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Jackie Wright: Full body circuit

Jackie Wright
The Fitness Trail

This week, full body circuit refers to each station featuring a full body exercise emphasizing muscular strength and endurance, as well as the cardiovascular endurance component. The program is very challenging, so if you are new to exercise, you should perform each station without the external resistance, master it and then begin to incorporate the resistance elements. As always, prior to beginning any exercise program, please consult your physician.

Program Set-Up



• This is a five-station circuit and is designed to be repeated three-six times.

• Each station duration is 75 seconds (i.e. 30 seconds exertion/15 seconds active recovery/30 seconds exertion), then 15 seconds to move to and prepare for the next station.



• Each station should cause you to become winded during the final few seconds.

• Warm-up prior to performing this circuit.

Full Body Circuit Program

Station 1: Full Body Extensions – body bar – begin in a squat position holding a moderate body bar or barbell in your hands, flex arms at the elbows, in front of chest, bar at shoulder height. Press up out of the squat until the legs are fully extended, as you press the bar over the head, arms fully extended and raise up onto the balls of your feet. Repeat.

Station 2: Wood Chop – medicine ball – holding a 4-10 pound medicine ball in both hands at chest height, stand with the legs approximately shoulder distance apart; take the medicine ball over the head angled diagonally toward the left side of the body, then bring the right knee upward and bring the ball toward the knee. As you return to the floor with the right foot, land into a squat position with both legs and return the ball over the head (i.e. think ball to knee/squat/repeat).

Station 3: Squat/Rows – Tubing – tether heavy gauge tubing to an immovable anchor above the head. Holding the tubing by the handles, move the body into position so that the tubing is taut and the arms are fully extended. Engaging the scapulae row the arms back from the shoulder/elbow joints as you squat, keeping the weight in the heels and repeat. Avoid letting the tubing pull you.

Station 4: Mountain Climbers – Pushups (i.e. Mountain Climbers 30 seconds/15 second recovery/Push-ups 30 seconds) – position the body into a full plank, then bring the knees toward the chest, alternating R/L, maintaining the plank position throughout. Follow this sequence with pushups, modified or full.

Station 5: Traveling Lunges with Biceps Curls – dumbbells – holding relatively heavy dumbbells step forward with the right foot, trailing the left leg, left heel elevated, right knee over right heel as you perform a biceps curl. Alternate the legs traveling across the room curling as you lower the body.


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