A workout that trains your entire body in just 30 minutes. That's the power of circuit training. It’s no wonder that the popularity of this training method is increasing. It is the most effective way to achieve your fitness goals. At least, when you perform the circuit in the right way. 

With 3 tips, we’ll help you get started with an effective circuit training. Not only does it save you a lot of time, but you also achieve the desired result faster. 

Stop wasting your time in a gym

Are you currently training at a standard gym, or did you recently do so? Then we would like to ask you to reflect on how much time you spent waiting or how you could have spent it more effectively. Just imagine. You walk into the gym to really get after it. You enter the room and first have to think about what you're going to do. Is it leg day today? Or should you really just pick up cardio again? Just by thinking about what you’re going to do, you lose a lot of valuable time.

Okay, now you know what your workout routine looks like for the day. Then you first hope that the machines are free, and everything still needs to be set up for your body and fitness level. After one or two hours, you are finally done with your workout. But do you feel truly satisfied? With a bit of luck, you've tackled some muscle groups, but those results just don’t come. 

Circuit training; the most effective workout

Compared to standard gyms, circuit training is a workout where you make effective use of every second. How, you might ask? A well-thought-out and laid-out circuit consists of 8 different exercises, each targeting a different muscle group. The difference with a standard workout is that you perform the exercises directly one after the other. This way, you not only work on strengthening different muscle groups, but you also work on your fitness at the same time. In just 30 minutes, you have trained more effectively than by performing a standard workout.

3 Tips for the most effective circuit training

Even though the reasoning behind circuit training is the same, that doesn’t mean every circuit is equally effective. That’s why we give you 3 important tips for optimal training.

1. Number of exercises in circuit training

The possibilities with circuit training are endless. Moreover, you determine how many exercises a training session consists of. Generally, we advise keeping around 8 exercises per circuit. You repeat these exercises multiple times. 

To provide an effort of 40 to 60% of your maximum strength, it’s important that the circuit doesn’t consist of too many exercises. Then, there’s a chance of overloading or performing the exercise incorrectly because fatigue sets in. With too few exercises, you often won’t engage all muscle groups or there’s too little challenge in your training. Everything revolves around the perfect balance for an effective workout. 

2. Focus on large muscle groups

In effective circuit training, you first train the large muscle groups (legs, back, chest, and shoulders) and then the smaller muscle groups (biceps, triceps, and abs). By training the large muscle groups, you build more muscle mass. By focusing on this first, you are guaranteed an efficient training session.

3. Number of repetitions per exercise

You achieve the desired result by repeating the exercise several times. We get a lot of questions about this. Because how many times should you repeat an exercise? Generally, you repeat an exercise between eight and twenty times. How many repetitions you do exactly depends on the effort provided (40 to 60%) of your maximum strength. Your maximum strength refers to the weight you can lift for one maximum repetition. It shouldn't be too easy, and towards the last repetitions, it needs to feel significantly heavier. 

Circle-Fit circuit training

Circle-Fit goes even further to offer the most effective circuit training. To use your time as effectively as possible, our fitness machines automatically set themselves up for your weight and training level. Additionally, the machine tells you how many repetitions you need to do and at what pace. This way, you are assured of getting the most out of every workout. 

Curious whether circuit training at Circle-Fit is something for you? Let’s meet and definitely try it out sometime.