There are two main ways to do a workout, you either do cardio to raise your heart rate or you use weights to raise your strength. Every type of exercise is based on either weights or cardio�well all except one. Circuit training is a way to do both weights and cardio in one quick workout.

What circuit training is

When you decide to do circuit training what you do is a series of exercises all in a row with very little time between sets. The best way to do a circuit is to have all of the weights set up ahead of time and then do bench press, lat pulldowns, military press, squats, leg curls and then bicep and tricep extensions, and then rest. When you do one long set like this as a circuit training you want to have next to no rest between sets, this would really turn into one long set. After you have finished this 10 minute or so set you should be really winded and your muscles will be sore. Take a drink and do this long set two more times. The key in circuit training is to hit every major muscle group while doing as many compound exercises as possible.

One important thing to remember is that although you are doing the big set really quickly it is important not to rush through each exercise in your set. Remember these sets should take 10 minutes not five and your muscles need to be really sore by the end of this set. At the end of this all of your muscles should be shaky.

Circuit training is incredibly tough to do because you are taxing your muscles and at the same time your are getting winded and have your heart rate really high. What you are going to find when doing circuit training for the first time is that by your third set you are so spent that you have trouble lifting much weight at all as you are breathing so heavily.

What circuit training is not

Circuit training works well for hitting all of your muscle groups at once but it is really just a way to further confuse your muscles. It is difficult to really make yourself bigger muscle wise when doing circuit training because you do not get a chance to go to exhaustion very quickly with one muscle group and by doing compound muscles you do not get to really isolate those muscles either. What you are going to find is that by doing this type of workout it seems like a bit of a break in your regular schedule, a break is great because when you get back to doing your regular workouts you are going to be that much stronger from the change as well as the rest of not going to real failure.

How often should I do circuit training

How often really depends on your fitness goals. If you are trying to lose fat then circuit training can be done three times a week one or two weeks each month. If you are trying to gain muscle then this is just only for shock and you should not do circuit training more than three times a week one week every three or four months.

There is a weight loss and exercise gym franchise called Curves for women and as a fitness routine this is all that they do for exercise. As well as Curves there are several weight loss programs that emphasize circuit training as the extra muscle mass that you gain from these workouts, as well as the recovery period from these workouts burns a lot more calories then just biking or doing weights would on their own.

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Years ago I had a freind that wa selling Electronic Muscle stimulators ofr your abs or any other muscle group you wanted to use it on. The way that is worked was that you could put it across your stomach and it would send electric pulses through your muscles and help you lose weight or get a six pack or make you huge. The claims were not very well proven then and are still somewhat suspect. I do not think you are going to see a Mr Olympia from electocuting himself but anyway I ran into an FDA question and answer about these Electronic Muscle Stimulators that I wanted to pass on:

Consumer Info – Electronic Muscle Stimulators

Q. Why does FDA regulate electrical muscle stimulators?
A. Electrical muscle stimulators are considered devices under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Under this law and the agency’s regulations, the FDA is responsible for regulating the sale of all electrical muscle stimulators in the United States. Therefore, firms must comply with appropriate FDA premarket regulatory requirements before they can legally sell their stimulators. Most electrical muscle stimulators (EMS devices) that have been reviewed by FDA are intended for use in physical therapy and rehabilitation under the direction of a health care professional. If a company wants to sell EMS devices directly to consumers, the company needs to show FDA it can be used safely and effectively in that setting.

Q. These electrical muscle stimulators are advertised not only to tone, firm, and strengthen abdominal muscles, but also to provide weight loss, girth reduction, and “rock hard” abs. Do they really work?
A. While an EMS device may be able to temporarily strengthen, tone or firm a muscle, no EMS devices have been cleared at this time for weight loss, girth reduction, or for obtaining “rock hard” abs.

Q. Is FDA concerned about the unregulated marketing of these devices?
A. Yes. FDA has received reports of shocks, burns, bruising, skin irritation, and pain associated with the use of some of these devices. There have been a few recent reports of interference with implanted devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators. Some injuries required hospital treatment. It is very important that these devices be properly designed, manufactured, and labeled with clear and complete instructions for use and that anyone using them follows the instructions carefully. FDA is also concerned because many of these devices have cables and leads. If those cables and leads do not comply with electrical safety standards, there is the possibility of electrocution by users and other household members. FDA is currently investigating firms that are illegally marketing EMS devices.
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