Why You Should Create an At Home Circuit Workout

Many people opt for home workouts rather than gym workouts, and it’s no wonder why. They offer a number of benefits ranging from convenience to affordability. Whether you’re a home-workout newbie or a seasoned guru, consider incorporating circuit training into your routine – a rotation of back-to-back exercises with little rest.

With circuit training, think of each exercise as a station. Go from station to station until you’ve completed the circuit. Circuits can be as short or as long as you desire, making them perfect for any schedule. Below you can learn about the benefits of circuit training and how to create your own.

Benefits of an at Home Circuit Workout

Efficiency

By having a set plan and moving quickly through exercises, you minimize down time. If planned properly, you can go through the circuit with minimal rest time and without having to decrease the intensity.

Minimal equipment

Circuits can be done with little to no equipment and stay highly effective with just one piece. By picking one piece of equipment, like dumbbells or a resistance band, you can seamlessly move through exercises without taking time to transition. As you become more familiar with exercises and setting them up you can get creative with the equipment. If you’re just starting off, pick one piece and stick with it.

**Improves cardio and strength**

We often think of strength training and cardio as separate, but with circuit training you are almost guaranteed both. When you incorporate resistance exercises with the fast pace of circuit training you are able to build strength while also challenging your cardiovascular system. This combines the benefits of both types of exercise without compromising one or the other.

Never boring

Arguably the best part about circuit training is that it never gets boring. There are so many variables that can change to keep your workouts exciting and challenging. When one exercise starts to feel easy, add more weight, make it more complex or change the exercise altogether. On top of that you can change the order, the amount of time, the piece of equipment, the list goes on and on.

How to Develop a Circuit Workout

1. Determine your goals

Decide whether you want to emphasize strength, endurance, aerobic capacity, lower body, upper body, core, or whether you want a combination. Knowing your fitness goals will help you choose exercises, equipment and volume.

2. Choose your exercises

The exercises you choose will depend on your fitness experience and your goals among other factors. With circuit training, unless you are looking to isolate one area of the body, it’s best to aim for a full-body approach. This allows for continuous movement without fatigue, keeping your heartrate up and optimizing the cardiovascular benefits.

A simple recipe for a full body circuit is core, lower body and upper body. Choose one to three exercises in each of these categories and follow them in order. Before you know it, you’ll hit all the main muscle groups in 30 minutes or less! If your goals include increased heartrate, add a cardio-focused move to the circuit.

3. Choose equipment

If you are just starting out or focused on aerobic capacity and endurance, start without equipment. Bodyweight exercises can be challenging and effective on their own. If you want to build some serious strength, barbells, kettlebells, dumbbells and medicine balls all work great. Whatever you decide, make sure you start off with something you feel comfortable using. Start light to reduce risk of injury.

4. Decide on repetitions, timing & rest

Determine whether you want to set a timer for each exercise or count your reps. A timer is nice because you don’t need to keep track of numbers, and it forces you to work harder.

If your focus is on strength, aim for 8-10 reps or 30-40 seconds. If you’re working on muscle endurance, try 12-15 reps or 45-60 seconds. If cardio is your aim, go for 20-30 reps or up to 90 seconds of work. Here is where you can also determine how much time you want to rest. An effective way to start is 0-15 seconds in between exercises and 30-60 seconds in between rounds.

5. Press play

Once you have all the equipment you need for your exercises, start the timer and get going. As always, make sure you are properly warmed up before doing any exercise and if you have any pain or concerns talk to your physical therapist or physician.