The Science and Feasibility of Circuit Training
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Like the human body, Volt is also adaptable.
In response to the changing landscape of life as we know it in the past year, we developed and released Circuit Workouts.
Like the old grey-haired Head of Sports Science at Volt (that would be me), circuit training has actually been around for awhile. Personally, I have implemented circuit training into my physical activity plan and training schedule. Why? Like many Americans, I’m time-starved. But importantly, I also understand the importance of exercise and physical fitness, and specifically that the added benefits of doing both aerobic endurance exercise and strength training, as opposed to either of the two alone, may be the most effective exercise strategy to reduce risk of chronic disease and premature mortality as reported in a study of >500,000 adults. You do want to live a long and healthy life, right?
So, on those days when I only have 20-30 minutes to exercise and need to choose between running the trail or lifting, sometimes I like to get my heart rate up and get in some strength training with resistance circuit training.
For others, it’s more a matter of not liking traditional cardio (running, biking, etc.) and enjoying the aerobic benefits of exercise while varying the movements and getting strong and fit.
And then there are those who know that resistance training is good for you but really don’t want to spend the 45-60 minutes in the gym pumping iron…and also be able to get some aerobic fitness benefit.
From Couch to (Muscle) Contraction plus Cardio
For those who have been relatively sedentary and are just getting into a fitness routine–congratulations, exercise is medicine. The myriad of physical and mental benefits from going from unfit to fit are a few consistent weeks away. And starting our low-impact body weight or bands & Dumbbells workouts are a great starting place.
These circuit training sessions may also serve other recreational and competitive athletes who just need a week or two to recover and unload before going into another intense training block. Or maybe even for those fitter individuals who have taken a short lapse for any number of reasons! This option can be a good way to get back into it as well.
For the fit and those who need to perform at a high level like our tactical athletes and high school or college athletes confined to home because facilities are not open or restricted, the high-intensity circuits can be a great option.
Maybe you just simply need a little variation–you know, variation can be the spice of life!
The Science of Circuit Training
So, what do we know about the science of circuit training? As I mentioned circuit training is as old as I am! Research studies on circuit training go back to the 1970s. Several studies at that time and since have shown improvements in muscular strength and endurance and aerobic fitness following circuit training. In fact, a leading researcher during this early phase of research concluded that “programs of running combined with circuit weight training or circuit weight training alone are very effective and equal in the improvements observed for aerobic fitness, strength and body composition.”
However, not all studies show such improvements. Why not? It could be due to the research subjects or many of the variables that go into program design, like frequency, intensity, recovery, number of exercises, or duration of the training session or duration of the study.
Another potential reason for the null results could also be due to something called the “The Interference Effect”. The interference effect does just want it says–it interferes or alters the physiological adaptations that normally occur as a result of specific endurance training or specific strength training when there is concurrent training of both endurance and strength. The muscles are basically being subjected to different physiological demands at the same time. Maybe it’s a 30-minute cardio bout on the exercise bike followed by a 45-minute heavy strength training session. When this type of training occurs, some studies show that the gains in muscle strength, power and hypertrophy are lessened compared to if the subjects were only doing strength training.
Another consideration is improving aerobic fitness in already highly aerobically fit individuals. One study showed that resistance circuit training may not be sufficient to improve aerobic fitness in this group.
One group that certainly sees benefits in resistance circuit training are the untrained. Obviously, any significant amount of physical activity will improve the health and fitness of this group, but again with circuit training both aerobic fitness and muscular fitness can be improved within a single training session. And, for many of these individuals “not enough time” may have been a primary excuse for not exercising.
The Feasibility and Fun of Circuit Training
As mentioned above, the research evidence is fairly clear about the potential improvements in muscular strength and endurance and aerobic fitness following circuit training. For some, maybe the interference effect made you think twice about circuit training. However, there are several reasons mentioned above why circuit training can be a great option, and perhaps the feasibility of this training method wins over many of us who live in a rushed, fast-paced world.
Personally, I also like the variation that it can bring–and with variation can come fun. And with fun comes joy–and both bring us back to doing it again, which ultimately leads to consistency in establishing a well-rounded fitness program consistency of activities that improve all facets of health-related fitness, mental health and quality of life.
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Learn more about Dr. Eisenmann | @Joe_Eisenmann
