Physiological alterations consequent to circuit weight training

The efficacy of a 10-week program of circuit weight training to elicit specific physiological alterations was evaluated in a group of men (n = 16) and a group of women (n = 12), with an additional group of men (n = 10) and a group of women (n = 11) serving as controls. The circuit consisted of 10 stations performed on a Universal Gym, 3 circuits per day (approximately 22.5 min/day), 3 days/week. The subjects exercised at 40-55% of 1-RM, executing as many repetitions as possible in 30 sec on each of the lifts, followed by a 15 sec rest as the subject moved to the next station. Following the training program, the experimental groups demonstrated significant increases in lean body weight, flexed biceps girth, treadmill endurance time, VEmax (women only), Vo2max in ml/kg-min (women only), flexibility and strength. Significant decreases were found in selected skinfold measurements, and in resting heart rate (control group showed similar decreases). No change was found in body weight or in relative or absolute body fat. Generally, the women exhibited equal or greater changes when compared to the men for all variables assessed, which could be a function of their lower initial starting levels, or a more intense training program. It was concluded that circuit weight training is a good general conditioning activity, i.e., attends to more than one component of fitness.