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.

What To Do On Days If You Are Sore

When you've been roughed up in the gym or have gone through a particularly tough workout, you'll feel sore for a period of time whether it's a few days or over a week it happens. I've put myself through nearly 3000 Reps worth of exercise over the course of the last few days or so and yeah being sore at the moment is an understatement. Being sore isn't fun but it is a lesson and it doesn't mean you take a complete day off. With me there's no such thing but how do you handle yourself when this happens?

First off, being sore is a sign that your muscles have broken down and the muscle fibers need the chance to reproduce and grow with greater muscle density so for your next training playout you'll be stronger. Sore however is not the same as pain, that's how a whole other sport basically, it takes longer to come back from pain than it is being sore. Now what options do you have? Unless you're a professional athlete, being sore means you need to lay off the typical intensity you use and focus on taking in some good stretching, deep breathing, some Isometrics and practicing very low impact exercise.

These are just ideas but to get the full benefit you must find that form of recovery because not everyone recovers the same way. When I have sore days, I like to do Animal Flow, where the intensity isn't very high but I do feel it and I'm getting stretched. DDP Yoga is another great option, don't need to do a full hour of ass kicking training but do enough to where it feels really good, your body is being lengthened and you're getting your heart rate up. If you do or attempt the same intensity while you're sore, you're risking breaking up more muscle tissue and not giving it a chance to grow and you'll end up more than just pulling a muscle, you could tear something or worse. Your body needs a chance to grow muscle and letting it do it's job. I've gone through days where I was sore and just kept pushing and I paid the price for it, I ended up with a minor injury to my shoulders and wrists because I didnt allow my body to do it's job.

Many people believe being sore is like having a badge of honor, it's not fun at all and on days where you're so sore you can barely get out of bed there's something wrong there. Some have gone to such extremes (crossfit anyone?) that being sore means nothing but something to push past and get that through the session; when that happens, your body can only be pushed so far until you finally end up in the hospital over stupidity and paying out the ass for torn muscles, a ripped tendon or worse a broken bone regardless of where it is (I've had broken bones so don't even try to argue with me). I do believe however that being sore doesn't mean you should stop training, just lower the intensity and letting your body heal and repair itself so when you go hard again, you'll be at a higher level than the last time.

Many times when I was sore over the last 12 years or so, I practiced Chi Kung; doing different styles, holds, hand movements and loosening the joints, this gave my body the ability to recover faster and always came back stronger and had a greater mindset and will to reach a goal or at times go beyond it or close to it. Recovery is the opportunity to give your body a chance to bring it to optimum levels of intensity, endurance and strength. Sore does not mean give up, it just means back off a bit and letting things breathe and rest.

Be safe while you train and always have a blast. Recover with the best intentions and be on a mission the next time.

Today's Herb, Titan Post Workout Formula