Gymming is super stimulating, especially when you are new to it and have a specific target to achieve. But then comes a time when you work on the same machines, pick up the same weights and go home with the same sore muscles. It all becomes a routine and starts losing the spark that once used to drive you. An exercise freak always seeks new things to keep giving themselves a kick.
Well, if you are at the point where you want to switch things a bit, then circuit routine is a must-try. It’s not just electrifying but objectifying towards several fitness goals.
Whether you want to enhance your cardiovascular health, build muscle endurance, or burn a ton of calories, a circuit routine is an all-rounder for you. But, more importantly, if you are always short of time at hand, cardio circuit workouts can be an ideal solution for you.
Before moving on, it is crucial to understand the basics of circuit training. Circuit training involves a series of exercises that you have to perform back-to-back and then repeat. So, it is a cycle of exercises that you repeat multiple times with very short rep intervals. This cycle targets every major muscle group through one cycle. You can hit the lower body in one exercise and focus on the upper body in the next one.
This is a cardio workout that you would be performing 2-3 times a week, with breaks in between to let your muscles recover. Yes, that means you are going to be really sore! This 20-minutes post-workout cardio is surely going to charge you up.
You will need kettlebells or dumbbells to perform these workouts. If you’re looking for durable and high-quality equipment, a kettlebell from DMoose can be an ideal choice to stabilize those muscles
When it comes to training circuit exercises, you’ll be finding a myriad of sequences. However, a couple of things remain common in all sequences:
- Different Kinds of Exercises: A proper circuit will include about 5-10 various exercises such as squats, push-ups, and planks. These are commonly known as “stations.”
- Little to No Rep Intervals: The main point of the routine is to keep your heart rate spiked up. You will keep going from one exercise to another with little to no rest in between. There is a slight possibility of you taking a rest after the whole circuit, but the odds lie on the other side.
- Repeat: After completing the series, you’ll go back to the starting exercise and repeat the entire circle. Usually, it’s common to go three to four rounds.
The mighty sequential exercise has a couple of advantages covering all bases. Here are all the compelling benefits it holds:
Enhances Muscle Endurance
Improving your capacity to sustain an exercise for a longer period is significant for any gym-goer. Since you perform more reps in every exercise, your muscle fibers experience slow-twitch, allowing you to keep going for an extended period.
Over time, you would feel yourself working out without any fatigue. This will eventually improve your overall fitness level.
Related Article: Post-Workout Recovery: Let Your Sore Muscles, Heal
Builds Strength
As circuit exercises can consist of various exercises in the cycle, you can choose workouts as per your fitness goals. With that choice, you might build larger and stronger muscles. However, to stimulate muscle growth, your body requires you to continue a high number of reps to a point where you don’t hold the capacity to pull off another one.
The cardio-strength circuit puts your muscles under adequate tension, driving neuromuscular adaptations, leading to stronger muscles.
Related Article: Maximize Your Post-Workout Benefits With These 10 Tips
Boosts Heart Health
While this post-workout cardio has several benefits, the best one is its ability to improve your cardiovascular health. Since there is little to no rest in between, your heart stays pumped up. It minimizes stress on the heart and allows it to push more blood to the rest of the body with minimal effort.
The exercises also build up lung capacity, which results in more efficient breathing throughout the exercise.
Weight Loss
A cardio circuit workout allows you to burn many calories, leading to weight loss. This workout routine keeps your heart rate elevated, burning an enormous number of calories. In addition, this form of strength training keeps your metabolism functioning at its peak. Calimove explains the benefit adequately in their video.
Studies show that circuit training is an effective workout for weight loss. So, being scientifically proven, if you aim to shed off fat, you should be on it already. You can also combine these set of exercises with fat burner supplement by DMoose. It suppresses your hunger pangs and boosts metabolism to enhance weight loss.
Improves Mood
Workouts have a strong association with a good mood. You would only enjoy your exercises and make the most of them if you feel positive about them. A circuit workout combines cardio and strength training exercises that boost your mood by releasing endorphins (feel-good hormones). This maximizes your self-esteem and self-efficacy levels.
Circuit Routine
Exercises |
Reps |
3, 45 seconds |
|
3, 45 seconds |
|
15 |
|
24 seconds |
|
3 sets, 15 reps |
|
3 sets, 15 reps |
|
30 secs |
|
30 secs |
|
30 secs |
|
4 sets, 15 reps |
Related Article: 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Lifting
Conclusion
A circuit workout helps build endurance, increase strength, and boost your cardiovascular health. It includes a series of exercises that one has to perform continuously with minimal or no break in between. This allows the individual to achieve their fitness goals quickly and more efficiently. Exercises like pull-ups, leg extensions, and squats target different major muscle groups in the body to keep you fit and healthy while adding a variety to your boring everyday routine!
Reading List
Article Sources
- Nystoriak, Matthew A., and Aruni Bhatnagar. “Cardiovascular Effects and Benefits of Exercise.” Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, vol. 5, Sept. 2018, p. 135. PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2018.00135.
- Suchomel, Timothy J., et al. “The Importance of Muscular Strength: Training Considerations.” Sports Medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), vol. 48, no. 4, Apr. 2018, pp. 765–85. PubMed, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-018-0862-z.
- Suchomel, Timothy J., et al. “The Importance of Muscular Strength: Training Considerations.” Sports Medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), vol. 48, no. 4, Apr. 2018, pp. 765–85. PubMed, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-018-0862-z.
- Suchomel, Timothy J., et al. “The Importance of Muscular Strength: Training Considerations.” Sports Medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), vol. 48, no. 4, Apr. 2018, pp. 765–85. PubMed, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-018-0862-z.
- Pinckard, Kelsey, et al. “Effects of Exercise to Improve Cardiovascular Health.” Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, vol. 6, June 2019, p. 69. PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2019.00069.
- Benck, Lillian R., et al. “Association between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Lung Health from Young Adulthood to Middle Age.” American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, vol. 195, no. 9, May 2017, pp. 1236–43. PubMed, https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.201610-2089OC.
- Skelly, Lauren E., et al. “High-Intensity Interval Exercise Induces 24-h Energy Expenditure Similar to Traditional Endurance Exercise despite Reduced Time Commitment.” Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism = Physiologie Appliquee, Nutrition Et Metabolisme, vol. 39, no. 7, July 2014, pp. 845–48. PubMed, https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2013-0562.
- Paoli, Antonio, et al. “Effect of an Endurance and Strength Mixed Circuit Training on Regional Fat Thickness: The Quest for the ‘Spot Reduction.’” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 18, no. 7, Apr. 2021, p. 3845. PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18073845.
- Basso, Julia C., and Wendy A. Suzuki. “The Effects of Acute Exercise on Mood, Cognition, Neurophysiology, and Neurochemical Pathways: A Review.” Brain Plasticity, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 127–52. PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.3233/BPL-160040. Accessed 10 Jan. 2022.