Circuit training is an exercise method in which you visit a specific number of strength training exercises in consecutive order, with little or no rest. When designing a circuit, consider your workout goals, total exercise time and equipment available. Intense circuit training workouts usually involve the addition of cardio intervals between strength training stations.
Body Weight Circuit
The original form of circuit training, developed at the University of Leeds in England, called for between nine and 12 stations, writes Len Kravitz, Ph.D., on the IDEA Health and Fitness Association website. You do not need fancy gym equipment to set up an intense circuit workout. All you need is your own body and about 10 square feet of space. Warm up for five minutes by marching in place. Perform each of the following strength exercises for 45 seconds each: squats, walking lunges, jump squats, alternating rear lunges, pushups, abdominal bicycles, triceps dips, spine extensions and crunches. Between each of these 45-second segments, do a minute each of jumping jacks, high knees and rope jumping for a total of three minutes. Give yourself only enough time between exercises to change position---15 seconds at the most.
Treadmill Circuit
Use high-intensity interval training on a treadmill between strength training segments to create a challenging circuit routine. Use dumbbells or barbells to complete the strength training portions of this routine. Warm up on the treadmill at an easy pace for about five minutes. Immediately increase the speed on the treadmill to a pace that is barely sustainable for one minute. Get off the treadmill and do a set of 15 bent-over rows. Repeat the treadmill blast and then perform a set of 20 pushups. After another treadmill sprint, move on to perform 15 repetitions of other weighted strength exercises, like overhead triceps extensions, bicep curls, lunges, squats and shoulder presses. Between each set of strength moves, sprint for a minute on the treadmill. Repeat the whole sequence one or two times for an extra-long circuit.
Strength-Only Circuit
An all-strength workout can be very challenging, especially if you perform exercises for the same muscle groups back-to-back. Fitness Magazine reports that doing a strength training circuit burns 30 percent more calories per session than a traditional weight training routine. Use machines and free weights to conduct this circuit. Begin with a warm-up---on a stationary cardio machine or with a jog-in-place---for five minutes. Do 30 to 45 seconds each of the following exercises in this specific order: barbell squats, weighted lunges, bent over dumbbell rows, back pullovers, rear deltoid flyes, chest presses, chest flyes, shoulder presses, lateral raises, triceps dips, overhead triceps press, hammer dumbbell curls and barbell bicep curls. Work your way up to three sets of the entire circuit. Check out the American Council on Exercise Library for details on how to properly execute these exercises.
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