What in the world is circuit training? Circuit, meaning, “The act of following such a path or route", alone gives us a bigger hint to what this type of exercise is all about. So does this mean that circuit training is a routine type exercise?? No way! This isn’t your ordinary exercise routine that you’ve been doing for the past 6 months. Circuit training involves multiple exercises, done one after the other, with little or no breaks in between.

Perform each exercise with a target time (for example 1min.), rest for no more than 30sec. before moving on to the next exercise. Once you complete all exercises, that is considered to be one whole circuit. The total number of circuits you finish is up to you. For beginners, it is ideal to start with 30sec. exercises and increase the time as you get stronger. One way to progress is to shorten your rest in between each exercise and circuits.

To start circuit training, consider the following criteria:

?Pick exercises to work each muscle group.
?Include exercises for agility and endurance (like jumping side to side over a phone book).
?Don’t forget to work on your speed too. Incorporate sprints (if possible) or fast jogging in place.

Now with these criteria, pick 6 exercises, write them down and take a moment to figure out how you will do your workouts. If you are working out from home, there are lots of options to go with, such as running up and down the stairs, sprinting around the block, and chasing your two-year-old…etc.

Circuit training is great for beginners to get started because it allows you to build total body strength. It is also great for specific sports. For example a runner who wants to increase speed, would work on sprinting and exercise to strengthen the quads, hamstrings and calves.

Now no matter what your goal is, circuit training can be a great workout simply because of the variety of workouts. Running on a treadmill for 30 min or doing the same old machines can get boring over time. If you find you’re losing interest in your routine or that you’ve hit a plateau, think circuit training!

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