True circuit training is demanding. It is difficult. It’s why many eschew it for easier forms of exercise. If you want to truly reap the benefits of it you’ll find a way to do it because circuit training has such an upside:
- Improved cardiovascular conditioning
- Increased muscular strength
- Maximized calorie burning
- Improved mobility and flexibility
- Enhanced muscular endurance
- Assists in fat loss
How to Do the Incremental Circuit Workout
What follows is the incremental circuit workout. It’s one of many ways to circuit train. Why am I promoting it? It’s simple to understand, easy to implement, and it will work if you work.
It’s performed three non-consecutive days per week (i.e., Monday, Wednesday, and Friday or Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday) over an eight-week period. Various work-rest protocols are implemented each workout using a variety of exercises that fit five different categories.
Work-Rest Protocols
- Week 1 – :30 work time followed by :30 recovery time. Five rounds of the five exercises. Total workout time is 25 minutes.
- Week 2 – :30 work time followed by :20 recovery time. Six rounds of the five exercises. Total workout time is 25 minutes.
- Week 3 – :45 work time followed by :30 recovery time. Five rounds of the five exercises. Total workout time is 32 minutes.
- Week 4 – :45 work time followed by :20 recovery time. Six rounds of the five exercises. Total workout time is 33 minutes.
- Week 5 – 1:00 work time followed by :30 recovery time. Five rounds of the five exercises. Total workout time is 38 minutes.
- Week 6 – :45 work time followed by :20 recovery time. Eight rounds of the five exercises. Total workout time is 44 minutes.
- Week 7 – 1:00 work time followed by :20 recovery time. Six rounds of the five exercises. Total workout time is 40 minutes.
- Week 8 – :45 work time followed by :15 recovery time. Nine rounds of the five exercises. Total workout time is 45 minutes.
The Five Exercise Categories
- Multi-joint lower-body: The barbell or dumbbell squat, barbell or dumbbell lunge, leg press machine, and others that emphasize simultaneous hip and knee extension.
- Upper body push: The decline, flat, incline, and overhead press performed with barbells, dumbbells, and machines.
- Upper body pull: The upright row, low/bent-over row, wide and close grip pulldowns, and wide or close grip chin ups. Again, barbells, dumbbells, and machines.
- Total body: Burpees, mountain climbers, bear crawls, jumping jacks, medicine ball squat-to-press. Anything that entails the use of the upper and lower body together.
- Run or device movement: Shuttle runs, sprints, agility drills, and exercise machine work (stair climber, stationary cycle, treadmill).
The key to obtaining results from the incremental circuit is to go all-out on each exercise, use challenging resistances where applicable, and adhere to the prescribed work-rest times.
