Making the Rounds
Try mixing up your routine with circuit training.
by Amie Lesyk

For those who are time crunched or bored with their workout routine, circuit training is a way to pump new life into exercising. Designed to be fast paced but still benefit the whole body, circuit training will have you feeling the burn and loving the convenience.

Essentially circuit training is condensing an entire workout into a short time frame. Bursts of exercise help keep the heart rate up, making circuit training a favourite for those looking to burn fat and build stamina. Exercises in a circuit are a mix of high-intensity aerobics and resistance training exercises. Each exercise is considered a station, and once you are finished a set time or amount of reps at a station, you move onto the next. When all the stations have been visited (the amount of stations can vary) the circuit is complete and can be repeated. Additional circuits can be added to a workout as well, depending on how many ways you want to work different muscle groups.

Combining your cardio and resistance workouts, circuit training breaks away from the traditional notion of resting between reps or only performing one type of exercise. Because of its ability to burn fat with the bonus of being easy to squeeze into the day, circuit training has become particularly attractive for women wanting a structured workout to achieve a fat loss goal.

Apart from the whole body workout, circuit training is also favoured because it is easily accessible. Stations can be as simple as pushups, sit ups and burpees (none of those requiring equipment) or can be a mix of machines and weights. You can work with whatever you have access to, plus you can change it up to keep from getting bored.

“I think anything that is too complex is not good,” says Pro(ag)ressive Fitness owner Chris McDole about keeping it simple. Participants should be able to move easily from station to station. "The more complex an exercise, the higher the chance of injury" he says. Examples of station exercises are chest presses, running, sit ups, lunges, back extensions, jumping rope and squats.  Pro(ag)ressive has centered its services around circuit training, finding that members are really responding to it. They offer group circuit classes at different times of the day, and staff is on hand if a member wants to do a circuit at any other point. McDole says he’s seen women make friends in the group circuit classes and then hold each other to coming throughout the week.  “There’s definitely a sense of camaraderie,” says McDole.

The group circuits offer a supportive environment plus incentive to work hard and keep up with the class. Exercises are easily modified for different skill levels. For example, if a person can’t quite manage a traditional pushup, they can use their knees for support. Doing a full pushup then becomes the goal. Any existing injuries or issues can also be accommodated in a circuit, making it safe for most individuals. And the length of a circuit also depends on the participant’s goal. Beginners will start with about 15 to 20 minutes, while others looking for a more intense workout may go up to 45 minutes.

Even though the workout is quick, it doesn’t mean anyone should start cramming workouts into their week. Unless you are training for a performance reason, like preparing for long distance cycling or to run a marathon, you don’t need to be spending six days a week in the gym doing circuits. ”Three to four times a week max,” says McDole about how many circuits the average person should be doing. And just as important as that time in the gym, if not more important, is the aspect of keeping diet under control.

“You need to have healthy food,” urges McDole. You can circuit train all you want, but if you aren’t eating right, achieving those body changing results will be a hard sought goal. Healthy food helps provide fuel for an inspiring workout, whereas a lack of proper nutrition is likely to make those workouts tougher to get through.

So grab some friends and start circuit training for fun once a week. Or ask your gym for ideas on how to develop a circuit for yourself. Or you can join up with a fitness centre like Pro(ag)ressive Fitness and attend group circuit training classes. However you want to approach it, it’s a fun way to break a good sweat.