Chapter 15
Chapter 15: Circuit Training for Fitness and Fun ......................................................
In This Chapter
Setting up strength-building stations
Getting a step-by-step look at circuit training
Taking a peek at a sample circuit
C
ircuit training is a unique method of working out that combines cardio-
vascular exercise with strength training. Circuit training includes a
warm-up, followed by a succession of strength-building exercises at stations
(in between which you walk fast or run), followed by a cooldown. (Note that
a station can be just a spot where you do pushups; it doesn’t have to be
anything fancy.) You get to decide how long your total workout will be, how
many stations you’ll include, and what exercises you’ll do at those stations.
Workouts are fun, the time flies by, and within just a few weeks of doing
circuits two days per week, most people notice a big difference in the
strength of their arms, legs, abdomen, and buttocks. This chapter helps
you decide how to set up your workouts.Setting Up Stations and Knowing Which Exercises to Do ......................
Have you even seen a circuit-training area at your local park: Along a trail,
stations appear periodically, and at those stations are instructions for doing
push-ups or pull-ups or a variety of other strengthening exercises.You don’t need to use the stations set up at your local park, though. Your
local gym may have a circuit-training class or may have a self-paced circuit
routine that you can do on your own time. You can also easily set up stations
in your own home. If you have a weight machine, you’re way ahead of the
game and can do most of the weight-lifting exercises there. But if you don’t,