Whether on the youth, college, or professional level, a strength and conditioning program conducted in a circuit training format is an efficient way to train an athletic team. Strength, power, speed, aerobic endurance and injury prevention are a few of the areas in which improvements will be found. Factors to consider in such a program include organization, training location, available equipment and the specific sport being trained for. The type of format uses a group of resistance exercises that are completed in sequence. Each exercise is performed for a determined number of repetitions or for an exact time period before moving to the next exercise.
Program Organization
How a team circuit training program is organized will depend on certain factors. First of all, the number of players, the amount of available equipment, the amount of open space in the training location and the number of workout stations desired is needed. Next, the sport being trained determines what kind of equipment will be used, the work to rest ratios per station and the specific exercises within the workout. Bring a stopwatch, the correct training footwear and a winning attitude.
Training Locations
A team circuit program can be held just about anywhere, just as long as you possess the right portable training equipment. An open area, indoor or out, works best. A workout gym area with lots of cluttered machines doesn't allow the space to move around in. A great example combination is an indoor or outdoor setting with a rubber track for linear sprint drills, stadium stairs for lower body plyometric jumps, an incline of some kind for uphill and downhill sprints, a grass or turf field for multidirectional speed and agility drills, and a wall for medicine ball drills.
Equipment
Anything portable is strongly suggested. This would include medicine balls, physioballs, tubing bands, mini bands, agility ladders, bungee cords, cones and lightweight dumbbells. Those eight items would equal eight stations in your circuit. Each of those items also costs less than $50, with the exception of an agility ladder. Your program is only as good as the creativity used within each piece of equipment.
Baseball Circuit Training
An example program for a baseball team, consisting of 24 players could be designed as follows: six stations, four players per station, at 30 seconds per station, with a 60-second rest period. That equals a one minute 30 second block. Complete the circuit four times for a total of 24 sets. Total time of work plus rest equals 36 minutes. Try this program: Station 1--rotator cuff exercises with light tubing bands. Station 2--medicine ball side tosses off a wall. Station 3--two arm rowing exercise with heavy resistance tubing bands. Station 4--body weight squat jumps. Station 5--physioball hamstring curls. Station 6--resistive linear sprints using a bungee cord at 30 yards, the length from home plate to first base.
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