A fast, efficient workout, circuit training will maximise your time spent in the gym, helping you to get fit, tone up and lose weight fast!
Why Circuit Training?
With the multitude of different training options available. people are often confused as to where to begin when commencing a fitness program. Should you do Circuit Training, Cross Fit, High Intensity Interval Training, Aerobics or Boot Camp? Should you do cardio training or weights?
Whilst the fitness industry is constantly shifting and new ideas and training strategies often emerge as the latest trend, one constant remains, any fitness training program is better than nothing. Having said that, we all lead busy lives, and many of us do not have a lot of free time outside of work and family life to train, so the age old question remains, ‘What is the BEST training method to get results quickly?’
Having worked in the fitness industry for over thirteen years, I have tried and tested many different training protocols for myself and my clients, and the one I keep coming back to due to the great results it yields is Circuit Training. Don’t take my word for it though, below is a quote from Lee Haney, Chairman of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, and eight time Mr Olympia winner, who is considered by many of his peers as the greatest body builder ever to set foot on stage.
Obviously not all of us could, or would, want to look like the great Lee Haney, however it is obvious from the amazing level of physical fitness and muscular development that the man achieved throughout his career, that he knows a thing or two about getting into peak physical shape.
Although I will be the first to say that Circuit Training alone will not build massive amounts of muscle, or get you to a single digit body fat percentage, what it can do is provide a solid foundation of physical fitness, particularly if the exercises planned for your circuit focus on a broad set of muscle groups. With a carefully planned program it is possible to hit every major muscle group in your body in one ten minute circuit, meaning you can get an awesome workout done without spending too much time in the gym.
The other benefit of Circuit Training is that people of many different fitness levels can all participate in the same program, but work at their own intensity level throughout the circuit.
Where one individual might be able to do thirty repetitions of a given exercise in a one minute round, another may be able to only do twelve, due to the fact that the rounds are timed and continue to rotate, an individual only needs to focus on their own development, rather than on keeping up with others who may have a higher fitness level.
At Inner Energy Fitness we like to combine our Functional Fitness training methodology into a Circuit Training program so you don’t have to worry about counting sets, reps or body parts, but instead focus on the maximum intensity you can generate with every exercise, pushing your fitness to new heights to help you in smashing your goals.
We have attached a sample program below so that you have something you can try at home, it requires no equipment and will still give you a very challenging workout. Give it a try for yourself, I am sure you will agree that this ten minute circuit gets your heart pumping, makes you sweat, and provides you a fun, full body workout!
Body Weight Fitness Circuit:
Rotate through the stations and do as many repetitions as possible for each station in one minute, before moving on to the next exercise. The ten second rest between stations should provide you just enough time to get set for the next exercise position.
Once you have completed all ten exercises (i.e. one ten minute circuit), take a one minute break and then do the whole ten minute circuit again.
Before trying this program, it is essential to do a thorough warm up to ensure you minimise the risk of injury. Also once you have completed the workout, I would recommend doing a cool down and stretching as well, helping aid a quicker recovery.