- Before you start any circuit training regimen, you should keep your lifting goals in mind. Circuit training is best for building heart strength, lung power and muscular endurance. It is somewhat less useful for building raw strength, since lifting very heavy weights to build raw strength fatigues the muscles quickly, meaning circuit stations would almost always last less than 30 seconds. Also, more rest time is needed between sets when lifting large amounts of weight, while the point of a circuit is to give you very little time to rest. It is also worth noting that using exercise machines for a circuit training workout can be easier than using free weights, since the weight can be altered quickly and easily. This is especially useful for athletes working out with the same circuit together. (Each athlete rotates to the next station and quickly changes the weight to meet her needs.)
- Working muscles in similar areas in a circuit, such as the arms, legs or core, helps you maintain muscle balance. For an upper-body weight circuit, begin with dumbbell bicep curls. Lift hard for 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Take a 10- to 15-second break, then jog or jump rope for 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Continue the pattern of lifting, resting, jogging or jumping rope, and lifting again through the following circuit of lifts: triceps extensions, military press, shoulder press and bench press. You can also add body-resistance stations into your circuit, such as push-ups, chin-ups, pull-ups and dips. You should aim to have at least five lifts in your circuit. Once you work through the entire circuit, do a final cardio station and start over with bicep curls. Go through the circuit three times in total. Use your short breaks to drink some water during the circuit.
- Any good leg-lifting workout should start with a basic squat or leg press lift. After your first set, take a short break and do 30 seconds to 2 minutes of cardio. During a leg-lifting circuit, you may want to do different cardio than an arm circuit. Jumping rope and jogging engage the arms, so they work well for an arm-lifting circuit. Stationary biking or rowing can work better for a leg circuit, since tired legs can hamper form for jumping rope and running. Continue the circuit by alternating lifting and cardio, going through the following lifts: leg curls, hamstring curls, calf raises and glute press. You can work in sets using machines that work the hip flexors and extensors if you wish. Also consider adding exercises without weight, such as wall sits and squat thrusts. Repeat the entire circuit three times. You can take slightly longer rest periods later on in the circuit to get more out of each station.
