Circuit Training (Page 2 of 7)

Aerobic Fitness improvements
German and Pollock, in a 1981 review of circuit weight-training studies, suggest that 8-12 weeks of the kind of circuit session described above results in a 5% improvement in V02max. This is significantly less than the improvement seen from traditional aerobic training methods. Research has shown that continuous running, cycling or rowing at around 75% of max heart rate for 20-30 minutes, three times a week for 8-12 weeks will lift V02max by around 20%.

In a circuit weight training session, heart rates average around 80% of max, but oxygen consumption only 40% of V02max, which is the minimum level for aerobic fitness improvements. The energy cost of a circuit training session of this kind has been shown to be 6-9 kcal//min depending on bodyweight, similar to a game of tennis or a leisurely cycle. Thus circuit weight training routines should be considered a low to moderate form of aerobic training, with the benefits being much less than with traditional training. Circuit training sessions with rest periods of 60 seconds have shown no improvement in V02max, so keeping the rest periods minimal is important for an aerobic-training stimulus. This can be done by alternating between upper- and lower-body exercises, so that while the arms are recovering the legs are working and the heart rate is kept going continuously.

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