When you’re at the gym, do you see those people who do an exercise and then wait 1-3 minutes reading a mag, checking their phone and then they do another set? You’re not one of those people are you???? If you are you won’t be after reading this. These people make me crazy. In addition to being gym hogs (tying up equipment for long periods of time), they are wasting their own time. Circuit training is a WAY more effective and efficient use of time. ESPECIALLY FOR MOMS! You can get up to three times the amount of work into a workout if you use circuits. See? EFFECTIVE and EFFICIENT. You don’t have the time to workout any other way!
First off, let me define circuit training. Circuit training is when you take a handful of exercise and you perform them back to back with little to no rest in between exercise. You may rest at the end of each round. I typically recommend 8-12 exercises and 3 rounds with :30-:60 rest between rounds.
Benefits of circuit training:
1. Get in 2-3 times the amount of exercise into any exercise session.
2. Metabolic impact – you will increase your heart rate and maintain a higher heart rate throughout the workout even when most of the workout is strength training exercises. For this reason you can count this type of workout as a strength workout AND a cardio workout! Hello – how great is that?!
3. It doesn’t take a ton of time. I know that you do not have an hour to spend working out. If you can bang out a 30 minute circuit at high intensity, that is MORE effective than a 60 minute workout at a lesser level of intensity.
4. Full body workouts – because you are moving so quickly from one exercise to the next you WANT to use a lot of different muscle groups and alternate the working muscle groups. So you can easily choose exercises that allow you to train the entire body. Example: alternate upper and lower body exercises or pushing and pulling exercises.
5. Variety and fun – yes, I said it. Fun. Circuit training can be fun! For that reason alone I do a ton of circuit training myself. I grab a handful of exercises and I POWER through them pushing as hard as I can without resting until my designated rest period. See? Fun!
6. Major Fat Burner. Hard work and high intensity yields a much higher calorie burn and therefore fat burn for the workout. Huge benefit!
So here is a circuit that I really like. It alternates upper body/lower body/cardio with 9 different exercises. The video above provides full explanation of each exercise. I gave some ranges on reps and recommended weight here. When you try a new weight, feel free to do fewer reps. Always choose a weight that is challenging and that makes the last few reps nearly impossible. Heavy weights will maximize the metabolic impact of the workout (higher heart rate = more calories burned = cals continue to be burned after workout!) That said, be safe and smart, please. No need to be a show off!
Squats x (10-15) @ (0-20 lbs)
Dumbbell Chest Press x (10-15) @ (10-20 lbs)
High Knees x :30
Walking Lunges x 20 @ (0-20 lbs)
Bent Dumbbell Row x (10-15) @ (10-20 lbs)
Skaters x :30
Alternate Reverse Lunges x 20 @ (0-20 lbs)
Push Ups x (10-20)
Forward/Reverse Leap Frog Squats x :30
Repeat x 3 Rounds. Rest :30-:60 between rounds.
HAVE FUN. WORK HARD. ENJOY.
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