Circuit Training
We all know exercise is vital to losing weight and living a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, finding time in our busy schedules can often be difficult. You barely have enough time to sit down – forget making time to go to the gym. Is it possible to get a good workout in a short amount of time? Yes! With circuit training you control the duration and intensity of the workout so you can adjust your routine to meet your demanding schedule.
What is Circuit Training?
Circuit training is a series of 6 to 10 exercises completed one after another. Each exercise is performed for a specific amount of time followed by a brief rest period. A circuit is the completion of all 6 to 10 exercises and you can do as many circuits as you choose.
What are the Benefits?
- Provides full-body training through exercises that work different muscles
- A full workout can be done in 20-30 minutes.
- Can be done with little or no equipment and in the comfort of your own home
- Increases both strength and stamina
What Kind of Exercises Should I Do?
With circuit training, you decide which muscles you want to work. If you want to improve your cardio you could do jumping jacks, run up and down the stairs of your house or jump rope. To increase strength you could do exercises such as push-ups, crunches and lunges. Or, you could combine both types of training and do jumping jacks for one minute then push-ups for another minute and so on.
Example of a Circuit
Below is an example of a circuit that would provide cardiovascular exercise as well as strength training. You can do each exercise for as long you like whether it’s 30 seconds or two minutes. The duration of the rest period can be as long as you like but the less amount of time you rest, the more advanced your workout will be. If you’re new to exercise, try doing each exercise for 30 seconds with a rest period of one minute.
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Exercise
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Duration
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Rest Period
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Push-ups
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30 seconds
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1 minute
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Jumping Jacks
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30 seconds
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1 minute
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Stomach Crunches
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30 seconds
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1 minute
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Run Up & Down Stairs
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30 seconds
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1 minute
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Lunges
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30 seconds
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1 minute
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Jump Rope
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30 seconds
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1 minute
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Bicep Curls with Light Weights
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30 seconds
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1 minute
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Jog in Place
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30 seconds
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1 minute
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This is just an example of a circuit and you can incorporate any type of exercise you choose. If you did the above circuit twice you would do a full-body workout in just 24 minutes! Remember, you can make the circuit more difficult by increasing the duration of exercise and/or reducing the amount of rest time. Good luck!