Circuit training

[scubavanja]

Well I have been doing it for a while now with great results. But I am worried that I am overtraining. I do it in additino to all my regular lifting. I lift 5 times a week and do a circuit on those days in the AM. I go through it with a fraction of the weight I could lift for any given exercise, but I still feel like I am getting a great workout. Am I overdoing it. In my circuit, I hit pretty much every major muscle. How often should I be doing these and should they be on my lifting days? And should I rest after a circuit day or can I workout in the PM on those days?
The thing is, I think of it as cardio more than anything else, although I do cardio on its own, I feel pretty much the same after both. Thanks for the help

 

[Donut62]

Um, what kind of circuit?

 

[Revok]

I do a bit of endurance work in the AM and then heavy lifting PM and one doesn't impede the other for me at least. Get enough food and rest between and you'll be fine.

 

[Chaseg1520]

I disagree with revok even though the OP is vague as hell... So you are lifting 5 days a week AND doing circuit training in the AM? If you are also doing a sport then this would be a bit much IMO. Post your routines for your lifting and your circuit. I am interested to see why you choose to lift 5 days a week.

 

[theNuge]

I disagree with revok even though the OP is vague as hell... So you are lifting 5 days a week AND doing circuit training in the AM? If you are also doing a sport then this would be a bit much IMO. Post your routines for your lifting and your circuit. I am interested to see why you choose to lift 5 days a week.

You beat me to it. Lifting five days a week is more than I've ever heard of.

That is, it's more than I've ever heard of in my limited experience .

 

[grrthetree]

Well I'm pretty sure it might get in the way of muscle recovery, and maybe even hinder your capabilities in your regular lift. I do a circuit with and without weights on my off days that just kills me. I'll do 30 sledge swings, 20 1-2 sprawls, powerclean 50lbs 5 times, and jump off and on a flat log 10 times, then finish with one tabata interval (20 seconds full sprint, 10 second rest.)

 

[scubavanja]

Well I do 5 days of lifting since I am trying to work on my bench so I am doing it twice a week. I do the following

Monday - Chest

4 sets of flat bench (freeweights)
4 sets of incline (freeweight)
2 sets of flat bench (EZ bar) - Don't have regular bar
2 set of incline bench (EZ bar)

I will also throw in neck work in between as I am resting up for my next set

Tuesday - Back and shoulders

4 sets pullups
4 sets laterals
4 sets shoulder presses (freeweights)
4 sets seated rows
2 sets front raises

I will do a set of back, shoulders and then abs, and then repeat....little rest in between

Wednesday - Legs

4 sets squats
4 sets hamstring pulls
2 sets either leg extentions or walking lunges
6 sets of calf raises

Thursday - Chest

Same as monday

Friday - Arms

4 sets skullcrushers
4 sets curls
4 sets tricep pulldowns
4 sets preacher curls

I do these in series of two like bis tris and then usually abs to rest in between, but I keep doing it with little rest in between.

For the circuit I will use the EZ bar and will do the following with 35 pound plates on the side

10 shoulder presses
10 squats
10 deadlifts
10 bicep curls
10 tricep curls
10 flat bench presses

And that is one set.....I do 4 of those

Then I do plyometric pushups followed by box jumps........4 sets of back to back and I do as many as I can

Sometimes if I feel up to it I do 6-12 rouds or 2 minutes jumping rope and then I do an exercise in the rest (30 seconds)....I usually do either pushups, squats or abs and will do 15 reps.......

I rest on Saturday and Sunday. I live on a small island so I don't roll often, since it is very hard for me to find partners....usually basketball and beach volleyball is what I do.

For cardio I will either run 3-4 miles or go swimming for about 2 kilometers with swimming pads on my hands

Can't believe I just typed all that.....but that is basically it.......my weight workouts are usually done in under 30 minutes and the same for the cardio and circuits......I do cardio after weights.

 

[Chaseg1520]

ummm... stop that crap immediately. Read the FAQ ASAP... I mean, an Arm day? Seriously...

 

[scubavanja]

Well unlike a lot of the people here, I am training not only for strenght, but for looks as well.....I want both.......nothing bad about that I think. I like being built and looking the way I do, but I still want to do lots of strenght stuff as well.

 

[grrthetree]

lmao owned.

arm day?

 

[scubavanja]

Dude you guys gotta lighten up.....nothing wrong with working out your arms.....not everyone wants to do deadlifts, squats and bench all day long......I do all those, but I am also very happy to look good, especially as I live on a beach. You got nothing constructive to contribute, stay out of the thread please.

 

[Chaseg1520]

But the point is... this forum is not for looks. Also, please just try to convince me that deads, squats, bench, cleans, etc. won't make you look like a monster. Just keep the diet in check if that is your concern. But in all seriousness, your lifting is plain inadequate and I think you should strongly consider my previous advice.

 

[scubavanja]

Yeah I know bro, and I am not asking for bodybuilding advice, because I am very happy with the way I look, but I want to finetune my conditioning and strenght.....and I would love to do cleans and olympic lifts in general, but I have no one here to show me the form and I am afraid of doing them incorrectly

 

[CosmicOsmo]

Even a lot (I'd say a majority, in fact) of bodybuilders don't have a dedicated "arm day". You see a lot of "Back + Bi's" and "Chest + Tris" splits going on. Think about it, if you're doing compound presses and pulls, you're already working your triceps and biceps respectively, so you might as well throw in isolation work for them at the same time.

 

[Chaseg1520]

Why don't you look into one of the WS4SB routines. They seem to have a good balance of interests for strength and mass. They also have a good balance between iso. and compound lifts. I would at least check em out if I were you as it seems to fit your particular interests.

http://www.defrancostraining.com/articles/articles.htm
http://www.defrancostraining.com/articles/archive/articles_westside2.htm
http://www.defrancotraining.com/articles/archive/articles_westside.htm

 

[scubavanja]

Wow, that is a long, but informative read....I am going to look into it.....though just glancing though it, there are certain excercises whose names don't ring a bell. Thanks dude

 

[Deleted member 130905]

I'm not being a dick, but they have beaches in Vancouver? It's freezing in Canuckland I thought.

 

[Revok]

Oh christ. I feel soiled.

I can get away with heavily varied and carefully planned endurance circuits in the AM and then an intense, single-lift focused heavy lifting session 8-9 hours later. I'll do that 5 days a week, 4 weeks straight tops. My rest days I'm a fucking rug on valium.

It can be done with proper planning, motivation and mindfulness. But unfortunately the OP is a fucking toilet with none of these characteristics.

 

[Chaseg1520]

*gives closest rug a Valium and awaits reaction*

 

[Bubble Boy]

Oh christ. I feel soiled.

I can get away with heavily varied and carefully planned endurance circuits in the AM and then an intense, single-lift focused heavy lifting session 8-9 hours later. I'll do that 5 days a week, 4 weeks straight tops. My rest days I'm a fucking rug on valium.

It can be done with proper planning, motivation and mindfulness. But unfortunately the OP is a fucking toilet with none of these characteristics.

Revok, start your log up again dude.
I still think your lifting outline was one of the single best I've ever seen.