Circuit Training

Advantages and Disadvantages of Circuit Training

Advantages

• Circuit training is ideal for perform high intensity fat burning workouts
• Excellent basic workout to condition and strengthen the body
• Easy to work every muscle in your body
• Can be adapted for any size workout area
• Does not require expensive gym equipment, you can do circuit training at home
• Can be customised for specificity; easy to adapt to your sport
• Can be incorporated into a beginners weight training routine
• Circuit training is an excellent way to help to lose weight

Disadvantages

• Primarily geared towards fat loss, thus being more useful for endomorph or endo-mesomorph body type trainees looking to lose fat.
• Despite its high total volume, the volume of exercise for individual muscle groups is small, stimulating little Hypertrophy.

Below we provide some circuit training workouts. Feel free to modify and adjust them to suit your needs. The first consists of 13 exercises (unlucky for some!) and the others provide fewer exercises, but you obviously do more circuits.

A Basic Circuit Training Workout

Here we cover 13 basic circuit training exercises to create a good beginners routine. This workout is ideal if you wish to do circuit training at home. There are several ways to do this circuit. Firstly, you could set yourself a target number of reps for each exercise to complete before moving on, such as 50 squats, 20 push ups etc. An alternative way is to set a time limit, usually around 60 seconds, to complete as many exercises as possible. A third, and less common approach, is to do each exercise to failure – do as many as you can. This may lead to a slightly imbalanced workout.

1: Squats

These are the powerhouse of all bodyweight exercises. They work the largest muscles of the body, the glutes (butt muscles). You can learn how to squat here.

2: Squat thrusts

Start in a push up position, then jump the feet forward to a squat position and then back. Keep the backside as low as possible. An alternative method is to bring one leg forward at a time.

3: Press ups / Push Ups

Start by supporting your body off the ground with your arms about shoulder width apart and fingers pointing forward. Then lower your self to the ground, ideally as close as possible without actually touching the ground, then lift again. There are many variations to the standard press up.

Three-quarter press ups are performed by supporting the lower body on the knees not the toes, which are ideal if your upper body strength is still developing. Martial artists often do press ups on knuckles and fingertips to help strengthen hands at the same time. 

4: Burpees

Start in a press up position, then jump feet forward to a squatting position as for a squat thrust. Then immediately jump up clear of the ground, spreading your limbs as far apart as possible, forming an “X”, land with feet together. Drop back to a squat, then jump feet back to the starting position.

5: Star jumps / Jumping Jacks

Also known as a jumping Jack, this is done by jumping to a position with the legs spread wide and the hands touching overhead and then returning to a position with the feet together and the arms at the sides. Do as quickly as possible.

6: Sit-ups / crunches / leg raises

Everyone is familiar with this exercise. It is the classic core strength exercise that helps to tone the abdominals. There are many variations on the sit up. If you are training alone then crunches are easiest. With a partner full sit ups can be done by linking your ankles with your partners for support.
Leg raises are done by laying down on your back and supporting yourself with your hand behind your head (use a table leg or grab a partners ankles). Then raise your legs to the vertical and down again. Try not to touch the floor when lowering, leave a gap of a few centimeters.

7: Skipping

There are many ways to skip. Jumping with both feet together provides a very vigorous workout.

8: Step ups (onto gym bench)

Simple step up onto a gym bench. Start with the left foot leading, then halfway through the exercise, or on the second circuit, lead with the right foot.

9: Shuttle Runs / Sprinting the length of the hall

For the duration of the exercise simply sprint from one end of the hall to the other, either touching the wall before turning, or squatting and touching the ground. Obviously this exercise will have to be missed if you are training at home.

10: Dips (using a gym bench)

Start by sitting on the gym bench/chair. Hold onto the edge of the bench then slide forward so that you are supporting your body with your arms. Then lower yourself and raise back up. You can start with small movements, then as you improve start to lower as much as possible.

11: Jumping onto, then over gym bench with both feet together

A good solid gym bench is needed for this, so do not try using a chair at home. Simply stand to the side of the bench and jump up onto it with both feet together, then jump to the other side. Repeat.

12: Running backwards, side ways etc.

This may either be incorporated into the warm up routine or done between circuits. Simply run around the hall backwards, then sideways, then lifting the knees high, then kicking the ankles back.

13: Passing a medicine ball between two people, either back to back or throwing

A simple exercise, which improves flexibility and strength in the waist. Stand back to back with a partner and pass the ball to them. Start clockwise, then change to anti-clockwise. Alternatively face a partner and throw the ball to each other.
If you practice these exercises a couple of times each week your cardiovascular fitness and strength should quickly improve. They are ideal home exercises, they are great for the martial arts class in the gym too. Remember to warm up well before your circuit training workout and stretch afterwards.

A Quick and Intensive Circuit Training Workout

You do not have to do so many exercises in each workout. This routine provides a quicker circuit, ideal if you want to do 10 minutes of intensive exercise. High Intensity Interval Training is considered to be a more efficient way of for burning fat and getting fit quickly. For a home based circuit training workout, you can make good progress with just five exercises. Rather than measure reps, perform each of the following exercises for one minute, with a 30 second rest in-between. Rest for one minute at the end of the circuit before repeating.

1. Skipping

Start the workout with the classic old school cardio workout. Buy a speed rope, as these are much easier to use. Then just skip for one minute. Skipping is very intensive and can burn a lot of calories. Boxers skip, and they are among the fittest sports persons around.

2. Bicycles

Another old school circuit training exercise. Lie on your back with your knees to your chest. Then extend one leg while bringing your elbow to your opposite knee. Return to start position and repeat on the other side. This is a great abs exercise, and more intensive than crunches.

3. Triceps dips

Triceps dips require a little apparatus. Although a workout bench is ideal, a chair will do. Start by sitting on chair, place your hands on the edge of the chair, fingers pointing forward, then lower yourself, and lift back up. Repeat as many times as possible in one minute.

4. Bodyweight Squats

Most people associate squats with ironmen lifting Olympic barbells containing hundreds of kilos of weight. However, simple bodyweight squats provide a fantastic leg workout. If you have extra energy, do squat jumps – same as a squat, but with a plyometric power-up and jump. As your arms are rested, time for the final, intensive exercise.

5. Push ups / Press ups

Push ups are one of the best core and upper body exercises. They strengthen the arms (triceps) and shoulders, as well as the back. They will probably demand the most effort on your part, so they are done last with a longer recovery rest afterwords.
Do this circuit twice and you will get a very intensive workout, in the comfort of your own home, in less that 20 minutes.

High Intensity Interval Circuit Training Workout

Here is another circuit that is designed to be done at home with a few items or in a gym. The goal is to keep your heart rate high while cycling through a range of exercises to reduce muscle fatigue. If you just sprint for 10 minutes your muscles will fail very quickly, but by performing different exercises that work different muscles groups you are essentially resting one part while exercising another.
Almost all HIIT routines are on a circuit so that you repeat the exercises. The first exercises provide both the warm up and the “breather” before starting over again. This routine requires a light barbell or pair of dumbbells for the military presses.

1. Warm Up / Breather

If at home jog on the spot, gently. Keep your upper body loose and relaxed and keep going for about 4 minutes. At the end of the jog perform 20 quick jumping jacks.

2. High Intensity Sprint Exercise

Ideally you will actually sprint, as in run as fast as possible. Shuttle runs in a sports hall work well. You can sprint on a treadmill, although not so easy. If at home then skipping is the best option. 30 seconds of sprinting or skipping as fast as you can. Do not hold back.

3. Military Presses

Military presses (also called shoulder presses / overhead presses) work the upper body, specifically the shoulders. They are one of the best standing weight training exercises. You can use dumbbells, a barbell or make do with any other weight. Sandbags work just as well. All you have to do is press the weights straight up from shoulder height and down again. Aim for 20 quick presses. If it seems to easy with the weight you have, increase the weight or the number of presses.

4. Bodyweight Jumping Squats

After the presses your legs should be rested so time for some plyometric squats. All you do, from a standing position, squat down and then propel yourself upwards to jump. Land, and squat again. Repeat this 10 to 15 times. The purpose is to build powerful legs, so if 15 becomes too easy hold some dumbbells next time.

5. Push Ups

Classic bodyweight exercise, and very effective. Excellent after he squats too. Perform 20 push ups, keep them clean, good form with a straight back.

6. Sprint Again

Your legs should be rested well after those 20 push ups, so now sprint again for 30 seconds.

7. Burpees

Do 10. Thing are getting harder now. To do a burpee start by standing up straight. Squat all the way down so that your palms touch the flood. Kick your fee back into a push up position, then hop your feet forward again, and stand up. This is the basic burpee. You can add a push up (although your arms should still be resting in this circuit) and also perform an explosive squat jump. However, in this circuit we are keeping them at a lower intensity.

8. Crunches

Give your abs a burn with 30 crunches. lie on the floor with your knees above your waist and your hands lightly toughing your temples. Looking upwards (not towards your legs) crunch those abs.

9. Final Sprint

Perform another 30 second sprint.
Now repeat, starting with the “breather”.

The MotleyHealth 501 Home Weight Loss Workout

Here is a selection of some of our favorite workouts, these always give us good results. You only need a small space for these workouts. They work the whole body, build muscle, gets you fit and burns fat.
Perform the following circuit 3 times:

• 50 Star Jumps / Jumping Jacks
• 20 Push Ups
• 50 Squats
• 10 Burpees
• 20 Leg raises
• 20 Crunches

Perform all exercises with best form possible. Push ups can be quicker to reduce fatigue, aim to complete the reps. Burpees act like a triset for the push ups and squats.

You may notice that there are in fact 170 exercises here, and 3 sets adds up to 510 exercises and not 501. I call this the 501 because the first time I did this I was aiming for 500 and then went one over. I did a few less leg raises and crunches. The name is not important, although I always aim for 500 reps.

MotleyHealth 100 Bodyweight Home Workout

You may have heard of the 300 workout or even the 500 workout. These are very intensive workouts for the super fit to perform. So we have decided to create the MotleyHealth 100 Bodyweight home workout that is designed for the beginner to fitness workouts. It will get your heart thumping and start to building stronger muscles.
This is a simple circuit training exercise. You can actually perform it as many times as you like (or are able to) so it could actually be your own 100, 200, 300 or 500 workout depending on your level fitness or determination.
Complete each set of exercises even if you have to take a breather. If you do not know how to perform the exercises follow the links to our exercise guides.

• 20 Squats - This provides a good butt and thigh workout and also helps warm up the whole body
• 20 Push ups - Try to complete full push ups with hands just wider than shoulder width apart. Keep your body straight and get your chest to the floor each time before lifting again. If you cannot do full push ups start on your knees
• 20 Burpees - these put the squats and push ups together for an intense workout.
• 20 Bicycle crunches - that is 20 on each side, so actually 40 crunches in total.
• 20 Leg Raises - these target the lower abs and hips

That’s your 100. Short and sweet. If it is not enough, just repeat, or increase the number of reps to 50, making it a 250 Workout!

The Core Four – Muscle Building Exercise for Weight Loss

One of the most important elements of losing weight and getting in shape is increasing your physical activity. Cardio workouts alone will not help you tone up and build the required muscle mass for long-term weight management. By increasing your muscle mass, your metabolism is also increased, meaning that you burn more calories of energy while resting. A more muscular person continues to burn off excess fat while sleeping. So, building some strength training into your weekly fitness schedule is essential, and that is where the Motley Health “core four” exercises come into play.
The “core four” are the four key weight training exercises to kick start you into building a better, fitter and stronger you. The four core exercises are:

1. Squat
2. Bench Press
3. Bent Over Row
4. Barbell Curl

There are many other weight training exercises that can be added to these four at later stages, but just performing these four exercises once or twice a week will increase overall muscle mass, strengthen your core to help tone up the thighs and the upper body. The main reason that these are the core four is that each of these is a compound exercise, meaning that it works more than one muscle at a time.
The core four is designed to allow for a quick weight training session. Each exercise has a purpose. Warm up is not required, so long as you start out with a light weight. The clean and press acts as the warm up. To take this workout further, once general fitness and strength has improved, the clean and press can be followed by squats and military presses with heavier weights, and the curls can be followed or replaced with chin-ups.

CrossFit Circuit Training – The Filthy Fifty, aka Chuck Norris Workout

Just watched this video on Youtube from CrossFitPlano after Mike Brooks shared it on Facebook. It is a pretty varied and intense form of circuit training that cover all the fitness bases:

• Body weight exercises
• Plyometrics
• Core strength
• Weight training (light, muscular endurance)

Body weight training exercises include burpees and walking lunges. For plyometrics there are box jumps, squat jumps, jumping knees, wall ball shots (using a 20 pound medicine ball, not a basketball). Weight training includes push presses, hanging knee raises, pull ups and kettlebell swings. For core strength there are back extensions. For endurance there are step ups.
Cross fit is all about using a wide range of training methods to reach you full potential. Crossfit is to exercise what Jeet Kune Do is to martial arts. Simple but very effective workouts. The idea is to work at your own pace, but just keep moving, keep working. The workouts are high intensity and last for 15-20 minutes. This is all you need, and probably all you can manage. Stretch after, then relax.



Read more: http://www.motleyhealth.com/fitness/circuit-training-workouts#ixzz1j8JgUrFv