by Stu Kershner PT, OCS
Do you feel short on time over the holidays? Are you skipping workouts because you can’t get to that hour-long class? Try a 30-minute circuit training workout instead!
Circuit training combines exercises in a back-to-back format which does not allow much rest, so your heart rate stays elevated. As you work out, you tackle both areas of fitness at the same time. It lets you be efficient and complete your workout in 30 minutes!
My favorite circuit training format is a combination of two exercises – one upper body and one lower body – repeated back to back for three sets of 12-15 reps each. I will do three to four different circuits and I will be exhausted in 30 minutes.
Here’s an example of one of my favorites:
Circuit 1: TRX chest press combined with walking lunges – 3 sets of 15 each
Circuit 2: TRX row combined with TRX lateral lunges – 3 sets of 15 each
Circuit 3: Dumbbell bicep curl to overhead shoulder press followed by dumbbell deadlifts – 3 sets of 12 each
Circuit 4: Cable overhead pulldowns followed by box step-ups – 3 sets of 12 each
The combinations are endless, so it’s an opportunity to do something different every workout AND challenge yourself.