Don’t let your busy life derail your weight-loss or fitness efforts. The star of Bravo’s Work Out answered some pressing questions about maximizing time at the gym.
Savvy Strength Training
Q: When I’m short on time, which muscles should I pay the most attention to during strength training?Jackie’s Get-Fit Tip: You should focus on the primary muscles (big muscles) like the chest, back, quads, hamstrings and glutes. Bodybuilders call these muscles the fat burners because they burn much more fat than smaller muscles like the calves, arms and shoulders. Try push-ups for your chest, assisted pull-ups or pull-downs for your back, leg extensions for your quads, lying-down hamstring curls for hamstrings and weighted squats for your glutes.
Circuit Tricks
Q: Are there exercises I can do that combine both cardio and strength training?
Jackie’s Get-Fit Tip: Cardio and strength training combined is called circuit training, my favorite, and it proves to be the best way to lose weight fast and keep it off. You perform one exercise with resistance and move on to another (without rest) until you have performed four to eight different exercises for all muscle groups. By doing this, your heart rate is up, but you’re working the muscles for tone, too. For example: Go from chest press (chest/triceps) to leg press (glute/quads) to back rows (back/shoulders) to squats (glutes/lowback) to chest fly (chest) to weighted lunges (glute/hamstring) to wide-grip pull-downs (back) to leg extensions (quads).
Jackie’s Get-Fit Tip: Cardio and strength training combined is called circuit training, my favorite, and it proves to be the best way to lose weight fast and keep it off. You perform one exercise with resistance and move on to another (without rest) until you have performed four to eight different exercises for all muscle groups. By doing this, your heart rate is up, but you’re working the muscles for tone, too. For example: Go from chest press (chest/triceps) to leg press (glute/quads) to back rows (back/shoulders) to squats (glutes/lowback) to chest fly (chest) to weighted lunges (glute/hamstring) to wide-grip pull-downs (back) to leg extensions (quads).
No Rest Stop
Q: I can get to the gym for only 30 minutes a day during the holidays. What’s the best way to spend that brief amount of time?Jackie’s Get-Fit Tip: Do three five-minute runs on the treadmill, alternating with weight lifting. For example, run for five minutes, then jump off and do a chest routine for five minutes; then run for another five, jump off do a leg routine; run for five more, jump off and do a back routine. That’s intense, and results are speedy!
Length Matters
Q: Is it better to go to the gym more often for shorter periods of time or less often for longer durations?Jackie’s Get-Fit Tip: It’s better to train for shorter periods of time, more frequently. It’s not about how long you do it—it’s about how strong you do it. So go four to five times a week for 20 to 30 minutes of circuit training.
What About Yoga?
Q: If I have limited time to spend working out, should I forgo my weekly yoga class?
Jackie’s Get-Fit Tip: Ditch the yoga and Pilates and opt for more calorie burning and muscle toning. Options include circuit training, boxing and boot-camp classes.
Burn, Baby, Burn
Q: If I’m going to do only one fitness-related thing, what should it be?Jackie’s Get-Fit Tip: Circuit training with weights burns the most calories, and your body continues to burn up to two hours after. Don’t you love when you can feel the burn throughout the day? I do!
Curious About Cardio
Q: I want to look extra hot in my holiday party outfit. Which cardio workout will help me shed the most pounds?Jackie’s Get-Fit Tip: A combination of spinning and running will give you the best results. Your body will never adapt to the workouts, and it will continuously burn fat. I suggest cutting your treadmill time to 20 minutes: Do a fast walk uphill for two minutes, sprint for the next two minutes and cool down for another minute. Repeat three times to equal four five-minute intervals.
No Gym? No Problem
Q: But what if I can’t get to the gym?
Pick up a workout DVD you can do at home, on your own time. Workout: One-on-One Training With Jackie ($13, jackiewarner.com) fuses cardio and strength training to get your upper and lower body—and your core—into shape.
Photo of Jackie: Courtesy of Bravo TV
Hey nesters! Today, I did the treadmill routine in "Curious About Cardio" and it was an invigorating and intense workout. I followed it up with 10 minutes on the bike and my heart rate was well into the fat-burning zone the entire time.
