Workouts - Circuit or Sets?

[Woody_393]

What is everyone's take on working out in a circuit (meaning you do one exercise then onto the next one until you have done one circuit, then you start over) vs Set type workouts (meaning you do all 3-4 sets of bench, then move to next muscle).

What do you do and why? Advantages?

[Frakke]

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The above programs I do. I believe you mentioned them in a thread earlier also!! I do one excercise and immediately go on to the next one and this for the whole schedule. So I won't have a break during this whole excercise. It's pretty hard but I feel I have more power and breath at the same time. I'm doing this excercise now since half december and it's working great for me. I do this 2 days a week (one day upper body and one day legs) and then two other days I go running or bicycling. I prefer to do the muscle excercises in the beginning of the week so your muscles have time to rest before the race.

[VET393]

I do the circuit thing. I start with tread mill and bikes, then to weights and back to elipticle. I do this everyday now for about 1 1/2 after work. I will start doing lower body stuff after weekend. I do mostly upper body, back and cardio for now. I have been doing this for 3 weeks now. But I can start riding a little now so that will change in a few weeks.

I try to do what my trainer advised me. I get one for 3 sessions with my membership. Lucky thing, he use to ride.

[Woody_393]

Cool, thanks for the help.

How's your workout going Vet?

[VET393]

I think good, I'll know better when I ride. I will get a better idea of what I need work on, besides cornering and jumping

[Woody_393]

LOL, I hear that...

[huffdaddy70]

I've always done circuits more because they are more for getting in shape and building indurance. Sets make you stronger but you can't go as long, and for riding, endurane is definitaly huge! JMO!

[VET393]

Ok I rode today. I didnt get tired as I did last season, so I know I am on the right track. I still get arm pump badly and that was the downfall of today. I will add some type workout to help with that this week and see how it goes this next weekend.

[Frakke]

What would be the best excercises to forecome armpump?

[MATTXR250R]

Raf,Hanging onto the might fofiddy is just asking for armpump.

[Frakke]

LOL Matt!!! You're probably right!!!

[Woody_393]

IMOP, the best exercise for arm pump is the following, and you need to keep in mind that sometimes you have to go slower to go faster.

I suggest taking these one at a time until they are second nature:
1) Conciously try to relax (both body and hands)
2) Conciously make an effort to Breath (you'd be surprised how much we hold our breath out there).
3) Learn to hang on with your strongest muscles... Your legs
4) Try to get forward when you are getting on the gas.
5) Try using ear plugs when you ride. This for me makes it soo much easier to concentrate on the stuff I'm trying to learn.
6) Hydration
7) Sleep, when your tired because of lack of sleep, you'll get it more.

Hope that helps.

I've also heard that working the forarms actually makes it worse.

Keep the rubber side down.

[Frakke]

Thanks Woody!! The 'holding on with your legs' is probably the best for me. I'm trying to do it but still found it difficult to do. Always trust on my arms to keep hanging on, that's probably my problem. I've already tried to work out those forearms and indeed, it was getting worse!! Better bind my knees together with a cord or something when I'm on my bike!!

[VET393]

The trainer at the gym wants me to hang from my fingers, as in doing chin ups, but just hang with my body weight for 1 minute intervals. All four fingers at first, then when that gets easy( yea, right) just three. I did this and boy does it simulate arm pump big time.

I am going to concentrate on your tips, Woody , I know these are things I have been told before. Everything else I have done so far , I have seen a good improvement in my endurance. Very cool.

[Woody_393]

I agree, and I think the biggest key is the hanging on with the legs. If I do it, I don't get pump. If I don't, I do. Simple as that.

Problem is it's tough training yourself to do it. Heck I actually work on hanging on with my lets conciously, and after 1.5 years, I still don't have it down all the time. I still have to think about it.

[jaswhitt393]

Armpump...not my forearms, but my hands....mostly my throttle hand, not so much my clutch hand...125 I use the heck out of the clutch so I must not grip the clutch grip as tight?

[mxerhale]

Back to the original question, I do supersets so it's kind of an in betweener. You do two exercises in the same set such as: one set of concentration curls and switch within 15 seconds to overhead tricep extension anbd repeat for 3-4 sets.

[Woody_393]

The idea being that you work that muscle group all together?

Then what after that?

[mxerhale]

You try and work opposing muscles, but sometimes it's not exactly opposing. The idea is to work them together and then they get to rest for the next 7 days and recuperate.

[splitfirekx125]

are ur gloves realy tight