Circuit Training for Fitness and Health
Bodyweight circuit training video - all the exercises in 10 minutes
Advantages and Disadvantages of Circuit Training
Advantages
- Excellent basic workout to condition and strengthen the body
- Easy to work every muscle in your body
- Can be adapted for any size workout area
- Does not require expensive gym equipment
- Can be customised for specificity; easy to adapt to your sport
- Can be incorporated into a beginners weight training routine
- Circuit training is an excellent way to help to lose belly fat
Disadvantages
- Primarily geared towards fat loss, thus being more useful for endomorph or endo-mesomorph body type trainees looking to lose fat.
- Despite its high total volume, the volume of exercise for individual muscle groups is small, stimulating little Hypertrophy.
Circuit Training Exercises: Basic Workouts
Here we cover 13 basic circuit trianing workouts to create a good beginners routine:Squats
Squat thrusts
Press ups
Burpees
Star jumps
Sit-ups / crunches / leg raises
Skipping
Step ups (onto gym bench)
Sprinting the length of the hall
Dips (using a gym bench)
Jumping onto then over gym bench with both feet together
Running backwards, side ways etc.
Passing a medicine ball between two people
Exercise descriptions:
Basic Workout 1: Squats
Stand with your legs approximately twice shoulder width apart, with your hands on hips. Squat down, keeping your back straight, until your thighs are almost horizontal, then lift back up. Squats can be done slowly at first to get used to the movement.Basic Workout 2: Squat thrusts
Start in a push up position, then jump the feet forward to a squat position and then back. Keep the backside as low as possible. An alternative method is to bring one leg forward at a time.Basic Workout 3: Press ups
Start by supporting your body off the ground with your arms about shoulder width apart and fingers pointing forward. Then lower your self to the ground, ideally as close as possible without actually touching the ground, then lift again. There are many variations to the standard press up. Three-quarter press ups are performed by supporting the lower body on the knees not the toes, which are ideal if your upper body strength is still developing. Martial artists often do press ups on knuckles and finger tips to help strengthen hands at the same time. See our Push Up page for more detailed instruction.Basic Workout 4: Burpees
Start in a press up position, then jump feet forward to a squatting position as for a squat thrust. Then immediately jump up clear of the ground, spreading your limbs as far apart as possible, forming an "X"; land with feet together. Drop back to a squat, then ump feet back to the starting position.Basic Workout 5: Star jumps
Also known as a jumping Jack, this is done by jumping to a position with the legs spread wide and the hands touching overhead and then returning to a position with the feet together and the arms at the sides. Do as quickly as possible.Basic Workout 6: Sit-ups / crunches / leg raises
There are many variations on the sit up. If you are training alone then crunches are easiest. With a partner full sit ups can be done by linking your ankles with your partners for support. Leg raises are done by laying down on your back and supporting yourself with your hand behind your head (use a table leg or grab a partners ankles). Then raise your legs to the vertical and down again. Try not to touch the floor when lowering, leave a gap of a few centimeters.Basic Workout 7: Skipping
There are many ways to skip. Jumping with both feet together provides a very vigorous workout.Basic Workout 8: Step ups (onto gym bench)
Simple step up onto a gym bench. Start with the left foot leading, then halfway through the exercise, or on the second circuit, lead with the right foot.Basic Workout 9: Shuttle Runs / Sprinting the length of the hall
For the duration of the exercise simply sprint from one end of the hall to the other, either touching the wall before turning, or squatting and touching the ground. Obviously this exercise will have to be missed if your are training at home.Basic Workout 10: Dips (using a gym bench)
Start by sitting on the gym bench / chair. Hold onto the edge of the bench then slide forward so that your are supporting your body with your arms. Then lower yourself and raise back up. You can start with small movements then as you improve start to lower as much as possible.Basic Workout 11: Jumping onto then over gym bench with both feet together
A good solid gym bench is needed for this, so do not try using a chair at home. Simply stand side on to the bench and jump up onto it with both feet together, then jump to the other side. Repeat.Basic Workout 12: Running backwards, side ways etc.
This may either be incorporated into the warm up routine or done between circuits. Simply run around the hall backwards, then sideways, then lifting the knees high, then kicking the ankles back.Basic Workout 13: Passing a medicine ball between two people, either back to back or throwing
A simple exercise which improves flexibility and strength in the waist. Stand back to back with a partner and pass the ball to them. Start clockwise, then change to anti-clockwise. Alternatively face a partner and throw the ball to each other.If you practice these exercises a couple of times each week your cardiovascular fitness and strength should quickly improve. They are ideal home exercises, or for the martial arts class of gym too. Remember to warm up and stretch well before and after exercising.
Selection of circuit training and bodyweight workouts:
- 300 Movie Workout vs The Bodyweight 500 Workout
- 20 Minute Home Work Out
- Boxing Workout for Speed, Power and Strength
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