Everything you need to know about circuit training
Now and then we hear of a new fitness training that is vouched to work. Reviews and feedbacks from people around us is the best way to find out about them. One particular training that has shown a considerable effect on the body is circuit training.
What is the meaning of circuit training?
It is a high-intensity training that aims to increase body strength and muscular endurance. A circuit has a set of exercises which starts one after the other immediately. It’s a highly intense training that you can slowly begin with. It may seem very challenging at the beginning, but you are sure to adapt to the exercises eventually.
You will be doing about 8 to 10 exercises in a circuit. Each of them will be working on different muscle groups. The activities will have 10 to 25 reps where each rep lasts from 30 seconds to 3 minutes. It will take about 30 minutes for the workout in case you take breaks in between.
Which are the areas targeted by circuit training?
The exercises are aimed at full body fitness. So, you will be focusing on everything from your arms, legs, back, to your core.
What are the benefits of circuit training?
There are numerous additional benefits that you will gain from circuit training. If done correctly, it improves flexibility. It serves as an excellent cardiovascular workout and increases your strength. It improves sports performance.
Which are the effective circuit training exercises?
The following are a few circuit training exercises targeting each part of the body.
Upper body circuit training exercises
- Shoulder Presses
- Bent over rows
- Standing dumbbell curls
- Triceps Dips
- Push-ups
- Russian ab twists
Lower body circuit training exercises
- Walking lunges
- Sumo squats
- Calf raises
- Hamstring curls on a Swiss ball
- Deadlifts
- Superman
Compound circuit training exercises
- Jumping Lunges
- Mountain climbers
- Thrusters
- Cleans
- Bench hop-overs
- Single-arm swing
Sprint for one minute
These need to be fast sprints where you go for just a minute as fast as you can. You can opt for any of these.
- Running
- Jumping role
- Rowing
- Cycling
- Up-hill jogging
- Stair climbing
Rest for a minute
Once you have completed the circuit training exercises, you need to take some rest. After resting for a minute, you can go back and repeat the circuits as many times as you want.
Circuit training can even be taken up by beginners. Start with low impact exercises so that you get used to the routine. You can later increase the intensity of the exercises. Starting under the guidance of a trainer is always more beneficial to ensure that you are doing the exercises right and getting the best out of it. However, you can start yourself as well and take inspirations from videos on the web and learn from them as well.
