circuit training

Question 1

What does circuit training use?

Answer 1

A variety of different exercises or activities that are commonly known as stations

Question 2

How many activities does a normal circuit consist of?

Answer 2

6-12 stations

Question 3

What are some guidelines that should be considered when setting up a circuit?

Answer 3

• each station should be clearly marked and the exercise or activity should be identified
• exercises / activities should be demonstrated and even practised
• there should be a variety of exercises and activities within the circuit, which are carefully varied
• there should always be a recovery period built into the circuit

Question 4

How could exercises be clearly marked or identified?

Answer 4

Ideally this would include a diagram of how the exercise should be properly performed

Question 5

Why should exercises / activities be demonstrated or practised?

Answer 5

To make sure that they are being performed correctly

Question 6

What should happen to similar exercises in a circuit?

Answer 6

They should be spread out so that they do not follow each other

Question 7

Why should there always be a recovery period in a circuit?

Answer 7

So that there are periods of work and periods of rest

Question 8

What is a fitness circuit designed for?

Answer 8

This would primarily be aimed at increasing general fitness and would include a variety of different exercises designed to increase cardiovascular fitness or strength in specific muscles or muscle groups

Question 9

What are some types of exercises that could be included in a fitness circuit?

Answer 9

• press ups
• squat thrusts
• skipping
• burpees
• lunges

Question 10

What is the main advantage of using a fitness circuit?

Answer 10

Little or no specialist equipment is needed, and it can easily be carried out in a standard school gym or sports hall

Question 11

What is the purpose of a skills circuit?

Answer 11

The exercises are particularly aimed at developing certain skills that are vital in a particular activity

Question 12

What sort of activities are involved in a skills circuit?

Answer 12

Passing a ball against a wall and dribbling in and out of cones for soccer or basketball

Question 13

Who usually uses skills circuits?

Answer 13

Games players where individual skills can be practised

Question 14

Why is circuit training one of the most common forms of training and popular?

Answer 14

Because it is easy to set up and very flexible

Question 15

What are some of the most common ways in which a circuit can be organised and run?

Answer 15

• timed circuits
• fixed load
• varied laps

Question 16

How is a “timed” circuit organised and ran?

Answer 16

• there is a set time for the exercises, completing as many as possible in this time
• a rest period follows immediately afterwards for recovery
• the times can be the same, or can either be longer or shorter

Question 17

How is a “fixed load” circuit organised and ran?

Answer 17

• each particular station is labelled with the exact amount of work that must be done
• this is without any particular time limit

Question 18

What is an example of a “fixed load” circuit?

Answer 18

15 press ups followed by 30 sit ups

Question 19

How is a “varied laps” circuit organised and ran?

Answer 19

• most circuits consist of one or more laps

* these can be exactly the same, increased work and reduced rest, or ‘sprint laps’

Question 20

What is a ‘sprint lap’?

Answer 20

Where a whole lap of a circuit is completed very quickly

Question 21

What is an example of a ‘sprint lap’?

Answer 21

10 seconds of work and only 3 seconds of rest before the person moves on to the next activity