In Home Circuit Training

In this article we will take a look a great workout that you can do in your home in twenty minutes or less (with little to no equipment at all), burn some serious fat, and push your muscles to limits that will help create that lean muscular look that every body aspires to have. If that sounds like something that might be of interest to you, I highly suggest that you read on.

Back in the early 1980’s, Nautilus training was the in thing. Arthur Jones developed a line of machines and methodology of exercise to help trainees get a full body workout in twenty minutes or less while adding a bit of a cardiovascular stimulation.

This was accomplished by setting the machines in order of a progression from larger to smaller groups and limiting rest between sets, therefore causing an increased heart rate while moving rapidly from one exercise to the next.

With the advances that have been made in training and nearly everyone claiming to be an “expert”, I am sure you will hear conflicting theories and some will argue the safety issues of training your legs first, etc… etc… etc…I am writing this for the guy or gal who wants to stay home and doesn’t have the luxury of time or the availability of an in home gym.

In this article my goal is to help you develop an in home circuit type workout, with little or no weights, that you can complete in 20 minutes or less. Were not talking about squatting 400 pounds or benching for a personal best, again the goal here is to keep you at home and kick your butt. Having said that, I refer back to the statement I made earlier about the mindset of the individual doing the training. If I were writing for a different audience I would suggest a differing approach.

We will go through the body parts one by one starting with the legs and ending with the oh-so-coveted abdominals. The order will look like this.

1. Quads
2. Hamstrings
3. Back
4. Chest
5. Shoulders
6. Triceps
7. Biceps
8. Calves
9. Abs

I am assuming that the majority people who visit this site are of the more advanced or somewhat seasoned exercisers so I am suggesting 3-4 sets per exercise with 15-20 reps per set with little or no rest between sets. If you are new to the training lifestyle, first let me congratulate you on such a wonderful decision, and then I will ask you to do one set per exercise for 10 reps per set. You will do this for about 2-3 weeks then you will add one set, then wait another 2 weeks and add the next set and additional repetitions.

To make this workout as challenging as possible execute each movement with attention to the muscle you are isolating. As you get more comfortable with each suggested exercise, feel free to add different exercise variables such as speed, less rest between sets or basically whatever you want.

1. Quads
   Body Squats: Immediately after completing the twentieth rep, do half squats until the burn is hot enough to make you want to scream.
   Split Squat: Extend one leg in front of the other approximately the length of your walking stride. Now jump up and change leg positions. Jump as high as possible each repetition; try to bust your head through the ceiling!
2. Hamstrings
   Prone Leg Curls: A partner would help on this one. Have him or her place a towel around your ankles to provide resistance.
   Harrup Hamstrings: Don’t ask me why they are called harrup. Maybe it was the guy’s name that invented them, but names aside, these work! Place your ankles under an object that will hold your body weight or have your partner hold them in place. Grab a broomstick to hold yourself up and slowly lower yourself until you are approximately half way to the floor and return. Use the pole to spot you on the concentric and eccentric portion of the movement.
3. Back
   Pull Ups: If you don’t have a pull up bar anywhere, I highly suggest you hang one up somewhere in your garage or home. You get some serious bang for your buck on these. Hint: if you can’t complete a regular pull up, start by doing the eccentric (lowering phase) of this great movement. There is a carry over in strength from eccentric to concentric. Translation, someday you will be able to!
   Towel Pull: These were a staple for pumping up back stage at bodybuilding shows. Bend knees to about a 15-degree angle and bend over at the waste. Your partner will do the same. Now simply fight for the towel holding your ground. Just give each other enough resistance to feel it in the lat muscles.
4. Chest
   Push Ups: A Marine Corps favorite. Trust me, I know. I did thousands in boot camp! There is a reason, they are effective. If you are feeling cocky, do a Rocky imitation and applaud yourself between reps.
   Medicine Ball Throw: Open and closed chain exercises, wow I’m getting fancy on ya. We’ll discuss the difference in another article. For about 50 bucks you can get a twenty-pound medicine ball. Do it, it will be money well spent. Lie on your back and throw the ball as high as you can evenly with both arms. Catch and repeat. The alternative would be to have your partner drop it from standing on a chair. You will obviously catch it or break your nose. I choose the “ catch it” scenario myself, Mama didn’t raise no fool!
5. Shoulders
   Lateral raise: Soup is for eating not lifting. The only time I suggest you lift one of these cans is when you are going to open some for the kids. Invest in a few different sizes of exercise bands. It will set you back a whopping twenty bucks or so. They are great on the road or at home. Lift to about parallel to the floor.
   Bent Raises: Again, about a 15-20 degree bend at the knees while bending at the waste. Doing this activates the glutes to save your lower back (that one is free). Grab the band so it is shorter and lead with your elbows and concentrate on squeezing the shoulder blades together.
6. Triceps
   Overhead extensions: Perform these one arm at a time, keeping your elbow tight to your head (next to your ear, not behind). Lift and squeeze the triceps muscle. You can perform these with both arms simultaneously.
   Diamond Push Ups: Place your hands together and form a diamond with your hands while in the push up position. Slowly lower yourself with the idea of putting your nose on the floor in the opening of your diamond. Another nose wrecker!
7. Biceps
   Supinated Curls: Curls for the girls! Supinated are the palms up version of a curl. Again use your bands on these or your partner can provide resistance with a towel. The towel method can be used for triceps as well. I personally like the towel technique because your partner can vary the resistance on your command.
   Reverse Curls: Pretty basic; simply turn your hands over and keep going. This will focus more of the stimulus on the radial brachialis muscle that ties in to your forearm.
8. Calves
   Standing Calf Raises: Go to a step or use a stable block of wood. Your partner can press down on your shoulder and provide resistance.
9. Abs
   Surrender Sit Ups: I must commend you, you have been so patient. I know everyone wants to get to the abs. The six pack, washboard, home of the happy trail. OK, now I’m getting stupid. I call these surrender sit-ups because you will need to assume the position, at least the hands raised portion. Keeping your feet flat on the floor, raise your hands above your head while in the traditional sit up pose. Slowly lower yourself back until you feel as if you are going to fall back. When you get to that point, use your hands to help you back up. You’ll do this by only pushing them forward (in front of your body) to the point it keeps you from falling. Fight the urge to use momentum. Just slowly put your hands forward, you will feel control again, you will then simply go to the upright position and repeat. Do about 3 sets of 5 of these ab burners. Note: If you are doing this right, five should be all you can really do. Trust me!
   Leg Raises (6” and hold): Now I’m getting boot camp flashbacks! Six inches is not as high as you think. When I do these with a client they seem to loose all mathematical abilities, there is a big difference between six inches and 90 degrees. Hold…. keep holding…common, keep holding. That’s it. Great job.

Okay, there you have it. Your own in home, personal circuit-training workout guaranteed to work if you do it. That needs mentioning. I will, in future articles, help you break through plateaus and teach you how to stay motivated. For now, I urge you to get this in your mind, decide you are going to complete this a minimum of 3x per week. Tell your wife and kids you need 30 minutes to yourself or they can help. The benefits of exercise will only make all areas of your life better, family included. The great thing about exercising at home will be the example you set for your family. You kids will want to join in at some point.

Now for motivation, get three photos that inspire you and post them in a visible place. Sounds silly but visualization is everything. Fifteen minutes prior to your workout time go to a quiet spot and get focused. I like to play motivational music. Play some Rocky, your favorite soundtrack, gospel, or whatever gets your juices flowing and get your mind focused on training. The next twenty minutes is all about you. Remember, this will benefit all areas of your life, so don’t feel bad for taking some quality time for yourself. Once your head is there turn up the music and go for it.

I challenge you to do this for the next four weeks along with eating right and getting some good rest. It will do some amazing things to your energy, body, and outlook on life.

I will be giving you additional exercises in future articles along with motivation and nutritional guidance. It is my goal and the goal of all contributors on this site to help you achieve the body of your dreams. I only have one question for you…what are you waiting for? Get off the computer and go to work