I want to start off with a little disclaimer:  I am in no way, shape or form affiliated with Planet Fitness, I am merely a member and fan of the circuit.  Any suggestions contained within this article are purely my own.  Planet Fitness has rules governing their club and the 30 Minute Express Circuit too.   If any of my suggestions seem contrary to the rules then apply them at your own risk.  Also, don’t be a jerk on the circuit.  It’s not cool when other people are trying to make the rounds and you’re goofing off doing your own thing out of turn.  Now that we have all that out in the open… let’s look at how we can take our Planet Fitness 30 Minute Express Circuit session to the next level.

If you read my article you would know that while I really like the circuit, I don’t think it’s going to be a great workout for everyone. I think the suggested reps are pretty low for the machine stations and just like any form of exercise, you’ll only get out of it what you put in so if you slack you won’t see any improvements.  That being said, I think there are a lot of ways you can take this circuit to the next level simply by upping your effort and moves, making this a far better workout.

Take the Planet Fitness 30 Minute Express Circuit to the Next Level

Weight Stations There are 10 machines in the circuit: seated row, leg press, leg curl, ab curl, biceps curl, leg extension, chest press, shoulder press, lat pull down, and triceps extension.  The instructions say to complete 12 reps per green light cycle and move to the next station.

Stepping Stations There are 10 stepping stations in the circuit and they are all the same.  The basic instructions are pretty much step up, step down, don’t stop until the lights changes to red.  They do have a cool poster with suggested variations on the steps to enhance your workout, but I have never observed a single person looking at it when I’ve been there.

Suggestions Some of these may work for you and others won’t so apply the ones that you like and don’t worry about the rest. As you progress on the circuit you may find that some become more useful than others too.  These suggestions are in no particular order of importance:

• Record the weight you are lifting for every machine along with how many reps you are doing for each session and take it with you to the gym. I use a Post-it taped to the back of my phone. Ensure you are consistently choosing the same weight and make sure to increase your weight every 3-4 weeks if possible. Using the same weight all the time, not being consistent and never increasing your weight load will ensure you never improve.
• Instead of the suggested number of reps for each machine, power through 2 sets of 10 reps during the green light cycle.  You may need to adjust your weight to accommodate this.
• Don’t use the Planet Fitness 30 Minute Express Circuit as your only form of exercise.  Get outside, use other gym equipment, etc. to make sure you are getting a more well-rounded experience.
• Hit the weight machines twice.  Yes, I know this will take more than 30 minutes.  Once you have finished with your first full circuit (including stepping stations), go back and on the green lights repeat only the weight stations.  This will enhance your strength training significantly over doing only the 12 reps suggested by the instructions.  Back to the disclaimer – do not be a jerk on the circuit.  If there are other people on the circuit do not get in their way by doing this because that’s not cool.
• Wipe down your machines.  This suggestion won’t take your fitness to the next level, but it will take your street cred in the gym there.  Only disgusting, inconsiderate and rude people don’t clean their sweat off a machine they’ve used.
• Once you are finished with your weight machine (and you’ve wiped it down), jump up and do some cardio for the rest of the green light cycle if you have time.  Jumping jacks, running in place or any other movement will help keep your heart rate up.
• Don’t just step up and down at the stepping stations – get crazy.  You can incorporate a huge variety of moves on these boxes.  Jump on and off, step up to kick (high or low, side or front), side step, step with lunge,  step up with a punch, the list goes on and on.
• Use weights at the stepping stations.  Bring a 3-5 pound set of dumbbells with you and hold them while you’re doing your step activity or incorporate them into your step moves – press ups, curls, etc.
• If you shouldn’t or can’t do something, skip it and do something else.  Those with lower back issues may not jive with the leg press, for example, so I say skip it.  Instead of doing a machine that is unsafe for you fill that light cycle in with cardio activities, more stepping, or a substitute exercise that is safer for your situation.  You may need to consult with your own trainer or the personal trainer on site to see if they can recommend a good substitute exercise.

There you have it – plenty of suggestions to help take your Planet Fitness 30 Minute Express Circuit session to the next level.  I hope you’ve gained some new ideas to help boost your results.  If you have more suggestions for upping the effectiveness of the circuit please feel free to list them in the comments below!

About the Author Alicen Ronan is a Kansas City personal trainer, fitness consultant and fitness writer. She has been a certified personal trainer since 2009 when she decided that she wanted to help others make positive lifestyle changes. She is available for personal training session 7 days a week both in the Kansas City metro and virtually.

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