Help Design Circuit Training Workout!

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1 
George Saint-Pierre said:

“When I lift, I do a circuit. I don’t train like a powerlifter or bodybuilder. I usually do five or six exercises without a break, then take a rest”

I want to give circuit training a try. Like GSP, I don’t intend to become a powerlifter or a strongman. I think that circuit training would help me maintain my strength while improving my overall conditioning level.

But how should I do? Can I pick a normal list of exercise and perform them in a circuit fashion?

For instance this is the workout I did two hours ago. Can I transform it into a circuit?

Deadlift
Dumbell front squat (excellent exercise, maybe my favourite squat variation!)

Alternated sets of:
-DB Incline Bench press
-Weighted Chins

Finisher: Farmer Walk

Thanx a lot for your advice!

2

I do one right now, where I go:

1 set pull-ups (to almost failure)
1 set push-ups (to almost failure)
1 set squats (body weight only)

repeat 5x without stopping

tweak

3

Read Eric Cressey’s “Cardio Confusion” article. It has good ideas for circuit training. Only difference you would make would be to increase the weight.

4

Here are a couple ideas:

Workout A

  1. Bent over row
  2. Clean
  3. Front squat + push press
  4. Back squat
  5. Good morning

Workout B

  1. Deadlift
  2. Romanian DL
  3. Muscle snatch
  4. Lunge
  5. Shoulder press

There are many ways to put them together. Alwyn Cosgrove has posted one in a few articles that involved a number of lifts similar to the above.

The best thing to do is make three or four workouts using different exercises that hit the whole body and moving quickly from one to the next. Make sure you have an equal amount of pushing and pulling from a horizontal and vertical movement, then make sure your quad and hip exercises are equal.

One day could be quad/hip/vertical push pull, the other could be quad/hip/horizontal push pull.

Vary the sets and reps each workout.

5

Thanks, but how should I do? In general I try to keep the reps between 3 and 8. And I do something like 4 sets(depends on the exercise and my mood). But there is not a lot a variation.

6

If using two full-body workouts and rotating them, you could do this:

Week 1

Workout A (Monday): 2 x 15

Workout B (Wednesday): 4 x 6

Workout A (Friday): 3 x 8

Week 2

Workout B (Monday): 2 x 15

Workout A (Wednesday): 4 x 6

Workout B (Friday): 3 x 8

There are many ways to do it!

7

[quote]Nate Dogg wrote:
If using two full-body workouts and rotating them, you could do this:

Week 1

Workout A (Monday): 2 x 15

Workout B (Wednesday): 4 x 6

Workout A (Friday): 3 x 8

Week 2

Workout B (Monday): 2 x 15

Workout A (Wednesday): 4 x 6

Workout B (Friday): 3 x 8

There are many ways to do it![/quote]

Fine! I’m gonna follow your advice, I will apply this principle to my current total body routine!
But will it suit with my goals(conditionning, strength maintenance, athletic performance…)?
I don’t care about hypertrophy.
Thanx a lot.