Time is often cited as the biggest obstacle to maintaining a regular fitness routine. However, not all workout routines require hours of your valuable time. Circuit training has become increasingly popular due to the fact that you can complete a full-body strength and cardio workout in less than an hour.
Identification
A circuit is a series of activities performed with little to no rest between sets. A circuit-training workout can consist of strength exercises alternated with cardio bouts, or it may only consist of strength exercises. Generally, as little rest as possible is taken between sets. This makes alternating strength and cardio activities advantageous, since you are using two different energy systems, one type of activity acts as a style of rest from the other type.
Benefits
Circuit training is time efficient. By taking short or no breaks between sets, you cut out a lot of extra, unused time. By combining both strength and cardio activities in one circuit, you complete both types of workouts in one session, essentially cutting your workout time in half.
Features
Any exercise or activity can be used as part of a circuit-training workout. For the most time-efficient circuit, choose compound strength exercises. These are exercises that work more than one muscle group. Squats, pull-ups, lunges, push-ups, presses and dips are all compound exercises. For variety, add both traditional and non-traditional cardio activities, including running on a treadmill, using an elliptical machine, jump roping or performing bodyweight activities, such as burpees and squat jumps.
Variables
To keep making progress in your fitness routine, switch up the variables of your circuit-training workouts often. Creating more variety will stimulate both your mind and body. You can set up a circuit that focuses just on your upper body and a separate circuit for your lower body. Experiment with both time-based and repetition-based sets. With time-based circuits, you perform each activity for a specified amount of time, usually 30 to 90 seconds. You can also designate a target number of repetitions for each set, generally between 8 to 15. There is no limit to the ways you can set up a circuit training program.
Time Frame
Train three to four times per week, never on consecutive days, with a full-body circuit training routine. If you split the routine, focusing on your upper body one day and your lower body another, you can train four to five times per week, never repeating the same body area two days in a row. A circuit routine generally lasts 30 to 45 minutes.
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