Circuit training workouts

Circuit training. Well, the term is a well known one in the community of fitness enthusiasts and mainly those, who choose to visit a gymnasium for their daily dose of fitness. Workouts belonging to this category are well crafted and are gaining increasing importance, mainly due to the fact that the perception of fitness is evolving in the minds of most of those, who wish to or are attempting to incorporate it, as a prime routine, in their daily lives.

So coming straight to the point, circuit training is best understood if we analyze the component words individually – “circuit”, refers to a usually linear series of connections as in the electronic sense; whilst “training” refers to a pattern of teachings, imparted by an instructor. Combining the two in the domain of exercise, circuit training is basically a workout regimen, wherein various parts of the body are exercised in a sequential manner, without necessarily focusing on a specific body part, between two successive exercises. This form of training is often neglected by bodybuilders – since the emphasis in the minds of such individuals is usually either broadening their frame or achieving a highly specific symmetry or definition in their bodies’ structural dimensions. However, the reason why this pattern of exercises is gaining increasing popularity amongst fitness enthusiasts of all sorts is mainly because it caters to varying purposes for individuals with varying objectives. For instance, while the daily middle-aged housewife may simply adopt a circuit training exercise regime, in order to tone her body frame, without subjecting any body parts to excessive stress by individually working out on each of the same; the young body builder may simply choose to break the monotony or boredom his or her body has developed, having gotten accustomed to individual body part exercises over the rest of the week. Delving a little further into details of the latter case, the factoid I am referring to is that the human body, just like the human mind, does not manage to remain receptive, to mundane routines for a longer period of time.

The biggest question in the inquisitive reader’s mind by this point of time will be – how does this sort of an exercise pattern, bring out about any kind of changes in one’s body, since it “seems to be” a light workout? To answer that, one needs to realize that the intervals between successive circuit training exercises need to be little or if manageable, one can choose to do the exercises, without any halts at all! The reason that this is achievable to a great extent is because having said that the focus is no longer on a specific body part, one may not feel the pressure whilst he or she moves onto the next exercise which is of an absolutely different body part. An example, to simplify things would be, to perform a set of squats followed by a set of bicep curls – it can be clearly understood that there will be an increased level of comfort and a decreased level of fatigue, due to no body part being intensely overworked.

While the basic purpose of circuit training workouts has remained the same, complex types of these workouts have evolved over a period of time based on the objectives of the person who adopts it. For instance, while the bodybuilder may choose to do 3 sets of squats, rows, dead-lifts sequentially keeping in mind a certain definition to be achieved, the stamina-focused athlete may choose to do fewer sets of the exact same exercises with significantly shorter breaks.
The facts pointed out above, can aid a fitness conscious individual, in understanding why circuit training workouts are so much sought after – the benefits of it are manifold. There is significant rise in endurance levels of individuals who adopt this form of training. Moreover, individuals who are time bound, can exploit the adaptability of the workout, to fit it comfortably in their busy schedules, and last but not the least, it does not necessarily require one to visit the gym. A few free hand exercises, working on various body parts, without taking large breaks, can be molded into a circuit workout as well. Taking all such factoids into account, it can be safely said that this form of workout is an essential part of a healthy exercise regime.