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Circuit Training In circuit training, you use a workout structure known as vertical progression. This means that while one muscle group is experiencing downtime and preparing to take on the next challenge, you work another area of your body before returning to push those first muscles harder. Circuit training is one method believed to maximize your workout efficiency to help you build the most possible strength in a single exercise session. Circuit training gives your muscle groups the maximum possible recovery time between reps, thereby allowing you to work harder for a longer period of time without the kind of fatigue you would encounter in a traditional workout. The core of circuit training is that instead of working one muscle group and then moving on, you perform each exercise in your workout once in a sequence, and then repeat the entire sequence. For example, instead of exhausting your biceps and then working your abs the way you would in a traditional workout, in circuit training you would do a series of push-ups, a set of crunches, then repeat them both. In circuits, your muscles can recover from exhaustion before you try to push them again, which means that you can lift more weight. Because each circuit session is more intense than a regular workout, circuit training is an ideal choice for people who have trouble scheduling frequent trips to the gym. To get the maximum benefit from your exercise time, you should plan to rest for at least forty eight hours between circuit training sessions. This makes circuit training perfect for people who can only get to the gym a few days per week. Circuits also help fight workout boredom, so even if you lose interest or motivation when logging long hours on the stairmaster, the constant change that a fast-paced circuit workout provides will keep you interested, and will keep you coming to the gym. Circuit training is primarily focused on building muscle, but there are also circuit sequences designed to increase your aerobic fitness and help you burn fat. For a good circuit workout that will help you work off excess calories, start with a regular warmup, then begin your workout with five minutes of intense aerobic exercise like cycling or running before you go through your circuit of strength building exercises. Take five minute cardio breaks to jump rope or climb stairs between circuits for the rest of your workout. By the time you get to your cool down you will have given yourself stronger muscles and burnt fat through this heart-healthy workout.
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