Circuit Training Exercises

Question by Shizzy: How many reps should i do per exercise when Circuit Training?
To tomorrow im going to try a new type of training at the gym to get toned in a shorter amount of time, which is circuit training. My question is, When doing each exercise, how many reps should I push out in the amount of time I do them? For example, there I 14 different workouts I plan to do in my circuit. I plan on doing about a minute for each one, some 2 or three minutes (like jogging).
thanks icon smile How many reps should i do per exercise when Circuit Training?

Best answer:

Answer by S. H.
there’s no recipe to this, just do as much as you can!! and that’s it!

What do you think? Answer below!

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Question by IAmSad: How much calories do a average circuit training burns?
A 8 exercise circuit training consisting of..
1. Squat thrusts.
2. Pushups
3. Burpees.
4. Decoiled pushups
5. Jumping jacks.
6. Mountain climbers
7.Jumping rope and Jump for 50counts..
8.Crunches.

Please give me the specific calories burned
Or maybe close and around .

Best answer:

Answer by Zosh
There are a lot more variables that just the types of exercises you have listed. Your size, weight and gender affect the amount of calories burned. And if you use any weights or resistance.

Give your answer to this question below!

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Why Circuit Training Will Help You Lose Weight Faster

There are many forms of training, so many in fact that’s it’s really difficult to choose the type of training that’s right for your specific goals. Research, as well real life case studies show that “circuit training” combined with super-setting produce amazing results for women who want to lose weight as well as tone and define their muscles.

Before I get into the basic guidelines of how to structure your workouts effectively, lets first take a detailed look at what “circuit training” and “super-setting” really is.

First, Circuit training can be simply defined as working the cardiovascular system and the muscular system all at the same time.

Circuit training is also great for anyone who doesn’t have a lot of time to go on the treadmill for 30 minutes and then lift weights for another 30 minutes(raise you hand if you do this). When you circuit train you combine these two elements together to produce a high quality, top notch super workout. The way you want to structure your circuit training is to do an upper body exercise followed by a lower body exercise. This will allow you to give one area of your body a rest while you work another muscle group. You can take quick 10 second breaks in between if your just starting out. But after a while, and as your fitness level progresses you want to move from one exercise to the next without taking any breaks.

Super-setting is similar but when you superset you perform exercises for the opposing muscle groups. So for example lets say you did push-ups for your chest and triceps, right after that you would do bent over rows for the back muscles as well as your biceps. See how you work the opposing muscle groups? This is good because your muscles will get a rest before going on to the second set.

Now take both these principles and combine them together. I know you’re sweating buckets just thinking about it. In this case you will be going 30 minutes non-stop keeping your heart rate up and increasing your lean muscle which will help kick start your metabolism over a period of time(don’t worry you wont get big and bulky). Now just imagine what would happen if you did this type of training for 30 minutes 3 times a week.

Can you see the new clothing you will have to buy? Can you see your confidence growing?

In a matter of time you’ll be in the best shape of your life. Just remember consistency as well as patience will give you the best results.

Here’s a quick blueprint to help you structure your circuit training. All you have to do is fill in the blanks with exercises you feel are right for you.

Aerobic warm up 5-7 minutes

Do each exercise for 1 minute X 3 times – 24mintues

1. Upper body exercise
2. Lower body exercise
3. Upper body exercise
4. Lower body exercise
5. Upper body exercise
6. Lower body exercise
7. Upper body exercise
8. Lower body exercise

Cool down 5 minutes

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Question by andrewmikol: What is a good list of exercises to incorporate into my free weight circuit training?
I’m wanting to tone muscle and lose fat, so I know to do high reps and easy weights.

Which exercises would I need to do to target my whole body?
Which exercises would target which muscles?

If you could, please give a website. Thanks!

Best answer:

Answer by ???
you want to switch to heavier weight and lower reps

if you want to lose weight then kept rest periods short, go for about 30 seconds between sets, this makes it more aerobic.

in terms of exercise the three best movements are:
deadlifts (back and core)
bench press (chest)
squats (legs)

do three weights session a week and have one of these exercises in each as the main exercise

this is my routine if it helps

1 – Back

Give your answer to this question below!

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Try the best outdoor circuit training workout video! Burn fat with one of Glamour Magazines favorite routines! diet.com *Sponsor: Peel away the pounds with Solani – www.diet.com This fitness video show you how to get a fat burning workout fast. This no gym required interval workout routine can be done anywhere. Tone your stomach, butt and arms with this circuit training workout. Best of all, you don’t have to go to the gym because no equipment is needed and the workout can be done at home or outside. Glamour magazine sited this video as a favorite! Thanks Glamour icon smile Best Outdoor Circuit Training Workout Video Check Out Diet.com Video! Diet.com: www.diet.com Subscribe to Our YouTube Channel – www.youtube.com Go behind the scenes w/ Sarah’s Blog- www.diet.com Twitter twitter.com Facebook: www.new.facebook.com iTunes: tinyurl.com Sarah’s YouTube Channel – YouTube.com Sarah’s Fitness Blog – www.examiner.com
Video Rating: 3 / 5

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Circuit Training for Tennis

Get fit to play, don?t play to get fit is a very well known saying and you should all know that doing some fitness work along side your lessons and practise sessions will improve your performance as well as making you less prone to injury.

Well, if you are looking for the perfect way to train all the components of fitness you need to improve your game in the same session, then you need look no further than circuit training.

Circuit training is an exercise format that normally utilises between 6 and 10 exercises that are completed one after another (the circuit!!) for a specified number of repetitions or time period before moving onto the next exercise. The completion of one exercise and the beginning of the next are separated by brief timed rest intervals and each circuit by a longer rest period. The total number of circuits performed during a training session may vary from two to six depending on your training level (beginner, intermediate, or advanced), your period of training and your training objective.

To plan a Session you will need to think about the possible exercises that can be performed with the equipment and space you have available. In order to ensure that no two consecutive exercises stress the same muscle group set up the circuit as follows:

Total-body, Upper-body, Lower-body, Core/Trunk etc.

It is important to warm up and perform some dynamic stretching exercises and to repeat this as a cool down after the session.

Example No Equipment Circuit Training Session

Skipping ? cardiovascular & coordination

Press ups – chest, shoulders, arms (esp triceps – serve) and core

Squats ? quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves and core/lower back

Crunch ? abdominals esp rectus abdominis

Star Jumps ? leg power, flexibility & endurance

Bench Dips ? triceps, chest and shoulders

Lunges ? hamstrings, glutes and quads

Back extension ? lower back

Shuttle runs (sprinting/running continuously between predetermined points) ? speed endurance

Duration ? start with the following (lower level): 20 seconds work on each exercise with a 30 second recovery between each exercise – 3 sets with a 3 minute recovery between each circuit

Complete the circuit training session twice a week with at least 48 hours between each session. I suggest you base your training on a four week cycle of an easy week, medium week, hard week and test/recovery week.

The work load can be varied by changing the number of exercises, duration, sets or repetitions.

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How to Build the Ultimate Circuit Training Workout for Rapid Fat Loss

History has seen the use of straight sets in most resistance training programs. This is where you perform a certain number of reps for a given exercise or perform as many reps as possible for a given exercise and then rest anywhere from 30 seconds to five minutes based on your training goals before repeating this set a certain number of times based on your goals. For more of a fat loss and lean muscle gain emphasis shorter rest periods are ideal. For more of a strength or power emphasis, longer rest periods are prescribed.

So, what’s the problem with this format? Well, though straight sets are extremely easy to comprehend for people new to fitness, they are also an extremely inefficient way to order your exercises. In most commercial gyms you’ll typically see someone perform three sets of 10 reps for let’s say the bench press. They pump out 10 reps go to the water fountain, chat it up with their workout buddies, watch some television and then gingerly walk back to the bench area to finally start up their second set. In general, most people, guys in particular, tend to take at about 3-5 minutes between sets. In the case of performing three straight sets of 10 reps of the bench press, only one exercise will be completed in a 15-minute time frame. That means you’d need at least in hour to perform four different exercises!

The alternating set format provides a much more results-oriented and time-efficient approach to your workouts. Here you’ll perform one exercise, rest for a short period of time, then perform another non-competing exercise, rest for a short period of time, and so forth. Alternating sets allow you to work different areas of your body when you would otherwise be resting with the straight set format. In addition, following each exercise with a non-competing exercise provides the recovery your body needs when returning to the previous exercises within the alternating set format. The result is improved training economy and density: more work accomplished in less time, the cornerstone of any sound fat loss program. There are several ways to perform alternating sets outlined below:

1.) Supersets: Alternate between two different non-competing exercises (e.g. upper body and lower body such as push-ups and lunges)

2.) Trisets: Alternate between three different exercises (e.g. push, pull, and lower body such as push-ups, rows, and lunges)

3.) Circuits: Alternate between four or more different exercises

Though supersets and trisets are excellent alternating set options, I believe circuit training is by the far the best option time and time again. To demonstrate why, let’s examine my favorite circuit training template using timed set intervals:

The 50-10 Five Exercise Circuit: Within the following five-minute circuit you will alternate between 50 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest:

Exercise#1- Squats

Exercise#2- Dips

Exercise#3- Single-Leg Hip Extensions

Exercise#4- Pull-ups

Exercise#5- Leg Raises

Perform this circuit up to four times for a 20-minute total body fat burning workout.

Basically, in the same 15 minutes that it took to get in three sets on the bench you could have gotten in three sets of five different exercise for a staggering total of 15 work sets! Plus, the intensity on each exercise will be just as high as in the straight set format because in this five exercise circuit you will have full recovery with over four minutes before you return to any given exercise (just as you did with the straight set format described earlier).

To recap, the key to creating the optimal hormonal environment for fat loss is to perform each exercise with maximal intensity while separated by brief rest periods in order to accumulate a high volume of total body work in the shortest amount of time possible. Circuit training provides for the best of both worlds and is thus simply unmatched for simultaneously maximizing fat loss and lean muscle gain. Use the following template I use with my many boot camp clients for some killer, yet simple fat loss circuits:

Exercise#1- Double-Leg

Exercise#2- Push

Exercise#3- Single-Leg

Exercise#4- Pull

Exercise#5- Core

So follow this really simple template for some killer fat loss workouts that can be completed anywhere in 20 minutes or less. Now it’s time to crank it!

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Circuit Training: The Fastest Way To Fitness!

If you’re committed to getting in shape and improving your overall health and fitness, the efficiency of circuit training offers a complete solution! Circuits improve overall body strength, including the strength and resiliency of tendons and ligaments, and the integrity of your joints.


A well designed circuit training program will build strength, increase stamina, tone muscles, improve body awareness, burn fat, and improve your aerobic and muscular endurance all at the same time!


Circuit training is my absolute favorite method of fitness training! Circuits can be successfully developed for those desiring to lose weight, conditioning for better athletic performance, and for injury rehabilitation. The fast pace and constantly changing workouts provide a different type of stimulus to the body and keep my clients from getting bored with their workouts.


A professionally designed circuit training routine can be totally personalized to give you exactly what you want. Whether you are a beginner to fitness, recovering from an injury and returning to the gym, or an elite athlete seeking improvement in your particular sport, circuits can be designed to emphasize strength, endurance, speed, weight loss, agility, balance, or any other aspect of your fitness that is important to you.


Traditionally, the circuit training format utilizes a group of 6-10 exercise “stations,” where you complete one exercise right after the other at heart thumping intensity! Each exercise is performed for a specific number of repetitions or for a prescribed time period before moving on to the next exercise.


The exercises within each circuit are separated by a brief rest interval (10-30 seconds), with each circuit followed by a timed rest period of 60 seconds or more. The total number of circuits performed per exercise session will vary depending upon your fitness objectives and training level (beginner, intermediate or advanced).


My Suggested Guidelines When Circuit Training


* A warm up should be at low to moderate intensity for 8-10 minutes. Follow with stretching of all major muscle groups


* Perform circuit workouts 2-3x per week, leaving at least 48 hours between each session.


* Select 6-8 sessions for each workout.


* Arrange your exercises (or stations) so that they alternate between muscle groups (i.e., triceps dips followed by squats), and work each muscle group during the sessions.


* Perform 10-12 repetitions of each exercise, using a weight that is challenging yet allows you to perform each repetition with perfect form.


* Leave time for an adequate cool down of 8-10 minutes at the end of your workout.


* Honestly consider your level of fitness! If you’ve never done any sort of circuit work before (even if you think you are fit and in shape), be conservative. Sore muscles, aching joints and the increased likelihood of injury will be the result if you push yourself harder than your body is ready for.


Cardio Circuit Fat Burning Routine


This is a great circuit training routine that has fat-burning cardio intervals between exercises. You need minimum equipment: a pair of medium-weight dumb bells, a medicine ball, a jump rope and one of those 65 cm Physio balls. You may need to adjust the number of repetitions in accordance with your current fitness level. Watch your heart rate! Rest as you need to with the goal of completing the circuit with little to no rest between exercises.


Cycle through twice, advancing to 3 circuits as tolerated. Do this routine 3x per week for 3-4 weeks, then change to a different routine.


And as usual, please consult your physician before undertaking this or any other exercise program.


Here we go!


* Rope jumps – 50 reps

* Medicine Ball Wood chops – 20 each direction

* Dumbbell shoulder carry squat and press – 20 reps

* Hamstring Bridge / Rolls with physioball – 20 reps

* Physioball pushups – as many reps as possible

* Rope jumps – 50 reps

* Dumb bell alternating bent over rows – 20 reps each side

* Medicine ball stationary lunges – 15 reps each leg

* Medicine ball double crunch – 20 reps

* Medicine ball mountain climbers – 20 reps

* Medicine ball prone jumping jacks – 20 reps

* Bench triceps dips – as many reps as possible


Try adding circuit training to your current workout routine, or in place of 1-2 days of plain old cardio.


You’ll love what you see in the mirror!

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How to Do Circuit Training for Women

For most of the women, the ultimate desire is to stay fit and slim, and for that they make a number of plans in their heads which don’t usually materialize. The reasons could be several, such as hardly being able to take out time to simple laziness.

To start up with any plan, it is very important to be properly motivated. If motivation does not exist, one may start with working towards a goal but not be able to stick on the path for long. This is why motivation is the basic requirement here too. Moreover, if you enjoy doing a task, you will definitely make all the efforts in the world to give it ample time.

Circuit training is one gift for all those women who seek fitness and a slim figure. However, it requires one to be motivated and determined to follow a plan, as only then positive results can be found. Circuit training involves one to engage in a variety of exercise at one time, one set after another. One is not supposed to take a break in between. This contributes in the reduction of fat from women’s bodies, and promotes their vascular health making their bodies leaner.

To begin with circuit training you first need to start with a couple of simple exercises which would warm up the body and pump up your heart. Such exercises include step ups and jumping jacks.

You may then start working on your biceps with the help of dumbbells. Make sure not to use too heavy weight dumbbells as you might end up with a sprain or a muscles pull, making all your exercise plans go down the drain. While you are holding dumbbells, start lunges of your legs side by side. As soon as you finish doing this, start with jumping over a jumping rope for one minute.

The best way to keep your arms and chest in shape is to do push ups. For a beginner, it is wise to start with knees, while someone who has practice can carry it off well on their toes.

To end the program for the day, you can do crunches to keep your belly in shape and squats, around 10-20 times.

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Fat Burning Workouts – Circuit Training

Are you still stuck on the marathon aerobics workout nonsense?

Imagine YOU losing 10 lbs of Fat in a Month? I’m not talking weight loss I’m talking Fat Loss(there is a difference) but you knew that already.

Let’s talk circuit training/fat burning workouts. Read through this whole article use the sample workout at the end and you will be on your way to losing around 2 lbs of fat a week. As long as you are also eating clean but that’s another article.

If you have fallen for the marathon aerobic workouts that burn fat fast lie don’t feel bad. You, me and thousands of others have also. But we are done with that now. Right?

* “What is Circuit Training? *

Circuit training  is a combination of high-intensity exercises using weight training, bodyweight, kettlebell and machine exercises, easy to follow, efficient, and effective targeting fat loss, muscle building and heart-lung fitness.

Circuit training keeps you moving by only allowing you to take minimal breaks between exercises. If you absolutely must rest (based on your conditioning level), you can take 30 seconds then start again.

Circuits provides a huge boost to your metabolism more than plain cardio. Circuit training, works because you’re training to keep pushing your body aerobically and anaerobically.

* Circuit Training Benefits *

First, you train aerobicaly while adding strength. Since you are constantly progressing through the workout, you will keep your heart rate up, getting much more out of it instead of mindlessly logging all those miles on the treadmill.

Second, doing strength training you gain lean muscle. Lean muscle gains equals higher metabolism. Higher metabolism equals more fat burning.

Finally, short, fast paced workouts, fast and efficient fat loss workouts.
  
* Sample Circuit Training Workout *

This workout consists of 5 exercises work up to six circuits. Do 10 reps of each exercise then move to the next one. Once you have completed all five, start the sequence over again.

Gradually increase your reps to 15 – 20 per exercise or add another circuit; this is intense, so start slowly.

1) Mountain Climbers A great bodyweight exercise.
 
2) Pushups You may not know this (most people don’t) but to really do push-ups correctly and get the most out of them keep your elbows close to your body.

3) Squats. Barbell, Bodyweight, kettlebell or Dumbbell

4) Cleans – Barbell, Dumbbell or Kettlebell One of my personal favorites.

5) Burpees – the old squat thrusts from high school

Do all 5 exercises – rest -(absolute beginner 90-120 seconds you will have to judge this for yourself). Work to decrease your rest times.

  

 

 

Notes:

Try Circuit training to kick-start your metabolism for faster fat loss.

Circuit training is intense doing it twice a week should do.. Add in 2-3 total body weight training workouts and that 2 lbs of fat loss? it’s yours.

Go To Fat Burning Diets And Workouts for more up to date diet and workout guides.

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Circuit Training 8-10 Pounds Of Fat Burning

Are you still stuck on the marathon aerobics workout nonsense?

Imagine YOU losing 10 lbs of Fat in a Month? I’m not talking weight loss I’m talking Fat Loss(there is a difference) but you knew that already.

Let’s talk circuit training. Read through this whole article use the sample fat burning workout at the end and you will be on your way to losing around 2 lbs of fat a week. As long as you are also eating clean but that’s another article.

If you have fallen for the marathon aerobic workouts that burn fat fast lie don’t feel bad. You, me and thousands of others have also. But we are done with that now. Right?

* “What is Circuit Training? *

Circuit training  is a combination of high-intensity fat burning exercises using weight training, bodyweight, kettlebell and machine exercises, easy to follow, efficient, and effective targeting fat loss, muscle building and heart-lung fitness.

Circuit training keeps you moving by only allowing you to take minimal breaks between exercises. If you absolutely must rest (based on your conditioning level), you can take 30 seconds then start again.

Circuits provides a huge boost to your metabolism more than plain cardio. Circuit training, works because you’re training to keep pushing your body aerobically and anaerobically.

* Circuit Training Benefits *

First, you train aerobicaly while adding strength. Since you are constantly progressing through the workout, you will keep your heart rate up, getting much more out of it instead of mindlessly logging all those miles on the treadmill.

Second, doing strength training you gain lean muscle. Lean muscle gains equals higher metabolism. Higher metabolism equals more fat loss.

Finally, short, fast paced workouts, fast and efficient fat loss workouts.
  
* Sample Circuit Training Workout *

This workout consists of 5 fat burning exercises work up to six circuits. Do 10 reps of each exercise then move to the next one. Once you have completed all five, start the sequence over again.

Gradually increase your reps to 15 – 20 per exercise or add another circuit; this is intense, so start slowly.

1) Mountain Climbers A great bodyweight exercise.
 
2) Pushups You may not know this (most people don’t) but to really do push-ups correctly and get the most out of them keep your elbows close to your body.

3) Squats. Barbell, Bodyweight, kettlebell or Dumbbell

4) Cleans – Barbell, Dumbbell or Kettlebell One of my personal favorites.

5) Burpees – the old squat thrusts from high school

Do all 5 exercises – rest -(absolute beginner 90-120 seconds you will have to judge this for yourself). Work to decrease your rest times.

 Notes:

Try Circuit training intense fat burning-start your metabolism for faster fat loss.

Circuit training is intense doing it twice a week should do.. Add in 2-3 total body weight training workouts and that 2 lbs of fat loss? it’s yours.

 

 

Imagine in a few weeks checking yourself out in the mirror and liking what you see? Fat burning with circuit training workouts will work for you if you work for it. Go to my website How To Get That Six Pack Abs Look and get all the info you need for fat burning, more workouts, healthy eating etc.

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Visit Turbulence Training to get your FREE sample fat burning workout. Click here to get started: www.TurbulenceTraining.com In this video I am going to take you through a six exercise bodyweight circuit, alternating between 3 upper body and 3 lower body exercises. To start, we will begin with an easy lower body exercise and a very easy upper body exercise. Essentially, these two exercises will act as a warm up. In the Y squat stance, push your hips back and squat down for a total of 15 repetitions. Since we are doing circuit interval training and not strength training we want to fatigue ourselves with these exercises. Follow that with the basic push up exercise for another 15 repetitions. If you can’t do 15 full push ups, then you can always do kneeling push ups, just be sure to choose an exercise that isn’t going to make you sore the next day. The next exercise to perform is the lunge. To increase the difficulty of this exercise you can hold in the bottom position, and again, complete 12-15 repetitions for each leg. Now, you will move on to a slightly more difficult variation of the basic push up, the decline push up for 15 repetitions. This exercise will be especially hard after completing 15 regular push ups. Again, in these exercises you will be performing a higher number of repetitions because this training is more interval training than strength training. There still remains one remaining lower body exercise to complete. I prefer to choose an exercise that uses a
Video Rating: 4 / 5

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Circuit Training Fitness Equipment Pros And Cons

It’s no secret why circuit training has been successful as a business opportunity: it works! Circuit training is a proven exercise system that, for many women, has proven to be more effective than diet and nutrition programs alone.

The routine at circuit training health clubs is quick and simple, allowing each woman to progress at her own pace. The ladies exercise in a circle, each at a station. They spend 30 or 45 seconds at each station, either working a hydraulic resistance machine or doing aerobics. The entire routine takes just 30 minutes.

Sufficient anecdotal evidence exists to prove that circuit training can help women achieve fast weight loss. But how about the training technology behind the workout? Does the equipment in this type of gym provide true weight loss exercise, or is it just another fad?

To completely understand fitness and exercise equipment it’s important to comprehend the four different technologies of that equipment:
1) Constant Resistance Devices
2) Variable Resistance Devices
3) Static Resistance Devices
4) Accommodating Resistance Devices

Constant Resistance Devices:

“The term constant resistance means that a weight (resistance) does not increase or decrease during the course of exercise” (source: International Sports Sciences Association; 2001). The amount of resistance encountered by the user remains unchanged from the beginning of the exercise movement to the end.

Examples of training or weight lifting with constant resistance devices would be lifting a barbell, dumbbell, or using a cabled weight stack. Weight training in this manner has some inherent disadvantages. First of all, constant resistance weight lifting exercise does not correct for changes in the musculoskeletal leverage that occurs during an exercise movement. Secondly, this method does not account for reduced effort that comes with fatigue.

When following a weight lifting routine with constant resistance devices, the user experiences changes in leverage during the joint movement. For example, when doing dumbbell curls the amount of muscular force required is much greater at the bottom of the movement (when the dumbbells are at waist level) than it is at the top of the movement (when the dumbbells are near the chin). As the dumbbells approach the top of the movement, leverage improves and the user doesn’t have to work as hard.

Therefore, the user doesn’t gain as much benefit during the ‘easy’ portion of the movement. Muscles need stress to gain strength and endurance, so with the relatively diminished stress of constant resistance devices some of the benefit is gone.

Some experts argue that constant resistance exercise is more natural than any other weight lifting program because leverage imbalances match the actual day-to-day movement of the body.

Variable Resistance Devices:

“When you hoist a weight by pulling on a cable that goes over the top of a pulley and is attached to a weight, you’re engaged in constant resistance training” (source: International Sports Sciences Association; 2001). Some exercise equipment manufacturers have experimented with pulleys that aren’t round or don’t have the hole in the exact middle of the pulley, resulting in different levels of resistance felt during different points in the exercise movement.

Unlike constant resistance devices, variable resistance fitness equipment does not match the natural way the human body works. Some exercise scientists view this as a disadvantage, as it may cause disturbance in the brain centers that interpret force and movement patterns.

The advantage of variable resistance fitness equipment is that it amplifies the level of stress placed on the muscles by forcing them to work equally hard throughout the full range of motion. Critics respond that since everyone is different is size, stature and strength it is virtually impossible to match everybody’s leverage with machine leverage.

Static Resistance Devices:

“Contracting your muscles without movement is called static contraction. The term isometric exercise was coined to describe this form of stress” (source: International Sports Sciences Association; 2001).

The public, searching for a new weight loss tip in the 1950′s and early 1960′s, adopted isometric exercise as their new weight lifting workout. Unfortunately, scientists eventually proved what many weight watchers had already learned: isometrically contracting a muscle results in that muscle only gaining strength in that position. To gain strength throughout the entire range of movement, the user would have to isometrically contract their muscles throughout every conceivable angle in the entire range!

Today, very few people consider using static resistance devices as part of their weight loss system for the simple reason that isometric exercise is the least effective of the four training technologies.

Accommodating Resistance Devices:

“Like variable resistance devices, accommodating resistance machinery is designed to allow you to exert maximum resistance throughout the full range of movement in each of your exercises. In doing so, you are able to maximize the amount of exercise stress your muscles receive” (source: International Sports Sciences Association; 2001).

Accommodating resistance exercise equipment somewhat controls the resistance that is encountered, thereby allowing the user to exert maximum force throughout the entire range of motion and throughout the entire exercise.

This is the type of gym equipment used at circuit training fitness centers. Again, the primary benefit is that the user can exert maximum force in any position, which allows for a full and complete workout. As an example, consider dumbbell curls. Traditional dumbbell curls result in decreased leverage at the top of the movement. Circuit training exercise equipment, on the other hand, applies even and consistent force throughout the entire range of motion. In other words, circuit training equipment places the muscle under constant tension for more time than alternative training technologies.

“Tension (resistance that is stressful enough to cause muscles to adapt), together with sufficient time over which it is applied, go hand-in-hand to produce superior gains” (source: International Sports Sciences Association; 2001).

Another advantage of accommodating resistance exercise equipment is that the relatively controlled speed of the movement drastically reduces the opportunity for injury. As ballistic movement is virtually impossible on this type of equipment, injury from overextended joints, pulled muscles and uncontrolled movements is also highly unlikely.

Conclusion:

It’s easy to see that the training technology behind circuit training is solid. Circuit training exercise equipment utilizes accomodating resistance to deliver consistent results.

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Circuit Training Exercise Equipment And Progressive Overload

Many people who have turned to a circuit training health club seeking quick weight loss get discouraged because they find that, once they start exercising consistently, they do achieve some results. Sooner than expected, however, they reach a plateau and have their progress grind to a halt. These folks aren’t doing anything wrong; they just lack the weight loss information needed to continually make headway toward their fat loss goals.

What these folks need is circuit training equipment that features adjustable resistance. In other words, they need the ability to increase or decrease the amount of resistance on the workout equipment.

Why is this important? Why not have just one level of resistance?

With only one resistance level, the typical 30-minute circuit workout gym franchise is unable to meet the long-term fitness needs of their members.

The ‘Principle of Progressive Overload’ maintains that once the body has adapted to the stress put upon it, no further progress will be made until 1) resistance is increased or 2) repetitions are increased. This puts a gym without adjustable resistance in the uncomfortable position of having their members ‘plateau’ once they have mastered the equipment. Depending on their age and prior fitness level, their members soon find that their progress has come to a halt.

Most circuit gyms are unable to adjust their resistance settings, so by definition they cannot promise life-long progress. Of course, their members could simply do more repetitions (exercise for 45-60 minutes), but that invalidates the entire 30-minute workout concept.

Circuit training gyms with adjustable equipment provide a solution to this problem. Pick Up The Pace, for example, offers equipment with six different resistance settings. Most new members start on a setting of one or two, and no members are able to complete a full workout on a setting of six. The hydraulic equipment provided at Pick Up The Pace thus provides an answer to the life-long fitness enthusiast; members will never plateau but will continue to make progress for as long as they are a member.

Another way to consider this concept is to think of jogging. If you went outside today and jogged for 10 miles, how do you think you would feel? Probably dead on your feet! Now, what would happen if you did that same 10 mile run every day for the next year? After twelve months it wouldn’t be difficult at all. The human body adapts to the stress put upon it, and in this example you would eventually find it easy to jog 10 miles.

Once your body has adapted to the point that a 10 mile run is no challenge, then you will cease to make progress. Sure, continuing to run 10 miles each day would certainly MAINTAIN your good health, but you wouldn’t make any more progress. Again, the ‘Principle of Progressive Overload’ mandates that in order for you to make more progress in this jogging example you would have to either 1) increase the resistance (run uphill) or 2) do more repetitions (run farther).

Resistance training works the same way. By increasing resistance periodically, you will achieve continuous progress and stay off the plateau.

It’s time to move up the resistance to the next level when:
a) it takes longer to reach your target heart rate
b) you have difficulty maintaining your target heart rate throughout your workout
c) the resistance feels ‘too light’ for you.

Increasing resistance when we’re not ready for it puts you at risk of injury, makes you burn less fat and doesn’t give your muscle the same beautiful tone you’re looking for, so don’t increase the resistance until you’re sure you’re ready.

If you’ve been exercising in a circuit training fitnes center, but are unhappy with your recent results, it may be time to seek out a gym with adjustable resistance.

This article brought to you by Circuit Training Business Opportunity, a circuit training exercise business opportunity. Find a gym job by opening your own health club or fitness center. Learn why our circuit training fitness equipment is the best in the industry. Please visit http://www.circuittrainingbusinessopportunity.com/ for more information.

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Question by jzav03: circuit training exercises?
im coming up with a circuit training routine and i need 5 exercises ne1 know what the best ones r im looking for exercises that work multiple muscle groups Help please.

Best answer:

Answer by judomofo
Weighted circuit routine? I would have a lot more than 5 exercises, but here are some multiple muscle group killers for you.

1. Cleans and presses.
2. Deadlifts.
3. Upright rows,
4. Bench press
5. Squats with calf raise extension.

Good luck!

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Does Circuit Training Exercise Burn Calories?

There’s no doubt that hydraulic circuit training health clubs are more popular than ever before. With over 10,000 of these gyms dotting the American landscape, men and women alike are finding circuit training exercise to be relatively easy and certainly effective.

The question is, however, just how effective is circuit training exercise equipment when it comes to burning calories? Will the average workout buff incinerate 200 calories in a typical 30-minute circuit workout? Is it 400? 600? More?

Like many things in life, there are no exact answers when it comes to this exercise program and caloric burn. The reason is that different people will achieve different results from the same workout. To confuse matters even more, the same person will realize better results one day than they do another day, even though they’re using the exact same exercise machines for the exact same amount of time.

There are several reasons why this is so, some of which include:
* How hard you work / the effort you exert;
* The resistance settings on the machines;
* Your age;
* The amount of lean tissue (muscle) you have on your body;
* Hormone balance;
* Hydration levels;
* Does the workout contain enough cardio to elevate heart rate?

WORK = REWARD

Even though it may seem like common sense, the first point to make is that for circuit training weight loss exercise to be effective, you must put in some serious effort. Of course, this is also true of any exercise program! As an example, let’s take a look at cardio exercise in the form of running. A 165-pound person running at 5 mph for thirty minutes will burn 299 calories. That exact same person, running at 10 mph for thirty minutes, will consume 599 calories. The reward is directly related to the effort put forth. In this case, the number of calories burned more than doubles because the exertion is doubled. This principle is true whether we’re talking about aerobic exercise or weight lifting exercises.

RESISTANCE TRAINING EFFORT COUNTS TOO!

The underlying reality is that all weight training exercise machines are not created equal. Whether your goal is to exercise to lose weight or gain strength, the approach you take when resistance training has a direct relation to the number of calories you’ll burn. As an example, let’s consider our hypothetical 165-pound person again. When they resistance train moderately for thirty minutes, they can expect to burn about 112 calories. If, however, they resistance train vigorously for that same thirty minutes then their caloric burn will climb to 225. Again, the result more than doubles because the user has put in more effort.

If you’re going to gain the maximum benefit from circuit training then it’s important to hit the resistance portion of the workout with maximum effort. This means getting as many repetitions as possible (moving the exercise equipment quickly) and using the appropriate level of resistance.

2x THE WORK = 2x THE RESULTS

The bottom line is that how many calories you burn while circuit training is primarily up to you. The benefit of exercise that many people are seeking is caloric reduction (fat loss), so it stands to reason that if you’re going to work out it’s a good idea to put in maximum effort. Vigorous exercise, as opposed to moderate exercise, will double your fat loss results. This is true of both cardiovascular exercise and resistance training.

The exciting feature of hydraulic circuit training is that this exercise program actually combines the two different types of workout, so you’re getting your cardio and resistance training at the same time. By alternating between exercise machines and cardio stations, you maintain a constant elevated heart rate while at the same time working every single muscle group in the body. This ‘double duty’ workout serves to double your results, and it’s one of the major reasons why hydraulic circuit training is so effective.

SO WHAT’S THE ANSWER?

We know that you can burn from 299 to 599 calories in thirty minutes of aerobic exercise, and we also know that you can burn from 112 to 225 calories in thirty minutes of resistance training. Finally, we know that with the circuit training exercise routine you’re getting both types of exercise at the same time. Therefore, it stands to reason that you could conceivably burn between 411 and 824 calories in a thirty-minute circuit training session.

That’s why circuit training gym exercise works so incredibly well for those willing to exercise vigorously each and every time they enter the health club. It’s also a strong argument for hydraulic circuit training in general, as opposed to other forms of exercise such as exercise bikes, exercise balls or exercise treadmills. To achieve a calorie burn this high, you simply must be engaging in both aerobic and resistance exercise at the same time.

It’s easy to see why the best exercise tip is to take part in a regular exercise program on circuit training equipment. The proven caloric burn will bring you proven results.

Tracie Johanson is the founder of Pick Up The Pace, a 30-minute exercise studio for women focusing on fitness, health and nutrition for maximum weight loss. Please visit http://www.letspickupthepace.com/ for more information.

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Learn how to do some quick circuit training from a health and beauty expert in this free agility training and fitness video. Expert: uniquejoy Bio: Unique Anderson, is the co-owner of Energy Fitness, in NYC. Since age 13 she’s been an avid participator in extracurricular activities, from Women’s basketball to track and field. Filmmaker: Paul Muller
Video Rating: 4 / 5

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Question by Erica D: Can you do circuit training exercising while pregnant?
I’m in my first trimester, and i was wondering if i could do circuit training exercises that included crunches and various ab workouts. Is it safe to do while pregnant?

Best answer:

Answer by She_Sween
Pretty sure it’s okay but you should def check with your OB for what you can do, and at what point during your pregnancy.
Congrats! And good for you wanting to stay in shape while pregnant!!

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

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Circuit Training Exercises for Strength and Endurance!

What do we expect out of our fitness training routine? Most of you would say that you want to develop strength; some would say endurance and then there would be another bunch of people who would say that they want both strength as well as endurance.

What about the amount of time that people are ready to devote? That is another challenge since most of us are hard pressed for time always.

So how does one get the best out of their time? I recommend circuit training exercises for all of you who want to build strength and endurance with limited amount of time to spare.

Circuit training exercises are fast and quick workouts but at the same time they are proven to deliver great results.

For those of you who are not familiar with circuit training, here is a brief overview to help you understand the concept of circuit training. Circuit Training is a type of resistance training where you would usually find about 10-12 different exercises. Each of these exercise areas is known as a station.

What you have to do is to go to each of these stations, perform the exercise for 2-3 sets or for a couple of minutes and then immediately move onto the next station to perform your next exercise.

So as you can see, you hardly get any time to catch up on your breath. You will have to be constantly on the move, going from one station to another. If you do these exercises in a group then you have another challenge; you will always be under pressure to keep up with the group. Hence these are really very effective exercises.

The biggest advantage is that these exercises take only about 30-40 minutes, which in my opinion is a big plus. So now you can get started with your exercises right away.

Suresh Bist
Circuit Training – Sample Exercises

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Circuit Training Exercises

A circuit training workout is great way to get a time efficient workout that offers the potential for muscle gain and fat loss.  Also effective for increasing endurance and improving cardiovascular health, I have been incorporating circuit training exercise recently for these purposes.  You don’t do a lot of resting between each exercise, instead moving through each circuits quickly.  I find it useful to integrate circuit weight training regimens at the tail end of a normal workout so that my heart rate can become elevated and I am able to burn additional fat.

Circuit training is beneficial because it allows you to integrate as few or as many movements into a workout.  Below is a list of circuit training exercises that I currently use or have used in the past along with a few sample circuit weight training routines that you can add to your workout.

Since I perform my exercises at home, I split my circuit training exercises into a trio of types: bodyweight, dumbbell and barbell. I move quickly through the exercises without resting because I am not hampered by changing weights between each exercise.   For the barbell exercises, I use a 65lb barbell.  This level of weight gives me just enough resistance to concentrate on my main endeavor which is increasing my cardiovascular endurance, but it isn’t enough weight for all of my exercises.  I use 12 pound weights when I am doing my dumbbell portion.  When I am doing my core strength training I use a much heavier weight for slower reps, but the 12 pound dumbbell allows me to do fast reps without resting, although the weight is not heavy enough for other exercises.  Bodyweight movements are ideal additions to any circuit training plan, because they do not require any additional equipment. In the parentheses below, I have pointed out which muscles are being targeted by each exercise.  

As you can see from above, there’s a broad range of exercises that you can incorporate into a simple circuit training workout.   I’ve been known to do as many as 15-20 of these exercises in a row without stopping.  My muscles are targeted differently by each of these exercises and this adds some much needed variety to the close of my workouts.  All I need to do is finish 1 circuit of 10 repetitions per movement.  I try to avoid hitting the same muscles in back to back exercises.

15 – 20 exercises is just a suggestion, you could come up with a circuit weight training routine which is shorter.  Deadlifts, upright rows, bent over rows, good mornings, squat push presses, lunges, squat push presses, and military presses make up the circuit routine of the famous MMA fighter, Randy Couture, and offer one example.  The routine is made of 8 repetitions of each movement, completed in 3-5 sets, including a minute of rest dividing each circuit.

Workout routines can include countless types of circuit training exercises. Build a circuit weight training routine for you by adding in some of the above mentioned exercises.  Complete a hard set near the end of a typical strength training workout in order to give yourself a healthy cardiovascular workout which will aid in fat burning and muscle building.

Dave has been an avid fitness fanatic for the past 15 years.  He aims to maintain a lean, athletic look through diet and exercise without spending hours in the gym.

Many of the fitness tips he provides may seem unconventional, but you can’t use a bodybuilding workout to look like an Abercrombie model.

Read more about fitness tips about the best workout routine and circuit weight training to get lean at http://www.notyouraveragefitnesstips.com

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