Contrary to what history (and That '70s Show) may tell us, everything that happened during the 1970s wasn't a temporary lapse in taste and reason. Sure, there was spandex, the Bee Gees, Grease and the Muncho Potato Crisp, but there were also hip huggers (which, thankfully, have made a triumphant return), Isaac Hayes, Enter the Dragon and the popularization of fitness, specifically, circuit training. If you've always dismissed the latter as just more residue of the disco decade, you're missing out on an efficient and effective training strategy.

According to strength coach Paul Ward, P.E.D., who is the co-author, along with his brother Robert Ward, P.E.D., of the Encyclopedia of Weight Training, studies have shown that circuit training--doing 10 or more exercises virtually nonstop, going from one station to the next and alternating muscle groups--increases lean mass and aerobic capacity while reducing body fat. "By getting your heart rate up to between 130 and 160 beats per minute, it taxes your aerobic and anaerobic energy systems, and everything in between, simultaneously," says Ward.

Ward has designed an exclusive-for-MEN'S FITNESS dumbbells-only circuit workout juiced up with a couple of Olympic lifts. Although the workout will produce major results as is, you can gear it more toward muscle and strength development by increasing the weights and reducing the reps. Or you can take the opposite approach: If you want to emphasize aerobic capacity, use lighter weight and go for 15 to 20 reps.

THE EXERCISES

1. CLEAN-AND-JERK (full body) Bend at the waist and knees and grasp a pair of dumbbells with an overhand grip (1a). Straighten your torso and lift the weights as if performing an upright row, but rather than stopping at the top, roll your wrists back and "catch" the dumbbells at your shoulders (1b). From this position, press the dumbbells until your arms are fully extended (1c). Reverse the movement and repeat. Always remember to start slowly and accelerate to the top.

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2. OVERHEAD PRESS (deltoids, core) Stand holding a pair of dumbbells at your shoulders, so that your elbows point down and to the side and your palms face forward (2a). Press the weights overhead in a natural arc until your arms are fully extended (2b). Reverse the movement and repeat.

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3. STEP-UP (glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, hip flexors) Stand in front of a bench holding dumbbells at your sides. Step onto the bench with your left foot (3a) and then push off it to bring your right foot up (3b). Descending with your left foot first, reverse the movement to return to the starting position and then repeat, this time leading with your right foot. Continue in alternating fashion until you've completed your 10 reps--five per leg.

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4. ONE-ARM ROW (lats, posterior deltoid) Place your right hand and right knee on a bench and reach down to grasp a dumbbell with your left hand, palm facing in (4a). Keeping your back parallel to the floor, pull the dumbbell into your rib cage as if starting a lawn mower (4b). Bring the weight back down and repeat for the prescribed reps before reversing your stance and doing the same number of reps using your other hand.

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5. SQUAT (quadriceps, glutes, adductors, spinal erectors, abdominals, hamstrings) Stand holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides, feet shoulder-width apart (5a). Drop your hips back and down, bend your knees, and descend until your thighs are parallel to the ground or slightly lower (5b). Push through your feet to reverse the movement. Repeat.

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6. BENCH PRESS (pectorals, triceps, anterior deltoid) Lie faceup on a flat bench holding dumbbells at arm's length over the middle part of your chest, palms facing forward (6a). Lower the weights until they're just outside your shoulders (6b). Reverse the movement and repeat.

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7. POWER CLEAN (full body) Stand erect with dumbbells placed just outside your feet, spread shoulder-width apart. Bend at the knees and waist to reach down and grasp the weights with an overhand grip (7a). Keep your back arched as you push down through the middle of your feet and begin pulling the weights up with your legs, hips and back. As your knees continue extending and the weights pass your torso (7b), elevate your traps, bend your wrists back and move your elbows forward, bending your knees slightly to absorb the impact as you "catch" the weights across the front of your shoulder girdle, at which point you should be on the balls of your feet, Reverse the movement and repeat.

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8. CURL (biceps) Stand holding dumbbells at arm's length, palms facing each other (8a). Keeping your torso erect, raise the dumbbells toward your shoulders. Turn your wrists outward as you go, so that as the weights reach the top, your palms face your shoulders (8b). Reverse the movement and repeat.

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9. CRUNCH (abs) Lie on the floor with your calves resting on a bench, so that your thighs are perpendicular to the floor and your knees are bent 90 degrees. Place your hands lightly behind your head (9a). Curl your torso forward, lifting your shoulders slightly off the floor (9b). Reverse the movement and repeat.

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10. OVERHEAD EXTENSION (triceps) Stand holding dumbbells behind your ears, elbows facing forward, palms facing each other (10a). Extend your elbows to straighten your arms and raise the dumbbells overhead (10b). Reverse the movement and repeat.

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YOUR INSTRUCTIONS

* Master the techniques for all the exercises before starting this routine,

* Go through the sequence of exercises completely before undertaking a second or third lap around the circuit, if indicated. In other words, while the chart may ask for two laps, you're never doing sets of the same exercise back to back.

* Rest only as indicated. Exception: If you can't complete the workout with the prescribed rest intervals, increase them. For example, you may find that you need a minute in between sets at first. (If you need 45 to 60 seconds, though, do two circuits.) As your endurance improves, get in step with the program as prescribed.

* Do the workout several times a week for a cycle lasting four to six weeks.

* Measure your heart rate to determine the intensity of your workout. To do so, take your pulse, standing, after the 10th exercise of every 10-station circuit. Count for six seconds, then multiply that number by 10 to get a rough estimate of your exercise heart rate, measured as heartbeats per minute, or BPM. The number will climb with every circuit you complete. A typical progression for the average guy might be 130 BPM after the first circuit, 145 after the second, and 160 after the third.

* Start slowly, even if you're in shape.

* Select weights that will allow you to complete the number of reps listed. Then increase the weight slightly for all exercises about every two weeks.

* Each circuit should take roughly 10 minutes to complete.

CIRCUIT TRAINING AS WARM-UP

Aside from making it to the gym, the most important thing you can do before you actually work out is warm up, which is a proven way to improve your performance in the weight room. "A number of bodybuilders tried circuit training under my tutelage, and one of the guys used it for a warm-up," says Paul Ward, P.E.D. "He was smart--he figured out he should use lighter weights [than normal]. If you go through all the major muscle groups, and work them with light weights, what better warm-up is there? That's the function of warming up. It's better than riding a stationary bike."