Beginners in the gym (or those starting workout routines in their home gyms) may not be familiar with the term “circuit training”, but many trainers and other professionals will know about this kind of specific physical activity and what it provides for their clients in terms of varied workout options.

Circuit training, according to some ‘fitness historians’, had its beginnings in the 1950s, when university researchers identified it as having potential for specific physical training results. From this point, circuit training caught on within some communities, and today, elements of circuit training are often seen in a gym or health club.

Circuit training is the idea that a workout participant will move between different “stations”. In a gym, these are often represented by a collection of specific fixed weight machines. In a classic circuit training scenario, the user will be “prescribed” a specific series of machines that work different muscle groups in various ways. This circuit trainer would then move from one station to the other with only a short (15-30 seconds) break between stops, and complete a set of around 10 repetitions per station. The intensity or resistance of the stations varies according to the user's progressive fitness schedule.

What's so great about circuit training? Well, first, it helps users to identify and train specific muscle groups. Circuit training prescriptions include all of the stations that individual needs to work at to develop their personal fitness goals and give stability to the muscles they predominantly use for either sports or recreational exercises. Some types of circuit training also help the body develop good habits for quick change of direction or other transitions.

Another benefit of circuit training is that some studies have found tapes of intense circuit training to meet the guidelines for cardiovascular workouts in terms of heart rate and other factors. What this means is that aerobic types of circuit training could be a great varied menu for routine that still provides some of the benefits of a treadmill workout or some other more mundane routine.

Those who have become bored or disinterested with a “bland” aerobic work cardiovascular exercise regimen can ask their trainers or coaches about setting up a personal circuit training menu that will get them back in step, engaged in their body’s development, and focused on their own specific target results. Instructors and trainers can incorporate circuit training activities into classes and sessions accordingly, to help beginners benefit from this kind of “multitasking” approach. As a relatively new fitness discipline, circuit training may not be for everybody, but it may continue to catch on for many who want a truly diverse and interactive fitness program.