Hey everyone! This is part 2 of a 5 part series in which I will explain time efficient yet effective ways to workout. The type of workout I will be talking about today is called a circuit.
A circuit is a simple workout technique that saves time and burns calories faster than a traditional workout. In a circuit you pick a pre-determined amount of exercises and do them consecutively with no rest. Usually you choose 3-5 exercises and do 10-15 reps. At the end of the last exercise in the circuit you rest 2-3 minutes. And then you repeat the circuit 2-3 more times. Still with me? Don’t worry I will outline an example and give you a great workout!
For my example I am going to use 3 exercises:
Squat, Dumbbell Bench Press, and 1 Arm Dumbbell Rows.
I am choosing to do this circuit 3 times, using 10 reps for each exercise, and resting 2 minutes in between sets.
So the circuit would look like this
Squat 10 reps
No rest
Dumbbell Bench Press 10 reps
No rest
1 Arm Dumbbell Rows 10 reps
Rest 2 minutes
REPEAT
You can mix and match different exercises, different rest periods, different reps, whatever you would like! The workouts are intense, short, and produce excellent results. During a workout I would recommend doing at least 3 of these circuits with different exercises in each. For some you may want to do an all leg circuit, others all upper body, and others total body.
Below I am going to give you an example of something I like to do with my clients. After properly warming up, I begin with a total body circuit, then do an all leg circuit, followed by an upper body circuit, and then finished with an ab circuit. If you follow the workout I am about to give you I guarantee phenomenal results with less time wasted!
Dumbbell Squat 10 reps
DB Bench Press 10 reps
Rows 10 reps
Leg Press 15 reps
Romanian Deadlift 15 reps
Lunges 15 reps each leg
Dumbbell Curls 10 reps
Tricep Extensions 10 reps
Lat pulldown 10 reps
Finish with an ab circuit. Choose 3 ab exercises and do them in a row. You can choose whatever you want but here is an example.
Plank: Hold to failure
Leg Lifts: 10
Crunches 20
There you have it! Circuits are a great way to do cardiovascular exercise while lifting weights, burns calories faster, and saves you time. Give it a try and let me know what you think! Stay tuned for part 3,4, and 5 in this series on how to save time while working out.