Combination Training

Find Your Fat-Burning, Muscle-Building Zone

When starting a training program, many people start with lower intensity exercise (aerobic exercise), although anaerobic exercise (short bursts) is unavoidable for some kinds of exercises or activities.

Lifting weights is anaerobic, for example, which is why muscles fatigue occurs so rapidly during weight training. Other activities such as walking up stairs can be anaerobic if you're unfit. A combination of anaerobic and aerobic exercise is needed to achieve lasting, full-body results.

Here are a few examples of combination training that will improve your aerobic and anaerobic fitness:

Timed Sets: Instead of performing a certain number of sets and reps, you complete as many repetitions of a particular activity as possible during a set time. For example: Jumping jacks for 1 minute; push ups for 45 seconds and squats for 1:30 minutes. Challenge yourself to increase the amount of reps and shorten or lengthen the time as you improve.

Density Training: Perform as many sets of 2-3 exercises as possible within a time frame. For example: 10 push ups, 10 squats, 10 biceps curls, performed continuously for three minutes. You can adjust the length of time according to your fitness level, and choose any number/variety of continuous exercises for any number of reps.

Complexes: This are essentially a form of circuit training or super-setting using only one piece of equipment, one space and one load. For example: 15 stability ball squats, 15 stability ball crunches, 15 stability ball hamstring curls, 20 rubber-band biceps curls, 20 rubber-band shoulder presses, 20 rubber-band rows, done consecutively.

No matter which exercises you choose, the key is to add high-intensity, short-duration metabolic training to your workout, vary the intensities by changing methods of training, and every so often switch from high intensity, short duration to medium intensity, medium duration and low intensity, long duration. It's a great way to burn fat and build muscle, and it makes the journey we call fitness that much more challenging and rewarding.

Talk to your doctor or fitness professional to learn more about the fitness program that's right for you.