A Really Big Circuit Workout

Here’s a workout from our new 4 week Workout Plan, Crescendo, over on BootCraft. (link for BootCraft subscribers)

Big Oval Circuit

Workout Length: 60 minutes

Equipment Needed: Cones, Mats, An Oval (or at least a space to run out to and back)

Warm Up: Circle of Cardio

Set Up

Mark out a circle cones. Use different colour/shape cones to make 4 different stations around the circle. The more participants, the bigger the circle!

Concept

Designate each station with one of the exercises below.

When moving from station to station, campers will run a lap around the entire circuit before going to the next station.

Have everyone exercising inside the circle leaving the outside free for runners.

Campers will do two rotations of the circuit.

Exercises:

a) Sea Turtles x10
b) Side to Side Squats x10
c) Scapula Push Ups x10
d) Bodyweight Squats x10

Add more exercises to the circuit to make a longer workout.

Main Drill: Big Oval Circuit

This bootcamp workout is a traditional circuit with a little more running involved. This workout is good to use if you have a large variance in fitness levels. Your less fit clients have a balanced shot at finishing the round first.

Concept

Group clients in teams of similar fitness levels. Each team must complete two laps of the oval stopping along the way to complete strength stations. The fitter the team, the more repetitions on each exercise they must complete.

The last team to finish at the end of each round has to hold 1 minute plank at the end.

You can modify this for shorter duration sessions by reducing the number of laps or reducing the number of different rounds.

Teams

For most groups, three different teams will be enough. Beginners, Intermediates and Advanced. Use a run around the oval or your groups last fitness test to decide what team to put them in.

Each team should do the following number of reps on each exercise. If it is a one sided exercises, they should do half on each side.

• Beginners – 18 reps
• Intermediate – 24 reps
• Advanced – 30 reps

Exercises

These are just some sample exercises you can use. Mark out one exercise a quarter distance around the outside of an oval. Modify for your group and equipment options.

Round 1:

1. 1-arm Push ups on railing/fence
2. Jump Squats
3. Inverted bodyweight rows on railing
4. Stir the pot

Round 2:

1. Push up with 1-arm pause
2. Forward-backward lunge
3. Seal bodyweight rows
4. Plank reach

Round 3:

1. Half kneeling band shoulder press
2. Squats
3. Prone pulldowns
4. Side plank hip drop

Finisher: Quick Ladder

This works as a simple ladder drill, the reps increase or decrease each round:

1. DB Squat Press x 10 (minus 1 rep each round)
2. Crunches x1 (add 1 rep each round)

Keep going until around 1/3 of the group has done 1x DB Squat Press and 10x Crunches. Then everyone can stop and rest.

To make planning your sessions each week quicker and easier, consider checking out BootCraft. We built it to help trainers like you save time and improve the variety of your sessions.

Kyle Wood

Kyle Wood created Bootcamp Ideas in 2010 when he was hunting around on the internet for workout ideas. He ran a successful bootcamp in Victoria, Australia and spends his spare time managing this site, adventuring (or lazying) with his wife and find new ways to make bootcamps even better.