Is Circuit Training The Best For Strength & Conditioning???

 It’s one thing to focus on one exercise for a number of sets and reps, it’s another to do one exercise and move onto another and another until you’ve done your station to station of exercises. Circuit Training has been around a while and it has its pros and cons like anything else, but it holds something different compared to other methods or exercise schemes.

In weight training, you can go from barbells to dumbbells and machines in a span of a few minutes per round, with bodyweight you can switch from push-ups to squats, pull-ups, dips and lunges almost in the blink of an eye. You can even do it with animal movements or band work. It’s a matter of what your goals are and what you want to work with.

The first time I can remember attempting to do a circuit, I was 19 years old in a Gold’s Gym in Santa Cruz, CA and I was doing Bench, Deads, Leg Press, Pull Downs and something else, I think a crunch machine or something. I had no clue what the hell I was doing and I was doing weights consistently since I was a sophmore in high school back then but I never did anything like that until that point. In a nutshell, it was a very bad idea and I blame myself for it. I ended up so overwhelmed and my condition was shit to the point where I became so hyperventilated that I went into a stall in the restroom and nearly blacked out. I wasn’t completely aware of what was happening to me but I knew something was wrong and just let my body calm itself down. Once it did, I got the hell out of there and went back home which was only a 10-12 minute walk.

I didn’t attempt that kind of thing again for another year or year and a half until I was experimenting with bodyweight exercises after an accident I had. Sometimes, it’s hard to take those walls down and see what the possibilities are. Over the years, I tried many things and didn’t have a consistent routine which in most cases was never my thing anyway. I found a website that does bodyweight circuits and shows what can be good for beginners or vets in the game and I gave it a shot. I was in shape to do circuits again by 2012 or so and I loved the themes from this website. It’s called Darebee. Completely free with workouts, nutrition plans, programs and all sorts of stuff.

The superhero themes were the most fun to do and modified some of the exercises to what I knew from doing Combat Conditioning and other forms of bodyweight training to help me stay interested. One of my favorite workouts to play around with was a Batman Themed Workout which you can see below….

Modified exercises to suit me and at one point was able to do 10 Rounds in 45 minutes. One of the most brutal workouts I had done. That’s the beauty of Circuit Training, it gives you opportunities to keep momentum going doing one exercise after another instead of focusing on just one for an extended period of time. It’s a great test for your Conditioning & Strength-Endurance. In my opinion, Bodyweight is the very best for this.

So, for a few years now since I became a fanatic with the Dopamineo Bands, I took the type of circuit training I did from Darebee and molded it to Circuits with the Band and began doing hundreds to over 1000 total reps in various workouts focusing on exercises that work well and can switch from one to another without stopping. This amplified my cardio to such a degree that when it became consistent, I wasn’t getting tired doing them, they just made me feel stronger and helped lean me out more.

Below you can get an idea of what I mean….

Are circuits truly the best method for conditioning and strength building? The truth is a little more complex than that LOL. In reality, it all depends on the goals you have and there’s no one way to go about it. Now, if you’re into weight training and want to do circuits, I would keep the equipment to a minimum and it’s not always advisable to do this kind of training at the gym because of the unpredictability of people coming in and wanting to those machines and/or free weights. If you had a home gym set up, that’s the perfect way to do this and you can go from station to station without interruptions or having people wait on you.

If you want to see what a circuit where it combines heavy lifting and cardio style exercises in the same sequence, my friend, the late Bud Jeffries works a heavy partial squat, dumbbell swings and rolling. Although it’s more like a tr-set but you can make it a circuit style and the idea is to keep moving and testing your strength under fatigue. One of the things that made him one of the most conditioned big men of this generation. This is one idea, another would be doing a kettlebell style where you can combine Presses, Pulls, Squats, Cleans and even Push-ups if you’d like.

You can do circuits everyday if you’d like if that’s your goal but I recommend you do some hard circuits one day, lighter ones another and pace yourself. If you’re new to it, a couple times a week for a few weeks and bump it up to 3x a week is more than enough for most people. For a period this year with the Bands, I was doing a minimum of 500 total reps almost daily doing circuits, deck of card workouts and HIIT style from January to April and accumulated more than 60,000 total reps with the Bands. It’s not for everybody and I don’t recommend you do that, sort out what you would like to accomplish in your own journey.

One of the recent circuits I did was with bodyweight exercises doing Hindu Push-Ups, Hindu Squats, a Jumping Jack variation, V-Ups, Tables & Mountain Climbers. Would practice deep breathing in between sets or circuits. Did 10 Rounds which came out to 800 Total Reps. Sweated like a waterfall and felt great afterwards. Fitness can be so much fun when you set your mind to it.

If you’re not a fan of circuits, that’s ok, there’s plenty of other options and if you would rather focus on one exercise at a time for a set and rep scheme, go for it. Learn from my mistake the first time I tried a circuit. Get in condition first or have a better pace of what you use and the type of reps and rounds you do. I don’t want anyone going through what I did or worse, it’s not fun and it can come back to haunt you if you’re not careful. That’s one of the downsides to doing this is not learning what could go wrong when you’re not ready yet.

Do things that give you the tools to continue your journey with vitality and excitement. Some days may be lousier than others but see it as an opportunity to create something that will blossom later. Be amazingly awesome and keep killing it.

Go to dopamineo.com if you're still interested in the Bands. Use my code POWERANDMIGHT to get a cool discount on your  order.

Dopa Brutality From A Possible Psychotic Mind

When you think about what you want to do for a workout, sometimes you have to come up with challenges or go deep into your mind and find that brutal level of "Oh This Is Fucking Happening". On Tuesday, I might as well have been on a whole other realm because that workout, just about killed me.

I had mentioned in my post about Ad Santel (Catch Wrestling Icon) that I did the Dopa Band Circuit & Sprints in honor of the old timers and tested my conditioning with pure vengeance. Today, I'm going to cover it and give some insights to what it felt like and what the aftermath was.

Training by yourself and learning your capabilities tests what you are willing to put in in order to get the best out of it. This was not only challenging but it gave me a profound perspective to what it takes to "Stretch Your Limits" as the guys at Dopamineo would say. Conditioning is a powerful asset but in this case, it set a higher bar to why it's so powerful.

Earlier in the morning, I did some Neck Mobility and Joint Loosening to get my body going for the day. Had some food and a while later went to the park to set things up and hammer one of the craziest sessions that someone can possibly do and to do at nearly 42. I set the goal in mind, I left it all out there and gave it everything I could without hurting myself or training to failure. Here was the workout with the Dopa Band.....

5 Exercises

10 Chest Pulleys

10 Wave Pulls

10 Hook Under The Arms Squats

10 Alt Front Raises (AKA Skis)

10 Propellers

20 Rounds. The Finisher: Wrapped the Band around my waist, set my timer for 5 Rounds of 30 Sec on, 30 Sec Off and blasted off doing short but very explosive sprints.

The 1000 total reps (with little rest at all) was already nutty enough and was a bit fatigued but I wanted to step up my game and see how I can push myself adding the Sprints. In life, at times we have to keep going and to do what must be done, even when we're on the brink of exhaustion. Not saying this happens all the time or should be done all the time but there might be a time where you have to dig down and find that inner strength to fight that could be life saving. 

The high I was feeling after catching my breath breathing like a maniac who had just been in a war zone was incredibly relaxing that it lasted for hours. It was just pure bliss, didn't feel anxious, nervous, worried or have a care in the world. Just in a mediative state of happiness and clarity.

In reality, the only thing Psychotic about me is the workouts, not someone who is clinically psychotic and needs to be locked up somewhere. There are people out there with whacked out and screwed up entities that need to be dealt with but then again there are those who "claim" to be psychotic but do nothing but rant and act superior living out some delusional fantasy. 

This workout was something I never tested out before and granted I've done sprints and a number of workouts that went up to 1000 Reps whether it was a circuit or doing the deck of cards twice in a row but never mixed the two beasts together to form a nasty session that would make the average guy quit within a few minutes. A wrestler or even someone in MMA most likely can do far better at this than I ever will but to me, this was something I wanted to find out for myself what my abilities could do when I put my mind to it. Will I do this kind of training again? One day maybe but for now, stay on track to becoming a master of these bands and conditioning myself for the long haul. 

Find what can be a challenge for you and see what you can do. We all have our own journey and we all have our own challenges but we are also more capable than we even give ourselves credit for. In a nutshell, we are our own worst critic, even more than the ones who despise and hate on us but can't stop reading or discussing about us. Be amazingly awesome and kick ass in all your endeavors. Go to Dopamineo.com and grab a band or two and get up on that horse to get in bad ass shape, use the promo code POWERANDMIGHT. Be mindful, be resilient, breathe and take control of your fitness journey.  

15000 Reps With The Dopa Band

Well, the first month of 2026 is close to an end. This past month has been a great part of my journey especially with my Dopa Band Training. Every single day so far, I have done 500 Total reps of my Band Circuits. Some days I change up the exercises or work on ones I know and I love to do but also been giving new ones a go. Some of them work well, others are more for those who have better experience than me. 15000 Reps has been done with this thing and I'm just itching to do more of it.

No matter what whether I was in the gym or not, I made the time to do a circuit a part of my daily training. Even did one as a finisher after a gym session. That was brutal and really tested my conditioning. Quite honestly, I don't know why I'm not sore from that. With the new addition of the Chosen Higher Green Band (which I've had my eye on for weeks), it's going to be a crazy ride to keep at it with this style of training. Think my first workout with it will be either a circuit totaling 1000 Reps or do a Full Deck Of Cards twice in a row with it which is also 1000 rep total. I'll have to flip a coin on that one. Yes I' am that crazy. There is no third option LOL.

Seeing great athletes use it keeps inspiring me and seeing folks in their 50's and 60's use it to keep themselves healthy and in shape is incredible. These bands have made led many wrestlers to medal in both the Olympics & World Championships. One of the best wrestlers that also went into MMA, Henry Cejudo credits Dopamineo Training as a go to for enhancing his conditioning and technique. You can hear the man himself HERE!!! Seriously, this dude won Gold in the 2008 Olympics, 2x gold and 1 Silver winner in the U.S National Championships, 3x Pan American Champion, UFC Bantamweight & Flyweight Champion and won his first 10 Fights in MMA in a row. That's a Hall Of Fame career man. 

It feels great to be a part of this community. I ordered the Green Band along with their anchor strap from one of their champions, a BJJ prodigy named Helena Craver who has been named the #1 No Gi Women's Grappler pound for pound by FloGrappling. If you ever find some of her videos on her training, you're going to find a lot of them have a dopa band in her possession. I wanted to support her journey in Grappling because at her age, she's already reached levels most women don't in their whole career. She's only 19 years old and and has potential that may even hit Ronda Rousey status, who knows where this kid will go but I'm proud to have at least contributed something that will help her along the way. 

When you add your current routine or even do it in and of itself on days off from your regular training with the band, there's going to be some killer benefits that will be in your corner; Stamina, Mobility, Conditioning, Flexibility, Technique Building, Coordination Skills, Explosiveness, Recovery and more. It can be used for rehab or prehab, a warm up or a finisher, you can go slow or fast if you want and it's virtually indestructible. It's like the name it was given, DopamineO with the O being "Oh shit, that was great".  Build new skills, breathe new life into your fitness and be able to take it with you practically anywhere. 

I will be continuing doing these workouts for a while since I've got something cooking that I can't share with you just yet. Be amazingly awesome and be sure to grab a band at Dopamineo.com and use my discount code POWERANDMIGHT to get 10% OFF your order. There are bundles, add ons and discount plans for those in the Military. 

The Basics For Bodyweight Training In A Circuit

 For years, I've been doing circuits since I first started doing them in the gym as a teenager which that first one ever nearly made me go to the hospital. I was about 19 at the time and experimenting different things I learned in the bodybuilding books I had like Ironman & A Bodybuilding Encyclopedia that featured workouts from the top guys that included Arnold, Lou, Franco, Boyer Coe and others. For real, I tried this circuit of weights and machines and not even halfway in, I was hyperventilating so much I rushed into the bathroom, sat down (which was a really bad idea) and nearly blacked out. For a split moment I thought I was going to die.

Didn't do another circuit after that until I was rehabbing from my accident and learned a few things based on Combat Conditioning from Matt Furey. That was my first taste of circuit training which at the time, wasn't anywhere near the level I can do now but it was an interesting experiment for me and would do it once in a blue moon. 

When I learned about Darebee after years of Bodyweight Training and Conditioning, it lit a spark in me to work on them. Some circuits were easy to get through, others were a bitch and tough as hell (Those Batman & Daredevil Workouts, dear god man). At first, I'd just work into them doing the amount of circuits it tells you what level you're at. Within some time, I wanted to go even further and do 10 Rounds of a circuit and that's where I felt it gave me the best benefit. Not just the amount of rounds but to rest as little as possible if at all. I really wanted to test my conditioning and to keep the timing down. I don't believe I went more than 45 minutes doing these, kept it between 10-30 minutes. 

The one thing I like about circuits is that they test you on the basics. You can do more advanced exercises or whatever reps you want to do per exercise but the basics is where things shine the brightest. The advanced stuff looks cool and they have benefit but in the long run, the basics are what make the difference. Yesterday, I did a bodyweight circuit consisting of Split Lunges, Hindu Squats, Push-Ups & Punches and that was it. 

10 Split Lunges (5 Each Leg)

10 Punches

20 Hindu Squats

10 Punches

5 Push-ups

10 Punches

5 Push-ups

10 Rounds with the only rest in between circuits is marking it off. Total was 100 Split Lunges, 300 Punches, 200 Hindu Squats and 100 Push-ups. Worked up a pretty good sweat. Wasn't too difficult but it wasn't easy to do either. It was great, "warming up" beforehand doing Neck Mobility & Joint Loosening Training. A workout that really kicks off the day and having that surge of strength running all around you. It was basic, simple and can be done anywhere. 

Circuits provide some good testing of mental toughness as well because you're going from one exercise to the next without a break and to stay focused while having the best form possible and learning how to pace yourself. Let the speed come naturally but at the same time, don't be slacking off either.

Come check out Darebee.com and see which workouts would work for you. You can modify them if you wish to make an exercise variation easier or harder. Mainly bodyweight style so many of these can be done anywhere you can do them in. You are your own gym, you are the equipment that has all sorts of things at your disposal. Go kill it and be Amazingly Awesome. 

13 Rounds In 31 Minutes Of My Dopa Circuit

 Thought I'd go a little longer than usual with my Dopa Circuit today and try a couple of exercises that I've rarely if ever done. In most workouts with the band I'll do 500 total reps, only less than a handful ever done 1000 reps but today, I just wanted to see what I can do with as many rounds as I can within 30+ Minutes. 

The band is no joke and can put you down for the count if you know the way to do it. It's a reason why wrestlers use it as part of their conditioning. You can build just about any workout you want out of it. I like circuits mainly cause I can keep going with little to no rest and get a lot done in a short amount of time. In all the workouts I've done with that thing, I don't believe a workout went past 50 minutes, if that. 

In the 500 Rep workouts, I usually can breeze through it and feel great, speed is a bit more in tuned and keep things at a pace that flows well. If I wanted to go a little longer, I don't speed up as much. It's more methodical, calculated and focused more on technique and control. I let the speed come naturally, I'm not trying to kill myself but I'm not going to be sitting on my ass in between circuits either. What exercises did I do? Here's the rundown....

10 Chest Presses

10 High Pulls

10 Uppercut To Squats

10 Oblique Twists (5 Each side)

10 Propellers

Worked them but not trying to be so explosive and fast because that's not what the intention was. It was more about being precise with the movements and focus on the muscles more than trying to cut down the time. I hadn't done the High Pulls before and the last time I did Oblique Twists with the band, I made them more explosive but I ended up having issues because of it and that was back in late 2023-early 2024. This time, I kept things at a slower pace and work my hips and core muscles instead of looking like I wanted to throw somebody LOL.

This workout was interesting to do and it was great. Set my stopwatch, went at it and stopped when I felt like I was done. Got 13 Rounds in within 31 minutes or so and I'm happy with that. Going extreme every once in a while for a challenge is great but it's not necessary to do it ALL the time. Whoever tells you to go extreme everyday, needs a reality check and a dose of "Fuck off with that bullshit". It's the same type of guys who believe in the "No pain, no gain" mentality, it's a myth and a fool's errand. It's better to be consistent with what gives you the best benefit of your health and keeping things at a level that brings long term results. If you're trying to set records in every workout, it only leads to heartache, injury and a fragile ego. 

Fitness is a journey that takes many roads, obstacles and discoveries. It's about testing your capabilities but also learning what to be aware of, what to do and what not to do. Many don't get that because they want shortcuts, a quick fix and something that will turn them into some world class athlete. That's not how this works, it takes discipline, knowing when to bring it back a bit at times and taking it one day at a time. Time catches up to all of us, the question is, will you make that time worth it to be less injury-prone and maintaining levels of strength and condition that keeps you out of the nursing home? 

Be amazingly awesome and don't forget to snatch up a Dopa band at Dopamineo.com and use my discount code POWERANDMIGHT to take a few bucks off your order. Train anywhere, get one for the kids and let them get that excess energy out. Got a group or a team you're training? Bands are great for that as well and don't forget as well there's discounts for Military Veterans as well. 

500 Rep Circuit Training With The DopamineO Band

 WELCOME, FOOLISH MORTALS.....

Shit, wrong genre to write about. Had Disneyland on my brain. Anyway, back to our regular scheduled program.

There are a million ways to get fit but only few will ever get you to your destined results that are meant for you. For real, if we all did the same exercises, the same routine, the same pace, the same foods, we'd all still come out different. Some would be better, others will be having issues. We have our own journey and it's important to utilize and learn what's best for us as individuals. Focus on the tasks that gives us the best results and/or be able to be consistent.

Been training a bit more consistently with the Dopa Band lately where I would pick 5 Exercises for 10 Reps each and work them until I've done 10 Rounds of a circuit with them. Usually a Push/Pull/Squat style and do different exercises each time or so to keep things fresh while also experimenting. Most of the time it's a press or fly to start, then rows, squats, footwork or switch things up and work the upper arms or do the propeller move.

Changing things around to keep things fresh is never a bad thing, on some days, I don't always focus on conditioning and quickness; I go for Strength where I stretch the band to where it's difficult to hold onto and work technique. This also gives a perspective of using great tension to build muscle. The only rest I take in between circuits is marking it off or having to adjust the band since at times because of the sweat, the knots slip out and need to reapply them. Can be a pain in the ass but I still maintain focus on what I need to do.

That's one of the things I love about this band and understanding their motto of "Stretching Your Limits", it's not about stretching the band itself, it's stretching your imagination and getting the most out of it when you challenge the norm. Although it's mainly known for wrestlers, judo/bjj players & fighters, it gives you options for overall fitness and you can adjust it just by either making it easy and loose or make it harder by stretching the band to it's heaviest amount of tension. It's not going to snap. I've had this thing on grass, concrete, gym floors, dirt, sand, gravel and carpet yet it still hasn't snapped in the two years I've had it. It truly is arguably the most durable band on the planet. 

What's my reason behind totaling 500 Reps? When I started out many moons ago, doing bodyweight exercises included 500 Squats or Hindu Squats as I should say in a row and that number was the gold standard. I've made it to 1000+ within 3-4 months after I was cleared to walk and train again to rehab on my own. That's the real inspiration and just changed the format from 500 in a row to 500 total working a full body scheme. This works for me and because of the changing of the exercises (at times will do the same routines) it'll take 15-20+ minutes and still reach the destination  I want to get to. 

Hitting multiple variations of the Push/Pull/Squat format, it's a continuation of experimenting, hitting other muscles that help with other things and adjusting the band to what I'm going for whether it's strength & technique or conditioning & cardio. You can mimic just about any machine in the gym and add resistance to your bodyweight exercises like the Hindu Push-up for example where there's the bodyweight version and the added resistance, it's the same movement just applied differently. 

It keeps me on my toes and it works like a fucking charm. Set it up with my Isometric Strap as an anchor and hook the band up to it, knot the two ends and start hammering. I love circuits because they can get shit done in a short amount of time while hitting the muscles effectively. Get in, train, get the fuck out, that's my philosophy. Circuits program you to keep going and handle stress in a very specific way. At first, just focus on technique and go from there, as you go along, you become faster, have better precision and your condition gets better. It can be done as a warm-up or a finisher to your regular routine. Wrestlers use the bands as finishers to nudge their conditioning even further after grueling practices, those are where champions are made. 

Get one or a bundle of them NOW!!! Use my discount code POWERANDMIGHT to take some bucks off your order. Go to dopamino.com and start killing it with resistance band training. Be amazingly awesome.   

The Power of Circuit Training for Conditioning

Some workouts can be so tedious and boring that they just seem to drag on forever. It can be a struggle to see results from certain routines. Ever thought about testing out circuit style training? It can be a game-changing approach that combines strength training and cardio for a full-body workout.

What is Circuit Training?

Circuit training involves a series of exercises performed in rapid succession, with minimal rest between each station or moving from one exercise to the next without stopping. This particular style has the ability to push your body to its limits, challenging your cardiovascular endurance, strength, and agility. By incorporating various exercises into a single circuit, you'll engage multiple muscle groups, boost metabolism, and burn fat. Not to mention you can cut time down and get more done. The amount of exercises vary and depending on their difficulty and rep scheme. My personal choice is around 5-9.

What Are The Benefits?

- Time-Efficient*: Circuit training is perfect for those with busy schedules. By combining strength training and cardio, you can get some crazy stuff done in a shorter amount of time. While most would do things up to an hour, a circuit workout can be done within 15-30 minutes depending on what you do. My longest circuit ever was about 45 minutes without taking a rest in between circuits. 

- Improved Cardiovascular Fitness*: Circuit training pushes your heart rate up and down, improving cardiovascular health and increasing endurance. While fitness levels vary and the amount of rounds you do, training this way has it's perks in reaching a good level of cardio. 

- Increased Strength and Muscle Mass*: Resistance exercises in circuit training help build strength and muscle mass. 

- Weight Loss*: Circuit training is an effective way to burn calories and aid in weight loss. Fat Loss as well because with a calorie deficit type eating plan, it can help reach a high metabolic rate.

- Improved Coordination and Agility*: Circuit training incorporates various exercises that challenge your coordination and agility. Moving from one move to another while able to stay balanced and move without risking serious injury is the bonus on top a cherry sundae. 

A Few Ideas To Get You Going

DopamineO Band Training (10% OFF code POWERANDMIGHT)

10 Chest Flys

10 Rows

10 Squats

10 Ski Jumps

10 Hook Punches

5-10 Rounds (Rest 1-5 Minutes Between Circuits Depending On Level)

Bodyweight Circuit

20 Step Ups or Hindu Squats

20 Punches

10 Split Lunges

10 Push Ups

20 Shoulder Taps

10 Mountain Climbers

10 Leg Raises

10 2-Punch Sit-Ups

10 Russian Twists

5-10 Rounds (Rest 2-5 Minutes Between Circuits Depending On Level)

Beginner Dumbbell Circuit

10 Squats

5 Calf Raises

10 Alternating Curls

10 Shoulder Presses

3-5 Rounds (Rest 1-3 Minutes Between Circuits)

A Few Tips For Effective Circuit Training

1. Start slow*: Begin with shorter circuits and gradually increase duration and intensity. 

2. Warm up*: Always warm up before starting a circuit training workout. A good few minutes of joint loosening and/or stretching is really it. I like to do a quick DDP Yoga routine to get things flowing.

3. Focus on form*: Prioritize proper form and technique over speed and reps. Pace yourself. Move too fast, it'll bite you in the ass. Respect the training and make it a quality session.

4. Mix it up*: Vary your circuit training workouts to avoid plateaus and prevent overuse injuries. Do shorter circuits from time to time or cut reps in half at your next session. You can also also do exercises that have less impact and help you keep the blood flowing but not having to go so hard.

5. Rest and recover*: Allow adequate rest and recovery time between circuit training sessions. Do lighter forms of training like walking or going for a swim. It's important to stay active but you don't need to go to extremes every fucking time LOL.

Get Your Ass going with Circuit Training

Whether you're a beginner or an experienced athlete, circuit training can help you achieve your fitness goals. With its time-efficient and versatile approach, circuits are an excellent addition to any workout routine. So why wait? Give circuit training a try today and unleash your full potential. For free info on this style of training check out darebee.com. More than 2500 Workouts for any level of trainees. Be amazingly awesome. 

Conditioning Circuits With Dopa Bands

Circuit Training has been one of my go to methods for developing a good level of conditioning and maintaining my strength that lasts. Due to the workouts I've done with Darebee's Style of training with Bodyweight, it inspired me to work on that style with the Dopamineo Band. 

In most cases with those workouts, I would pick 5-8 exercises with the Band and see what is possible to do within an amount of time. Now, I may not move as fast with the Band as opposed to bodyweight training because with bodyweight, you don't have to adjust as much and jump in from one exercise to the next just by footing or hand placement or positioning pretty quickly, with the Band however, it can be a bit tricky and the exercise change can be either quick or you have to adjust things a bit slower so the timing might vary. 

My goal however has always been to hit 10 Rounds with any circuit I do because that's just the number I want to accomplish, some will hit 5, others beyond 10 and whatever number they want to achieve but 10 for me is the cutoff point. I also try to keep it within 30 minutes or less. Depending on the adjustment and positioning of my body with the Band, sometimes the workout will go over 30 minutes but as long as my rest is minimal and I can keep going, I'm all good. Regardless, doing circuits with Dopa Bands in my opinion is one of the best fitness methods you can do. You don't need to do tons of reps per exercise, just a bare minimum but you keep going and with little rest, you're actually developing a great level of cardio that means something. 

Keeping to the basic exercises is ideal. If you're more advanced, you can do harder exercises if you wish but the rep count may be a bit less than the basics unless you're training for competition or training to enhance your status with your group. The main point is to not let your ego get the best of you, keep your objective to train at a level where you can come out of it with gas left in the tank than to crawl on your hands and knees just begging the universe to kill you. My main goal with my 10 rounds of work is to be efficient as much as possible, work at a speed that is comfortable to me where my form isn't compromised and to only rest by marking off the circuit and keep going with that until the 10 rounds are done because I never want to be tired or slow down so much that I have to reduce my speed by a big margin. You want to be able to go at a pace that keeps the heart rate going but you're not slowing down or getting sloppy by the end. 

Here's a workout I did yesterday that was not difficult but it wasn't easy either. The reps may not sound like much but when you're cruising through and the speed is pretty hefty, it becomes more than it seems....

Conditioning Circuit

10 Rows

10 Curls

10 Chest Presses

10 Uppercuts

10 Tricep Kickbacks

10 Squats

10 Side Shoulder Pulls

This took just over 25 minutes to complete 10 Rounds. It felt great, I had a hell of a heart rate going and the speed was just right. The first round was tricky because I was adjusting to the pace of the exercises but once I got the rhythm, it just went really smoothly. The great thing about circuits is that you can get a lot done in a short amount of time along with building your level of conditioning, agility, mobility and other attributes rather quickly. The other great thing is that you can do the same exercises but change the workout from a circuit to an HIIT type workout where you set a time for the work and then rest for each exercise. My style lately has been to do exercises at a clip of 30 seconds on, 15 seconds off for 4 rounds which roughly hits around 3 minutes per exercise. If you were to do a total of 5-6 exercises, you can do a full workout within under 15-20 minutes that will develop lasting strength, cardio and speed efficiency.

You don't have to go so hard that you can't do another circuit and there's no point in trying to match workouts with the wrestlers and fighters that do these. The crazy thing is, they do circuits like this after their practice when they're already fatigued and pushed themselves. That's a whole other level of mental and physical conditioning. Imagine doing 2 hours or more of drills, sparring for god knows how long and going over technique over and over until it's planted into your brain, not to mention warm ups that would be a full workout to the average and then doing a circuit after all that. You'd be a fool to try to keep up with that. That's world class level and that is to be respected.

Keep it to a level of fitness that keeps you healthy and at a level that works for you. Don't try to keep up with anybody else, follow your own path and train effectively along with reducing injuries. Stay amazingly awesome and keep at it. Don't forget to use my Discount Code POWERANDMIGHT to get 10% OFF your order and get some of the most durable, flexible and strongest bands on the market today. Train practically anywhere and you can customize your order to suit your programs of Youth Groups, MMA Training, College Wrestling, High School Programs, Olympic Training, World Championships, Upcoming Fights, Boxing Conditioning Programs and more.   

Blasting Your Bodyweight With Funk Roberts

 Let's get a glimpse of the bad ass course from the man Funk Roberts....

When it comes to bodyweight training, there's all kinds of things out there that promise the opportunity of getting in such awesome shape that heads will turn, jack up your HGH and burn stubborn fat like butter in a frying pan. You see it all the time especially on Social Media with these influencers that may have some skill but wouldn't know his ass from his elbow. 

There isn't always guarantees and what you put into it will be your results. It can be difficult to obtain a bad ass physique, hell for some, having a bit more muscle than the month before is better than nothing. Very few courses on this planet take you to a level that pits you against some crazy trainees. One of my favorite forms of conditioning is circuit training where you take a few exercises and blast them for a period of time and rest a bit or less and keep going until you've completed your task. That's what Metabolic Bodyweight Blasters 2.0 will do, it will make you work hard as hell but only for a small window of time in comparison to an hour or more of workouts. 

Be able to do this kind of training anywhere at anytime. Short, intense and fat blasting training that uses compound movements, timed rest periods and maximizes the entire session to get the most of your workouts. Send yourself into the stratosphere with workouts that utilizes muscular endurance, strength, Isometrics, Calisthenics and more. No body part will be left out. Warm-Ups are included along with demo videos, guide, nutrition plan, Live Monthly coaching on Facebook with Funk himself and a hell of a lot more.

Take this workout program to your hotel room, out at the park, in your backyard, at the beach in Barbados, touring Europe, next to the Andes Mountains or wherever, this will kick your ass anywhere. That's the beauty of a program like this, your body is the only weight you'll need and the training may be hard but it feels incredible afterwards. I've done workouts with this myself a time or two and if its too easy for you than you might as well join up with either the Justice League or the Avengers with the kind of conditioning you have. It's powerful and it will tell you what your weaknesses and strengths are pretty damn quick. 

Grab Metabolic Bodyweight Blasters 2.0 NOW and reap the benefits of some of the most intense Bodyweight Training on the planet. Get fit, be strong and keep being amazingly awesome. For questions about this program and other Funk Programs, email Mr. Roberts and I'm sure he can answer more about this than I ever could. 

Free Workouts For Everyone

There's the old lyric "The best things in life are free" which has a lot of meaning especially when it pertains to life but in this case, we're going the fitness route. Believe it or not, you can find some of the very best workouts on the planet without spending a single penny and it's from one of the best resources on the internet. Sure there are great courses out there you can snatch up (not one where an 86 page book costs you $150 to learn how to jump rope) and these courses are the pinnacle like the Grind Style Calisthenics Series, Movement 20XX and others. 

Saving money is always a good thing whenever you can do it but sometimes you don't always know where to look to find that area in fitness where you can find a shit ton of workouts and exercise programs to suit your goals. This is where Darebee comes in. I've written about this site before and it bares repeating, it truly is at the top of the list of the best free resources for training. It's a series of mainly Circuit workouts ranging from complete beginner to elite athlete level and it just keeps growing. Consists of about 95% bodyweight style training and the rest has you using equipment like light kettlebells, sandbags, jump ropes and a pull-up bar depending on where you find them. 

Most of the exercises are about as basic as you can get but each workout you find can either be the easiest one ever or the hardest you've ever been put through. They can be tough as hell but you have options to modify the workouts or make them the best ones for you. I've done workouts that lasted a few minutes to nearly an hour long without a break and I'm telling you, they'll kick your ass. The site however goes beyond the workouts which already has over 2000 to choose from; there are specific collections that target certain groups of people that are themed such as Superheroes, Military, MMA, Anime, Video Games, Street Workouts, Jumping Rope and many more. There are sections that are based on scientific analaysis on breathing, running, water intake, recovery, when to go hard and a bunch more. There's even stuff on diet you can use and research on.

Darebee is a great starting point for those who want to get into fitness or haven't done it in a while. You can spend the rest of your life doing these workouts but they can also be a great add on to courses you can afford to grab. I would at times use small circuits from this place with my Suspension Training or Isometric Training. I would do them on off days as part of recovery and other times I'll go hard and time myself to see how I do without resting (or use the rest period to mark off a set and jump into the next one). I'll even make up a circuit of my own as inspiration like this one below...

10 Rounds Of The Following

5 Hindu Squats

20 Punches (In A Horse Stance)

5 Hindu Squats

5 Push-ups

20 Step-Ups

5 Push-ups

50 Standing Punches

Finished this in 23:33 totaling 100 Hindu Squats, 200 Punches In Horse Stance, 100 Push-ups, 200 Step-Ups & 500 Standing Punches. Great for conditioning. 

I love doing 10 Round Circuits because that gives a real rounded total. Darebee workouts mostly have you going up to 7 rounds which is still a great level to achieve especially if you're doing some really hard ones, I just prefer 10. Some workouts are more HIIT based which has you doing an exercises for x amount of seconds each until a time limit is reached and you repeat it for as many rounds as the workout calls for. 

I believe although it's a free resource of training, it encourages you to branch out for more to help guide you into another realm of experiences in your fitness journey. Some folks there use these workouts as add ons for when they go to the gym or as off day workouts, they are used as supplement training for athletes in high school and college, they have been used in classes in P.E, Sports Conditioning, rehab and many other ways. The only real pay you make with this site is the option to donate so they can keep it running or buy their workouts in PDF or Book form such as the Darebee Volume Series which each has over 100 Workouts to choose from. You can print out and make a book for yourself or set up folders in your hard drive that consists of all the workouts you want. I use to do that and if your internet is out, they're right there in your laptop, phone or tablet. 

The only investment here is your time and energy, it is a great option if you truly want to save your money for other stuff in your life. Are they the end-all-be-all, of course not, there are other things you should use if you want to advance in your training but that's up to you. You can still have the best workouts of your life using nothing but your bodyweight. Hell during a 6 week sprint training phase a few years ago, I would use some of the workouts in addition to the sprints, in that time frame, I dropped over 15 pounds and lowered my blood pressure by 32 points in both top and bottom numbers. These workouts can be life-saving and can get you fit in record time. Some of the best training I've ever done was because of Darebee Circuits. I've done them in hotel rooms, the park, in my den, out in the garage and at the lake. You can do many of them anywhere at anytime. 

You have options out there that won't cost you anything and these are awesome for when you really need to save money for special trips, paying off bills, when food is more important than a course and needing new clothes or furniture. We all can use a little help from time to time and these are part of that to help out a fellow human being. 

Have fun and keep being amazingly awesome. Share, Comment & Sign Up with this Blog. 

Creating Your Own Darebee Workouts

Circuit Training is a great method for developing a level of conditioning or overall fitness that reaps a lot of benefits. Off and on for years, Darebees workouts have been awesome in testing my endurance and mental strength to push through workouts that may seem simple on paper but once you do it, it becomes a big wake up call. I've written about some of the Superhero Themed Workouts they've put out and have substituted some exercises that suit me and the way I want to get through those workouts.

I'm not a fan of air squats so most of the circuit workouts I do, I substitute them for Hindu Squats or Step Ups. I wrote in a previous post about what was better; 500 Hindu Squats or 500 Step Ups? The truth is, I don't necessarily put those exercises on a pedestal like others have but also doing one particular exercise for hundreds of reps at once does seem boring to me but for some reason, I enjoy them doing a certain amount of reps in sets such as in a circuit. My fastest 500 Hindu Squats was around 12 minutes, fastest 500 Step Ups was around 22 minutes and the funny thing is, I got more out of doing hundreds in a circuit more than doing them all at once. Variety is more my style.

Darebee has more than 1800 workouts to choose from. Some are easy to do, some are very difficult and others are just plain insane but they provide awesome assessments and help you reach a certain level of fitness. Some workouts go for 3 rounds, some 5 and many have you reach for a goal of 7 rounds. My goal in circuit workouts is to reach 10 rounds as fast as possible with little to no rest. That's the real test of one's conditioning and mental fortitude. Some workouts I finished within 15 minutes, others have taken as long as 45 min but when it comes to circuits, I want to test myself to see how far I can go and hit that finish mark with gas left in the tank. 

Yesterday, I made a Darebee Circuit that consisted of mainly leg work, Pushups and Punching. I don't believe it's right up there with elite pro athletes but it was pretty good and it kicked my ass since I'm feeling it today and it's built on testing your cardio and maintaining a pace where the the only rest period is marking off the set and immediately get back on it. Here's the workout....

20 Step Ups (10 each leg)

10 Lunges (5 per leg or alternating)

20 Punches (Alternating for 10 each arm)

10 Pushups

10 Turning Kicks

Finished 10 rounds in 20:58 which comes out to a total of 200 Step Ups, 100 Lunges, 200 Punches, 100 Pushups and 100 Turning Kicks (700 Reps all together)

Sweat like Niagara Falls and listening to some tunes, couldn't get much better than that. These workouts can give you plenty of ideas to come up with your own and not just follow the routine made for you. Doing a workout made for you is awesome but there's a greater opportunity to create your own style and do workouts you choose that challenge you but also making it work for you as well. 

Is it good to train circuits everyday? Maybe not the high level ones which for the most part doesn't need to be more than 2x a week but if you want to do circuits with less intensity and are relatively easy on certain days, moderate on others and push yourself a couple times, that can make a hell of a program. Some of my favorite workouts are the Combat ones where it's like training MMA but also get into the workouts that are more strength and conditioning based like Push-ups, Squats, Step Ups, Sit-Up Punches and others. Sometimes I'll come up with a combo of the two. 

I like doing superset workouts where I can go back and forth without thinking twice about it but circuits every now and then are a real doozer and put you into another state of mind when it comes to conditioning. You get more variety to work different muscles groups. My circuits are always bodyweight based and I can do these workouts anywhere I want. They're free and go beyond just a workout; there's programs, daily goals, diet plans, specific entities of workouts such as Combat, Amazon, Soldier, Playground, Anime Themed or Sports. These will get you in shape and provide you with resources many pay thousands of dollars for. 

Stay strong and be Amazingly Awesome.  

    

Why It's Important More So These Days To Be In Better Condition Than The Average Person

We live in a society where junk food runs rampant and not enough exercise is instilled. Sure there are many that go to the gym but the biggest purpose for the majority who do only want to look like a pretty boy in a magazine and to have many women show off their ass more than doing real training. It's good to have a goal to be in shape but at the same time you'd want to learn to strengthen more than just muscles but also have some level endurance and flexibility.

Don't get me wrong it's cool to want aesthetics but if you can't be strong, enduring & flexible/mobile what the hell can it really do for you. It doesn't matter how good you look, if you can't go long in the sack or able to move freely as possible, looking good isn't going to help your cause. However, with the right form of training and the ability to eat as healthy as possible, aesthetics can play a great role and will come the way it is meant to.

In this day and age, looking good is not enough anymore; being in real shape and handling life situations is more valuable than having rock hard abs and biceps bigger than the Black Pearl's Cannonballs. If you took maybe 100 people that look like greek gods and goddesses, how many of them are in real shape and can go along with decent levels of strength? Most likely maybe 20% or less. Even more so with the obesity epidemic, staying and maintaining shape is a must. Kids barely even exercise in most schools these days because you have too many written notes, there's no real structure or fun in how exercise is applied; many P.E classes only shoot for teaching specific sports which isn't bad by any stretch but it doesn't teach the fundamentals of kids learning to do Push-Ups, Squats, Sit-Ups, Animal Moves, some form of lifting; hell make them carry a bucket of water if it makes you have them working a little. You know where many kids find exercise; on Youtube. It's cool they found something but nothing compares to learning the real thing and having a coach show you how to apply the exercise with control and able to breathe properly.

Any exercise is better than nothing but it's important to teach the values of understanding your body before moving onto weights or what thereof. Some people go their whole lives not touching a weight and that's awesome yet to get an overall picture its good to have a knowledge and understanding a solid amount of exercises that purely basic and effective.

Circuit Training is very valuable because it's time efficient, doesn't need to be in a huge building and has you building more than just pleasing muscles; it builds strength, stamina, conditioning & flexibility. When you learn to control your breathing & form plus resting as long as needed not what is typically ideal, you can be in incredible shape. Now when it comes down to conditioning i'm not talking Crossfit because that has more flaws than I care to explain but conditioning is being able to withstand stress throughout a playout and it helps you stay in the game even when you might feel shot to hell. Just yesterday I put myself through a Circuit playout that had me doing a total of...

100 Hindu Push-ups
200 Hindu Squats
100 V-Ups
200 Mountain Climbers
100 Hindu Jumpers
200 Side Bends
100 Push-ups
100 Pushing (Jumping Jack Variation)
100 Lunges

Totaling all together 1200 Reps in an hour or less.

You can do lesser reps if you're short on time so it's important to intuitively make the best time for you and do so with intent and making it interesting and challenging. This is a high level playout so for a beginner, cutting it in half would be a hell of a start. You can create your own and not always rely on playouts pre-made. You can adjust the exercise, tempo and time however you wish.    

Circuit Training & The Benefits That Come With It

Circuit Playouts go beyond just moving from one exercise to the other and moving as quickly as possible. The ability to train the body through different tempos and form is a top quality to acquire but at the same time, it's critically important to be aware of breathing and the speed to push through with the best intentions. It challenges your conditioning but it also challenges how you breathe and move throughout a single circuit to multiple rounds.

I have mostly done circuits in the 6-9 range of exercises and do my best to get in 5-10 rounds depending on my mood, the shape i'm in at the time and the difficulty the exercises are. If you're an athlete training for a sport say like MMA, Wrestling, Football, Hockey; you want to be able to move as quickly as possible with limited rest periods between circuits and be able to withstand even great stress. What this teaches is that if you can push through a tough circuit multiple times with very little rest, you can handle extremely well in a competitive environment. However, not all of us can have that luxury because for the average person, pushing that hard can lead to many physical problems and your oxygen levels become more depleted than accustomed to over time.

I believe circuit training can be very beneficial but for the sake of health purposes and a goal to build up strength & endurance over time, its important to focus on the 3 main factors to take on high levels of conditioning; breath control, muscular control (solid form) & tempo. If you move too fast too quickly, your body will shut down in a negative way and you'll need more time to recover, if you move too slow or the playout isn't quite right or not enough you won't make the progress you want. It's like the Goldilocks & The Three Bears concept, there's too much, not enough and there's that one that fits you perfectly. This is where experimentation and focus on how your body operates and is leveled to a particular easy or advanced playout.

Everyone is different so build up to what works best for you and adjust according to your level. On some days it's good to back off and do lesser rounds but on your energetic days you can go for as many as 10-20 rounds if you wish. I also believe in how your energy plays out in this type of training. Pushing to the absolute limit can really deplete your energy levels and you won't be boosting hormones at a great rate; matter of fact your hormones and testosterone levels can drop if you do too much. When your energy levels are leveled to where you can be energized during and after a circuit playout can have a great deal of benefits when done correctly. Circuits can be a powerful way to surge growth hormone, testosterone, strength endurance & energetic properties that lead to greater recovery and accumulate amazing muscle definition & natural muscle mass. It wouldn't matter if its weight lifting, bodyweight, cables or whatever; if you can use the energy to your advantage and use the right form of leverage to where you can be as strong going in as you are coming out of it you're still having a great deal of power throughout your circuit training.

Bodyweight circuits are the best in my opinion because not only can you do them practically anywhere but you learn the sensitivity at a greater rate of your body moves freely than by moving weights because with weights eventually you're moving with the weight instead of moving freely on your own. Be simplistic using pushing, squatting, ab play and some grip to get the most out of your training. You can supplement other exercises but stay with the fundamentals and you'll never go wrong.