Anyone who is serious about fitness should include at least one day of circuit training into their weekly routine.

Although I have adjusted my exercises methods over the years, I was at my fittest when I did ‘muscle splits’ four days per week and circuit training on the fifth day.

I gained more speed and balance when I played sports and in my normal everyday movements as a result of circuit training. Your body will need a good days rest after doing them since you are exerting so much effort in such a short time.

Check out some of the main benefits of doing this form of training in the following article.

Why I’m a fan of circuit training

Circuit training underwent a lot of heat in the early 2000s. Many fitness experts who realized their clients needed to build muscle mass viewed it as ineffective compared to doing “muscle splits” (i.e. Chest and Back on one day, Legs and Abs on another day, etc.) Their reasoning was sound. It is true that for people who need to build muscle mass, a three to four day muscle split would work much better. However, I’ve personally regained a new-found appreciation of circuit style training, and here’s why:

1. Circuit training can still build muscle. For this to happen, however, you have to do it right- say goodbye to the “machines” style of training, which is probably what gave circuit training the bad name in the 2000s. Machines will futilely help you build muscle mass, and they’re not exactly top notch when it comes to sculpting definition either.

For circuit training to build muscle, you have to do it right. This circuit training should consist of compound movements consisting of popular free weight exercises. Mix in dumbbell movements combined with straight bar movements, not many machines.

2. Circuit training saves time and can be efficient. With a good circuit workout, you can work many muscle groups in a short period of time. Sometimes if you do one exercise at a time or only superset two muscle groups, you eventually get tired or lose focus by taking longer rest times between each set. With circuit training, you rapidly nail down at least three muscle groups before boredom and fatigue sets in.

3. Circuit training adds variety to the workouts and breaks boredom. There’s nothing wrong with doing a set and then sitting there for two minutes before doing another. In fact, this definitely has its’ benefits also. But it can get tedious and boring in a way. Circuit training keeps you on your feet and moving at all times, except for when you really need a rest to catch your breath or grab a drink.

These are just some of the ways that circuit training can be effective and produce excellent results on your fitness regimen in your workouts. Remember. You have to do it right to reap the benefits. Focus more on free weights and compound movements instead of machines, and also make sure your exercises and muscle groups being trained are in the right strategic order. If you do, you will add a challenge, sculpt a variety of muscles, and burn a great amount of calories in a short amount of time, which will keep your workouts fresh, fun, and enjoyable.

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P.S.  If you plan on incorporating this type of training into your workout regimen be sure to do them once per week to start and then increasing to three days per week over a period of a month. Doing them this way will give you a better gauge of how long and how hard you need to go and where to make adjustments.

P.P.S.  Visit How to Prevent Pre-diabetes today for more tips on exercising properly.