Circuit workouts

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dss62467

Cathlete
What do you think about using one of the circuit training workouts (i.e. Boot Camp, Cardio & Weights, etc.) for a cardio day, if you're doing heavy weights and each body part 2X a week? So you'd do each body part twice a week, as heavy as you can, then on a day that you're planning only cardio, you throw in one of those circuit workouts, but keep the weight sort of light?

I'm trying to add a little muscle, but don't want to blow off these workouts because #1) they're kind of fun and #2) I paid for them.

My rotation looks like this.
Day 1: Chest & Back, 1/2 hr. cardio, abs
day 2: Biceps & Triceps, 1/2 hr cardio
Day 3. Legs & Shoulders, abs, 1/2 hr. yoga
Day 4: Cardio & abs
Day 5: Chest & Back, 1/2 hr. yoga
Day 6: Biceps & Triceps, 1/2 hr. cardio
Day 7: Legs & Shoulders, abs
Day 8: Cardio & 1/2 hr. yoga
Day 9: yoga

On Day 4 or 8, I would do the circuit workout. That wouldn't be a bad thing, would it?
 
I think it is not necessary. THis rotation shows enough upper body weight work, especially if you are going heavy. Let your poor muscles rest.

But, if you do insist on doing a circuit, and I wouldn't with this rotation, I would do it on day 9, certainly not 4 or 8, not right after shoulders. Give them a break!

And if you did do it on day 9, you should not begin day 1 again with chest & back. You would have to build this into a 10 day rotation so that there is a break between the circuit of day 9 and the chest & back of day 1.

There is nothing wromg with 10 day rotations. I use them with good results.

Clare
 
Do you do any rotations where you use the circuit workouts? What if I just saved them for a rotation where I decide to focus on endurance instead. So I'd do Muscle Endurance or Power Hour 2X during the week and then throw in a circuit on a 3rd day?

I've been doing heavy for over a month, so I think at the end of this month I'm going to do a month of endurance. I don't know...although I can see that I can lift heavier, I don't see any change in my muscles. And I know I'm getting plenty of protein.
 
Yes, that's exactly what I'd do, save them for an endurance based rotation, as you suggested.

I don't do circuit style workouts very often, except Circuit max which I do weekly, but then I never do it as is: where Cathe does the 2 mins of upper body weights and compound moves, I always grab my 30 pound barbell or 2 12 pound dumbells and use those 2 ins for lower body work, ding squats, plie squats, static lunges, lunges on to the step and off of the step alternately. So, it's a different sort of circuit experience.

Like you I am focussing heavily on strength right now and have been for the last 7 weeks. As an ecto, I'm a hard gainer.

You are lifting heavier weights which means that you are building strength. But don't worry that you are not seeing massive size gains, muscle gets denser as it gets stronger, which is why you can put on lean muscle tissue and lose weight and need smaller cothes yet still weigh the same or more than befoe. Muscle densifies and gets more compact. You are still doing great things for your body and doing great. tell me: I bet you get a real pumped look as soon as you have finished working out? Yes?? But it goes down slightly by the next day, right? That's normal.

Your rotation of PH *2 plus a circuit w/o each week sounds good to me!

Clare
 
What's an "ecto"?

You're right on the money with the pumped look. I even get a little vein. But it's gone the next day.:-(

Thanks a lot for your input.
 
Generally speaking, most people can be described in terms of an underlying body type. Ectomorph, endomorph, mesomorph. Ectos are slim/thin, long lean muscles if they have any at all! Hard to gain weight, hard to gain muscle. Most models probably fall under this body type. Mesos are stockier, tendency to build muscle very easily. Cathe may be of this body type. Endos tend to put on weight easily, pear shaped, have to be more vigilant about diet, carry more fat tissue.

These are generalities and most of us may have tendencies of two of these body types.

Clare
 
Donna, I'm an ecto too. If you do a search for "ecto", you'll find a lot of threads about our body type. For a while, there was an "Ectochick" check-in which has some interesting posts. I like circuit workouts (especially Bootcamp) but have a hard time fitting them into my rotations too. I have a hard enough time trying to fit in yoga!
 
Donna, IMO your rotation looks like overkill. There is no scheduled rest day (you need at least one). Yoga doesn't count as a rest day because you are still contracting the muscle while stretching another.

Now I don't know what your goals are (gain strength, lean out, lose fat) but your rotation doesn't have a real focus. You have cardio 5x, weight training 6x, circuit training 1x, and then yoga 3x.

You mentioned you were an ecto so I assume you are looking to build muscle. If so, then you have too much cardio in your workouts. Cardio should be reduced to 2-3 days/week so that your muscles can develop.

As another poster said, I would not throw on a circuit workout (you have more than enough weight training days). Instead reserve that for another rotation, one that is more endurance based. In fact, you're better off doing three different rotations each w/ a different focus
For example, the 1st month, you would focus on lifting heavy, less cardio. The 2nd month's rotation would be more endurance based (i.e. more circuit workouts). The 3rd month rotation would focus on fat loss (more cardio).

The bottom line is that you want to see results and you don't want to destroy those results by doing too much at one time.

Hope that helps!

Eileen
 
Actually, I think that helps a lot. But I figured I was doing a good amount of cardio because I was only doing 1/2 hour for 3 of the days. So maybe I'll drop a couple of them. That gives me more time for yoga anyway.:)

I'll plan on the endurance rotation for next month. Thanks!
 
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