Circuit Training with Laird Hamilton

Posted by,
A Laird Life Editor
1-4-2010
Taken from Laird’s book, Force of Nature

Laird Hamilton explains three ways to do a circuit training workout, one of his favorite ways to train in the gym.

Depending on how hard you want to go and how much time you have, you can choose how many rounds you want to do and how many reps you’ll do in each round.

1- The Basic Circuit: Three rounds: First round is 25 reps; second round is 15; third round is 5. Increase weight on each round.

2- The One-Round Endurance Circuit: One round: Do 40 to 60reps (as many as you can do, keeping good form) of each exercise with light weights

3-The Grind: Six Rounds: first round is 30 reps; second round is 20; third round is 10; fourth round is 5 (as heavy as you can go); fifth round is 15, sixth round is 25.

Here’s an example of a few exercises. All 15 exercises plus demonstrating photos can be seen in Laird’s book “Force of Nature”.

Laird Circuit 1 1- Crunch: Works your abdominal muscles and obliques (the muscles along your sides that enable you to bend and twist)

2- Plank: Arms are bent at 90-degree angle with elbows directly under your shoulders and palms flat on the ground directly under shoulders. Hold for 1 minute.

3- Cable Pulldown: Use an overhand grip with your hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart, and pull the cables (or bar) down. Keep your body stationary; make sure you’re not rocking backward and using that momentum to move the weight.

4- Chest Press: There are all kinds of ways to do a chest press, both on a machine and with free weights on a bench. If you use the latter, you can vary the movement by changing the position of your body: flat, decline, or incline. Each angle works your chest slightly differently.

5- Leg Extension: Sitting with your back flat and your feet hooked behind the pads, straighten your legs (being careful not to lock or hyperextend your knees.) Slowly lower legs to starting position.

Tags: athlete workouts, circuit trai ning, circuits with weight, hard core training, LAIRD BOOKS, laird hamilton, laird hamilton's fitness, pro tahlete workouts, weight training exercises

This entry was posted on Monday, January 4th, 2010 at 2:48 pm and is filed under FITNESS & NUTRITION. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

9 Responses to “Circuit Training with Laird Hamilton”

Michael J. Kostka says:

January 4, 2010 at 3:13 pm

Great posting, I did a variation of the grind today. Most of which was on a upside down Bosu Ball. The types of lifts were different than discribed but the result of a clean workout was rewarding. MK
Mike Kaylor says:

January 4, 2010 at 4:48 pm

Thx Laird–I know everybody is thinking about working on their bods this time of year. But, your info is the real deal, please keep it coming. It motivates me to be better–even if it is just longboarding or Beach Boy surfing three footers over here at Strands or DoHo.
Love your book–gave it out to all my buds as a gift that gives a lifetime. Didn’t just give them some fish, it taught them to fish like you!
Much Aloha to you and your family–Live Long and Surf Strong,
M
kilewaine says:

January 5, 2010 at 12:51 am

Thanks greece and laird for the posts, merry christmas to everybody, good year 2010.
I have “force of nature” and How long to set in recovery between rounds ? and between exercices ?
Ps France is under snow..

Aloha !!
giorgia piekarski says:

January 5, 2010 at 12:50 pm

NICE, SYSTEM, SHOOTS, I’M LIKE OVER FIFTY AND I HAVE FOUND THAT THE CONSTANT WORKING OUT IS REALLY A RUSH. I DANCE RUN ON THE BEACH FOR HOURS. CARTWHEELS ,HANDSTANDS, ECT. I WISH EVERYONE COULD SEE HOW MUCH FUN LIFE IS WHEN YOUR BODY IS HAPPY. THANKS YOU GUYS, HOW ABOUT A PROGRAM FOR THE YOUTH, LIKE THRU THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, HELP SAVE OUR MAINLAND KEI KEIS.
SINCERLY , GIORGIA
Gregory Despain says:

January 5, 2010 at 1:35 pm

What a wonderful blog! Please continue this great work I will be sure to check back regularly…
Andrew P says:

January 5, 2010 at 6:08 pm

Thanks for this info –

I’ll try this out tomorrow mornign and if I make it to Mr Universe youll be the first to know!
Issac Maez says:

January 5, 2010 at 6:09 pm

What a wonderful blog! Please continue this great work I will be sure to check back regularly…
vincent says:

January 14, 2010 at 1:07 pm

so hardcore men that guy is incredible ! ! !
jovan says:

February 3, 2010 at 2:27 am

hey laird i have a question. when doing the 1 minute plank would that count as one rep and do that 25 times or just once each round?