Intro:

The following article by Denton Smith is a small example of the extremely valuable knowledge, skills and abilities you will receive by attending any of his presentations at the IFPA Fitness Vegas and American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine Conference in Las Vegas, December 13-15, 2007.

Denton is the President of SciFit, the highest quality medical and fitness exercise equipment in the world, a former Mr. USA, NCAA star athlete and has “been there, done that”! on every single aspect of the fitness industry you can name, mention, or possibly imagine!

He is a true encyclopedia of knowledge on fitness and possesses the unsurpassed wisdom to use it. You are guaranteed to learn volumes from attending any of his presentations.

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The key to creating a circuit training program for your members is by incorporating time-tested, proven modes of exercise such as cross training and interval training into your circuit.

The most basic definition of circuit training is moving from exercise to exercise (or machine to machine) until all of the exercises are completed. Circuits can be done with or without equipment or apparatus. However, the most successful circuits use equipment to better define the circuit and to facilitate movement from exercise to exercise. Another component to successful circuit training is timing each exercise. It is ideal for the length of each segment to be the same throughout the workout. The uniformity of time on each machine allows for individuals to start in the circuit at short time intervals, and group flow is better controlled.

There are many reasons to offer circuit training to your clients. Circuit training emphasizes the clients’ needs.

Introduce a variety of exercises into your circuit while keeping it very simple. Make sure they are exercises every fitness level can perform. For example, pedal, walk, push and pull. Cross training incorporates cardio, strength, balance, flexibility and functional exercise. It addresses the total anatomical function giving better results and total body exercise.

Interval training, short bursts of higher intensity exercise, can give better cardiovascular effect and is easily integrated into your circuit.

Feedback has been proven to increase results by motivating and by increasing retention. As you develop a more sophisticated circuit, you are able to better focus on the three types of feedback.

Immediate feedback – instant readout from the display on the machine or verbal feedback from a trainer or coach.

Intermediate feedback – a report, usually at the end of the workout, either hand written on an exercise card by the member or trainer or in the form of a computer printout via an exercise computer program.

Long-term feedback – physiological and biometric measurements. Displayed on a graph over time (usually 30 days – six months). Done manually or by computer program.

If you are going to incorporate technology, make sure the technology is saving time and making your job easier. The technology must add value to services you provide and help keep your clients’ goals.

A good circuit keeps the members moving and can accommodate more than one member at a time. It also allows different muscle groups to rest between segments. Here is an example of a 30-minute strength and cardio circuit using four pieces of equipment.

5 minutes                     cardio                          treadmill

5 minutes                     cardio                          upper body cycle

5 minutes                     cardio                          recumbent bike

5 minutes                     cardio                          total body elliptical

5 minutes                     isokinetic                    strength upper body cycle

5 minutes                     isokinetic                    strength recumbent bike

Warm up and cool down, including stretching, should also be included. Each person would work in their own level within these parameters.

Given appropriate feedback, a circuit such as this one performed twice a week will give members the results they want and keep them coming back.

Denton Smith is the President of SCIFIT Systems, Inc. He can be contacted at 800.278.3933, or by email at dsmith@scifit.com.

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