Physical fitness circuit training

Introduction

Circuit training is a term which is used for specifictraining routines in military. A circuit itself is actually a group ofdifferent stations which involve performing of various different exercises andtasks. The arrangement of the stations and the exercises and tasks for eachstation are determined by the objective of the circuit. Circuits incorporatedesigns which provide different exercises which are suited to every person’sfitness level. Circuits are meant to enhance the fitness on many levels such asspeed, flexibility, strength, muscular endurance, CR endurance and many others.There are two basic different types of circuits and those include the fixedcircuit and the free circuit. They both have certain advantages over oneanother. Fixed circuit involves specific time periods preset for each station.The intensity of a fixed circuit can be changed by changing the number of timessoldiers go through the circuit, changing the time per station along with thenumber of repetitions and keeping the time for completion but simultaneouslychanging the number of repetitions. Free circuit is completely different, becausethere are no times set for each station, so soldiers are free to work at theirown pace. They only need to perform a fixed number of repetitions per eachstation.

Variables in Circuit Training

There are certain important variables which always need tobe considered in circuit training and those include time, number of stations,number of soldiers, number of times the circuit is completed and sequence ofstations. Time is the term which defines how long it takes to complete theentire circuit or how long it takes to perform exercises and tasks at eachstation. The number of stations is always affected by the objective of thecircuit and the equipment and time involved as well. It is also very important to handle the numberof soldiers properly and divide them into groups so that the stations do notget overcrowded. Number of times a circuit is completed is also very important,because it is sometimes required to repeat the circuit several times in orderto achieve the desired training effect. Sequence of stations may also be ofutmost importance. The stations need to include some recovery time, and thedifficult ones can ones be alternated with easier ones. When a circuit needs tobe designed, one needs to take into consideration the objectives of the circuit,activities which are to be performed and the arrangement of the stations.