Squeezing in a workout

Anything that is important to us is worth making time for.  Whether it be family, friends, work or exercise.  I am constantly reminded by clients of how hard exercise is to fit into their day.

I am a fan of circuits.

What is a circuit?  Circuits have become popular over the last few years in the strength and conditioning world.  They have been around for decades.  The benefit is to do intense exercise in a short amount of time.  Thus the popularity in mainstream fitness is their ability to fit exercise into a busy schedule.

How do they work?  Circuits can take many forms.  In a nutshell, group of exercises done one after another with little to no rest between exercises.  The Hip To Be Fit am and pm routine (www.hiptobefit.com) is set up in a circuit.

For example, instead of doing two or three sets of the squat to press exercise, you would do squat to press, squat turn and press, push ups and rows one after the other. This is done with little to no rest between exercises. You can also add cardio such as stationary bike, elliptical, rowing machine or just plane jumping jacks with each round.

If you are going to do more than one set you would repeat the circuit (all four exercises and cardio exercise), after a one to two minute break.

Circuits are good for strength, strength endurance, balance, Proprioception and tailored the correct way…cardiovascular enhancement.   They are a great way to get several exercises in during a single workout session.  For those of you concerned about getting exercise into an already overwhelming schedule they are a great “tweak”  to your exercise program.

For more information on circuits, their benefits or those involved in the Hip To Be Fit program go to www.hiptobefit.com

Thanks For Playing!

John