Posted on November 23, 2016 by Jenny Cromack

Any programme, strength, hypertrophy or endurance, can become very repetitive and monotonous. To keep you engaged and more importantly to keep your training new, fun and interesting try mixing up your sessions. Mixing up the style of session (circuits, super-sets, tri-sets etc.), the exercise selection in your sessions or even the time of day (or night) that you train are good ways to keep things fresh.

Here is a strength based circuit training workout that perhaps includes a couple of new exercise that you may not have done before or variations of exercises that have become boring. These exercises and are nothing ‘ground-breaking’, but something slightly different. Varying exercises targets different muscles within commonly used muscle groups. By the end of the session you will literally be able to feel muscles you didn’t even know you had.

 

circuit training

The session involves 2 separate circuits, both that can be completed individually, in a pair or in a group. Complete 3 rounds of the first circuit 30 seconds work, 15 seconds rest. Followed by a 2 minute rest and then 3 rounds of the second circuit, with the same work and rest periods.

Circuit 1

  • Over-head (OH) walking lunge.
  • Skipping (any skipping variation you desire).
  • A bear crawl – make a big effort to perform this slowly to ensure alignment of the knees, hips, shoulder and elbows. Engage core!
  • Goblet squat.

Circuit 2

  • Walking lunge with offset weight – dangle a band with 5kg weight down from one side of the bar, try to stop yourself falling over!
  • Kneeling plate lowers – starting from an over head position lower a 5-10kg weight plate down with straight arms really slowly.
  • Dead Bug with a swiss ball – another challenging core exercise, start laying on your back with knees up to your chest and arms extended up holding a swiss ball.  Extend your opposite arm and leg in a controlled manner simultaneously, the swiss ball should remain trapped between the other arm and leg and should not move in between reps. To increase difficulty apply more pressure to the ball with both your arm and leg. Repeat this with the opposing arm and leg.
  • Band pulls – perform this standing up and do the same movement pattern as a reverse fly, trying to stretch the band.
  • Prowler – some resisted sprinting to finish! If you can get your hands on a sled and some space get low and push for as far as you can in that 30 seconds – a real leg burner!!

Make sure have a good long stretch after this circuit training workout.

Enjoy this variation in your training!!