How do you design a functional circuit for beginners?

1 Choose your goal

Before you start designing your functional circuit, you need to have a clear goal in mind. What do you want to achieve with your workout? Do you want to lose weight, build muscle, improve your endurance, or increase your flexibility? Your goal will determine the type and intensity of the exercises you choose, as well as the duration and frequency of your circuit. For example, if your goal is to lose weight, you might want to choose high-intensity exercises that burn more calories and keep your heart rate up. If your goal is to build muscle, you might want to choose exercises that target specific muscle groups and use heavier weights or resistance bands.

2 Select your exercises

Once you have your goal in mind, you can select the exercises that will make up your functional circuit. A good functional circuit should include a variety of exercises that work different parts of your body and challenge your stability, mobility, and coordination. You can choose from a wide range of functional exercises, such as squats, lunges, push-ups, planks, bridges, rows, curls, presses, twists, and jumps. You can also use different equipment, such as dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine balls, TRX bands, or your own body weight. Try to avoid repeating the same exercise or working the same muscle group in consecutive stations. Aim for 6 to 10 exercises per circuit, depending on your fitness level and available time.

3 Set your time and rest

The next step is to decide how long you will perform each exercise and how much rest you will take between them. This will affect the intensity and difficulty of your circuit, as well as the total duration of your workout. Generally, you can follow one of these two formats: either perform each exercise for a certain number of repetitions (e.g., 10 to 15) or for a certain amount of time (e.g., 30 to 60 seconds). Then, rest for a short period (e.g., 10 to 30 seconds) before moving on to the next exercise. You can also adjust the time and rest according to your goal and fitness level. For example, if you want to increase your endurance, you might want to perform each exercise for longer and rest for shorter. If you want to increase your strength, you might want to perform each exercise for fewer repetitions and rest for longer.

4 Arrange your order

The order in which you perform the exercises in your functional circuit can also make a difference in your workout. You want to create a balanced and effective circuit that works all your major muscle groups and does not fatigue or injure any of them. A good way to arrange your order is to alternate between upper body and lower body exercises, or between pushing and pulling movements. This way, you can avoid overloading the same muscles and give them some time to recover. You can also mix up the order of the exercises every time you do the circuit to keep your body guessing and prevent boredom.

5 Warm up and cool down

The last step is to prepare your body for the functional circuit and help it recover afterwards. A warm up and a cool down are essential parts of any workout, especially a functional one that involves multiple joints and muscles. A warm up is a low-intensity activity that gradually increases your heart rate, blood flow, and body temperature. It also loosens up your muscles and joints and prepares them for the exercises. A warm up can include some light cardio, such as jogging, skipping, or cycling, and some dynamic stretches, such as arm circles, leg swings, or torso twists. A cool down is a low-intensity activity that gradually lowers your heart rate, blood flow, and body temperature. It also relaxes your muscles and joints and prevents stiffness and soreness. A cool down can include some light cardio, such as walking, jogging, or cycling, and some static stretches, such as hamstring stretch, chest stretch, or shoulder stretch.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?