Is It Strength Training or Circuits?

SpecialSundae

I posted this in a group but didn't get any response so I thought I'd ask more widely.

I've been doing a personal training programme based largely on machines which I'm now doing on free-weights at home too. I do the following exercises on the following reps:

Leg Press (Squat at home) - 8-12 x3 (moving to single leg presses at work soon because I'm working with the whole stack at 140kg plus a 5kg plate, squatting 22.5kg at home but moving up fast)
Chest Press (Bench press at home) - 8-12 x3 (currently 55kg on the machines and 22.5kg on the barbell)
Pull-ups - As many as I can x3 (currently 0-1, so doing 10x3 bicep curl at 6kg and 12x3 dumbbell row at 15kg, both at work and at home)
Shoulder press (dumbbell shoulder press at home) - 6-10 x3 (currently 35kg on the machines and 7.5kg at home)

Once I can do two full sets at a weight with good form on an exercise then I go up 1.25-5kg (depending on the exercise, 5kg for leg press, 2.5 for chest press, 1.25 for shoulder press, although that'll be 1kg at home).

Because I do it as a circuit (i.e. one set on each exercise, take a 60-90 second break and then move to the next exercise and repeat until done), does that mean that it isn't strength training? Is it just "glorified circuits"?

I'm planning to move to SL 5x5 once I'm fully set up at home but that'll be a few weeks off at least (I need to save up for 10kg and 20kg plates and pick up my squat rack).

SpecialSundae

TL;DR: If you move exercises between sets, does it automatically make it circuits rather than strength training or is it still strength training just done as a circuit?

Yanicka1

Strength training done as a circuit.


Why does it matter?

links_slayer

Why does it matter?

^^this?

SpecialSundae

Strength training done as a circuit.


Why does it matter?

I've just seen some quite dismissive comments suggesting that you can't make progress if you don't do straight sets.

HMVOL7409

Strength training done as a circuit.


Why does it matter?

I've just seen some quite dismissive comments suggesting that you can't make progress if you don't do straight sets.

Well you are doing straight sets, strength training not circuits. To me circuits are Curve center styles where they have you move from one machine to the next as fast as possible (cardio based). Plus you have a plan after developing your base so screw whoever is giving you criticism.

Yanicka1

Strength training done as a circuit.


Why does it matter?

I've just seen some quite dismissive comments suggesting that you can't make progress if you don't do straight sets.

Well you are doing straight sets. To me circuits are Curve center styles where they have you move from one machine to the next as fast as possible. Plus you have a plan after developing your base so screw whoever is giving you criticism.

Circuit is more like 5 pounds dumbbells lifted 30 times. You will like stronglifts. I did that for almost a year and had great results.

micheleb15

When I think circuits I think of HIIT or cardio exercises that are done for an amount of time in between weights. What you are doing sounds like strength training to me.