Home Gym Circuit Training Routines
By Ivan Nikolov
copyright © 2008 Ivan Nikolov
We all know how difficult it might be to make it to the
gym after 9 long hours at work. I bet it has happened to you not once or twice.
But what do you do when you don’t feel you have the energy
to stop by the local gym on your way home? Or may be you don’t have the time
for a workout at the gym.
What’s the solution then? It could be only one – a circuit
training workout at your home gym.
But first, before we go ahead with the home workout, take
this from me. If you don’t have a home gym set up already, don’t even think of
missing your workout. Go to the local gym where you are a member. Missing a
single workout can set a path for a habit. Vice versa, not missing a workout won’t
let you think there is such an option.
So, let’s suppose that for whatever reason you can’t make
it to the gym, and are planning on working out at home. That means you have a
home gym of some sort, already set up.
In this article I want to advise you on your choices for a
circuit workout routine (one that trains the whole body). The routine you will
pick however, will all depend on how your home gym
is equipped.
For example if you are a hardcore bodybuilder then I am
quite sure you have free weights as your main equipment.
If you are not, then you have a home-gym machine.
In case you belong to the first group, the least equipment
you have (I would guess) is an adjustable bench, a rack, an olympic barbell set
and a pair of dumbbells with adjustable weights.
For you I’d suggest two circuit routines. You can do only
one of them or you can do two circuits, using both if you feel you have energy
(and desire) to do that:
Workout One/Circuit One
/Warm up/
Crunches 1-2 x 15 – 30
Flat bench press on the rack 2-3 x 12 – 15
Barbell rows 2-3 x 10 - 15
Seated dumbbell overhead presses 2-3 x 12 - 15
Barbell curls 2-3 x 8 - 12
Barbell lying triceps extensions 2-3 x 12 – 15
Squats 2-3 x 10 x 15
Stiff Leg Dead Lifts 2-3 x 10 - 12
/Cool down/
Workout Two/Circuit Two
/Warm up/
Reverse crunches 1-2 x 15 - 20
Dumbbell flys 2-3 x 10 - 12
One-arm dumbbell rows 2-3 x 10 - 12
Dumbbell lateral raises 2-3 x 10 - 12
Seated dumbbell curls 2-3 x 8 - 12
One-arm overhead triceps extensions 2-3 x 8 - 12
Lunges (holding a pair of dumbbells) 2-3 x 12 - 15
/Cool down/
Note that the number of reps is slightly higher than what
you would normally do should you have worked out at the gym. I did it this way
intentionally. My advice for you is to use 50 – 70% of your One Rep Max due to
the fact that you don’t have a spotter. If you think you can go heavier, please
do, but at your own risk.
Now, if you own a home gym machine, here is what you can
do. The simplest home gym machines are
equipped for at least these several exercises: bench press, lat pull down,
seated rows, biceps curls, triceps push-downs, leg extensions and standing
hamstring curls.
And that’s actually plenty. You can complete the whole
body in a single session.
Your circuit workout:
/Warm up/
Crunches 2-3 x 15 - 30
Seated bench press – 3 x 10 - 12
Lat pull-down 3 x 10 - 12
Front cable raises (machine behind you, lower pulley cable between your thighs)
3 x 10 - 12
Standing biceps cable curls (lower pulley cable, facing the machine) 3 x 10 -
12
Standing triceps push-downs (using the lat-pull down handle) 3 x 10 - 12
Leg extensions 3 x 12 - 15
Standing hamstring curls (facing the machine) 3 x 12 - 15
/Cool down/
You have more options for replacing some of the exercises:
Replace seated bench press wide grip with seated bench
press close grip.
Replace lat pull down with seated rows (facing the
machine).
Replace standing biceps cable curls with lying biceps
cable curls (lie down on the floor on your back and place your feet on the
rolling pads for support).
Well, I guess that’s it. It was easy wasn’t it? Now that
you finished your workout you deserve a nice, chilled protein shake. After all
you are at home and can make it any way you want, right. And, yes, you should
feel good because you didn’t miss a workout.
ABOUT THE AUTOR
Ivan Nikolov, an accomplished natural bodybuilder shares a
wealth of information on Natural
Bodybuilding and Sports
Nutrition on his website www.IvanNikolov.com.
Start using his comprehensive Free Nutrition
Software today!
IMPORTANT - Publication/Reprint Terms
Permission to reprint this article is granted if the article is reproduced in
its entirety, without editing, including the bio information. Your must also
include the hyperlinks to http://www.ivannikolov.com when using this article in
newsletters or online.
