Circuit Training

[The Damned]

Im thinking of taking this up after the New Year as a hobby and I hear its a great way of staying fit.
Im trying to change my Fitness Routine a bit as Im getting bored doing the same old stuff, Im wondering if this is a great way of muscle building as well as improving cardio.
What are the exercises like? What sort of stuff do you do and how physically demanding is it?
Im thinking of doing it once a week, makes a change from just running and lifting weights.

 

[MrS]

Circuit training is a very broad term.
It means you do things one after the other, in a circuit.
These can be from bodyweight to kettlebell to barbell to bands to anything.

Example circuit.
10 pushups
20 situps
20 supermans
10 squats
Repeat 5 times, rest 60 seconds after each set. Not exercise, those are one after the other.

That's one of a million possible circuits.
Another could be.
10 burpees
100m sprint
10 clap pushups
100m sprint backwards
Repeat.

Another.
20 squats
20 squat jumps
20 jumping jacks
10 burpees
20 pushups
20 clap pushups
20 staggered pushups

Going from upper to lower. Numbers are as many as you can, really, in continuous form. The one above is a bit too much on the numbers, but anyway.

Another circuit.
150 lbs barbell.
Deadlift
Shrug
Hang clean
Front squat
Push Press
Push Jerk
Back squat
Behind the neck press

Repeat.
Incorporate more strength exercises for strength, higher numbers for endurance, more sprinting for stamina and fat loss, that sort of thing.

 

[Mr. Wolf]

I'm doing circuit training, it could be as simple as two dumb bell exercises super setted, one after the other.. It's done at cardio pace, so you loose fat as you exercise..

 

[MrS]

What is cardio pace?

 

[Mr. Wolf]

120 heart beats per minute or more. Like when running or doing aerobics.

 

[Kerpal]

I do a lot of circuit training for conditioning for MMA/BJJ. I think it's a great way to lose fat while preserving muscle mass also, since excess aerobic work can be detrimental to muscle preservation.

I find a lot of ideas for workouts at www.RossTraining.com

Here's one circuit I like a lot... It will leave you lying on the floor gasping for air

1. 100 rope turns (sprint in place)
2. 10 burpees
3. 10 pushups
4. 10 Hindu squats
Repeat 10x as fast as possible

It is deceivingly difficult. One of my goals is to be able to complete this workout without rest.