Circuit training and other fitness sessions

[pilgrimmeister]

I know many lifters out there can't stand these, but circuits are good for all round fitness. It helps if you have equipment, but you can adapt these to your fitness levels and also exercises where equipment isn't available. If you are already fit and have a high V02 Max and just want to lift and get big guns, then this isn't for you, but will help those getting into shape. I am not going to include going out for a jog in this, as that benefits nobody. 

Will post sessions as I do them.

Last Friday - Interval Training

Warm up

3 mins treadmill from 6.5kph to increasing to 11kph (1% Gradient)
20m Lunges
20m Heel flicks
20m high knees
20m quad stretches (every few steps, alternate legs)
20m sweeps (hamstrings)
3 Mins on treadmill from 11kph increasing to 16kph (1% Gradient)

Above is my typical warm up, so will only post different if different in future posts

2 Mins Rest

Main Workout - Treadmill (1% gradient throughout)
Load 1 - 5 Minutes between 11 - 13 Kph (achieved 12.4)
2 Minutes Rest
Load 2 - 1 Minute between 16-18kph (achieved 17.2)
2 Minutes Rest
Load 3 - 4 Minutes between 11-13kph (Achieved 12.2)
2 Minutes Rest
Load 4 - 1 Minute between 14-16kph (acheived 15.4)
2 Minutes Rest
Load 5 - 3 Minutes between 11-13kph (started at 12kph, reduced to 11.5kph). 

End 

I felt I got a lot from that workout. Next time the targets will be moved up to see if I can achieve them. 

[pilgrimmeister]

Tuesday - Curuits

Warm up - 10 Minutes

5 Stations - 1 Minute work - 10 Seconds rest to change station - High Intensity - 30 Minutes total work.

Station 1 - 
5 Pull Ups
10 Leg touch the bar or knee/leg raises off the bar
15 Push Ups

Station 2 - 
20m Farmer Walk (two weighted platforms or 2 x Kettle Bells - increase weight as neccisary)
20m Bear Crawl
20m Resistance Trolley (Max Resistance, also add weights if needed)

Station 3
Assult Bike (Max Effort)

Station 4
Row (Max Effort)

Station 5
10 Burpees
10 Box Jumps
15 Sit up & Twists
15 V-Sits
15 Crunches


On each station, if you get to the bottom, you just repeat the first thing on that station until the beeper to change station. 

The session I didn't get as much from as I wanted, due to only 10 seconds rest between stations, but others with a faster recovery rate will get more out of it. You will also notice, Burpees feature a lot in my workout. 

[pilgrimmeister]

Wedneday 1st June 2022 -Circuit



Warm up 10 Minutes (usual warm up)


1 Minute work - 20 seconds rest - total time 24 minutes (Max Effort)

Medicine Balls Sit ups (use the weighty ones for the fitter, if you struggle, then no ball and fingers on temples) These are full sit ups and NOT half sits. You can use bar weights for this as well as desired. 
-
Shuttles (20m)
-
Step ups (box or a bench)
-
Assult Bike
-
Dorsal Raise
-
Shuttles
-
Burpees
-
Assult Bike
- 
Tricep Dips
-
Shuttles
-
Kettle Bell Swings
-
Assult Bike
-
Half Sits
- 
Shuttles
-
V-Sits
-
Assult Bike
-
Leg Raises
-
Shuttles
-
End


END

Cool down - Stretch off

This session is all about the effort you put into the minutes work. I had a good session, and will make tweaks to it next time and push harder. Maybe increase to 2 minutes work, and 30 seconds rest, focusing soleley on core, with shuttles in between. Will also lengthen it where time permits.

[pilgrimmeister]

Thursday - Core based Circuit

My Core is lacking at the moment, so many of my sessions will have a Core focus. No pain no game and all that. You should be doing Core related exercise, and fitting them into your sessions at least 3 but preferably 4 session per week! The more session you do with core in, the less time per session and more to do other stuff. 

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Warm up
----

No timer on this one, just short rests in between

20 Half Sit Ups (Lower) - You come up half way, not a full sit up. Start from the fully lowered position
followed by
20 Half Sit Ups (Upper) - Starting from the fully raised position, lowering ot half way, then back up again

Rest

Repeat above 3 times. Increase the number if you find it too easy. This is more beneficial than full sit ups. 

Then the below, approx 15 seconds in between reps

20 Russian Twists (with Med ball)
20 Leg Extenders (lie flat on your back, move legs in and out)
20 Bicycles (10 rotations in each direction, lie flat on your back)
20 V-Sits
20 Crunches
15 in and outs (upper back and legs off the floor, each rep starts with legs and arms it, then extend legs and arms out to the sides - less reps due to difficulty)

 
Then the below

15 Kettle Bell Swings
15 Goblet Squats
15 High Reaches (20kg plate, from floor to above head, keeping arms straight)

Repeat 6 times

Finish off with as many full sit ups as you can muster until fully fatigues and in too much pain to continue. Use a plate or Gym Partners to hold your legs down. Fingers on Temples at all times, no hips off the floor. 

Stretch off and finish.

------

I am in a bit of pain this morning, so you should be to, if not, you're not pushing hard enough!

[pilgrimmeister]

Friday 3rd June - Cardio Workout

This was supposed to be an interval session, but my shins had other ideas, so I had to adapt to get the most out of the session.

Warm up (the ususal)

Rest

4 Minutes treadmill at 12.5kph


It was after this that I decided that an interval session would do me no favours today, while having to go slower to manage my shins and get less out of it, or do it as planned and risk potential injury or pulling out early. So


Resistance bike

3/4s Resistance for 30 minuntes work, no rest. Achieved 127rpm per minute on average, beating my 125rpm target. Next time it will be 130rpm.


All in all, it was a simpe but good endurance session to end the week, legs were hurting afterwards and tested my endurance. Now 2 x rest days, back to it on Monday, where I will do a circuit with a bit of everything. Will include plenty of Burpee's, Bastards and other horrible exercises.

[pilgrimmeister]

Monday  6th June 2022


Due to the stereo being in use by one of the PTI's, I couldn't really do my timed session with bleeps, but adapted.

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Warm up (10 Minutes)

---

Between each session, either did 6 x 20m shuttles or 1 minute max effort on Assult Bike, aiming for around 15 Cals. Short breaks between each station (1 Minute max)

Started with assult bike, then alternated between shuttles and assult bike with the exercises below

15 Sit Ups (Lower to half way)
15 Sut Ups (Upper to half way)

S

10 Bastards (squat, walkaway, pressup, tuck and jump combined, bonus points for shouting out "Bastard" as you jump)
10 Burpees

B

20 Bicycle kicks (10 in each direction)
20 Sit Up & twists

S

15 Pressups and claps (start from the lower, raise to upper positon then clap your hands then lower again.
15 Normal Pressups

A

15 Russian Twists
15 Frog Sits

S

Starting to get fatigued now
10 Goblet Squats
10 Clean aways (5 per side)

A

10 V-Sits
10 Sit Up and lifts (normal sit up, but with a medicine ball, from lower position, reach up into the upper positon.

S

10 Plate lifts (from floor to above head with a 15kg plate, keeping arms straight throughout the movement
20 Full Sit Ups

Finish

Tomorrow will be a PTI(Physical Training Instructor) led Circuit. 

[Wacker]

Or u can keep it simple. Monday- back, biceps and triceps.
Tuesday- chest, legs and shoulder.

Wednesday rest

Thursday- back, biceps and triceos.
Friday- chest, legs and shoulder

Saturday and sunday- rest

Do 3 to 4 workouts per muscle group.

[Wacker]

Oh. And workout core monday Wednesday and friday

[pilgrimmeister]

If you read what I put in the first post, this is an alternative to just doing weights, and is a full body workout with cardio included for better fitness. It is not aimed at those who just want to do weights and get big. I could just do weights, but I would then struggle to pass a fitness test for my job if I did no cardio. 

I know of plenty of guys where I work who hate cardio and avoid it at all costs, hammer it in the gym doing weights and nothing else, then come fitness test time, they will smash the sit ups and press ups, but fail on the bleep test. 

[Wacker]

I guess the reason why i wrote on this is because most people are intimidated by the gym. The circuits u wrote down look intimidating. If ur overweight. Starting with lifting weights is alot easier, less intimidating and more of a confidence boost rather than jumping into doing a workout that is way too high tempo and difficult. Ive met overweight guys who jump right into the cardio workouts. Tire themselves out and find it too hard. And give up completely.

I do agree with what you are saying. But just remember. Most girls dont care if you can run a marathon. As long as you look somewhat fit. Thats all u need.

And the easiest way to do that without scaring yourself is to do with what i put in. Lift weights. Focus on a few muscle groups. A few workouts per muscle groups. And you will see improvment. Plus eating healthy. Chicken. Veggies. Potatoes...etc. And enough sleep (7 to 8 hours). U will see huge improvment

[pilgrimmeister]

I guess to the in-experienced and the fat guys (sorry) it does look intimidating, and if just looking good to attract girls is the reason why you are doing it, then great, weights are the way forward. But me being me, I don't do it for that reason. For someone overweight who has never seen a gym, start off by doing a 10 minute walk with a slight incline on the treadmill, about 5kph. Every week, put it up by .5. Eventually when ready, they can break into a jog for 10 minutes. Then do a weights session, start on the machines, and progress to free weights. 3 sets of 8 reps, heavy as they can manage while not losing form.

Personally, I never wanted to look massive, I have done quite alright without that on the ladies front, but I agree if you want to attract the glammed up girls and the phys freaks, then yeah, big guns will score points.

I will do a weights session tomorrow.