This workout requires no exercise equipment but still manages to deliver an almighty fitness challenge. Simple but not easy, this workout will challenge every muscle in your body as well as your heart and lungs.
Unlike previous workouts using the 5/10/15/20 sequence, this workout uses two different sequences to provide exercise variety and challenge your muscles from a variety of angles.
Set your timer for 2 minute repeats and perform the following circuit non-stop:
5 burpees – with or without press ups
10 press ups – on toes or knees as appropriate
15 squats – feet shoulder-width apart, squat down so your thighs are parallel to the floor
20 mountain climbers – also known as alternate leg squat thrusts
Plank to next two minute mark – don’t let your hips drop
5 chin ups – overhand or underhand grip
10 press ups – make sure your chest touches the floor
15 squats – push your hips back and keep your chest up
20 medicine ball slams – drive the ball into the ground from overhead and catch it as it bounces
Plank to next two minute mark – do not hold your breath
Return to the beginning and repeat!
Continue this sequence for as many laps as are desired. We’ve found that 6 laps totalling 24 minutes is pretty much ideal. If you like, you can perform side planks or any other core exercise so long as it takes you up to the next two minute marker.
Integrated Circuit Training isn’t new – boxers and martial artists have been using it for years but it’s now becoming more popular as a training method in other sports. In this article we’ll explain what it is and why it will benefit you and we’ll also provide you with some sample workouts to get you started.
In most field sports such as rugby, hockey or Gaelic football, the majority of the energy for activity is produced using the lactic acid system. The lactic acid system is anaerobic in nature i.e. it requires no oxygen and describes how carbohydrate, in the form of muscle glycogen, is broken down to form a chemical called ATP which powers all of our muscular contractions. Because the intensity of field sports is so high, the ATP is quickly used up and the by product, lactic acid, makes our muscles burn, forcing us to slow down and stop. In addition to needing a high degree of anaerobic fitness, muscular endurance (the ability of a muscle or muscle group to keep working for extended periods of time) is another physical trait that needs to be developed to enhance playing performance. Integrated Circuit Training (ICT) is a sports specific training method which challenges both the anaerobic energy pathways and improves muscular endurance simultaneously which will have a tremendous carry over to sports performance.
For many sports people, long slow distance training (LSD for short) makes up the bulk of their conditioning training which is fine if all you ever want to do is run long distances slowly (!) but if you are involved in start/stop sports where the pace is fast and furious then LSD training is not the best use of your valuable time. Whilst LSD will improve your aerobic fitness, most team sports rely heavily on anaerobic fitness so once you have developed a base of aerobic fitness it’s time to increase the intensity of your workouts and challenge your anaerobic system.
In order if intensity, there are a number of training methods you can use to improve your fitness and it’s worth making sure you have progressed through these levels of intensity before jumping in at the deep end.
1) Long Slow Distance Training (LSD)
2) Fartlek Training (meaning speed play)
3) Fast Continuous Running (FCR)
4) Interval Training
5) Integrated Circuit Training (ICT)
If you currently mainly do LSD type training, spend some time over the next few weeks gradually increasing the intensity of your workouts until you feel you are ready to try the workouts detailed below
Integrated Circuit Training is a combination of common training methods into uncommonly demanding workouts and provides a challenge to both the anaerobic energy system and muscular endurance. ICT workouts should by definition be relatively short – some are as short as 10-12 minutes, but generally 30 minutes or less is plenty long enough. In exercise you can work hard, or you can work long but you can’t work hard AND long. ICT sticks to this principle. Don’t let the abbreviated nature of these workouts deceive you though – the idea is to work against the clock and treat each workout as a race – only by working as hard as possible will you truly increase your high-end fitness which will be invaluable on the sports field.
In part 2, well provide you with 5 workouts that will kick you butt into shape!
Circuit training is one of the most effective ways to get fit and burn calories at the same time. The non-stop nature of circuit training means that this is also a very time efficient way to work out. In terms of equipment, you don’t need much to create a terrifically effective circuit and this workout proves the point by only using medicine balls and resistance bands.
Perform 2 – 4 circuits of 12 – 20 repetitions (dependent on fitness level) resting no more than 15 seconds between exercises
Recovery 60 – 120 seconds between laps
The Workout:
1)Rubber band high pulls
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart
Place a rubber exercise band beneath your feet and hold it in both hands
Your arms should be straight
Keep your back straight (maintaining the natural curves of your spine)
Look straight ahead of you
Bend at the knees and hips until your hands are level with your knees
Extend the hips and knees whilst simultaneously pulling with the arms until your hands are under your chin – keeping your body tall
Try to set and maintain a steady rhythm
Immediately return to the starting position and repeat for desired number of repetitions
2) Medicine ball slams
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart
Hold medicine ball in both hands
Dynamically lift the medicine ball above head height
Rise up onto toes
Strongly throw medicine ball at the floor about 24” in front of feet
Catch ball as it rebounds and repeat
This exercise should be done at speed using the whole body
3)Medicine ball thrusters
Grasp a medicine as if you were going to perform shoulder presses – this is your starting position
Push the hips back and bend the knees into a front squat position – knees at about 90 degrees, thighs parallel to the floor
Rabidly drive out of the bottom position and simultaneously extend the elbows, pressing the medicine ball over head
Lower the medicine to the shoulders and then drop back down into the front squat to repeat
4)Rubber band punching
Use 2 strong exercise bands attached to a sturdy anchor at approximately chest height
With the anchor point behind you, grasp a band in each hand and step forwards with your hands in close to the chest
Make sure the bands are running under your arms
Adopt a split stance (alternate stance on next round)
Punch out alternate arms whilst keeping the legs still
Aim to throw as many punches as possible in the allotted time
5)Rubber band rows
Using 2 bands, attach rubber bands to a sturdy anchor at approximately chest height
Grasp a band in each hand and step backwards keeping the arms extended
Keep the spine upright and the torso still
When then tension in the bands is sufficient pull the arms into the body
The arms should extend past the torso and the hands should come into the hips
Slowly release the tension in the bands and return to the starting position
Repeat
6)Medicine ball sit up and throw
Adopt a sitting position on the floor with legs bent and feet flat looking forwards and arms extended above your head
Place your partner so they are approximately 10 feet away from you
When you are ready, instruct your partner throw the medicine ball to your out stretched arms
Catch the medicine ball and use your abdominals to decelerate it as you lower yourself down into the bottom of a sit-up position
Immediately return the ball to your partner by strongly contracting your abs and sitting up whilst simulations flexing your arms and shoulders
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions
If you don’t have a partner available you can perform this exercise solo by throwing the medicine ball against a strong wall
7)Reaching lunges with medicine ball
Holding a medicine ball, stand tall and take a large step forward with your left leg into a lunge
Bend the knee to so that your upper thigh lowers to a near parallel to the ground position
Simultaneously bend at the waist and reach down with both hands to touch the medicine ball to the floor
Push back to the start position and repeat to the right side
8)Medicine ball clean and press
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart astride a medicine ball
Maintaining an upright torso and tight core, squat down and grasp the sides of the ball while keeping your arms straight – this is your starting position
Dynamically extend the knees and hips whilst pulling with the arms so that the ball comes up to chin level
Drop under the ball and catch it in a shoulder press position, slightly bending your knees to absorb the shock
From this position bend push the ball overhead
Lower the ball to shoulder height and then return it to the floor
Todays workout is a two-parter called Upstairs & Downstairs
Duration: Approximately 25 minutes
Equipment: Pull up/chin up station,
Method: Perform 5 laps of both of the following circuits. One focuses on upper body (upstairs) while the other focus on your lower body (downstairs).
Part 1 – upper body 5 laps of the following exercises with minimal rest between exercises and laps
10 pull ups (substitute lat pull downs or body rows if necessary)
20 press ups
30 rubber band high pulls (squat combined with an upright row)
Rest 2-3 minutes
Part 2 – lower body
5 laps of the following exercises with minimal rest between exercises and laps
Today’s workout is inspired by boxers and boxing, it’ll challenge both muscular endurance and aerobic fitness…just like boxing, but without the risk of getting hit in the head! Mind you might want to lie down after doing it!
The workout is circuit-based and uses 6 exercises – you do each for 30sec to total a 3 minute ’round’. Rest for 1 min before repeating the workout for as many rounds as you can e.g. 3-5
Feel free to make your own exercise substitutions if you wish, but try to avoid putting similar exercises back-to-back, as this will probably just slow you down.
Warm up and cool down of course… seconds out, round 1!
Watch ultra-FIT contributor Caroline Pearce in action as she performs a great high intensity body weight circuit. The circuit features in our Dec 09 issue.
Integrated Circuit Training isn’t new – boxers and martial artists have been using it for years but it’s now becoming more popular as a training method in other sports. In this article we’ll explain what it is and why it will benefit you and we’ll also provide you with some sample workouts to get you started.
