Let's say that if you perform sets of military presses and pull-ups for 3 sets 5 reps in straight set fashion you'll need approx. 120s of rest between sets. If you alternate between sets of each exercise you'll need approx. 60s.

Let me visualize:

Exercise	Rest
Straight Sets:
Military Presses (MP)
Set 1	0s
Set 2	120s
Set 3	240s
Pull-Ups (PU)
Set 1	0s
Set 2	120s
Set 3	240s
Total: 480s = 8 min
Alternating Sets:
MP Set 1	0s
PU Set 1	60s
MP Set 2	120s
PU Set 2	180s
MP Set 3	240s
PU Set 3	300s
Total: 300s = 5 min

You see the point. You need significantly less time to accomplish the same amount of work.

3. Don't neglect the principle of reciprocal innervation. I picked it up from coach Chad Waterbury. It states that when a muscle group is stimulated, the antagonist is inhibited. For example, when you doing a set of biceps curls your triceps are being inhibited. So when you move to your set of triceps extensions your triceps will be recovered actually more.

4. You'll actually use these techniques more comfortably in your own home gym rather in crowded commercial gym. All workstations will be free and you won't need to run through the whole gym to do a set of bench and then to the power rack to do a set of squats. Besides, if you use sandbags, kettlebells and bodyweight it becomes even easier to alternate between exercises because these implements are quite compact.

5. Using these techniques can shift ordinary set-rep scheme volume to quite extraordinary. It's because more work done in same/less time.

6. Alternating Sets/Circuits are totally awesome for conditioning. Believe me, you'll be huffing-n-puffing right after the first circuit. Your fat loss will skyrocket if you support your workouts with adequate diet. So it's quite valuable bonus.

In the end some sample workouts

Workout A - Upper Body

A1) Military Press 4x6

A2) Weighted Pull-Ups 4x6

Alternate between sets with 60s rest intervals.

Workout B - Full-Body

A1) Weighted Dips 6x3

A2) One-Arm Bent-Over Row 6x3 (each side)

A3) Deadlift 6x3

Perform all the exercises one-by-one in a circuit fashion with 60s rest intervals

So now you have all that you need to condense the time of your workouts and reap the benefits.

Stay tuned for more on rough training.

Play Rough!

Alex Zinchenko

You can subscribe to my RSS Feed or my e-mail newsletter.

---

Featured Products:

Russian Kettlebells

Always wanted to try kettlebell training but didn't know where to get these iron cannonballs? Now you have the unique opportunity to buy high-quality kettlebells from the best manufacturer out there. Kettlebell training will open the whole new page in your strength training. You can learn more on kettlebell training here. Kettlebells don't lie. So why wasting time? Order one right now.

Click here for more information

---

Ultimate Sandbag Training Equipment

If you prefer sandbag training you should definitely take a look at this piece of equipment. Ultimate Sandbag by far is the leader on sandbag market. It has handles that makes it comfortable for different presses, cleans, rows, deadlifts, even snatches. Sandbag is unique tool. You can read about it here. Try it and you will love it.

Click here for more information

---

Elite Gymnastic Rings

If you like bodyweight training you should definitely buy these. High quality rings will add so much more variety to your workouts that you will be amazed right after the first session. EFX Rings are the leaders on the market. You can learn more about bodyweight training here. This product is definitely worth to be in your rough arsenal.

Click here for more information

Related Posts:

• Full-Body Routines, Auto-Regulation, Squats and Deadlifts Q&A
• Mixing Training Implements for Ultimate Results
• Full-Body Advantage (Part 2)
• Why Home Gym?
• Heavy Kettlebells, Sandbags for Size, Burpees and More Q&A
• BarStarzz, Paul Wade, Supplements, Kettlebells and Sandbags Q&A
• What Is ‘Heavy’?
• Unilateral Strength: Do You Need to Bother?
• Iron Addict’s Simple Power Based Routine + Convict Conditioning + Kettlebells
• Pyotr Kryloff – The King of Kettlebells