Circuit training is becoming more popular because of its effectiveness and efficiency - better results in less time. But, when something is working, there's often a temptation to overdo it. So, is it OK to do circuit training every day for weight loss?
Circuit Training
So what is circuit training? Simply put, it's a flexible exercise program in which you change exercises and/or intensity several times within the same workout. Switching exercises lets you move from one muscle group to the next. This allows you to keep moving (working your entire system) without fatiguing a single muscle group.
For example, say you can do 40 squats and 20 pushups. If you had a workout where you did 20 squats followed by 10 pushups, rested for 30 seconds then repeated, how many sets could you do? You're only working at 50% intensity (half your maximum), your arms and chest get to rest when you're doing squats, and your legs get to rest when you're doing pushups. So you can see that it would be several sets before those muscles give out. Your overall system would probably give out before either your arms/chest or legs would.
Every Day?
Back on topic, this brings up the age-old question: Is it OK to exercise every day? The normal recommendation is to have a day or two of rest between workouts. The reason for rest days is to give your muscles a chance to rest, recover and grow. Makes perfect sense. When you work out (especially with weight training), you are basically damaging your muscle tissue. With rest, the body repairs the tissue, making it stronger for "next time". Over time, noticeable improvements in strength and size can occur, provided other necessary elements are there (such as proper nutrition).
So, is this rest period really necessary? Can you work out every day? Can you do circuit training every day? For weight loss, a major factor is calorie burning. So, more workouts means more calories burned, right? So if we can work out every day, we can lose weight faster. Seems to make sense doesn't it?
Intensity
Let's consider a major factor in determining whether daily workouts are OK: intensity. Your level of intensity (how hard the workout is) determines whether it's a good idea for you to work out every day. If you have a workout where you perform very heavy squats for three sets of ten reps each, and work to complete muscle failure on each set (NOT a good idea), then that would be a very intense workout and you should not work out the next day - or even for the next two or three days.
However, if you merely walk at a casual pace for 30 minutes, do you think you could work out the next day? I'll bet you could. Simply walking doesn't tear your muscles down to the point where they need days off for recovery. People walk all the time every day.
What's the Key?
So, what is the key to making it OK to do circuit training every day for weight loss? The key is finding a level of intensity that brings results, without overtaxing your system enough to need days off. Circuit training lends itself well to this. It provides a great deal of flexibility in your exercise program, which in turn lets you go easy on certain exercises and harder on others, then switching it up the next day. So, you get the advantage of more frequent workouts without overtraining. In fact, you probably won't really want to work out literally every day, but the point is that you won't need to take off a day or two between each workout.
Granted, this type of program is not as effective if your goal is to gain strength or size. However, if you want to lose weight, circuit training could be exactly what you're looking for. It may take a bit of experimentation to find out what your body can handle, but with a few properly structured workouts, you can be on your way to the results you're looking for.
Learn more about circuit training at http://www.nostinkinggym.com - a fitness site on kettlebell training, functional strength, and weight loss for regular folks who like to work out at home.
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