anyone make up thier own circuit training

LilynEdensmom

I was wondering if anyone makes up their own circuit training work outs? And have they been effective?

durlingkristi

I have and use it once or twice a week. I find it effective, I'm always tired and sweaty when I'm finished.

TrainingWithTonya

Here are a couple that I use, both personally and with clients.

Circuit 1

1 minute at each station, 15 seconds in between to change stations, 2 times around circuit, followed by total body stretch

Stations
Lat Pull Downs
Cardio Machine
Plie Squats on Balance Discs
Crunches
Bicep Curls
Bosu Clocks
Leg Extension with Band
Push Ups or Plank
Ball Relay
Dips or Triceps Kickbacks
Jumping Jacks on Ball
Hamstring Curl with Band
Shoulder Raise
Figure 8 Cone Touch
Squat on Balance Board
Seated Twist with Medicine Ball
Jump Across
Rotator Cuff
Lunges
Bent Over Row



Cardio Drills
Done as a circuit with one minute of each drill. 15 seconds of rest between drills. Repeat entire circuit twice.

Jumping Jacks
Right Jabs
Burpee’s
Left Jabs
High Knees
Right Hooks
Football Wide Leg Runs
Left Hooks
Jump Rope
Right Cross
Step Touch
Left Cross
Hamstring Curls
Right Uppercut
Front Kicks
Left Uppercut

Teresa652

At home 20 min workout

1. Jog in one place for 3 minutes (to warm up)
2. Jumping jacks: 25
3. Crunches: 15
4. Hip Bridges: 10
5. Step ups: 1 minute
6. Reverse crunches: 15 repeats
7. Mountain climbers: 1 minute
8. Push–ups: 15
9. Squat thrusts: 1 minute

Repeat for 18 minutes and then a gentle walk around for 2 minutes to cool off and finish with some light stretching.

Corinne_Bruce

My workout is below; it's 20 minutes and very effective! I add this in once a week to mix up my normal cardio and strength training routine

1) 10 burpees
2) 1 min jump rope
3) 30 sec mountain climbers
4) 1 min rest
5) 10 burpees
6) 1 minute abs
7) 1 minute shadow boxing
8) 1 min rest
9) 10 burpees
10) 1 min jump rope
11) 30 sec mountain climbers
12) 1 min rest
13) 10 burpees
14) 30 sec abs
15) 1 minute shadow boxing
16) 1 min rest
17) 10 burpees
18) 1 minute jump rope
19) 1 minute squats on bosu
20) Rest then stretch

HidyleDidyle

This is what I tried and liked at home:

(1) 5 min on elliptical - 1 min sprint, 1 min slower pace, 1 min sprint...
(2) 5 min abs/strength - 30 crunches feet on floor, knees bent
30 crunches right leg crossed, bend torso, repeat with left leg crossed
30 chest flies with 5 lb weights
30 lunges each leg with 5 lb weights, curls
30 crunches, legs up, knees bent
30 pushups
- there are more than 5 minutes of activity here, I pick a few

Repeat until you've lasted 25 - 30 minutes. Keeps the heart rate up! I'm trying to last 30 minutes, but so far I'm wiped out after 25.

Azdak

Start off with 10-15 min of HIIT--after a warm up, do 20 sec all out, followed by 10 sec recovery x 8 (4 min) do 2 or 3 sets w/1 min recovery between sets. Your choice of cardio.

Circuits of 4 exercises, do 10 reps at a good pace: When weights are involved, I choose about 40%-50% of 1 RM

Circuit 1
Burpee/push up with a bosu (I don't have flexibility to go all the way to the floor with just hands)
Sumo squat/upright row
Inverted push up using either Oly bar on a power rack or TRX
Squat/medicine ball thow --throw medicine ball up in the air to height of at least 10 feet.

Recovery-1:00 to 1:30, sometimes do some back extensions or crunches or else set up for next circuit. The circuit takes about 3:30 or so to compete, I like to keep to 5 min per circuit, so the recovery time lasts from whenever I finish to 5 min elapsed.

Repeat Circuit 1

Circuit 2
"Plyo" pushups--push up from the floor into the air (LOOSELY speaking) and land with hands closer together on an a 4" aerobic step that is placed under the chest. ("clap" pushups would work too, but I can't get up that high..this is for old guys)
Two-arm bent over row with dumbbells
Standing military press
Lunge w/dumbbell, "jump" split squat (split squat preferred, but nagging hip injury sometimes prevents)

Same recovery as before.

Repeat Circuit 2

Circuit 3
Assisted dip or "decline" push up (feet on 65cm stability ball)
Assisted pull up or lat pulldown with square handle (depends on where I am working out--one place has dip/chin assist machine, one doesn't)
Single arm forward dumbbell swing (from spartacus workout) or kettleball swing
Side lunge with dumbbell and aerobic step--you lunge to the side with one foot remaining on the step, then "hop" or jump in the air when moving to the other side.

Repeat Circuit 3

In all honesty, I probably only complete all six circuits about 50% of the time. It's about a 30-36 min workout. And it's something I can only do when I am in really good condition. Due to some nagging injuries and work schedule, my fitness has slipped a little in recent weeks and I haven't been able to do this routine. This is a "depletion" workout, not really a strength workout. I find that if I do this in lieu of strength training after a couple of weeks I notice significant declines in my lifting weights. However, in small doses, it is a nice complement to a regular lifting program. I think it's a good total-body routine--finding good lat exercises for circuit training is always a challenge.

adrienc

Start off with 10-15 min of HIIT--after a warm up, do 20 sec all out, followed by 10 sec recovery x 8 (4 min) do 2 or 3 sets w/1 min recovery between sets. Your choice of cardio.

Azdak is talking about Tabata workouts, which are short and incredibly effective (actually more beneficial for your body than conventional circuit training)

I do mine using a free tabata clock (www.tabatatimer.com) that I set up for 24 mn (3 Tabata x 8 mn each) and I used it for sequencing a circuit training video.

For instance, I press play on Insanity (but you can choose whatever other video you prefer), then press play on the tabata timer and I follow whatever exercise is on the video when the 20s exercise is on, then rest for 10s rest, then go on another 20s of Insanity and so on until the 24 min are over.. then 5mn stretching and I'm done. Complete work out in 30mn.

It's super effective for me! I start the day feeling energized and I can feel my metabolism pumping up

Azdak

Start off with 10-15 min of HIIT--after a warm up, do 20 sec all out, followed by 10 sec recovery x 8 (4 min) do 2 or 3 sets w/1 min recovery between sets. Your choice of cardio.

Azdak is talking about Tabata workouts, which are short and incredibly effective (actually more beneficial for your body than conventional circuit training)

I do mine using a free tabata clock (www.tabatatimer.com) that I set up for 24 mn (3 Tabata x 8 mn each) and I used it for sequencing a circuit training video.

For instance, I press play on Insanity (but you can choose whatever other video you prefer), then press play on the tabata timer and I follow whatever exercise is on the video when the 20s exercise is on, then rest for 10s rest, then go on another 20s of Insanity and so on until the 24 min are over.. then 5mn stretching and I'm done. Complete work out in 30mn.

It's super effective for me! I start the day feeling energized and I can feel my metabolism pumping up

Actually, I am NOT talking about a "tabata" workout. I think the whole "tabata" movement is a crock of BS.

I happened to choose the 20/10 ratio for my cardio HIIT workout because it was the easiest for me to tolerate. I also do 40/20s and other variations which, in the interests of brevity, I chose not to include in my description.

The circuit part of the workout has absolutely no resemblance to any so-called "tabata" method (although I did steal some of the exercises from the Crossfit video library, I will admit).

Just wanted to be clear.