People use the term "circuit training" in a variety of ways. Some use it to describe moving from exercise to exercise during one workout, similar to station training. Others use it to describe a specific workout routine that uses specific loads, repetitions or durations and breaks. A general circuit training routine works more than one set of muscles, and it may include more than fitness goal.
Goals
With a general circuit-training routine, you may be looking to burn calories, improve muscular endurance, speed or quickness or build or tone muscle. You do this by creating circuits with different loads, numbers of repetitions of an exercise and working different muscles. For example, you might perform one circuit of dumbbell exercises to work on muscular endurance, a circuit of core exercises to work your abs, and then do a circuit of cardio exercises to burn calories.
Creating a Circuit-Training Workout
You can create a circuit-training workout by using a specific number of repetitions of each exercise, or by setting a time limit. For example, during a muscular endurance circuit, you might perform 10 repetitions of each exercise. If you are doing calisthenics, you can do each exercise for 30 seconds before moving onto the next exercise. A circuit can consist of one exercise, or several. If your circuit consists of 10 repetitions of one exercise, you can limit your break between exercises to one minute. If a circuit consists of two minutes of three to four different exercises, you can take a two- or three-minute break between circuits.
Loads and Intensities
Unlike bodybuilding, circuit training doesn't use heavy weights or maximum resistance. You also perform more repetitions during a circuit workout. The American Council on Exercise recommends performing circuit exercises at 40 to 70 percent of your maximum intensity. For a general circuit-training workout, this means lifting lighter weights and doing more reps, or doing fewer reps of crunches, pushups and other bodyweight exercises, and at a lower pace. If your goal is weight loss, use lower loads, higher intensities and shorter breaks. If your goal is muscle training, do the opposite.
General Circuit-Training Workout Example
Start by warming up for several minutes, raising your heart rate, getting blood flowing to your muscles and stretching and warming muscles. Perform a circuit of dumbbell exercises, such as biceps curls, flyes, triceps extensions and kickbacks. Take a break and then do two minutes of core exercises. Take a break, and then do squats, lunges, calf raises and deadlifts. You may want to alternate body parts in each circuit. For example, one circuit might consist of biceps curls, squats, oblique crunches and burpees. You can create a workout consisting of two or three circuits you repeat two or three times each, or you can create a workout that does not repeat any circuit. Cool down for several with low-intensity muscle movements, and then stretch.
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