It's a form of training that involves multiple exercises done consecutively with little or no rest in between them.
Even though they both have the same exercises included in the workout, circuit training burns more calories because of the shorter breaks in between the exercises. So not only is the duration of the workout shorter, but the intensity of the workout increases (which equals higher caloric consumption).
According to the National Institute of Health, muscle endurance enables the body to adapt to long-lasting activities by recruiting slow-twitch muscle fibers that are forced to perform for a prolonged period of time. This helps in everyday life with both recreational activities (e.g. sports) and non-recreational activities (e.g. climbing stairs, grocery shopping, caring for your baby, etc.).
Muscle growth “hypertrophy” occurs when the body is exposed to higher repetition strength training (until the point of failure). Circuit training stimulates this type of neuromuscular adaptation through an optimal workload of intensified, standard weight training exercises.
Shorter breaks keep your heart rate up and stimulate your cardiovascular system, as does adding cardio (anaerobic) exercises to the workout. This leads to a stronger and more functional heart and lungs. One thing to consider is that the level has to be adapted individually otherwise it could be contraindicated.
An elevated heart rate during a workout leads to higher caloric expenditure. Add strength training to that and your metabolism may stay elevated hours after performing the workout. In fact, according to the National Institute of Health, a review of nine studies with 837 participants found that circuit training was effective in reducing body weight and body mass index (BMI) in those that are overweight or obese. That said, we can't forget other factors such as caloric intake, sleep, stress and more.
Both cardio and strength training stimulate the production of endorphins. That's not to mention the feeling of accomplishment that one has after completing a workout, which helps boost confidence.
Just as you have to increase the weight in order to stimulate your muscles even further, you need a large variety of exercises to prevent the stagnation of muscle progress(muscle memory). The changing combination of a variety of exercises are endless with circuit training. This also helps increase the motivation.
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