Circuit Workout Routines For Beginners

Circuit training is type of workout routine that has been used for decades by sports teams and the military. This technique has been picked up by fitness centers and "fitness bootcamps" and for good reason. It is an incredibly efficient method for getting people in shape in record time and it gives trainers the ability to train (and charge) large groups of people at one shot. It is the method I use to condition myself and my high school soccer players.

This type of training often involves using weights but can be performed exclusively using bodyweight exercises. A third mode would be to use a combination of bodyweight and weights. I use bodyweight circuits with my soccer players. When I perform circuits I use a suspension trainer for some of my exercises. Typically there are between 8-12 exercises which alternate between upper and lower body. I like my circuits to take a whole body, upper body, lower body, sequence. There should be between 21 and 30 total sets. Rest between exercises can vary from 30 seconds down to no rest.

The length of the rest period makes one of these workout routines last from 15-30 minutes. My workouts (both my own and the ones I use for my athletes) have no rest period between exercises. Most fitness experts consider circuit training to be a moderate intensity exercise but by shortening or in the extreme case, eliminating rest periods, you can reach the level of cardio of interval training without the dangers of the overuse injuries that come from repetitive, steady state cardio. You also have the added benefits of resistance training.

One more anecdote about the benefits of circuit training. A year and a half a go I stopped running and performing conventional (bodybuilder style) weight lifting for conditioning, and adopted mostly bodyweight, with a small mixture of dumbbell circuits. I am just as strong, faster, and more defined than I was prior adopting this method. Additionally, I and have more endurance than I did before due to carrying less body fat.

Now that you have some good information on circuit training. Here's a bodyweight circuit that you can try yourself. Try to get through the sequence 3 times. If you must pause, try to make it for no more than a minute, at the end of the sequence.

60 Jumping Jacks
15 Pushups
20 Walking Lunge
10 Lying Hip Extension per leg
Wall Squat 45-60 seconds
Plank 60 seconds
5 Burpees
50 High Knees

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Clint Grimes, is a retired US Navy commander. He is certified by the California Interscholastic Federation and is currently the strength and conditioning coach for the boys soccer teams at El Toro High School in Lake Forest, CA.

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Inner Thigh Workout

Inner thigh workout is an integral body exercising activity. It helps one get slimmed thighs; thighs that are simply gorgeous and healthy. However, accessing and activating the thigh area (that is the hamstrings and the quadriceps) is a very difficult exercise. There are some ways of exposing these areas when working out. For starters, you can use some the gym equipment such as the leg stretching machines and hip abductors. These machines are ideal for creating slim yet strong inner thighs. Furthermore, you can use the following inner thigh workout tips and exercises:

Blading and Skating:
Roller blading and ice skating are enjoyable yet effective ways of working out your thighs. While ice skating, make sure you take long strides bending your knees and crouching while skating works on your hip area as well as your quadriceps. However, you should not spend the whole day blading and skating. Prolonging these exercises results in muscle cramps. Therefore, when you are doing these exercises, spend around 20-40 minutes.

Side Lunging
Make sure have a pair of dumbbells when doing this kind of lunging. When you are lowering your body for a side lunge, hold the dumbbells at an arm's length. Bend forward while lowering the dumbbells to the floor. Do this without raising your feet. Do not force this exercise. Just keep going low as possible. If this is too hard, then do not touch the floor but continue using the dumbbells. Alternatively, you can do the side lunges without the dumbbells.

Leg Circles
They are also good inner thigh workout exercises. To perform leg circles, you must first be on sideway position while lying on the floor. Prop the rest of your body using your elbow. Gently lift the top leg. Rotate the top leg in clockwise manner and after 40 seconds, switch directions. Make sure the toes are pointing forward. Do this for the other leg as well. Repeat this process 10-15times.

Exercises for Thigh Isolation
There are some exercises specifically designed for the thighs. To start these exercises, lie on your side, stack your legs and bend your knees. Make sure your chest is stacked over the ribcage. Using your hand, cradle your head. When you are cradling, bend your bottom elbow. On one side, do at least two sets of 10-15 repetitions. Do this for the other side as well.

Hip Abductor Machines
These machines are the basic requisite for inner thigh workout exercises. There various exercise modes installed on the machines. Select the desired exercise and follow the instructions. There are cases where the thighs come together. If you are experiencing this, gently squeeze the thighs. After that, you can resume your exercises.

Take Dance Classes
This might sound weird but some dance classes are ideal for inner thigh workout exercises. A good example is ballet classes. Taking ballet classes once a week gives one sleek inner thighs. Their classes revolved around work out exercises such as footwork, stretching and floor exercises. You can start with a beginner's class if you are skeptical.

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Losing Weight - Review on Insanity Workout

The Insanity workout DVD program is produced by Beachbody, a leading name in home fitness programs to lose weight. The workout program can be ordered directly from the producers' website, Amazon, or any number of other online retailers. The approximate length of this workout is designed to last sixty days, and according to claims made by Beachbody, some workouts can allow an individual to burn up to 1,000 calories an hour to help you lose weight. Participants in the Insanity workout series can enjoy a comprehensive online support community, from online chat forums to asking questions directly of certified personal trainers.

The Insanity workout DVD program is primarily designed for individuals who have only a small amount of weight to lose or for those who simply wish for their bodies to have more muscle and tone definition. In addition to being easy to find, other benefits of the Insanity workout DVD series include the fact that the company offers a 30 day, 100% money back guarantee, minus shipping and handling, when it is purchased directly from the manufacturer. Another advantage is the fact that the program offers a complementary nutrition guide for participants of the program. Furthermore, there are no additional supplements or equipment that must be purchased.

There are several aspects of the Insanity workout DVD program that an individual might view as drawbacks. For example, the Beachbody website has the appearance and feel of an infomercial. As aforementioned, this product is not designed for those who are moderately out of shape, including beginners. While some participants have claimed to have enjoyed weight loss through the workouts provided, weight loss is not the primary goal of this workout series. Finally, the fact that there are no recommended appetite suppressants to accompany this program may be a turn off for some individuals.

Each of the workouts in this series range from 30-80 minutes in duration, and the exercises alternate long periods of intense aerobic exercises with short periods of rest. The average cost of the Insanity workout DVD series is approximately $129.99, plus the cost of shipping and handling, which will depend upon the source from which it is ordered. In professional and consumer written reviews, participants who were actually interested in toning their bodies have given the Insanity workout DVD program fairly high ratings. However, overall, this workout series is not recommended for individuals who have been previously sedentary or who are moderately overweight. Check out how to lose weight fast for more tips.

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Tae-Bo Workout (SET OF 4: Basic, Instructional, Advanced, 8-minute Workout) [VHS]

Billed as the "future of fitness" and hawked by numerous celebrities, Billy Blanks's Tae-Bo actually deserves much of the hype it's receiving. A mixture of boxing punches and martial arts kicks, Tae-Bo is fun and easy. One of the best elements of this four-tape set is that the first tape (which is 40 minutes long), Tae-Bo: Instructional, lays out the movements you need to successfully complete a workout. Once you've mastered the steps, you won't have to fast-forward through half the tape to get to the workout, nor will your workout be slowed down by the repeated lessons. After you feel comfortable with the movements (and they're really quite easy to follow; nothing too complicated to trip you up), you're ready to move on to Tae-Bo: Basics, a 27-minute workout (5 minutes of warm-up, 18 minutes of Tae-Bo, and 4 minutes of cool-down) that will have your heart pounding and your body sweating. Next comes Advanced, a 57-minute workout that will have your heart racing, pulse pounding, and sweat glands working overtime. There's razzmatazz on the moves, with slightly more complicated combinations that should be fairly easy to master if you've completed the first two tapes. This video seriously raises the bar on the difficulty factor.

In addition to the short warm-up, the cool-down, and the 30 minutes of Tae-Bo, Advanced Tae-Bo also includes 18 minutes of muscle-crunching floor work. You know you're in trouble when even the guys in the tape have trouble keeping up. Make sure you have truly mastered the first two tapes before attempting this one. The 8-Minute Workout is a highly compacted workout (actually 14 minutes long when you include warm-up and cool-down) for those days when you're too short on time for Basic or Advanced. While the 8-minute idea is compelling, it's not an adequate substitute for the longer workouts. Blanks, a seven-time World Martial Arts champion, is a superb instructor, providing encouragement and careful instruction (if you don't know by the end of the tape to hold in your stomach, that's no one's fault but your own). The only downside to these tapes is the less-than-exciting music. Not only is Tae-Bo great exercise for all levels, but the punches and kicks are wonderful for working out stress and aggression. This is the aerobics exercise video for people who are bored by aerobics. --Jenny Brown

Price: $29.98

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Tae-Bo Workout: Instructional and Basic (Tae-Bo: The Ultimate Total Body Workout for Men & Women) [VHS]

tae bo vhs basic and instructional set

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P90X: Tony Horton's 90-Day Extreme Home Fitness Workout DVD Program

Tired of ineffective workouts that sound great but produce less-than-optimal results? Turn to the P90X Extreme Home Fitness system, a bundle of 12 sweat-inducing, muscle-pumping workouts designed to transform your body from regular to ripped in just 90 days. Hosted by personal trainer Tony Horton, the series of DVDs will help you get lean, bulk up, or grow stronger, with an endless variety of mix-and-match routines to keep you motivated. The secret behind the P90X system is an advanced training technique called "muscle confusion," which accelerates the fitness process by constantly introducing new moves and routines so that your body never plateaus and you never get bored. The more you confuse the muscle, the harder your body has to work to keep up. And the more variety you put into your workout, the better and faster your results will be. By breaking old routines and opening new doors, secondary and tertiary muscles are constantly being activated and developed.

In addition to the 12 DVD workouts, the P90X comes with a comprehensive three-phase nutrition plan, specially designed supplement options, a detailed fitness guide packed with valuable information on how to get the most from your program, a How to Bring It DVD that provides a quick overview of the system, a calendar to track your progress, online peer support, and much more.

The DVD Workouts
Each of the 12 highly diverse and intense DVD workouts focuses on either a specific set of muscle groups or a unique training technique.

• Workout One: Chest & Back. This superset chest-and-back-blasting workout emphasizes two classic upper-body exercises--push-ups and pull-ups--to build strength and develop shape. The combination of these two push and pull movements will help you burn loads of calories while simultaneously attacking, strengthening, and developing multiple muscle groups.

• Workout Two: Plyometrics. Get ready to go airborne. Offering more 30 explosive jumping moves, this intense cardio routine will keep you in the air most of the time. Plyometrics, also known as jump training, has been proven to dramatically improve athletic performance. If your sport involves a ring, rink, field, court, or track, this training will give you the edge. Just be prepared to "bring it" for a full hour when you leap into this workout, because there is no letting up.

• Workout Three: Shoulders & Arms. Nothing rounds out the perfect physique like a pair of well-defined arms and shoulders, and with its potent combination of pressing, curling, and fly movements, this routine will leave you feeling stronger and looking sexier. Whether you want to build muscle mass or just slim and tighten what you've already got, these targeted shoulder and arm exercises will give you the results you want.

• Workout Four: Yoga X. Yoga is a vital part of any fitness regimen, and is an absolute must for an extreme program like P90X. This routine combines strength, balance, coordination, flexibility, and breath work to enhance your physique and calm your mind. Yoga X will leave you feeling energized, invigorated, and maybe even a little enlightened.

• Workout Five: Legs & Back. Get ready to squat, lunge, and pull for a total-body workout like no other. While the main focus of this workout lies in strengthening and developing the leg muscles (quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves), there are also a handful of great pull-up exercises to give your legs a quick breather while you work the upper body.

• Workout Six: Kenpo X. Kenpo X was created to give P90X users a high-intensity cardiovascular workout packed with lots of punching and kicking combinations to improve balance, endurance, flexibility, and coordination. During this workout you'll learn some of the most effective ways to defend yourself, while at the same time getting your body in peak condition.

• Workout Seven: X Stretch. Stretching is the one thing that will help you achieve a higher level of athleticism over a longer period of time. The X Stretch routine is an integral part of the program, as it helps prevent injuries and avoid plateaus. The extensive full-body stretches that make up this routine use disciplines from Kenpo karate, hatha yoga, and various sports to ensure that your body is fully prepared to meet all P90X challenges head-on.

• Workout Eight: Core Synergistics. Each and every exercise in the Core Synergistics workout recruits multiple muscle groups to build and support the core (lumbar spine and trunk muscles), while at the same time conditioning your body from head to toe. Loaded with a variety of fun, unique, and challenging exercises, this routine will get you moving in all directions to maximize your P90X results.

• Workout Nine: Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps. Packed with an array of moves that target both large and small muscles, this workout will do wonders for your upper body. In just one full sequence you'll get a healthy dose of presses, flys, and extensions to push you to the brink. The results will be a stronger, leaner, and highly defined upper torso that will leave you looking awesome, with or without a shirt.

• Workout 10: Back & Biceps. With a host of curls and pull-ups, this routine will make it fun to flex those powerful biceps. But don't worry, ladies--by using lighter weight, you can focus on toning and tightening these showcase arm muscles without adding the size that most guys covet. Additionally, this workout also provides some great back definition that everyone can appreciate. Regardless of your goals, you will achieve them in dramatic fashion if you dig in and max out your reps.

• Workout 11: Cardio X. This low-impact cardio routine can be used in a variety of ways to meet your P90X goals. Use it in addition to your standard P90X workload when you want to burn some extra calories, or as a substitute if your body needs a break from the program's high-impact workouts. Whatever your reason for using Cardio X, you'll find it a fun, full-throttle, fat-burning workout that will leave you feeling lean and mean.

• Workout 12: Ab Ripper X. The combination and sequence of movements in this unique workout taps into not only abdominal strength, but true core strength as well. Master these 11 highly effective exercises and you will achieve vital abdominal muscle strength to benefit your overall health and physical performance. You'll also develop that highly coveted six-pack as you take Ab Ripper X to full throttle. It's extreme work that's better than any machine in any club.

P90X Fitness Guide
This is your road map and your plan of attack for using P90X. Learn guidelines for getting started and essential tips for how to make the most of the program. The fitness guide provides you tips to reduce your chance of injury; a fit test; recommended supplements and equipment; detailed instructions for stretching, warming up, and performing exercises; and guidelines to help you select which P90X phase to complete, whether Classic, Doubles, or Lean.

The Nutrition Plan
Following the P90X nutrition plan is just as vital to your overall success as any of the extreme workouts in this program. Specifically designed to work in tandem with the P90X workout routines, this three-phase eating plan recommends the perfect combination of foods to satisfy your body's energy needs every step of the way. P90X is not about quick fixes or miracle diets. It's about selecting the healthy foods that you want to eat, and determining the portion amounts that will provide your body with the right amount of fuel to excel during exercise. The P90X nutrition plan offers three phases. Phase 1 is the Fat Shredder, a high-protein-based diet designed to help you strengthen your muscles while simultaneously and rapidly shedding fat from your body. Phase 2 is the Energy Booster, a balanced mix of carbohydrates and proteins with a lower amount of fat to achieve additional energy for performance. And Phase 3 is the Endurance Maximizer, an athletic diet of complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, and lower fat, with the emphasis on more carbohydrates. You'll need this combination of foods as fuel to get the most out of your final few weeks and truly be in the best shape of your life.

Tools to Keep You Motivated

• P90X Calendar to set your workout goals, track your progress, and stay motivated.
• Free Online Support Tools for access to fitness experts, peer support, and motivation.

What's in the Box?
12 DVD workouts, nutrition plan, fitness guide How to Bring It DVD, a calendar to track your progress

Price: $150.00

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