Bill Sonnemaker and Valorie Ness-Sonnemaker explore the evolution of circuit training. Like people, circuits can come in all different shapes and sizes, recall the Sonnemakers. Understanding how to build effective circuits is not rocket science. The same fundamental physiological and biomechanical principles we learned when first studying exercise science still apply.

Nine governing principles of exercise science
Overload
Specificity
Progression
Variation
Individuality
Diminishing Returns
Reversibility
Recovery
Safety

By definition

The following article is written with the intention of defining what circuits consist of, what past circuits looked like, and how to integrate ViPR into your training circuits today.

Circuit training can best be defined as “a training approach that takes the participant(s) through a series of exercises/movement patterns, sometimes with brief rest intervals in between. The emphasis of each station is based upon the overall goal(s) of the circuit/program.”

Through specific manipulation of the exercise selection and its corresponding acute variables, specific neuromuscular, physiological, and biomechanical adaptations will occur.

dictionary.com lists seven different definitions when defining the word ‘circuit’. All of them tie in with the concept of direction. Without direction in exercise programming, we would be lost. It is through manipulating specific acute variables to achieve specific adaptational responses that our direction is revealed. 

Common acute variables
Exercise Selection
Order of Exercises
Intensity
Sets
Reps or Time
Volume
Base of Support
Length of Lever Arm
Rest Intervals

ViPR-specific acute variables/programming strategies
Series
Exercise
Hold
Footprint
Handprint
Threshold

Recommended acute variables

•  The circuit should be based on the participant’s goals, needs, and abilities. This includes taking into account their current and desired fitness level, age, gender, time to exercise, etc.

•  A circuit generally consists of a minimum of three and a maximum of 12 exercise stations.

•  The intensity of each exercise station ranges from ~50-95% based on a 1RM or maximum effort scale.

•  Sets, reps, and volume are all determined based on the neuromuscular, physiological, and biomechanical adaptations that are being sought. Although it’s relative, most circuits will utilize the following acute variables.

Recommended acute variables
# of stations	3-12
Intensity	~50-95% of 1RM or maximum work effort
# of sets per exercise	2-6 sets
# of reps per set	~5-15 reps
Volume	~24-36 sets (60-minute workout)
Rest period between sets/circuits	0-45 seconds/1-3 minutes

The benefits of circuit training are numerous and include the following:

•  It’s great for those with limited time.

•  It provides an increased training volume given the same amount of time.

•  It allows you to keep the heart rate elevated for a sustained amount of time.

•  It improves cardio-respiratory fitness and muscular endurance and strength at the same time.

•  It’s beneficial as a maintenance program.

•  It adds variety and keeps the participant interested, engaged, and on track with their training goals.

•  It’s good for clients with high blood pressure (HBP) and coronary heart disease (CHD), and deconditioned clients, since the focus of the stress on the body/tissues can be moved around, thereby reducing tissue overload on any one body part or movement pattern.

The benefits of utilizing ViPR in your circuits include the following:

•  ViPR offers a greater variety of exercises, including regressions and progressions, than any other piece of training equipment.

•  ViPR enables full-body movement, known as WBI (whole-body integration).

•  ViPR contains multiple tools in one.

•  ViPR can be used indoors and outdoors.

•  ViPR is mobile and easy to move or take with you.

Ancient historical texts from the 1980s depict the following circuit training examples:

Cardio	Resistance/PHA circuit	Resistance and cardio	Muscular hypertrophy
Elliptical	Chest Press	Chest Press	Bench Press
Treadmill	Leg Curl	Elliptical	Pec Deck Flyes
Bike	Shoulder Press	Shoulder Press	Stability Ball Push-ups
Stepper	Leg Extension	Elliptical	Stability Ball Flyes
Rower	Lat Pull Down	Lat Pull Down	Lizard Walk
Rest 1-2 minutes and repeat	Rest 1-2 minutes and repeat	Rest 1-2 minutes and repeat	Rest 1-2 minutes and repeat

The following table lists common traditional total-body circuits at three different training levels: 

Stabilization	Strength	Power
IndoBoard Squat	Barbell Squat	Squat Jump
IndoBoard Push-ups	Bench Press	Dynamax Medicine Ball Chest Pass
IndoBoard Dumbbell Bent Over Row	Pull-ups	Dynamax Medicine Ball Soccer Throw
IndoBoard Step-up to Balance	Romanian Deadlift	Plyo-Box Power Step-up
IndoBoard Dumbbell Shoulder Press	Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press	Dynamax Medicine Ball Diagonal Lift Throw