Circuit training is a type of exercise that involves performing a sequence of various exercises in a specific order.
Circuit training usually includes 8 to 15 stations, with each station featuring a different exercise for a set amount of time. This type of training improves muscular endurance, cardiovascular endurance, aerobic fitness, muscular strength, speed, and agility. Furthermore, circuit-training programs can be customized for specific sports by including exercises that focus on the muscles and skills necessary for that sport.
Example: A circuit training program tailored for basketball should consist of exercises such as jumping, catching, or throwing. My football-focused circuit-training program spans six weeks and comprises 10 stations specifically designed for the requirements of football. Please note that this circuit is designed for outfield players and does not include goalkeeper-specific skills.
My circuit is specifically designed for outfield football players to enhance a range of skills and physical attributes within a six-week timeframe. These include muscular endurance, muscular strength, speed, agility, cardiovascular endurance, and ball skills.
For instance:
Muscular Endurance – The objective is to prevent fatigue or weakness by enabling muscles to sustain contractions throughout the entirety of a match.
Muscular Strength – This aspect focuses on the force generated through muscle contractions.
The significance of contact and physicality in football is incredibly important. Players need to have the skills to defend against opponents while also maintaining possession of the ball. Furthermore, having strong muscular strength, especially in the abdominal muscles, is necessary for performing a throw-in with greater height and distance when targeting a player further from the touch-line. Speed is also essential in football as it allows players to chase a through ball or stop an opponent who is approaching the goal.
Agility refers to the capability of swiftly changing direction and controlling body movements. It is necessary for rapidly changing direction while dribbling or retrieving a loose ball.
Cardiovascular Endurance pertains to the capacity of the heart, lungs, and circulation system to supply oxygen and eliminate waste during physical activity. This is crucial for maintaining a steady pace throughout the entire match.
Performing this in a circuit is difficult, so it would be more beneficial to enhance it through long distance running or cycling. Ball skills in football are all considered open skills, meaning that the movement will vary in different environments. A skill refers to a specific action or series of actions.
Football encompasses a variety of abilities, spanning from fundamental passes to more complex maneuvers such as dribbling in various directions. These abilities entail physical movement and fall under the category of motor skills.
In order to enhance the fitness level of a specific body part, it is crucial to subject it to increased strain by pushing it beyond its normal capacity.
As time passes, your body becomes more fit by adapting to meet the greater demand. There are three methods to overload your body:
- To enhance the frequency of exercise – how often you engage in it. For example, start by exercising twice a week and gradually advance to three or four times a week.
- To increase the intensity of the exercise – how hard you exert yourself. For instance, run at a quicker pace or lift heavier weights.
One way to improve your fitness is by gradually extending the length of your exercise sessions. If you are not very fit, begin by jogging for just 5 minutes per session and then steadily increase it each week until you reach 30 minutes per session. It is crucial to allow your body sufficient time to adjust to the increased exertion, so it is recommended that you slowly build up your level of exercise.
The body will reach a point of plateauing where it no longer improves once it becomes sufficiently fit to handle the current level of exercise. To prevent this, gradually increasing the intensity of exercises is important for continuous progress.
Required equipment:
- 20 Cones
- 3 Hoops
- 10 Soccer Balls
- 1 Measuring Tape
The Circuit:
- Warm up
- Stretching
- The Circuit
The warm up and stretching phases are crucial as they involve highly demanding exercises.
The warm-up is crucial in getting the body ready for exercise by increasing blood flow, heart rate, warming up muscles, and loosening and warming joints. This helps prevent injuries to both muscles and joints. Start by lightly jogging for about 10 minutes, but avoid sprinting during this initial phase.
Afterwards, proceed to perform some dynamic stretching exercises, such as rotating the hips and arms. Additionally, make sure to stretch all of the major muscles that are used in football, holding each stretch for 8 to 10 seconds. Here is a diagram key for the various movements, as well as the muscles that need to be stretched:
Hamstrings, Quadriceps, Gastrocnemiuis, Triceps.
Deltoids6.TrapeziumStation OneAt this station, you begin by running from the line to the first cone. Then, you run back to the line. Next, you run towards the second cone and come back to the line. Afterward, you sprint to the third cone and then return to the line. Finally, you sprint again towards the second cone and come back, followed by a sprint towards the first cone and returning in order to finish this exercise. This activity will enhance your speed, agility, and also strengthen your quadriceps and hamstrings.
Participants at Station Two focus on performing as many sit-up repetitions as they can within a minute. This exercise aims to improve the endurance of the abdominal muscles, which is important for executing long-distance throw-ins. Additionally, this exercise helps build explosive strength due to its powerful and fast movements.
Station Three focuses on improving a player’s chipping ability and accuracy. The hoops should be placed 5m apart. Start by placing a ball behind the line and chip it so it bounces in the first hoop. Then, chip another ball so it bounces in the second hoop. Repeat this process with the third hoop, followed by the second hoop and then the first hoop.
Station Four is an exercise for shooting skills.
Place two cones 5m apart. Line up five balls 10m away from the cones with one cone 2m behind each ball. Strike the first ball, then turn around and sprint around the cone to strike the next ball. Repeat this pattern to improve both muscular strength and accuracy. This exercise is part of Station Five. Use this minute to rest and relax.
To eliminate the lactic acid accumulated in your muscles from the initial four exercises, you can perform some light stretching.
Station Six incorporates burpees, which combine squat thrusts and star jumps. You will begin with a squat thrust, followed by a star jump. Then, perform another squat thrust and follow it with another star jump. This exercise will enhance your agility, cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, and strengthen your quadriceps and hamstrings.
Station Seven: Place six cones 1m apart and dribble a ball in and out of them. Then sprint back to the start. Repeat this for 1 minute. This exercise improves ball skills, speed, and agility. Record the number of complete runs.
Station Eight: The exercise on this station is kick-ups.
Complete as many passes as possible in one minute to improve ball control and muscular endurance. For station nine, create a rectangle with cones measuring 5m by 2m. Then, pass the ball back and forth using both feet. Record the number of completed passes within the one-minute time frame.
This exercise is designed to enhance passing accuracy and ball control. Once the circuit is completed, it can be repeated or followed by a warm-down routine. The warm-down routine involves gentle jogging and stretching to reduce lactic acid buildup in the muscles that occurs during exercise. This aids in improving performance for future workouts. It is also crucial to stretch the same muscles that were stretched during the warm-up in the warm-down phase.
During the warm up, it is recommended to hold the stretches for a longer period of time to prevent stiffness and soreness. The table below displays the results of one week of this circuit program. Exercise Amount Shuttle runs 3 Sit-ups 30 Chipping ball into hoops 2 Shooting 4/1 Rest – Burpees 14 Dribbling 7 Kick ups 27 Passing 50 Over the course of six weeks, these results are expected to improve. A table with results for each week is provided below.
Week 1:
Exercise Amount
Shuttle runs 3
Sit-ups 30
Chipping ball into hoops 2
Shooting 4/1*
Rest –
Burpees 14
Dribbling 7
Kick ups 27
Passing 50
Week 2:
Exercise Amount
Shuttle runs 2
Sit-ups 3
Chipping ball into hoops 31
Shooting 2
Rest –
Burpees
Dribbling
Kick ups
Passing
Despite the program’s success, there was a lack of equipment because many people participated in their own circuit. Consequently, groups had to be formed for equipment sharing. At Station 1, which consisted of shuttle runs, I noticed a significant improvement in my speed as I increased the number of runs completed in one minute. Additionally, this station improved my agility and endurance in my quadriceps and hamstrings. Station 2 targeted sit-up exercises that proved to be tiring but helped strengthen my abdominal muscles with each repetition.
Over the course of six weeks, I made progress in enhancing my abdominal muscle strength and endurance. Week 4 experienced a minor setback due to a cold, leading to underperformance. Despite this, I observed notable improvement in accuracy and chipping ability at Station 3 where balls were chipped into hoops. Moreover, Station 4 evaluated my shooting and accuracy skills.
Throughout the six-week period, I discovered that shooting was a relatively effortless station in terms of physical exertion. Nevertheless, there was noticeable progress in my abilities. In contrast, Station 6’s burpees proved to be the most challenging due to their exhausting nature, especially after completing four other stations. Despite this difficulty, they did enhance my agility, cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, and strength in both the quadriceps and hamstrings. Moving on to Station 7, dribbling presented as a fairly simple exercise for me. Notably, I observed improvements in my speed and ball control during week five when fatigue was less prevalent compared to previous weeks.
During Station 8, I demonstrated a decent skill level in kick-ups. By the end of the program, I was able to keep control of the ball at a lower height compared to the beginning.
Station 9 focused on passing and tested my abilities with both my right and left foot, as well as accuracy and speed. This exercise resulted in significant improvement for my left foot while showing slight improvement for my right foot.
In week four, my performance declined due to being sick with a cold, which prevented me from reaching my full potential, as evident from the results.
The circuit was demanding and tiring; however, it proved highly effective by targeting all areas that I aimed to improve.
I was exhausted after each week of the program, experiencing muscle soreness and a significant increase in heart and breathing rate. If I were to do the circuit program again, I would incorporate recovery time between each station and gradually decrease the exercise duration at the beginning of the program to allow for adaptation. Despite some improvement over the six-week period, it was only marginal. To make progress more noticeable, I would extend the program to 12 weeks. When the circuit becomes too easy, modifications would be necessary to prevent plateauing.
If the circuit is not made more challenging, the body will cease to improve in terms of muscular endurance and anaerobic respiration. Additionally, the body must continue to train in order to avoid reversibility, which refers to the decline in training effects and loss of benefits.
