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"Get Lean & Fit With a “Mini-Circuit” Fitness Program: A Personal Trainer Shares One of Her Favorite Time-Saving, Results Generating Workouts!"

By Roxayn Daniels

Are you looking for some new ideas for your fitness program? You may have heard that it is important to frequently change up your workout program including exercises used, target repetitions, training splits etc. I am going to share with you one of my favorite workout programs that I find gives me great results in minimum time! It burns tons of fat and calories, keeps your heart rate up (so you get considerable cardio benefit too), and also can build strength and endurance.

This fitness program may be a nice change of pace for you and can be used by beginner, intermediate, or advanced trainers with a few minor variations. This particular fitness program is perfect for an endurance or body fat loss phase. I’m not a big fan of traditional circuit style training (going through a big circuit consisting of different strength training stations often with cardio stations in between). This is OK for beginners who are trying to break into weight training slowly and improve endurance, but it isn’t effective for building much muscle or strength.

There’s simply too much rest between sets for any particular muscle group and the cardio between ensures that you won’t be able to lift as heavy as you otherwise might. However, I have put together a variation on circuit style training that uses mini-circuits instead of one giant circuit. Each mini-circuit consists of only three exercises. The idea is to complete a set of each exercise without resting, take a one minute rest/stretch break if needed, and then repeat the combination two more times. This mini-circuit fitness training program gives you the best of both worlds.

As with traditional circuit style training, it will keep your heart rate up, improve endurance, and burn lots of calories. But by sticking with only three exercises at a time, you bump up the overall intensity a notch by having less recovery time between sets for a particular muscle group. Try this program and I’m sure you’ll agree that it is an interesting, time-saving workout that provides a nice balance between strength, fat burning, and cardiovascular fitness.

This full-body strength training program takes about 45 minutes and can be completed three times a week leaving 1-2 recovery or cardio days in between. Always listen to your body and take an extra rest day when you feel you need it. Beginners and those with a lower fitness level can use this program with the following modifications:

• The first week, complete each mini-circuit only once. The following week complete each mini-circuit two times. When you feel ready, go for the full workout and complete each mini-circuit three times.
• Keep the weights relatively light and the reps high (15-20 reps).
• At first, rest as needed, even if it is between every exercise. Gradually decrease length and number of rest periods until you can complete the mini-circuits with a minimum of rest.

Intermediate to Advanced Trainers:
Although this full body workout obviously won’t build as much size and strength as some other weight training programs, you will find this a nice change of pace during an endurance or body fat loss phase. Depending upon your goals, your target reps may be 10-15 or even 15-20. You may even choose to alternate a lower rep workout with a higher rep day. Substitute exercises for variety.

GET LEAN & FIT WITH MINI-CIRCUIT TRAINING
 • Repeat each mini-circuit 2-3 times with brief rest breaks taken only when necessary.
• Target reps for beginners: 15-20 reps Intermediate to Advanced: 10-15 or 15-20 reps

COMBINATION ONE: BACK-CHEST-LEGS
 1. Seated cable row / or one-arm dumbbell row
2. Incline or flat bench dumbbell press / or push-ups
3. Squats
Perform target reps of each exercise and do the circuit 3 X resting briefly between mini-circuits only when needed.

COMBINATION TWO: BACK – SHOULDERS – LEGS
 1. Lat pulldowns / or assisted or bodyweight pull-ups
2. Dumbbell shoulder press / or upright rows
3. Walking lunges (beginners can substitute leg press machine)
Perform target reps of each exercise and do the circuit 3 X resting briefly between mini-circuits only when needed.

COMBINATION THREE: BICEPS – TRICEPS – LEGS
 1. Seated dumbbell curls / or barbell curls
2. Tricep pressdowns (with bar or rope) / dips / or close grip push-ups
3. Regular Deadlifts (for intermediate or advanced) / or step-ups
Perform target reps of each exercise and do the circuit 3 X resting briefly between mini-circuits only when needed.

COMBINATION FOUR: ABS – LOWER BACK
 1. curl-ups on floor, ball, or decline bench (straight on then with a twist)/ ab machine or rope crunches
2. plank plus side plank
3. hanging leg raises / or reverse crunches
4. back extensions (on floor or on back extension apparatus)
Perform 15-20 reps of each exercise (except for plank and side plank - hold position for as long as you can). Rest briefly between exercises when needed and for 1-2 minutes between mini-circuits.

Note: Don't know how to do some of these exercises? No problem. These are all basic weight training exercises that you will be able to find in most strength training manuals. Or print this program and bring it to a weight training instructor at your local fitness facility for technique demonstration. Enjoy the workout!

About the Author:

Roxayn Daniels is a certified Personal Trainer, Registered Nutritionist, and Life Coach in Vancouver, B.C. Her latest book, the Total Transformation Challenge ® is a unique 10 week fitness and wellness program for women. This program, complete with extra motivation and prize incentives, contains a 3 phase fitness program, a nutrition program that guarantees outstanding results, and the most effective transformation tools, strategies, and personal training “secrets” to help you achieve your fittest, healthiest, and most energetic body ever!

Visit for a variety of free "transformation tools" and resources or more information on the Total Transformation Challenge.

Personal Training site: www.transformationsfitness.ca