By Garry Robinson http://www.kaizenoutdoorfitness.com/what-is-outdoor-circuit-training-and-why-is-it-ideal-for-bootcamp-style-outdoor-group-training/ Circuit Training was developed in England during the 1950’s as a way of allowing groups of people of differing fitness levels to train together. It typically consists of approximately 10 stations, where a different exercise is designated at each station. In a circuit training workout, participants move between the stations at prescribed time intervals which are typically between 30s and 2mins. The exercises are carefully combined to work every energy system and muscle group. So a typical circuit would contain a mix of aerobic exercises, anaerobic exercises, high-repetition low-resistance exercises and low-repetition high-resistance exercises.

1. Other ways of organising circuit training workouts would be to design stations that catered for different
movement patterns such as pushing, pulling, throwing, running and jumping.
The end result is a total-body, total energy-system workout that fits perfectly into any program of general
physical preparedness.
Working out together as a group or team builds morale and friendship, so it is especially useful for military
recruits in fitness bootcamps and for emergency services personnel who rely on teamwork. Both groups
have to be physically prepared for anything so the diversity of training methods mean circuit training is
highly effective for these occupations.
Boxers and martial artists also use circuit training extensively in their training because it can be designed to
closely resemble the physical demands of a fight. Bruce Lee in particular loved the multiple benefits that
are brought about by this type of training.
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WHAT IS OUTDOOR CIRCUIT TRAINING AND
WHY IS IT IDEAL FOR BOOTCAMP-STYLE OUT-
DOOR GROUP TRAINING?
By Garry Robinson
www.kaizenoutdoorfitness.com
Outdoor Circuit Training
Circuit Training was developed in England during the 1950’s as a way
of allowing groups of people of differing fitness levels to train to-
gether.
It typically consists of approximately 10 stations, where a different
exercise is designated at each station. In a circuit training workout,
participants move between the stations at prescribed time intervals
which are typically between 30s and 2mins.
The exercises are carefully combined to work every energy system
and muscle group. So a typical circuit would contain a mix of aerobic
exercises, anaerobic exercises, high-repetition low-resistance exer-
cises and low-repetition high-resistance exercises.

2. A Common Mistake Made by Rookie Personal Trainers
One of the most common mistakes made by newbie bootcamp instructors is simply throwing a bunch of ran-
dom exercises together into a circuit and changing the exercises around each time to add ‘variety’.
While you may get away with this once or twice, relying on this week in week out will very quickly become
boring and tedious for those participating. The secret to creating fun, enjoyable and effective circuit training
workouts is to use different styles and methods for navigating the circuit of exercises.
Outdoor Circuit Training Ideas
Try some of these techniques to spice up your circuits and surprise your clients:
1. Spread the stations in a circle around a central cone or witches hat and have participants run in and touch
the cone before moving to their next station.
2. Rather than time intervals, use one station as a control. For example station #1 might be 50 pushups. All
other stations keep working until the participants at station #1 are done, at which point everyone transi-
tions to the next station.
3. Space out the stations 10m to 20m apart and use ‘travelling’ exercises such as side-steps, bear crawls or
walking lunges to move from station to station.
4. Designate one or more stations as boxing combos
5. String out stations in a line so that when you reach the end of the line, there is a long run back to the start
– this is great if you run bootcamps on a long, sandy beach. Running even a few hundred metres on soft
sand is a great heart-raiser.
6. Assign 2 different exercises to each station and give participants a prescribed number of reps on each
one. Or ‘superset’ the exercises as many times as possible over a longer time period.
7. Play a version of musical chairs where there is one less station than the number of participants. Players
run or jog around until you blow a whistle at which point they must go to the nearest station. The penalty
for not getting to a station might be an agility drill or a harder-than-usual exercise. You can remove sta-
tions as the workout goes on.
There are many, many more ways that you can make your circuits interesting. I hope these suggestions get
you thinking creatively.
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3. Really Simple
Remember that simple does not mean easy. Fancy and complicated routines don’t work. Drills must be ex-
plained quickly and underway within seconds. Use short, executive commands and study ways to cue exercis-
es with the minimal amount of words.
Structure your workouts into a warm-up, one or two main drills, then a cool down and stretches. Stick to just
one modality per session. For example, you may choose running, boxing, intervals, circuits or strength as the
main theme. Another way is to have conditioning sessions that focus on a single energy pathway or strength
sessions that develop skill in a single, functional movement.
Fun
Be sure to enjoy yourself first! This is not being selfish. If you love what you do, people will be attracted to
that and respond accordingly. Don’t be afraid to be yourself. Use humour, give clients friendly or cheeky nick
names, crack jokes and embrace your own natural style. Avoid using technical jargon and never, ever swear.
Try to incorporate teamwork into your drills and encourage a little friendly competition. Children’s PE games
make brilliant warm-up drills.
If this sounds like a lot of time and effort to get right, it is! But if you really want to stand out as a great trainer
and grow a remarkable business, use these tips and follow the SUPER-FUN formula. You will be well on your
way to success.
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