Circuit Train with Weights
Q: I found your contact info on a police officers'
bodybuilding article. I don't know if you could shed some light on my
situation if you have the time. I currently am doing the Insanity program
but am constantly questioning whether not it is really helping me
physically. I don't know what you might suggest.
I am a full time city police officer and thinking about incorporating a weight training workout along with Insanity to build mass and strength. If you have any suggestions I am always open to new and better suggestions.
Thank you.
Patrolman, Washington Police Department
My Answer: Question is what are your reasons for doing Insanity? What do you hope to get out of it? Fat loss? Lose weight? Get ripped? Increase endurance?
If you're doing Insanity for any of those reasons, then that's fine. But Insanity is not going to get you big and strong. I personally do not like aerobics classes or boot camp where you jump around doing every body weight exercise the instructor can think of. Body weight circuits typically are high volumes of low intensity. Still very tiring and you breathe hard, but the force output from your muscles is very low.
If you want to improve conditioning and get ripped, then weight training performed in a cardio fashion is better. Do higher reps and short rest periods. Circuit training with added weights is much more taxing and effective than body weight circuits. Your conditioning will improve, you'll get ripped and you may even build more muscle in the process.
But if you like Insanity, then do a weight training program to build mass. 5x5 or 6x6 is fine. Just keep in mind that doing Insanity will undermine your goal of getting big and strong.
Q: How much should I be moving up in weight per set on the Hypertrophy Training for the Ectomorph program? Should I be lifting Medium or Heavy weight?
My Answer: Just so we are clear, when a program says "Do 10 reps" and doesn't give you a percentage of 1RM, then you do 10 reps with your 10RM weight. This should be self-explanatory, but people keep asking this question over and over.
So start with your 10RM, add the smallest increment of weight that you have available, do 8 reps, add the smallest increment of weight that you have available, do 6 reps, drop the weight to your 15RM and do 15 reps
I am a full time city police officer and thinking about incorporating a weight training workout along with Insanity to build mass and strength. If you have any suggestions I am always open to new and better suggestions.
Thank you.
Patrolman, Washington Police Department
My Answer: Question is what are your reasons for doing Insanity? What do you hope to get out of it? Fat loss? Lose weight? Get ripped? Increase endurance?
If you're doing Insanity for any of those reasons, then that's fine. But Insanity is not going to get you big and strong. I personally do not like aerobics classes or boot camp where you jump around doing every body weight exercise the instructor can think of. Body weight circuits typically are high volumes of low intensity. Still very tiring and you breathe hard, but the force output from your muscles is very low.
If you want to improve conditioning and get ripped, then weight training performed in a cardio fashion is better. Do higher reps and short rest periods. Circuit training with added weights is much more taxing and effective than body weight circuits. Your conditioning will improve, you'll get ripped and you may even build more muscle in the process.
But if you like Insanity, then do a weight training program to build mass. 5x5 or 6x6 is fine. Just keep in mind that doing Insanity will undermine your goal of getting big and strong.
Q: How much should I be moving up in weight per set on the Hypertrophy Training for the Ectomorph program? Should I be lifting Medium or Heavy weight?
My Answer: Just so we are clear, when a program says "Do 10 reps" and doesn't give you a percentage of 1RM, then you do 10 reps with your 10RM weight. This should be self-explanatory, but people keep asking this question over and over.
So start with your 10RM, add the smallest increment of weight that you have available, do 8 reps, add the smallest increment of weight that you have available, do 6 reps, drop the weight to your 15RM and do 15 reps
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