Cardio Circuit Training Workouts

Article by Ella McGinley

Cardio circuit training workouts are a great form of exercise; good for the heart and circulatory system, good for muscle building and toning and great for keeping your weight under control. Another fantastic thing about cardio circuit training workouts is that you can do them in the privacy of your own home. There’s no need to spend a fortune on gym memberships or fuel to get to said gym and what’s more working out at home saves you time.

Depending on the cardio circuit training workouts you want to do, you don’t need expensive equipment either and if you hate the drudgery of running for miles then that’s fine too, because all cardio circuit training workouts need to do is increase your heart rate to between 60-80% of your maximum (you will find calculators online to find this out – it’s age dependent). If you want to burn fat, then 60% will do it and for fitness, up to 80%.

You need to focus on each of three zones for this workout; upper, middle and lower. The upper zone covers the chest, triceps and shoulders, the middle zone is the abdominal muscles and the lower zone includes buttocks and thighs.

Most cardio circuit training workouts recommend that you choose an exercise for each zone and exercise almost continuously (meaning with only a few seconds rest between sets) for 30 – 45 minutes, doing around 25 repetitions of each exercise before you move onto the next one. If you find doing only three types of exercise boring, then add more; the point is to keep your heart rate up.

Among the exercises you can choose are push ups and dips (upper zone), crunches and leg lifts (middle zone) and squats and lunges (lower zone).

To supplement some exercises, you can use a set of weights and increase the weight you use gradually, but this isn’t strictly necessary.

Don’t forget to do your stretches before you start your workout and after you’ve finished. Take plenty of fluids onboard as you work out; water is best or you can use sports energy drinks if you prefer. If you feel severely out of breath, faint or suffer out of the ordinary muscular discomfort, stop your workout immediately. Try again tomorrow but if you still have problems, you should consult your doctor. If you already suffer from chronic health issues such as cardio vascular or respiratory system illnesses then always consult a health professional before embarking on any sort of exercise program.

Related Cardio Circuit Training Articles