When we talk about circuit training we often refer to low intensity and aerobic exercises. This training solution is often adopted by the female sports population with the aim of burning fat and toning the legs, buttocks and abdominals. This solution is not necessarily the best solution to achieve the objectives described. Circuit training is also well suited to strength and hypertrophy programs, the "secret" lies in programming this type of training.
The circuit training style has its strong points but you cannot think of training in a single way: the body must be subjected to different training stimuli in order to reap the various benefits of each one. This means that circuit-style training must be a part of your board and not the only component.
Benefits and Disadvantages
One benefit of circuit training is to save time. A circuit training schedule allows you to cut a lot on rest times and therefore make the session more efficient. Another benefit is to burn more calories than a traditional workout: by cutting the rest time the body is obliged to work much more intensely. In fact, several studies show how a high intensity training session allows you to burn many more calories in the 48 hours following the exercise.
A disadvantage is certainly a possible drop in technique and performance. These two aspects are not necessary as there is often a tendency to do a sort of "copy and paste" of the type of exercise with relative weight and repetitions, thus building a list of various movements taken from one's traditional training. This is incorrect as in a circuit the whole body is found in a state of fatigue and therefore one cannot think of doing the exercise in the same way that it used to be in a traditional workout. You have to slightly reduce the weight and slightly decrease the repetitions.
This does not mean that there is no performance stimulus: in both situations you should test your skills, in circuit training this threshold is simply moved further back.
Hypertrophy-style circuit training
If hypertrophy is the goal, a good circuit training proposal could be the following:
- Arnold Press
- Wide grip tractions
- Tight grip dip
- Dumbbell curls
- Skull crusher with dumbbells
All exercises must be performed with no rest between them until the end, only at that point take 1 or 2 minutes of rest. The first, fourth and fifth exercises should require the same weight and therefore the circuit is much more efficient.
The repetitions should start at 10 each exercise and each round decrease by one repetition to 4 or 5 repetitions. By now you should have already done 6 or 7 sets of each exercise and this should be an effective stimulus.
In any case, never sacrifice execution for one more repetition, performing one repetition less than the preset number is absolutely not a tragedy. Failure should never be sought in each set, but correct execution.
Strength style circuit training
- Power clean
- Push press
- Front squat. 30 seconds of rest
- Explosive pull-ups (start each rep in dead hang. From here, contract trapezius and then lats trying to bring your chest / abdomen / pelvis towards the bar)
- Explosive rowing from the ground (start each repetition with the barbell resting on the ground. From here bring the elbows upwards with maximum acceleration by contracting the trapezes and then the lats)
- Explosive deadlifts (perform one repetition of deadlift with maximum acceleration possible). 60 seconds of rest
The rep pattern should start at 6 and decrease by one rep each round to 2 or 1, again focusing as much as possible on correct execution. the chosen weight should
correspond to that used for the initial exercise.
HIIT style circuit training
HIIT-style training allows you to fully benefit from post-exercise calorie consumption without sacrificing the stimulus to adapt. A good idea could be the following
- Burpees 12? 10 repetitions
- Supine pull-ups 8? 6 repetitions
- Side plank 45 seconds
Alternate these two exercises without interruption for a total of 8? 10 rounds. The session should last 30 minutes and the intensity should be very high.
