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It’s a cost-effective program.
It’s an efficient program, allowing R&R (rest and relaxation) between alternating days of exercises and your body’s fitness areas between workouts.
It’s a program that helps your body’s aerobic conditioning and strength building while also burning fat at the same time.
Now we’ll quickly cover the basic steps in a circuit-training program. And then cover recommended workout stations or exercises for the different muscle groups.
Basic Steps in Circuit Training Program:
1. Consult with your healthcare provider first, like with any and all fitness programs, to make sure your exercise choices are fit for you.
2. Do basic stretches and warm up activities, especially for the muscle groups you’ll be focusing on that day. Some of the popular recommended activities for this can be jogging, brisk walking and several minutes of low intensity, aerobic exercises like biking with low resistance. And stretch all muscle groups.
3. Proceed with your set of exercises or workout stations for about 20 minutes, focusing on a certain muscle group for the day. Log what you’re doing so that you can alternate your program to focus of different muscle groups the next time and increase repetitions and / or weights as needed, and so that you can skip a day in between (maybe do cardio work on days in between).
4. At the end of your training sessions, cool off and do as you did with your warm up activities. Light aerobics and stretching will help get your heart rate back to normal.
5. Monitor your progress and set goals for yourself. For example, work with a trainer short-term or long-term at or near your fitness facilities or home. And establish goals for yourself. They can most likely help you with any testing needs, like to determine your body mass index, and establish some guidelines.
Now for the recommended workout stations or exercises for the different muscle groups. Adapt those you like to suit your environment and needs.
Group I- Indoor/Outdoor Set for Going In & Out of Cold Weather:
Do the maximum amount of pushups that you can do in 1 minute.
Then the same with squats for a minute. For more intensity do squats with weights -While holding a weight in each hand (beginners can do without) and arms at your sides (hands turned so that palms face each other), stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, knees a little bent. Squat down while inhaling. Stop if you can no longer see your toes, you don’t want to pass this point. Then rise back up while exhaling, pushing with your heels to your original position. Take care to use good posture and not hurt knees.
Next do as many pulls ups as you can in a minute. Indoors, you could try using a bar (like in a closet for close hangers) or set up a “chinning” or “chin up” bar in a basement or workbench area. Some home equipment have this feature, too. And you can try curling and uncurling legs behind you and using assists for knees and pulling with hands / arms.
Next jog or use a stationary bike for 3 minutes.
Next come lunges for 1 minute, as many as you can do. - While holding a weight in each hand (beginners can do without) and arms at sides (hands turned so that palms face each other), stand straight with feet together, knees a little bent, head up. Inhaling, move the right leg out a step, lowering the left so that your knee just about touches the floor. Then exhale while returning to original position, shoving off with your right foot. Repeat, alternating legs.
Next come curls (biceps) for a minute. Stand or sit with your back straight and supported. With your arms down at sides, hold weights with palms facing out or up. Gently curl arms up towards shoulders. Uncurl. Repeat.
Time to jog or use a stationary bike again for another 3 minutes.
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