Power circuits: My hidden weapon for pound for pound strength and power while leaning up

Hey guys! So I'm getting a little blog collection started here by now and so wanted to do a quick post on what I call power circuits and how the average person can use them to increase strength and decrease bodyfat without adding on a couple size. This is very useful for athletes that don't want to get too bulky but still want the strength and power that comes with that size.

Basically this is the anti-lunk program setup as instead of a heaping mass of tight and relatively useless muscle you'll actually feel like a superman! If you combine this this with an actual bulking program you can become a monster!

What IS a power circuit?

Most people are familiar with circuits as in doing exercises one after another with little rest. You may do 2-3 exercises and then rest and then repeat. This is great for losing bodyfat but here's how you supercharge it: power circuits are about systematically moving through muscle fiber types in the circuit in an optimal fashion to hit every single muscle fiber!

You see, there are #fasttwitch and #slowtwitch muscles that respond to different exercises. Fast twitch exercises are low rep and high explosiveness. Think of a heavy triple of squats, or maybe power cleans, or box jumps. Something where you are as explosive as possible is the key and this will be the first exercise in the circuit.

As you move down the circuit (I like 3-4 exercises in the circuit, sometimes 5) you will systematically switch the exercises going from low reps and high explosiveness and gradually ending with low-weight high rep burnouts that will fry the slowtwitch fibers. After a few sets of these circuits you will have performed an entire workout.

How Do I design one?

If you're not super familiar with the exercise names here it can get confusing but the basics are again such: The first exercise will be the most explosiveness and thus the most important factor because you will want something that you can get a big bang for your buck. This will usually be a squat, deadlift, overhead press, Olympic variation or some sort of compound (multijoint) lift. I prefer snatches and cleans. You will do low reps, no more than 4-6, with a weight that you can do with as much explosiveness as possible. If the bar is moving slow then you may have too much weight. You're going to be doing several sets here so don't be surprised if the first time through the circuit doesn't slaughter you--all in due time.

The next exercise would be something in the 8-10 rep range. This may be some sort of accessory exercise like a kettlebell swing or pushup, or maybe even a med ball throw or slam. You can get pretty wild here with the variety but make sure its something you can do explosively.

The next exercise will begin working at the slowtwitch endurance fibers. This may be something like a lateral shoulder raise, pushup, even an arm exercise or maybe some lunges. Whatever bodypart or group you are currently training will obviously determine the exercise selection. On leg day do some walking lunges, on back day it could be dumbbell rows, or pushups, etc.

You can keep adding exercises depending on how much you want to beat yourself up or whether you want less exercises that you can put a little more effort into to gain strength.

One of my go to circuits would be this, performed 4 rounds with 2:00 rest in between. I do full body workouts so there's a little of everything:

1. Power Hang Cleans - 4-6 reps 185#
2. dumbbell bench press - 8-10 reps
3. lat pulldown machine - 12-15 reps
4. kettlebell swings - 20 reps

If you do this circuit for four or five rounds you will be plenty tired, and you can of course move up or down in the weights as you move along. If for whatever reason you really die out on one exercise and you start to get sloppy, just remove that exercise from the round. Don't train crappy reps!

Comment below with questions and I can add some more examples of different circuits for different purposes!