Dax Moys

Individual
Circuit
Program
Another Total-Body Training System From
Dax Moy Personal Training Studios, London.

Individual Circuit Program

The individual circuit has been designed to serve as both an assessment of your current
fitness levels as well as a training system in its own right that will serve to bring about
rapid improvement in your current physical condition.
The assessment takes place in two separate parts.
Part One Exercise Assessment
In this phase you will assess your ability to perform work in five exercises over the
course of 1 minute each.
The exercises are:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

Pushup
Squats
Spiderman
Russian Twist
Shoulder Press

Simply perform 1 minute of each exercise (explanations on accompanying sheets) and

take 1 minute of rest before attempting the next exercise.
Record the total reps in the box below.
Exercise
Pushup
Squats
Spiderman
Russian Twist
Shoulder press

Date

Date

Phase Two Circuit Assessment

Date

Date

Next, take 50% of the repetitions you performed in the 1 minute assessment and
perform the entire series back to back for a complete circuit and record the time taken
to complete them all.
For example, if in the exercise assessment you performed 18 pushups, 23 squats, 8
spiderman, 10 russian twist and 15 shoulder press then your circuit would be:
Pushup x 9
Squats x 11
Spiderman x 4
Russian Twist x 5
Shoulder Press x 7
(You will notice that on odd numbered exercises I have rounded down rather than up.
Youll be thankful for small mercies such as this!)
Got the idea?
So now, use the following table to record your circuit reps and then, using a stopwatch,
perform each of the exercises back-to-back with no rest and record the total time taken.
Exercise
Pushup
Squats
Spiderman
Russian Twist
Shoulder
press

Target Reps

Date/Time

Date/Time

Date/Time

Date/Time

The aim of the game is to reduce the total time taken to complete your individual circuit
each and every time you train.
However, lets be clear on something here; exercise technique is more important than
speed. You cannot consider a faster time to be a success if in doing so you let poor
exercise technique find its way into the circuit.
Not only will you put yourself at risk of injury, you will also dramatically reduce the
effectiveness of the routine making it almost worthless in helping you to achieve your
goals.

The Exercises
Pushup (Ball pushup depicted)

Place hands on floor with arms slightly wider than

shoulder width apart, abdominals tight and bottom
squeezed.
(Ball pushup depicted but the exercise is identical when
performed on floor)

Maintaining spine alignment and keeping abdominals

tight and bottom squeezed, lower your chest toward
the floor, travelling as deep as you can whilst
maintaining alignment.
Breathe out and press up to arms length to complete.

Note: If you lack the upper body strength to perform a full pushup then the same movement
can be performed with your knees on the floor (1/2 pushup) although the rest of the
technique remains identical.

Squats
Stand with feet shoulder width apart and in tall
posture.
Push your bottom back and sit backward as you bend
at the hips and knees until you are as low as your
personal flexibility allows.
Breathe out as you drive your pelvis forward and return
to the start position.
(Shown with weight but unnecessary at this stage)

Spiderman
Place hands on floor with arms slightly wider than shoulder
width apart, abdominals tight and bottom squeezed.
This is the same as the pushup start position.

Step forward with your left leg as depicted, trying to bring

the foot as close to your hand as your flexibility allows.

Drive your pelvis downward toward the floor (without

touching down with the knee) and at the same time raise
your chest and head toward the ceiling.

Return back to start position and repeat for other leg.

Continue this alternating pattern for desired reps.

Lying Russian Twist

Lie on your back with your arms at 90 degrees from your body
and legs raised as close to vertical as your own flexibility allows.

Keeping your shoulders and arms pressed into the floor, begin to
lower your legs to the left

and continue the motion until your thighs hit the ground OR your
shoulders start to lift. Whichever comes first.
Pause at this position and then initiate a movement in the opposite
direction.

The same rules apply. Keep your arms fixed firmly to the floor and
keep your legs as straight as possible.

Repeat the motion for the desired reps and ensure that you use
the muscles of the waist (the obliques) to carry out the movement.

Shoulder Press
Holding a pair of dumbbells at shoulder height as depicted, sit on a
ball or bench or chair with a tall spine and tight abdominals.

Maintaining spine alignment, drive the dumbbells upward toward

the ceiling

and touch the dumbbells together overhead as depicted, pause

then lower. This is one complete rep.

Note: If you do not have dumbbells you can use bottles of water,
cans or anything else suitably heavy enough to create overload.