Okay, it’s confession time. How many of us sacrifice our workout time for other life and family priorities? Or get bored easily with the same workout? Circuit training may be the answer to help you save time and put some spice into your workouts.
Circuit training is doing a set of exercises back-to-back with no rest between. The advantages of circuit training are that it can combine both strength and cardiovascular training, it’s adaptable to your workout needs, it can cut down your workout time, and it can be done with at home and outside with little equipment.
Circuit training can be done by combining a variety of exercise, try these bodyweight exercises.
A – Jumping jacks
B – Push ups
C – Sprinting (option: high knees)
D – Squats
Do each exercise for 30 seconds back to back (A-D), rest for 1 minute, then repeat. If you want to spice it up do the exercises for 30 seconds each in the following combinations:
- A + B
- C + D
- C + B
- B + D
- A + D
- D + B
After you get through all of the combinations rest for 2 min or longer before repeating. Don’t keep the fun to yourself, do this exercise with the family. Get them involved by giving them each a combination to yell out. It may be the only time you let your children tell you what to do.
You can tailor your circuit training by adding weights, increasing or decreasing the amount of exercises and length of time you do them. Try not to exceed 10 exercises and choose exercises that will allow you to keep a steady pace throughout the length of time/repetition you plan for each exercise in your circuit.
With circuit training the possibilities of a great workout are endless!
