Week by week breakdown: Exercising to Lose Weight - 2 of 2

Week 1: Resistance training focus: Circuit
Choose one exercise for each major muscle group. Go through the circuit, doing one set of each exercise and resting as little as possible. When finished, start at the beginning and repeat two more times. Choose weights that bring you to momentary muscle failure within 12 reps. This week, you'll work your entire body on three different days in a total-body workout. Rest between sets for only as long as it takes to set up your next exercises.

Cardio: Do four days of cardio, focusing on long sessions - 40 to 60 minutes - in a lower heart-rate range. Do one day of higher-intensity intervals for a change of pace. On the recreational cardio day, this is your chance to break away from the routine and engage in whatever activity you enjoy most. You can go for a hike, a long walk, even go dancing; the important thing is to have fun and share the experience with someone.

Week 2: Resistance training focus: Heavy
Work on the bodyparts indicated for each day. Choose three exercises for each major muscle group being worked and do four sets of 8 to 10 reps. Left heavy enough to reach muscle failure by the last couple of reps. Always use the first set of an exercise as a warm-up. This week you'll work each bodypart once in a split routine. Rest between sets will vary, depending on the bodypart being trained, but you'll probably need anywhere from 1-2 minutes to allow some some muscle recovery.

Cardio: This week, cardio sessions will remain at four; however, the emphasis is on higher-intensity training - keeping your heart rate up for a relatively short amount of time. Three workouts will be 25-30 minutes long at 80%-85% of your max heart rate, with one long, lower-intensity day thrown in for variety.

Week 3: Resistance training focus: High Reps
Work on the bodyparts indicated for each day. Choose three exercises for each major muscle group being worked and do three sets of 15-20 reps. Choose weights heavy enough to fatigue your muscles within the suggested rep range. This week you'll work each bodypart twice in a split routine. Rest between sets should last 60-90 seconds.

Cardio: Bumped up to five times this week, you'll train for 30-40 minutes at 70%-75% of your max heart rate during four of the sessions. You'll also do one session of higher-intensity intervals for 30 minutes.

Week 4: Resistance training focus: Supersets
This is where you work two muscle groups back to back with no rest. For example, when you train biceps and triceps, you'll do a set of dumbbell curls, then without rest, go straight into an overhead dumbbell extension. Work on the two bodyparts indicated for each day. Choose three exercises for each major group being worked and do three sets. Choose weights heavy though to reach muscle failure in 12 reps. Move quickly between exercises, resting as little as possible. This week, you'll train each bodypart only once. Take no downtime between sets here: Move right from one exercise to the other.

Cardio: Staying at five sessions this week, most cardio sessions will last 25-30 minutes and you'll train at 75%-80% of our max heart rate. Of course, one workout will consist of training at a lower intensity for a longer period.

Week 5: Resistance training focus: Circuit
Follow guidelines for Week 1.

Cardio: Sessions are similar. The only change is an extra day of cardio.

Week 6: Resistance training focus: Heavy
Follow guidelines for Week 2.

Cardio: Sessions are similar. The only change is an extra day of cardio.

Week 7: Resistance training focus: High Reps
Follow guidelines for Week 3. Bodyparts trained together will differ from Week 3.

Cardio: Sessions are similar. The only change is an extra day of cardio.

Week 8: Resistance training focus: Supersets
Follow guidelines for Week 4. Bodyparts trained together will differ from Week 4.

Cardio: Sessions are similar. The only change is an extra day of cardio.