Circuit Training for MX
Most of the articles I have posted have been either for strength or cardio training. However, there are ways to combine both and still hit each one effectively. A good way to do this is circuit training. If you haven’t heard about circuit training, it’s pretty simple. Basically, you do a bunch of strength exercises quickly (BUT, with good form to prevent injury) about 2 or 3 times. It’s usually lower weight with high reps so you don’t just go for bulk and you keep a fast pace between each exercise to raise the heart rate.
A good rule of thumb is to do 30% – 40% of maximum weight. So, if I squat 200 lbs, I would do 80 lbs. in the circuit. Also, you can do about 30 – 60 seconds at each station. Since, we aren’t concentrating on just strength; time is used because we are looking for cardio as well. It is almost like interval training with weights.
So here is what circuit might look like. It hits your chest, back and legs:
Bench Press
Pull ups
Squats
Decline Push ups
Chin ups
Lunges
Dumbbell Flys
Bent over Rows
Wall Squats (lean against a wall in a seated position. Thighs parallel to the ground.)
Each muscle has time to rest, but you are constantly going, so you heart rate is up and stays up. Take about a couple minutes rest after you have completed the circuit and do it 2 more times. Again, you don’t need a set amount of reps, just about 30 – 60 seconds (depending on your fitness). Make sure you give your muscles 48 hours of rest before you hit them again. Keep a fast pace through this and it’ll pay off for sure.
