Nowadays, most people don’t have time for lengthy, grueling
2-hour workouts, be it with work and family demands or simply
the search of free time. Well, what if there was a way to be in
and out of the gym in less than 1 hour and still feel absolutely
worked? What if you could combine your cardio and weights so
that you wouldn’t have to spend hours on either? Well, I’m going
to let you in on a little secret – it’s called Circuit Training
– and it is the most effective and time efficient means of
exercise for those looking to lose weight and tone.

CIRCUIT TRAINING 101

Circuit Training involves completing several resistance
exercises in a continual sequence. For instance, a circuit may
be comprised of 8 exercises (push-ups, plank, lunges, etc…) with
each one being performed for any length of time (30 sec, 45 sec,
etc…) or number of repetitions. Between each exercise is a rest
period of a certain length. Note that circuits that have lower
rest periods will be more challenging and provide more aerobic
benefit. An example of a typical circuit is 8 exercises each 30
seconds in length with 30 seconds to recover between each. This
is only one example of 1000s of possible circuit combinations.
There are many factors involved in determining the effectiveness
of a given circuit including: number and types of exercises,
load, tempo, duration of work bout, duration of rest bout.
Basically, the more intense you make the circuit, the more
challenging, yet effective, it becomes.

AEROBIC BENEFITS

Studies have found that aerobic benefits related to circuit
training are mainly determined by the duration of the exercise
(work bout) and by the amount and type of rest given between
exercises. For instance, a meta-analysis done on circuits showed
that a 10-exercise circuit (using weights) using a 30 seconds
for both work and recovery, performed 3 times per week over 8-12
weeks improved VO2max (measure of aerobic capacity) by 5%.
Compare that to continuous running, cycling or rowing at around
75% of max heart rate for 20-30 minutes, three times a week for
8-12 weeks which boosts V02max by around 20%. Obviously, this
30s work: 30s rest protocol is not optimal for yielding
staggering aerobic improvements. However, other studies have
shown that by shortening the rest period to 15 seconds or
jogging during a 30 second recovery bout improved VO2max by 12%
and 18%, respectively.

Further, some research has even shown that Circuit Training can
be just as effective at maintaining previous aerobic gains as
following a strictly aerobic conditioning regime.

Incorporating more compound movements (several different muscle
groups involved) into your circuits will make it more
challenging for both your muscles and aerobic system. This is
because as you use more muscle mass, more oxygen is required to
supply the working muscles. As a result, you begin breather
heavier and your heart rate increases to provide the muscles
with the oxygen they need. This technique makes circuits much
more challenging and effective. As an example, perform lunge
walks with a shoulder press, instead of either one separately.
Here is an example of a 7.5-minute aerobic based circuit:

1. Lunge Walks with Biceps Curls– 30 sec
2. Jogging on spot – 1 min
3. Stability Ball Chest Press – 30 sec
4. Jogging on spot – 1 min
5. Plank – 30 sec
6. Jogging on spot – 1 min
7. Back Rows – 30 sec
8. Jogging on spot – 1 min
9. Squat Presses – 30 sec
10. Jogging on spot – 1 min

BODY COMPOSITION CHANGES

Circuit Training has been shown to decrease body fat by 3%.
Research also shows that lean body mass is either maintained or
increased alongside the decrease in body fat. This is a major
benefit for those who want to get in better shape, lose weight,
and tone. With traditional aerobic training, a decrease in
relative fat mass leads to a decrease in total weight with
little change in lean body mass. The resistance work involved in
the circuits encourages muscle-mass development, and thus any
fat loss is replaced equally by muscle gain. This makes it
easier to maintain the lower body fat or reduce body fat even
further because the increase in lean body mass pushes up basal
metabolic rate and overall calorie expenditure.

It has also been estimated that calorie expenditure during a
bout of circuit training is approximately 5 - 6 kcal per minute
for women and 8 - 9 kcal per minute for men (this may vary
depending on body weight). Thus, if a man were to perform 30 of
circuit training he would burn upwards of 180 calories.

OTHER BENEFITS

Because of the duration of each exercise many people claim that
strength may be compromised as a result of working at a lower
percent of 1RM (maximum weight you can lift once). This is
definitely true in most cases and thus, I would not recommend
circuit training for those looking to improve strength. However,
some studies have shown that circuit training increases muscular
strength anywhere from 7% to 32%.1 Achieving such strength gains
requires working at a much higher percent of 1RM (>80%) and thus
the duration of the work bouts would need to be much lower (

About The Author: Yuri is the owner of Total Wellness
Consulting and creator of the only 12 week body shaping fitness
program designed for Ipod/Mp3 players. Please visit
myFitterU.com for more info.

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