Circuit workouts are a great way to exercise when you are short on time. Circuit workouts are generally designed to include cardiovascular and strength moves all in one routine. Participants move from one exercise to the next, with little or no rest in between. Exercises are either timed or have a set number of reps to complete. For example, one minute of push-ups or 50 push-ups. This is usually the same for all exercises in the circuit. The workout can last five to 20 minutes, and is usually repeated two to three times in one exercise session.
Why It Works
Circuit training offers big results in little time. This is because your heart rate remains high throughout the workout since you are moving quickly from one exercise to the next, causing you to continually burn calories while also toning muscles. Since the workout is often designed to train your whole body, you will see changes everywhere when you train this way.
Planning a Circuit
To design a circuit workout, you should include exercises for all major body parts, and then add in some bursts of cardiovascular activity. This way, the workout becomes a time-efficient, full-body workout. Major muscle groups to include are chest, back, abs and legs. It may be wise to work larger groups in the beginning of the circuit and focus on smaller groups, like biceps, triceps and shoulders, towards the end.
Popular Circuit Workouts
Some popular circuit workouts are available if you do not wish to design your own. One is the women-only program Curves. They design a workout that moves you quickly from one exercise to the next, incorporating the whole body, in 30 minutes. Another popular circuit workout is the fitness video "30 day Shred" by The Biggest Loser's Jillian Michaels. You can also find local boot camp classes that offer circuit workouts BootCampFinder.org.
Completing a Circuit Workout
When completing the workout, drink plenty of water and wear comfortable exercise clothing. Pay attention to how you are feeling, and stop at any point if you are feeling too uncomfortable. Remember that a circuit workout should be challenging, but not painful. Use lighter weights or only your body weight since you will be doing a larger number of reps than in a typical strength training program.
Tips
Consult with your physician before beginning any exercise program to be sure you are healthy and have no physical limitations. Avoid certain flows of movement that can cause dizziness. An example would be performing a cardiovascular burst followed by a strength move that requires you to lay down. Moving quickly from a vertical to a horizontal position can cause a disturbance in the body's natural blood flow, causing dizziness or a light-headed feeling.
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