Fitness Friday: Circuit Training

Circuit training burns 30% more calories and its a great way to exercise without getting bored, although it’s so intense! Circuit training includes both strength and cardio workouts with very few breaks in between workouts and you need to work on your discipline before attempting a circuit training workout.

Feeling disciplined? Heres a circuit training workout for you:

1. Lift weights for one minute alternating one minute of cardio that matches your fitness level between every series of arm strengthening. Complete this three times.
2. Start again – do your strength exercises for one minute each moving from one arm to the next without stopping. Complete this circuit four times without resting.
3. Do five minutes of low, medium and then high-intensity cardio with a ten second interval in between each intensity level. Repeat this circuit twice and within the space of 30 minutes (10 minutes for each intensity level), you should burn between 170-330 more calories.
4. Squat for 30 seconds and repeat this 6 times with a 10 second break between each set of squats.
5. Kneeling Row: Hold weight in right hand and kneel on right knee with left leg in front, left knee bent 90 degrees, foot flat on floor. Lean forward from hips and extend right arm down, palm facing in. Place left hand on top of left thigh. Draw right elbow up toward ceiling, keeping arm close to right side. After 30 seconds, switch leg and arm positions and repeat.
6. Lunge with weights for 30 seconds and repeat this 4 times with no breaks in between.
7. Plank for 30 seconds and repeat this 3 times. Take a 10 second break between each set.
8. Hand Walks: Get into a full push-up position, abs tight, hands nearly touching. Keeping arms straight but elbows relaxed, walk right hand 1 to 3 inches to right, then walk left hand 1 to 3 inches to left. Bring right hand back to start, then left hand. Continue walking hands to complete the set.
9. Runner Squat: Holding 3- to 5-pound dumbbells, stand tall with feet hip-width apart. Lift right heel behind you while bending elbows 90 degrees. Bend left knee into a squat, raising right arm forward and left arm back. (To make it easier, touch back toes to floor.) On the next rep, switch sides, lowering right leg. Continue alternating legs as if you’re running in slow motion.

Make sure you approach a circuit within the realms of your own fitness level. According to Fitness Magazine, for low intensity circuits, you should burn 6 calories per minute. For medium intensity circuits, you should burn 9 calories per minute. For high intensity circuits, you should burn 11 calories per minute.

Try a circuit training session today and have a great Fitness Friday.