A Week to Peak: Episode 2
This five-day training program combines mini-circuits and high-intensity cardio for maximum fat-burning potential.
The premise of this series is simple — a week’s worth of workouts.
Perhaps you’ve got a big vacation coming up in roughly seven days and want to get in a great week of training before you relax (and look your best in a bikini). Or maybe your current program is just growing stale and you need something new to reignite your training spark.
These Week to Peak routines can get you there. Choose one that looks appealing and that matches your goals and accommodates your available equipment. The workouts are challenging and fun, and they are suitable for most intermediate and advanced athletes.
Enjoy!
Episode 2: Lower-Body/Upper-Body Fat-Burning Circuits
This five-day routine promotes maximum calorie- and fat-burning through a lethal combination of mini-circuits and high-intensity cardio.
The exercise selection runs the gamut from standard gym moves to bodyweight calisthenics to sports-based exercises. That said, if you’re limited on equipment, you can swap out any exercise for bodyweight or dumbbell alternatives that hit the same movement and/or muscles.
In all the workouts, the exercises are grouped into circuits to keep intensity high and build lean muscle while burning fat. Each workout ends with a brief yet challenging cardio finisher to completely drain you of gas.
Workout Snapshot
Number of Days/Workouts | 5 |
Primary Goals | Conditioning, fat loss |
Equipment Needed | Fully equipped gym (optimal) |
7-Day Training Split
Before each workout, perform 10 minutes of the cardio activity of your choice at a moderately intense pace.
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
Total-Body Push | Total-Body Pull | Rest | Rotation and Core | Total-Body Push | Total-Body Pull | Rest |
Day 1
Total-Body Push
Perform the moves in each circuit back-to-back with no rest in between. Rest 30 to 60 seconds between rounds and circuits.
Circuit 1
Complete three rounds of the following workout.
Exercise | Reps/Time |
Dumbbell Sumo Squat or Machine Leg Press | 20 |
Dumbbell Calf Raise | 20 |
Lying Ab Leg Raise | 20 |
Jump Rope (medium intensity) | 100 skips |
Rest | 30-60 seconds |
Circuit 2
Complete three rounds of the following workout.
Exercise | Reps/Time |
Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 10 |
Cable Triceps Pressdown | 10 |
Ab-Wheel Rollout or Sit-Up | 25 |
Jumping Lunge | 60 seconds |
Rest | 30-60 seconds |
Circuit 3
Complete three rounds of the following workout.
Exercise | Reps/Time |
Push-Up | 20 |
Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension | 15 |
Rest | 30-60 seconds |
Finisher
Perform five rounds of the following workout, resting only as needed.
Exercise | Reps/Time |
Bench Dip | 10 |
Jump Rope | 60 seconds |
Day 2
Total-Body Pull
Perform the moves in each circuit back-to-back with no rest in between. Rest 30 to 60 seconds between rounds and circuits.
Circuit 1
Complete three rounds of the following workout.
Exercise | Reps/Distance/Time |
Dumbbell Stiff-Legged Deadlift | 10 |
Lying Machine Leg Curl | 20 |
Back Extension Machine | 15 |
Sprint (running or bike) | 200 meters |
Rest | 30-60 seconds |
Circuit 2
Complete three rounds of the following workout.
Exercise | Reps/Time |
Machine Lat Pulldown | 10 |
Dumbbell Curl | 10 |
Superman | 25 |
Pop Squat | 25 |
Rest | 30-60 seconds |
Circuit 3
Complete three rounds of the following workout.
Exercise | Reps/Time |
Chin-Up | 15 (or to failure) |
Hammer Curl | 15 |
Rest | 30-60 seconds |
Finisher
Row 2,000 meters or run 1 mile and record your time.
Day 3
Rest
Day 4
Rotation and Core
Perform the moves in each circuit back-to-back with no rest in between. Rest 30 to 60 seconds between rounds and circuits.
Circuit 1
Complete three rounds of the following workout.
Exercise | Reps/Time |
Cable or Resistance-Band Woodchopper | 20 (each side) |
Lying Dumbbell Pullover | 15 |
Medicine-Ball Russian Twist | 20 (each side) |
Rest | 30-60 seconds |
Circuit 2
Complete three rounds of the following workout.
Exercise | Reps/Time |
Dumbbell Snatch | 10 (each arm) |
Half-Kneeling One-Arm Dumbbell Press | 10 (each arm) |
TRX Row or One-Arm Dumbbell Row | 15 (each side) |
Rest | 30-60 seconds |
Circuit 3
Complete three rounds of the following workout.
Exercise | Reps/Time |
Side-Plank Hip Dip | 25 (each side) |
Plank Hold | 30 seconds |
Rest | 30-60 seconds |
Finisher
Complete 10 to 15 rounds of the following workout on a stationary bike, a treadmill or on a track.
Sprint | 20 seconds |
Rest | 40 seconds |
Day 5
Total-Body Push
Perform the moves in each circuit back-to-back with no rest in between. Rest 30 to 60 seconds between rounds and circuits.
Circuit 1
Complete three rounds of the following workout.
Exercise | Reps/Time |
Dumbbell Goblet Squat | 20 |
Standing Calf Raise | 30 |
Decline Bench Sit-Up | 25 |
Jump Rope | 100 revolutions |
Rest | 30-60 seconds |
Circuit 2
Complete three rounds of the following workout.
Exercise | Reps/Time |
Incline Dumbbell Press | 12 |
Two-Arm Dumbbell Kickback | 10 |
Reverse Crunch | 25 |
Lateral Lunge | 25 (each side) |
Rest | 30-60 seconds |
Circuit 3
Complete three rounds of the following workout.
Exercise | Reps/Time |
Feet-Elevated Push-Up | 15 |
Cable or Resistance-Band Overhead Triceps Extension | 15 |
Rest | 30-60 seconds |
Finisher
Complete five rounds of the following workout, resting only as needed.
Activity | Time |
Jump Rope | 2 minutes |
Wall Sit | 30 seconds |
Day 6
Total-Body Pull
Perform the moves in each circuit back-to-back with no rest in between. Rest 30 to 60 seconds between rounds and circuits.
Circuit 1
Complete three rounds of the following workout.
Exercise | Reps/Time |
Assisted Pull-Up or Bodyweight Row | 10 (or to failure) |
Stability-Ball Leg Curl | 15 |
Prone Stability-Ball Glute/Leg Raise | 15 |
Rest | 30-60 seconds |
Circuit 2
Complete three rounds of the following workout.
Exercise | Reps/Time |
One-Arm Dumbbell Row | 10 (each side) |
One-Arm Incline Dumbbell Curl | 12 (each side) |
Superman | 25 |
Rest | 30-60 seconds |
Circuit 3
Complete three rounds of the following workout.
Exercise | Reps/Time |
Straight-Arm Cable or Resistance-Band Pulldown | 15 |
Cable or Resistance-Band Curl | 8 |
Rest | 30-60 seconds |
Finisher
Complete 10 rounds of the following workout on a rowing machine or stationary bike.
Activity | Time |
Rowing Sprint | 30 seconds |
Rest | 30 seconds |