Stay fit for men with circuit training

• October 21, 2018
• Workouts in the gym
• Yana Yanovskaya

Circuit training for men is a type of exercise where, thanks to high strength load and time limits, you can pump up different muscle groups. Standard training allows you to work only one or two groups, while the circuit principle improves efficiency and targets different muscle groups over the same period of time.

Advantages and disadvantages

Benefits include increased endurance and increased physical activity. Thanks to the rapid release of energy, the body starts metabolic processes. Circular training for men also has a fat-burning effect, allowing you to lose excess weight and tighten your body.

Thanks to this method of exercise, muscle relief appears and a beautiful body is formed. Since the exercises are performed over time, this has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system, because the dynamic load normalizes well-being and, by accelerating blood flow, saturates the body with oxygen.

As for the disadvantages, this is a mechanical element. The gyms don’t always have a free exercise machine of the required type, and you shouldn’t interrupt the load, as this will reduce your performance. Also, circuit training for men brings the body's balance into order, but at the same time slows down the growth of muscle mass.

The ideal use would be training for beginner athletes. This will help increase their endurance and build muscle mass.

Circuit training for weight loss for the whole body

The following full-body circuit workout is designed for both beginners and more experienced athletes. This circular training program for the whole body, combined with proper nutrition for weight loss, will help you get rid of those annoying extra pounds and get your body in shape in just 6-8 weeks of regular training.

This wonderful circuit training for the whole body consists mainly of multi-joint or so-called basic strength exercises, which most effectively contribute to igniting metabolism and strengthening muscles. Three workouts a week (every other day) allow you to fully recover and confidently progress.

Each workout begins with a general warm-up and warming up of all joints and muscles to avoid injuries. The exercises are performed alternately, one after another. The heavier exercises come first, then the lighter ones. In total, you need to complete 4-5 laps during the workout.

Rest between sets no more than 1 minute. After completing each circle, you can rest for 2-3 minutes. The duration of the workout to burn fat, including warm-up and cool-down, should be no more than an hour. No more is needed, otherwise the muscles will not have time to recover before the next workout.

A circuit training program has a lot in common with full body training. Here you also work your entire body in a workout. But you do it a little differently. Not in the classical manner, when, for example, you do several approaches of one exercise, then rest for a couple of minutes, again several approaches of another exercise, etc.

Circuit training involves performing several rounds of exercises one after another, with minimal rest. For example, we squatted 15 times, immediately did 15 push-ups, and immediately moved on to pull-ups. This is, say, one circle. We rested a little and proceeded to the second round. The number of exercises in a circle and the circles themselves will depend on the complex, preparedness and other aspects. As a rule, 3-6 exercises are taken and 4-5 circles are performed per workout, depending on the complexity and fitness of the athlete.

Basic Rules

Before starting circuit training for men, you need to warm up for 10 to 15 minutes. This could be a treadmill or a bicycle. If this is not possible, then a jump rope will help replace cardio.

Loads should be divided into three types: light, moderate and complex exercises. You need to start with the first ones so that the muscles are prepared and there is no stretching of the soft tissues.

For each large muscle group, you need to use two exercises with 2-3 approaches. The time between sets to rest is minimal. Ideally, the load is performed with super sets, but if it’s hard, then you need to take breaks.

Circuit training for beginners in the gym should not take more than 30 minutes; this time is enough to warm up the body and work out the necessary muscle groups. If the training is delayed, overwork may occur and performance will decrease.

The body needs rest, so you need to perform the next cycle no earlier than 2 days later. During this time, the muscles will have time to renew themselves.

How to create an effective outline

• Before starting, be sure to warm up your muscles, ligaments and joints, at least do warm-up approaches, and after finishing, do a cool-down.
• Choose a suitable complex from those presented below or do your own from 6-10 exercises for all major muscle groups, but make sure that 2 consecutive movements do not load the same muscle.
• You need to do one exercise for 20 to 30 seconds.
• Choose a working weight such that muscle failure occurs when performing the last repetition of the exercise. Rest for up to 30 seconds and move on to the next one. Between performing circles, you need to take a break of 2 to 5 minutes.

To increase efficiency, circuit training for men is based on the principle of periodization:

• 1 week: light intensity;
• Week 2: moderate;
• Week 3: hard;
• Week 4: recovery/selection of weights.

You can adjust the intensity by:

• increasing the number of circuit exercises and the number of circuits;
• duration of rest;
• speed and number of repetitions.

Example program with periodization

Warm-up

To warm up, walk along the path for 5-7 minutes, then raise your arms in front of you and to the sides, bend over 12 times each movement.

Between circles we rest for 3 minutes and begin the circle again.

For beginners, it is recommended to start with 3 circles.

It is very important to choose the right working weight, you don’t need to take a lot of unbearable weight, but it shouldn’t be light either, you should perform each movement exactly as many times as the circle suggests. If you work out with a trainer, ask him to determine the required weight for the exercises.

If you work out with a trainer, ask him to determine the required weight for the exercises.

After completing all the planned laps, we walk along the path for 7-10 minutes.

Key Exercises

The training program is compiled individually and depends on endurance and physical parameters. But there are key exercises that are used most often to obtain high-quality results.

Squats with a barbell are considered basic, because here, in addition to the muscles of the legs and arms, the muscles of the back and the upper groups of the chest bundles are also involved. Circuit training for men at the gym almost always includes Romanian deadlifts. Its main task is to work the hip joint and knee flexors.

Performing a barbell press at an angle helps to work small and large muscle groups and thereby even out their volume. For the development of the upper bundle of muscles, the inclination should be upward, for the lower bundle - downward. The last option is being worked out as an isolating type, but you should not get carried away with it, since you can seriously injure your muscles.

Angled dumbbell presses and bent-over barbell rows develop the muscles of the chest and arms well, but you need to start with a medium load. Often athletes take the maximum weight and after the first approach they cannot perform further. Pull-ups on the bar with a wide grip are basic loads and are performed without additional weights. The process involves the latissimus dorsi and biceps muscles.

Lifting the barbell to the chin is performed for the shoulder girdle; it develops the back muscles well. But when performing, you need to be careful not to harm your elbow joints.

Circuit training for all muscle groups

Circuit training is a well-known method of metabolic training, its main goal is to cause the greatest shift in your body's homeostasis. I often use this type of training to increase strength endurance, cut (lose weight) or pump up all muscle groups.

Muscle and strength growth. The benefits of circuit strength training for all muscle groups are that it has a much higher metabolic response than conventional training. In each exercise, you work a specific muscle group, but after completing one circle, you work the whole body, so the load on the body is quite high, hence stress appears, and in response to it, various hormones are produced in large quantities, including anabolic ones. Therefore, circuit training is a powerful tool that needs to be used for its intended purpose, but you should not stay too long on it. On average, experts recommend training using this system for 4 to 8 weeks.

For burning fat. When you train using the Full body system, you use the maximum number of muscle fibers in one workout. Consequently, the body will spend more strength and energy on recovery, but that’s not all. You will lose weight even after the workout itself, because during the workout you did microtraumas, from which muscles subsequently grow, and the metabolic rate and the need for their content (calories) depend (to a greater extent) on the amount of muscles in the body. It turns out that even when you are at rest, when you are doing nothing, you will burn more calories, due to which you can lose weight if you make appropriate changes in your diet. In addition, circuit training itself contributes to a large loss of energy, simply because performing 7 exercises in a row is more difficult than performing each exercise with a full rest pause for recovery.

Its disadvantages are only noticeable if you work out in the gym, especially during rush hour. After all, to make the most of circuit training, you must use the “load dispersion” method, when each of your subsequent exercises does not repeat the load on the same region that was worked in the previous exercise. In particular, a good way to alternate exercises for the upper and lower body, which is not always convenient in terms of equipment availability, especially within fitness clubs.

Circuit training plan

• General warm-up - to increase body temperature, you can use cardio (3-7 minutes).
• Special warm-up - it should include exercises with your own body that simulate the exercises that you will do in the main part.
• The main part is the same set of exercises, thanks to which you implement your training objectives.
• Hitch.

CrossFit system

Circuit training for men in the gym can be of different types. CrossFit training consists of elements of different activities. There is no repetition of the same exercise on different training days. To get an effective result, three executions per week are enough:

1. Training A includes running with loads, pull-ups and push-ups, jumping to heights and slow running.
2. Workout B will include lunges with dumbbells, abs and leg raises, followed by sprinting and deadlifting. Next is the standing press and stretching. A prerequisite is equalization of breathing.
3. Training C begins with running and mandatory alternating loads. After this, jumping rope and squats with a light bar, leg raises on the bar help pump up the thigh muscles. Be sure to practice running slowly, stretching, and finish the workout by evening out your breathing.

Circular strength workout training program for men

Rest . Rest between exercises for 30-40 seconds; if breathing is restored, you can proceed to the next exercise. Upon completion of the circle, you can rest for up to 2-3 minutes (between circles), see how you feel.

Circles . How many laps there will be in your training is determined by you yourself, based on your training knowledge and condition. You can start with two, and after a certain time you can increase the intensity to 4-5 circles. On average, 2-3 laps will be considered quite sufficient for most.

Number of classes . You can do this program several times a week. As a rule, such training alternates with rest of one or more days.

Increasing load . You can gradually increase the load by any type of progression: increasing repetitions, circles or decreasing the amount of rest.

Duration . Do this workout program for 1 to 3 months, after which you can switch to regular standard workouts.

Number of repetitions . For the lower body, perform up to 20 repetitions, and for the upper body, do an average of 6-12 repetitions. If the exercise is difficult, then do as much as you can, otherwise replace it with an easier one.

1. House push-ups
2. Float
3. One arm pull-ups
4. One-arm push-ups
5. Raising the foot in support (on a bench)
6. Pull-ups with corner
7. Dips with corner

Next workout:

1. Single leg squats
2. Calf raises (standing)
3. Explosive Pull-Ups (Chest Up)
4. Explosive dips
5. Arm abduction (medium delta)
6. Reverse close grip pull-ups
7. One-arm push-ups

Circuit training exercises

A basic movement and one of the best (with body weight) for deltoid mass. It mainly acts on the middle and lateral bands of the shoulders, and the triceps receive auxiliary load. The width of the arms should be such that at the lowest point of the position, the forearms are vertical. As you lower your body, inhale, and exhale powerfully upward.

The float is used for training the hamstrings. Not every athlete can perform it, but it is very effective. Your legs need to be fastened with a belt, preferably tighter. It is recommended to perform the exercise with a partner for backup. You can lower yourself without the help of your hands (this option is more dangerous), or with your hands, thereby absorbing the load and making it easier for yourself to perform the exercise due to the triceps. To make it more difficult, keep an upright posture without bending your hip joint.

One-arm pull-ups are considered the best option for training biceps in outdoor conditions. In this exercise, try to shift the weight towards your working arm, thereby working your biceps as much as possible. Also, you should not lower yourself completely, because this will cause your back to work harder.

The triceps work great in one-arm push-ups. To make it more convenient to do push-ups, spread your legs wider and place your hand in the center. This option will provide the best balance.

This exercise works the soleus muscle quite well. It works best with a bent leg. Try to press as hard as possible on your leg with your whole body to work this area well. You also need to stretch the muscles as much as possible when lowering the leg and contract as much as possible when raising it, i.e. work at full amplitude.

A more complex version of pull-ups, in which, in addition to the back and biceps muscles, the core muscles also work, but in a static mode. When you are in this position, it reduces the momentum used to perform the exercise and also forces your back muscles to work more.

This version allows you to better work out the pectoral muscles. The exercise gives massiveness to the pecs, but to a greater extent this applies to the lower part.

This is the most basic exercise for building legs in outdoor conditions. You can squat either with or without support from behind, thereby shifting the load on the quadriceps.

One of the most effective outdoor exercises for pumping up the calf muscles. Try to work in full amplitude, stretching and contracting the muscles as much as possible.

Drying training

A circuit training program for men can also be a drying element. Exercising at an active pace allows you to burn calories while toning your body.

The advantage of the program is that it increases endurance, but the muscles do not grow. The training will also be effective for women, as it develops flexibility and flexibility. A special feature of the training is the categorization into muscle groups. For example, on one day it is the chest and back, on the second - arms and shoulders, on the third - legs and buttocks:

• On the first day of circuit training for men, the gym includes dumbbell bench press and weighted arm curls, upper and lower rows, jumping rope, fast running and push-ups.
• The second day consists of squats and jumping rope. Next, lunges and deadlifts are performed. Leg bending and leg swings in the simulator are done at the final stage of training. You need to finish your training with a quick run.
• On the third day, loads are done with dumbbells on the arms and an exercise is performed with a jump rope. Pumping up the upper and lower abs and bending the torso helps develop endurance and shape the waist. Orbitrek and fast running enhance the fat burning process.

Examples of training programs

At home

At home we are limited in space and equipment, so we will use what we have: our own weight and available tools. Example workout:

• Squats 30 times.
• Lunges from a standing position 30 times.

• Lying push-ups 20 times.
• Plank 1 minute.
• Jumping rope (possible without the rope itself) 40 seconds.

Depending on your preparation, perform at least 2-3 such circles. If you have a horizontal bar, weights or dumbbells at home, then feel free to use them. You can use improvised means as weights: bags with books, bottles of water, etc. Fantasize.

Increased load

Circuit training for men in the gym for strength endurance should consist of heavy loads. Trainings can be divided into categories for beginners and loads for professionals. Although the class time is not limited, it is better to invest an hour, this will increase efficiency.

This includes push-ups and squats with a bar to work different muscle groups. Lat rows can be replaced with pull-ups on the bar; lunges with weights and barbell lifts have a good effect on increasing endurance. Bending and extending the leg and various types of twists also improve endurance and improve well-being.

A circuit training program for men should be created by a professional trainer. Systematic exercise helps the body develop and be in the right tone.

Diet features

Since circuit training requires a lot of energy, the nutrition must be appropriate. You need to fill your diet with protein foods and simple carbohydrates in order to have energy for training.

Eat a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits, try to drink your daily amount of water. We must give up fried, sweet and starchy foods and give preference to natural foods of plant origin.

In addition, do not forget about sports supplements and sports nutrition elements. These are proteins, amino acids and protein shakes that help keep the body in good shape.

Expert advice

You need to start and end circuit training (except for doing cardio) by normalizing your breathing. The correct execution and release of the required amount of energy depends on this. Proper breathing also has a positive effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular system.

You can’t take on a heavy load if your body can’t handle it. You need to increase weight gradually, without sudden jumps. It is better to carry out loads under the supervision of specialists so as not to strain the muscles.