Circuit training

[debharvey]

Hi Cathe,
I was wondering what your feeling is about doing circuit training everyday for aerobics and strength training. I know you should not work the same muscles groups everyday but usually circuit training you are using lighter weight less, sets and reps.
I like these kind of workouts (like Circuit Max) especially when I know my week is going to be crazy and I have a short workout time. I know the strength benefit will not be as good as if I do
PS series or SH series but this would only be on a crazy week.
Thanks,
Deb

 

[Aquajock]

Hi, Deb Harvey! You may want to post this on the Ask Cathe forum; I was advised by a forum participant a few months ago that Cathe is less often able to check questions on the Open Discussion forum.

And, since everyone is entitled to my opinion . . .

Personally, I think you'd see better overall results if you do NOT do circuit training every day for aerobics and strength training as you suggest, unless it is indeed a short-term thing because of scheduling stuff. One "mistake" I fell into late last year was doing interval step workouts to the exclusion of all other kinds. Now, with three workouts per week available for land (I teach two aqua classes as well, so three is all I have time for), I do one interval step workout, one circuit workout (I like to combine the Body Max power circuit segment with the Circuit Max step segments), and one "steady-state" workout. I'm really feeling a good difference!

Just my $0.02. Have fun!

Annette

 

[jgoycoolea]

If you really want to circuit train everyday, perhaps you could just focus on one muscle or set of muscles on a given day. For example, on Monday all of your circuits could involve back and biceps. On Tues, they could all be legs. On Wed., Chest, shoulders, and tris. On Thurs, abs, obliques, and lower back. I'm not suggesting that this is necessarily the best way to train for size, but if circuit training is what you want to do and enjoy the most, this may help you from overworking any one muscle group. It may still reap strength and endurance gains.

I've made up routines like this in the past with tapes I have. For example, in the 2nd half of BodyMax, when Cathe does legs, you could just do something else. Or with Reebok Intense Moves, after each power segment, I stop the tape and do my weights.

FOr more variety, you may want to change up the cardio to weight times. So one week do 3:1. The next 10:8. This sort of scheme was described in the Spring 2001 issue of Muscle & Fitness Hers (the green one.)

I love to cirucit train too! JEanne

 

[debharvey]

Hi Annette & Jeanne,
Thanks for your respones. I didn't realize that I was on Open Discussion Page. I was in a hurry on my way to work. Circuit training is not something I really care about doing. I just have quite a few circuit training tapes like Cathes'Circuit Max and Karen Voights' new one and I just thought for a change of pace for maybe a week this would be OK. I really prefer to go heavier on strength training just was wondering where I could put these tapes in. I am a fitness fanatic as far as buying just about every advanced or what they say is advanced tape that comes out. Sometimes I think they over rate them but Cathe's you can be sure of. I love doing Cathe's strength tapes they are the best. I am doing PS series right now. I never did rotations until I started reading the forums.
Everyone is very helpful and reading others ideas have also been helpful also. I have been working out for years and it is nice to get new ideas to keep your workout fresh. Well thanks for letting me go on and on. Any other ideas let me know
Thanks again, Deb