Circuit Training:
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When Cardio & Strength Training Collide by Madison Deleone, CPT 2.
Circuit training is a very popular method of physical training in which you perform a series of exercises, with minimal rest in between, for a set amount of repetitions. The exercises can vary depending on the client’s goals, but are usually a sequence of high intensity aerobic and resistance moves that require anywhere from no equipment to a full gym. Because there are so many different ways to approach circuit training, trainers often customize it to fit each unique client's goals and ability level.
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Example For the sake of this article, let’s look at the structure of one of the workouts we would perform at my Beach Body Fit Camp (June-September at Easton's Beach in Newport). The workout lasts 45 minutes (including warm-up and cool-down) and the only equipment we use is a beach rock of your choice. There are 12 different exercises that target all muscle groups and rotate between upper body/core, lower body, and total body plyometric/cardio moves. The twelve moves are broken down into three circuits containing 4 moves each. We complete all four moves twice, with a small break while transitioning to the next circuit.
Benefits Increases Physical Fitness: The pace and intensity of circuit training gets your heart rate up and keeps it up throughout the duration of your workout. Because you are transitioning so quickly between different moves, you never get bored or burnt out on one redundant motion - you are constantly challenging yourself and utilizing different muscle groups to involve and work your whole body. When you consistently work circuit training into your fitness routine you will start to develop increased endurance, strength, power, agility, speed, and balance while increasing lean muscle and decreasing excess body fat. • Saves Time and Money: Circuit training allows you to reap the benefits of both cardio-vascular exercise and resistance training in a shorter amount of time. I like to picture it this way: You are essentially taking a 30 minute cardio workout and a 30 minute resistance workout and layering them on top of each other to get an hour's worth of work in half the time. The beauty of circuit training is that you can design a whole workout using only your own body weight. This means you can take your workout anywhere and save yourself money (no gym membership or fancy equipment needed), time (no commute necessary), and hassle (you can do it in your pj's if you want to!)
Try it at home! Here is a quick mini-circuit for you to try at home. Make sure you warm up first with 5-10 minutes of light cardio (for example a walk or jog) and some light stretching.
Circuit 1 (Complete Circuit 1 twice before moving on to circuit 2) 1) Upright Crunch Extensions (10-15 reps) - Starting in a seated position, use your core to raise both feet off the floor, crunching knees in toward your chest and then extending them out. 2) Alternating Lunges (16-20) - Starting in a neutral standing position, lunge forward with one foot, making sure your knee does not extend past your toes. Return to start and switch legs. 3) Russian Twists (15-20 reps) - Starting in a seated position while holding a medicine ball in close to your chest, raise both feet off the floor and use your core to rotate the ball to the left and then back across your body to the right. 4) Power Squats (10-12 reps) - Stand in a neutral position, bend your knees as if you are sitting back into a chair, and use your legs to explode up. Land with soft knees and repeat. Take a 1-2 minute break before moving on to Circuit 2.
32 fall & winter 2015 / 2016 • newportnaked.com