Circuit training is designed to challenge your body and can improve your maximal oxygen consumption -- or VO2 max -- with three days of training per week. Circuit training provides a variety of benefits and has been found to achieve significant reductions in body fat in women who use eight to 10 stations during each circuit training session. Extreme circuit training uses explosive exercises to amplify circuit training effectiveness.
Fitness Circuit
Execute this circuit by performing all the exercise stations for 20 to 30 seconds. Repeat the circuit as many times as you can for 30 minutes. Choose your work-to-rest ratio according to your fitness level and your muscular endurance. Start during week one by performing each station for 20 seconds with 30 seconds rest; a 20-to-30 ratio. Transition into a 30-to-30 ratio by week three, eventually building to a 30-to-15 ratio by your fifth week of training.
The Exercises
Barbell push press: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Rest the barbell across the front of your shoulders and lower your body into a quarter squat. Push the barbell up and overhead to a full extension.
Barbell shrug: Stand upright with a firm, wide grip on the barbell. Hold the barbell and raise your your shoulders upward, trying to touch your ears.
Medicine ball pushup: Rest on your toes and place your hands on the sides of a medicine ball positioned under your chest. Lower yourself slowly and repeat.
Dumbbell push to press: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and with arms at the sides while holding dumbbells. Perform bicep curls before pressing both dumbbells up overhead. Reverse the sequence and repeat.
More Exercises
Chin-ups: Grip an overhead bar using a wide grip position. Continue to pull your body up in order to have your chin pass the bar, then lower and repeat.
Medicine ball power lunge jump: Get into a forward lunge position holding a medicine ball to one side. Explosively jump off the ground swapping legs and arm position in mid-air landing. Repeat on the opposite side.
Barbell back squats: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and place the barbell behind your neck. Breath in as you bend your knees and drop down into a full squat position. Use your hips and the balls of your feet to drive yourself back upright.
Dumbbell or kettle bell swing: Stand in a wide stance with the kettle bell or dumbbell extended in front of your body using both hands. Lower yourself and quickly swing the weight upward in front of your body, as you rise up, using your hips to drive the movement.
Core Circuit
Perform this circuit for 10 minutes and work at a 20-to-30-second work-to-rest ratio. An extreme circuit would not be complete without a core circuit to isolate and strengthen the abdominal muscles that are often undertrained.
Stability ball knees to chest: Get in a pushup position with your feet on the fitness ball. Bring knees to chest by rolling feet in and out.
Medicine ball toe touch: Lie on your back with your legs raised and arms extended holding a medicine ball. Raise the ball to your feet, lower and repeat.
Medicine ball twists: Sit on the ground with your legs slightly bent, holding the medicine ball. Lean back slightly as you slowly twist, moving the medicine ball from knee to knee.
References
- "Functional Fitness: Build your Fittest Body Ever"; Paul Collins; 2009
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; National Strength and Conditioning Association; 2008
- "Strength and Conditioning Journal"; Resistance Circuit Training: Its Application for the Adult Population; Mike Waller; Feb 2011
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