Circuit training: designing a circuit
Physical Education · Key Stage 3 · The School
What a circuit is
A CIRCUIT is a set of exercise STATIONS, each done for a fixed time or number of reps, with a short rest before moving to the next. A whole circuit is usually repeated more than once. It is popular because it fits many different exercises into one session with almost no equipment needed.
Why the order matters
Doing two leg exercises back to back means the second one starts already tired, and technique breaks down. A well-ordered circuit ALTERNATES: legs, then arms, then core, then legs again — so a muscle group gets a station or two of rest before it is asked to work hard again.
Matching work and rest to the goal
Short work with longer rest between stations suits POWER and technique, because quality matters more than volume. Longer work with shorter rest suits ENDURANCE, because the aim is to keep going under fatigue. The same six exercises can build two different circuits just by changing the timing.
STATION 1: squats (legs). STATION 2: press-ups (upper body). STATION 3: plank (core). STATION 4: lunges (legs). STATION 5: shoulder taps (upper body). STATION 6: mountain climbers (core and legs together). Notice the pattern: legs, upper body, core, legs, upper body, core — never the same group twice running. Swap station 4 for a second leg exercise placed right after station 1 instead, and the whole circuit gets worse.