If you have seen or done some of the workouts on this site then you will know I am a huge fan of circuit training. I have been teaching circuit training classes to large groups for over 10 years now and use it as part of my one 2 one and small group sessions. I also use it a lot in my own training and have found it very beneficial especially if your goals are to lose body fat, improve muscle definition and increase cardio fitness. In this post I will talk about what circuit training is, reasons for doing it and then give you some sample workouts to try.

Circuit training is basically a combination of resistance training alongside high intensity aerobic work. The aim is to move between one exercise to the next (often referred to as “stations”) with little or no rest in between. At the end of all the exercises within the circuit you would take a short rest and then start again from the beginning. Circuits are often made up of around 8-12 exercises spending around 40 seconds-1 minute on each one and the entire circuit would normally be completed 3 times through although this can be changed to suit the individuals needs and fitness levels. Below are my top 6 reasons for including circuit training into your routine.

1: It does not take long.

Many people still feel that they need to be in the gym for at least an hour especially if they are doing cardio and resistance training alongside each other, 20-30 minutes of aerobic training and then at least the same amount of time doing weights. Because circuit training combines the 2 together and is performed with little or no rest, you can complete an effective session in as little as 30 minutes including warm up and cool down.

2: You do not need much equipment.

You can have a very effective training session using minimal kit and even with just your own body weight. This means you can do it at home or at the gym during peak time when a lot of the equipment will be taken.

3: It can help to keep you interested.

When it comes to cardio training many people will spend 30 minutes or so plodding away on a piece of equipment such as the cycle or cross-trainer for example. After a few weeks of doing this boredom can easily set in which is one of the main reasons people give up the gym/exercise (also this form of exercise is not always the best way to reduce body fat but that’s for another post!). With circuit training you are continuously changing exercises and only spending a minute or so on each one. You can also mix up your circuit from session to session by simply changing the order of exercises or using different exercises altogether.

4: It works everything.

Within a circuit session not only are you going to get your heart and lungs really working but with the right exercise selection you can work all your major muscle groups.

5: It is effective.

From teaching endless number of circuit classes and using circuit training within my personal training sessions and my own workouts I have seen first hand how effective this form of training is especially for stripping away body fat and improving muscle definition. By mixing cardio and resistance training together it means you will keep your heart rate elevated throughout the session. So while you are doing a resistance exercise your body is still burning away the fat.

6: It is suitable for all fitness levels.

You can tailor circuit training to any fitness level by simply changing some of the variables such as exercise selection, time or reps per exercise and changing the length of the rest periods.

SAMPLE WORKOUTS:

Below are a few sample workouts that you can try either on your own or with a group of friends.

Warm up:

Make sure you always spend 5-10 minutes warming the body up before starting your session. This can be done by doing some gently cardio on a piece of equipment like the cycle or rower etc. If these are not available to you or fancy a more specific warm up for your circuit try the following.

Mobility exercises: Begin with exercises such as arm swings, shoulder rolls. Knee rolls etc to help mobilise your joints

Bodyweight movements: Doing these exercises can help prepare your body for your resistance training by doing some of the movements you will be using within the main workout. Use exercises such as prisoner squats, front lunges, side lunges, floor bridges, superman’s etc.

Pulse raiser: These exercises will help to raise your heart rate and increase your core temperature. Try exercises such as jumping jacks, high knees, scissors etc.

Basic circuit:

A basic circuit format would be to pick an exercise that works your upper body, lower body, core and heart and lungs. The following 8-exercise circuit uses this format with each exercise being done for 1 minute.

Upper body: Press-up

Lower body: Dumbbell squats

Core: Crunch

Cardio: Burpees

Upper body: Bent over rows

Lower body: Front lunges

Core: Plank

Cardio: Squat thrusts

Repeat the circuit x2-3

Basic circuit 2:

This circuit uses machines found in most gyms/health clubs and mixes doing exercises for reps and time. For the resistance exercises try and pick a weight that will challenge you for 12 reps.

Upper body: Chest press machine x12 reps

Lower body: Leg press x12

Core: Hanging leg raises x12

Cardio: Rowing machine 500 metres in your quickest time.

Upper body: Lat pulldown x12

Lower body: Leg curl machine x12

Core: Swiss ball crunch x12

Cardio: Treadmill 0.8 km in your quickest time.

Repeat the circuit x2-3

Bodyweight circuit:

Ideal if you’re training at home or at peak time at the gym. Aim to complete 1 minute on each exercise.

Press-ups

Single leg squats (30 seconds per leg)

Oblique twists

Burpees

Close hand press-ups

Jump lunges

Reverse crunch

Squat jumps

Repeat x2-3

3-station circuit:

This is a circuit I used within my class and works well with larger groups but is just as good with small numbers or on your own. The circuit is split into 3 stations, Upper body, lower body and cardio. In each station there are 3 exercises done for 1 minute each. Once you have done the 3-minute station move to the next.

Upper body:

Press-ups

Dumbbell shoulder press

Bench dips

Lower body:

Dumbbell squat

Dumbbell reverse lunge

Dumbbell side lunge

Cardio:

Star jumps

High knees

Squat jumps

In between stations you could do a core exercise for 1 minute.

Repeat the entire circuit x2-3

Step box circuit:

This circuit requires a step box, barbell and a selection of weight plates and a mat.

Spend 1 minute on each exercise.

Bench press

Step-ups

Burpees

Barbell squat

V-ups

Box jumps

Clean and press

Weight plate Russian twists

Bench dips

Straddle jumps

Repeat x2-3

Video workout

 Here is a sample of a circuit I did with one of my clients. Exercises used are hammer strikes on tyre, powerbag clean and press, lateral jumps over bag, ground and pound on floor bag, press-ups and punch and kick combinations on punch bag.

Members:

If you are a member of this site and fancy trying a personalised circuit workout then simply drop me an e-mail. Let me know your aims and goals, equipment available to you, length of time for session and exercise history. I will then put together your own circuit plan including exercise descriptions, technique advice and regressions and progressions and send it over to you. If you are not yet a member then SIGN UP today to receive your circuit plan and see what this type of training can do for you