Navigating Fitness Terminology: Discover the Distinctives Among Circuits, Supersets, and Intervals
Feeling clueless about gym jargon? You're not alone! Even gym veterans have trouble distinguishing workout terms like circuits, intervals, and supersets. But knowing these styles can help power your fitness journey. Here's a lowdown on each style and how they help reach various goals:
Don't Skip the Slang
A little fitness lingo knowledge will make you more aware of what you're stepping into during a class or workout regimen. It can also assist in assessing the appropriate gym or streaming service to suit your needs. Armed with these training approaches, you're on your way to creating a killer workout plan:
"Understanding the training styles and outcomes you can get from them will help you achieve your goals," says Jake Harcoff, strength and conditioning coach.
Intervals: The Fat Burner
You've probably tried interval-style training whether you've stepped into a fitness studio, endured boot camp sessions, or hopped on a Peloton bike. So, what exactly is it?
"An interval is a specific time in which you do one exercise or movement," explains Harcoff. It's any workout that involves alternating between doing an exercise intensely and taking a rest.
Rest, you say? It's no laughing matter. To feel the maximum benefits of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), you have to pour on the effort.
"Here, intensity refers to the effort of force production, not the effort for sustained endurance," says Will Levy, head trainer at Melbourne Strength & Conditioning.
In a nutshell, HIIT is fantastic for weight loss, improving athletic performance, boosting endurance, or shedding fat.
HIIT Tips
1. Adjust Work-to-Rest Ratio
Experiment with the work-to-rest ratio, focusing on finding the balance that's right for you. A common example is a 2-to-1 work-to-rest ratio (e.g., 20 seconds all-out effort followed by 10 seconds rest). But you could also sprint for 60 seconds, rest for 2 minutes, and then repeat.
2. Prioritize Quality Over Quantity
Choose the intensity of the exercise carefully so you never sacrifice form for speed. Doing so reduces the risk of injury.
3. Assess Your Efforts Retrospectively
If you don't feel completely spent after an interval workout, challenge yourself by taking notes and adjusting accordingly for future sessions.
4. Take a Break
Rest is crucial; don't do interval training daily. Aim to take at least 48 hours off between HIIT sessions. Generally, 2-3 sessions a week are more than enough.
Supersets: The Muscle Builder
Have you ever noticed someone doing a set of pull-ups and immediately following it up with push-ups? That's a superset! As Harcoff explains,
"A superset is a workout structure where you do two exercises that use antagonist muscle groups back to back."
The key benefit of supersets is they're incredibly efficient, allowing you to achieve gains in less time.
"Supersets enable the muscle group used in the first exercise to rest while you're training the exercises in the second muscle group," says Harcoff.
Building a Superset Routine
1. Determine Your Goals
Are you training to boost muscular endurance or strength?
2. Choose Weighted Exercises
Focus on weighted exercises or bodyweight exercises that challenge you, as the point of supersets is to train efficiently.
3. Settle on Reps and Rest
The number of reps and sets you do will depend on various factors such as the weight you're using, the muscle groups you're working, your fitness level, and your goals. But a good starting place is to plan to do 8-12 reps of each exercise for 4-5 sets total.
4. Choose the Right Weight
Select an appropriate weight that feels challenging during the last 2 reps but not so heavy that you can't complete the last few reps.
Circuits: The Fitness Jack-of-All-Trades
"Simply put, a circuit is a chain of three or more exercises completed without much rest in between," says Harcoff. Exercises tend to include dumbbells or kettlebells - though cardio machines aren't a given.
Circuits offer a wide variety of exercises, making them ideal for those who easily get bored. Since they target multiple muscle groups, they're beneficial in providing overall fitness improvements.
Creating a Circuit
1. Choose a Structure
Decide whether you want to complete a predetermined number of circuits or push yourself to see how many circuits you can do within a set time frame (e.g., 20 minutes).
2. Set Rest
Incorporating rest after each circuit may be necessary, especially when completing a set number of circuits. Rest between 60-120 seconds.
3. Choose the Movements
Consider alternating between upper and lower body exercises to ensure you engage all major muscle groups during circuit training.
"Differentiating exercise styles can lead to a more tailored fitness journey. For instance, HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, is effective for burning calories and boosting aerobic fitness. By contrast, supersets, which involve working antagonist muscle groups back to back, are ideal for building muscle efficiently. Lastly, circuits, consisting of varied exercises with minimal rest, offer overall fitness improvements and are great for those who get bored easily."
"When it comes to HIIT, it's essential to focus on the intensity of effort, not just the sustained endurance. To achieve the maximum benefits, ensure you are pushing yourself during the high-intensity intervals."
"To create a superset routine efficiently, select exercises that challenge you and choose an appropriate weight that feels challenging during the last 2 reps but not so heavy that you can't complete the last few reps."
