Going Green | Dream Homes | Losing Weight | Keeping Fit | Adventure Sports | Skiing

Circuit Training

A complete body workout in the space of a single lunch hour? That, in a nutshell, is the appeal of circuit training.

It's theoretically possible to set up a circuit training session on your own using the gym equipment.

Just as you are about to move on to another piece of equipment, however, Sod's Law says that someone will start using it for you. In some parts of the world gyms take circuit training so seriously that they have steps, stations and weight training machines permanently set up for circuits and nothing else. Lights and beepers time down each set and warn you to move on to the next one. That's relatively rare in the UK, which is not altogether a bad thing since the beeper can drive everyone else up the wall. If your gym does have an area set aside for circuits, then great, but you'll probably end up doing them as a one-hour class, often in the lunchtime slot.

That's because they really are a great way to pack in a lot of variety and hard work in a short period of time.

Variety - because a circuit can consists of a dozen or more different exercises which mix and match strength and cardio workouts.

Hard work - because knowing that you only have a couple of minutes on each one makes it easier to go for it for that period.

A well-organised circuit alternates between strength and cardio stations, or between upper and lower body so that each station functions as an 'active rest' period for the last. Since stations change according to the whim of the instructors you may also find yourself trying exercises you wouldn't normally do. See it as a kind of exercise speed dating.

For crunches, try to perform the crunch while also keeping both legs off the ground to work the lower abs a little. Since circuit training often pairs people off to work the stations together, how about going with a friend and indulging in a little competition about who can do the greatest number of reps during the session?

WHAT CAN I EXPECT?

Typical moves to include in a circuit are squats and step-ups (using a bench) to work the lower body, plus crunches and bicycle kicks for the abs. Favourites include press-ups to work the chest and some explosive work such as jumping jacks (star jumps) or burpees, where you start in the press-up position but work by shooting your legs back and forth to bring your knees to your elbows. Shuttle runs and skipping are commonly included to keep the heartrate up and add an endurance factor to the circuit. Some dumbbell or barbell work may be included to work specific muscles but the usual rule of thumb is that circuit training is about compound exercises that work as many muscles as possible at once. Where there are weights they will be light and the aim is to do as many repetitions as you can manage during the session. Session lengths may vary but 60 seconds is common and the overall goal is maximum fitness result in minimum time - something we can all relate to.

Disclaimer & Copyright © Infinite Ideas 2008