agardner
Thursday, May 17, 2018 - 17:40
For many people, the beginning of summer means busy travel schedules and full social calendars.  You don’t have to skimp on a total body workout to make the most of your summer days.  Circuit training can allow you to burn more calories in less time, with a total body workout that gets you back to the sunshine faster.

What is circuit training?


Put simply, a circuit training workout is a workout that combines cardio moves with strength training, alternated in short bursts of intense activity with a brief rest between each activity.  Eliminating lengthy breaks between exercises or wandering around FitClub in search of your next move, circuit training is designed to get you maximum results in less time.

In fact, in only to thirty to forty-five second bursts of intense activity, followed by ten seconds of rest repeated throughout your workout, you’ll burn more calories and increase muscle strength in thirty to forty five minutes.

Why does circuit training work for everyone?


The same workout day after day not only causes muscle burnout but can cause you to feel boredom even thinking about your workout.  At FitClub, there are so many resources for the perfect circuit workout, you won't have to endure one more day with the same old, worn out workout.  Switching moves every thirty to forty-five seconds eliminates mental and physical boredom and keeps your muscles guessing.  You can mix up the moves or add new moves simply by changing up your plan from one day to the next.

Circuit training doesn’t only eliminate boredom, it also allows you to build your endurance more effectively than spending hours on a cardio machine and in a much shorter amount of time.  You can even burn 30% more calories than typical weight workouts, by simply throwing your favorite cardio moves into the mix.

Here is how you can do it:



  • Make a plan. To maximize effectiveness and eliminate wasted time, write out your workout before you hit FitClub.  Almost any exercise can be added to a circuit training workout, but the goal is to balance muscle groups to engage your whole body.  Aim to add cardio bursts of HIIT (mountain climbers, burpees, high knees), strength training that targets arms and legs, exercises that work your abs from different angles, and one or more compound exercises (i.e. squats with an overhead shoulder press).  If you can mix up the muscles worked (i.e. following an arm exercise with a leg exercise), you don’t need more than the 10 seconds of rest! When your moves or the amount of weight you’re using starts to feel easy, challenge yourself by simply picking up the pace or adding more weight to your resistance moves.

  • Grab your gear. The beauty of a circuit training workout is that you don’t need much equipment or space. Busy periods at FitClub are no excuse to skip your circuit training.  All you need is a small bit of floor space, your preferred resistance training equipment and a floor mat.  Because you walked into FitClub with a plan, you’ll know right from the start what resistance equipment you need to get started.

  • Watch the time. The key to a successful circuit training workout is your eye on the time.  With each of the ten exercises you chose above, you’ll go all out for 30 seconds, and with 10 seconds of rest.  Doing each round four times, means you worked your entire body in only thirty minutes.


If you’re not sure how to start circuit training or are looking for ideas to add to your mix, consult with a personal trainer at FitClub to get started getting fitter faster!