Athletes must determine the purpose of their circuit training routine before selecting exercises, which can be categorized into upper body, lower body, full body, and core exercises. These exercises can be done with or without weights and provide an effective cardiovascular workout.
There are thousands of circuit training exercises available to an athlete who wants to put together a circuit training routine. Before selecting the exercises, the athlete must first determine the main purpose of the training. For example, an athlete who is using a circuit training program to prepare for a specific sport will want to choose exercises that place similar demands on the body as the sport in which she participates. Someone who performs circuit training exercises as a means of maintaining general health will generally want a balanced workout that works a variety of muscle groups.
Regardless of the purpose of the circuit training routine, the exercises an athlete selects will generally fall into one of four categories: upper body exercises, lower body exercises, full body exercises, and core exercises. A circuit training program requires an athlete to assemble different sets of exercises, so almost any circuit training will also provide an effective cardiovascular workout.
Lower body workouts primarily require the athlete to perform leg exercises. These exercises can include several very common leg exercises such as squats, deadlifts, lunges, and calf raises. An athlete may choose to perform this with weights if they wish to emphasize the strength-building benefit of the exercise. If he or she wants to emphasize the cardiovascular benefit, he or she can perform the leg exercises without weights to increase the number of repetitions. If an athlete has access to a lift box or any other flat, stable surface, she may also choose to perform any number of box exercises.
The upper body circuit training exercises will include various exercises for the arms, as well as those that engage the upper and lower back muscles and the chest muscles. For many of these exercises, the athlete will need a set of weights. Performing push-ups, lateral raises, triceps extensions, and alternating presses, for example, all require the use of dumbbells. If an athlete doesn’t want to use weights, he can do any of several push-up variations and can do bench presses. All of these circuit training exercises will provide an effective upper body workout.
Full-body exercises often require slightly more elaborate movements, as they must engage multiple muscle groups throughout the body to achieve the desired effect. Full-body exercises include some simple movements, such as jumping jacks, hops, and high-knee steps. Full-body circuit training exercises may also require more elaborate movements, such as those involved in performing burpees, jumping jacks, and treadmills.
The core exercises will engage the abdominal muscles of the body and the muscles of the lower back. Various types of crunches and crunches can be effective for this purpose. Hip thrusts, supermen, and bicycle kicks can also provide effective core workouts.
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