Just when you think you’ve nailed down the names of all the different exercises in your new workout program (and are ready to give it a whirl), it calls for a circuit here, throws in a bit of interval training there, and wait, a super… huh? What dimension did you just step into, you wonder.
We’ve all been there. Understanding fitness lingo basically feels like hearing French or Klingon for the first time. Still, there are certain terms within the fitness lexicon that can be hard for even gym veterans to differentiate, such as circuits, intervals, and supersets. When you see them in action, they don’t seem that different. Each describes an intense way to work out, and all can help you get fitter. But there are ways to bring out the best of their hidden powers under particular circumstances.
Let’s go over the basics of each.
1. Circuits
If you’ve ever done a group strength-training or boot camp-style class, you’ve done some circuit-style training. A circuit is composed of as little as four to as many as 10 different movements. Because these often involve dumbbells or a barbell, t…