Yeah I know I never do a Workout Wednesday but it sounded good so I ran with it.
There really hasn't been much running going on these days around here, but I'm still trying to keep in shape with other types of working out and circuits are a great way to get in a quick total body workout! I was completely inspired after taking a month of boot camp classes at
Riley Athletics, but since I'm not rich and the gym is a little too far from my place for me I didn't join full time.
Lucky for me my good friend Rachel did join and now she can share the workouts with me :). She also started her own blog and describes most of her workouts there...
CHECK IT OUT and show her some blog love. She is completing a transformation challenge through Riley right now and seeing some awesome results!
A couple circuits I've recently completed and instragramed about:
I realize there is no way I'm probably getting the same intensity of a workout as I would from actually going to a place like Riley, but I'm modifying for my situation and I still get a super heart pounding, sweat fest workout anyways...just minus the screaming encouragement from trainers :).
Yesterday, I completed the most recent
workout Rachel posted with some modifications based on access to equipment at my gym. I'll try to break down the moves for you so you can try it at your gym!
I would recommend setting up a station with all the equipment close to you since there is only 15 seconds of rest between each exercise. I'll try to recommend alternative exercises if the equipment is a little different then most gyms.
To START: Perform 35 seconds of exercise 1 followed by 15 seconds rest. I have the app HITT Interval Trainer on my phone and you can set up whatever intervals you want and it whistles at you between rounds. Go through all 8 exercises before immediately starting with 1 again...repeat for 4 rounds. It takes under 30 minutes!!
EXERCISE breakdown:
1. One-leg squat with TRX to a row (if you don't have a TRX just do a one leg squat). Switch legs each round so each leg gets 2 rounds of work
2. One-arm dumbbell row in a plank. Get in plank holding one dumbbell and perform rowing motion with one arm for entire exercise trying to maintain a flat back and balance. Switch arms each round.
3. Kettlebell swing (you could do this with a large dumbbell as well)
4. Half pushup/full pushup - Simple as that, do a half pushup then a pull pushup and repeat for 35 seconds...mixes it up a bit from just doing regular pushups.
5. Cable pull to squat - (if you don't have a cable machine you can probably achieve the same move by holding dumbbells and doing the move)
6. Jump rope - Rachel's workout calls for one legged rope slam so if you have battle ropes at your gym go for it! My gym actually has ropes but there wasn't enough room to use them yesterday while I was doing the circuit. Jump roping doesn't even come close to battle ropes but I did what I could with what I had.
7. Medicine ball oblique twists - hold a medicine ball, take those feet off the floor and rotate back and forth!
8. Reverse lunge with kettlebell swap (would work with a dumbbell too) - hold the kettlebell in one arm and when you lunge back pass the kettlebell under your leg...this video shows it way better than I can describe it.
There you have it, try it...it only takes about 30 minutes. The battle rope area was cleared by the time I was done with this circuit so I made up for missing them by doing 4, 30-second bursts...and I felt like throwing up after each interval, man those things are tough! I cooled down with a 30 minute walk on the treadmill.
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| Exactly what I look like ;) (source) |
Question: Do you ever do circuit workouts? Any good resources out there you use to find the workouts? I get a lot of ideas from other blogs!
