Getting back to Circuit Training

[LilVee003]

Hey all,

Old member here, posting back for first time in a long time, wow new site looks different.

Anyway, last summer I boxed, got nice and shredded do a number of different circuit training workouts, but I feel like I inhibited my success slightly and wanted to try some things different this year.

I wanted to do a circuit training 6 day split, consisting of 40-50 minute circuit sessions combined with cardio 3-4 times a week.

Again my goal is to body sculpt, enhance muscular endurance, and maintain muscle mass, all while losing some fat.

I was able to get down to a 8% bodyfat last year, but I feel I lost some muscle mass that I've put back on since September. My split would combine 2/3 muscles per circuit session as follows:

Day 1 & 4: Back / Bis / Abs
Day 2 & 5: Chest / Tris
Day 3 & 6: Shoulders / Legs / Abs

Any advice on actual workouts using this split, like max exercises / rest between sets.

I'm probably going to do something similar to: Each superset (3-4 x 10-15 reps)
Superset 1: Preacher Curls / Pullups / Seated Hammer Curls
Superset 2: BB Rows / Standing Bi Curls / Body Rows with Feet on Swiss Bal
Superset 3: Standing EZ Bar Curls / DB Pullovers / Concentration Curls
Superset 4: Lat Pulldown / Cable Curls / Cable Rows

[maverickBU]

You better eat like a horse if you wanna maintain muscle on a long term circuit training schedule. I'm not a big dude (185 at 6') and I was eating well over 4000 calories a day just to maintain (even lost a little weight) when I was doing MMA, which was VERY heavy on the conditioning training.

That said, I believe there is absolutely nothing better than intense circuit training for fat loss and muscle maintenance, so long as you don't cut back your calorie intake.

[spider-man]

wow dogg thats alot of volume... IMO at least, that is alot of volume.

I would think you would get better results by cutting your volume in half... like two cycles instead of four, but that is just my advice.

[LilVee003]

yaa...just did my shoulder/legs day yesterday and can't move

i forgot the shock effect of circuit training..maybe the volume is overloading for now

[maverickBU]

Circuit training will have a much more significant impact on your body composition if you do it full body style and minimize the number of isolation exercises you do. Alwyn Cosgrove (I think) wrote an article on full body circuit training using compound and complex exercises utlizing relatively short rest for the purpose of reducing body fat. Kinda like crossfit with a point. Nasty stuff.

[icehawk]

Originally Posted by maverickBU

Circuit training will have a much more significant impact on your body composition if you do it full body style and minimize the number of isolation exercises you do. Alwyn Cosgrove (I think) wrote an article on full body circuit training using compound and complex exercises utlizing relatively short rest for the purpose of reducing body fat. Kinda like crossfit with a point. Nasty stuff.

Agreed. You want to stick to full-body compound exercises and use multiple muscle groups in each circuit. A great routine by Don Alessi is linked below:

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_...tdown_training

If you use your true 10RM and don't slack (e.g., take more rest than prescribed), the first day on this will demolish you in ways isolation exercises never could.

[LilVee003]

but if looking to sculpt...would isolation exercises supersetted with compound excercises work best for circuit

i.e.: Bench Press supersetted with DB Flys supersetted with PushUps

or
Barbell Rows superset with DB Curls Superset with Pullups

[maverickBU]

Originally Posted by LilVee003

but if looking to sculpt...would isolation exercises supersetted with compound excercises work best for circuit

i.e.: Bench Press supersetted with DB Flys supersetted with PushUps

or
Barbell Rows superset with DB Curls Superset with Pullups

No...

Define "sculpt", cause likely you are just referring to reducing bodyfat

[miker44]

Originally Posted by icehawk

Agreed. You want to stick to full-body compound exercises and use multiple muscle groups in each circuit. A great routine by Don Alessi is linked below:

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_...tdown_training

If you use your true 10RM and don't slack (e.g., take more rest than prescribed), the first day on this will demolish you in ways isolation exercises never could.

definitely going to throw this around for a few weeks when it gets a little closer to summer, sounds intense