2004's Best Fitness Trends

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Bodywork: Fitness Report 2004
Survey Says! (cont.)

THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS
THE TREND >> To RESCUE THE TIME-DEPRIVED, gyms such as New York Sports Clubs—found in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.—now offer 22-minute-long XpressLine circuit programs, which situate eight strength machines, like leg press, lat pull-down, and biceps curl, in a row. The circuit machines are sectioned off from the rest of the club, and a trainer sits there solely to move people through the circuit as quickly as possible.

WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU >> "You never stop moving, so you get strength training and 20 to 30 minutes at an elevated heart rate," says John Agoglia, a former personal trainer who edits the fitness trade magazine Club Industry. The circuit targets all your major muscles: chest, back, shoulders, arms, legs, hips, and stomach. "It isn't going to turn someone into an athlete, but it's a legit way to keep fit," says Agoglia.

GET STARTED >> Any gym with a full range of weight machines qualifies as a speed-circuit destination. The key is to move from station to station without rest. Start with a five-minute warm-up on a treadmill, then shoot for one circuit of eight reps at each machine.

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