How do you come up with creative exercises in circuits?

[Xellero]

I am a future personal trainer and I have good knowledge on nutrition but my current training knowledge lacks a bit.

I keep seeing those top instagram influencers and trainers doing all kinds of interesting and creative circuits and I was wondering how do they come up with those exercises. Is there a process to it?

I am asking mainly because I find it hard to train women and build training plans for them.

I would go like this:
1. establish what purpose does this workout have (cardio, endurance, muscle gain etc.)
2. establish the main training method (circuit, tabata, hiit) and other workout parameters
3. establish the exercises (here I have problem) how do I think about this? biomechanically? body parts to target in that workout? what exercises to pick?

Thank you.

[FightShapeFit]

Do you want to create "new" exercises and creative routines or have your clients do proven and effective exercises?

Stick with what what's effective. There isn't anything wrong with coming up with new ideas, just put them to the test first. When I come up with "new" exercises, I'm basically trying to create a total body workout and I combine other exercises and movements into one fluid exercise.

[taylerbabe]

My general advice on creativity (which I think is applicable here) is to split your work into these three stages:
1. go crazy - brainstorm about the wildest ideas, and don't worry whether they'll work or not
2. edit - once you have some ideas down on paper, throw out the ones that won't work
3. refine - with your good ideas, modify them and make them better

The goal is to never let these stages overlap, because the editing and refining stages will always hinder your creativity in the first stage. I hope my thoughts are helpful and not too abstract!

[KyleAaron]

Squat, push, pull, hip hinge, loaded carry, cardio and mobility; find a variation of each movement the person can do safely and effectively, and repeat and progress that movement.

The basic categories of movement are,

Squat - something where both knee and hip bend at the same time
Push - with the arms
Pull - with the arms
Hip hinge - maximal hip bend with minimal knee bend
Loaded carry - walking around carrying stuff
Cardio - getting the heart rate up to 60-80% of maximum for a long time, or 80+% briefly during intervals in which there is more work than rest, eg sprint one lap, walk three laps
Mobility - stretching, foam rolling, etc

Find a variation of each movement the person can do safely and effectively, and repeat and progress that movement. Progress in range of motion, load, repetitions, sets and technical difficulty - in that order. For example, a previously sedentary 70yo woman won't be able to do a below parallel squat with a barbell on day one. That's alright - if she got in her car, drove to your place, got out of her car, all without assistance, then you know she can sit down on and stand up from a chair or bench; that will be her first "squat". You progress it from there.

Depending on session length and frequency, and client capabilities and goals, one or more of the above categories may be omitted or emphasised.

These guidelines are true regardless of gender (which you seem to think is an issue), age, disability, etc. Squat, push, pull, hip hinge, loaded carry, cardio and mobility; find a variation of each movement the person can do safely and effectively, and repeat and progress that movement.

[Ronin4help]

Most fitness programs are not substantiated as scientific theory. That is, something proven to be true based on facts repeatedly performed. Sure, most claim to be but each claim is unaccompanied by data to prove it. Therefore, trainers are free to create anything seemingly beneficial AND claim it to be something that can repeatedly work for those who embrace the concept. This practice is at the core of the personal trainer industry.
For example, assemble several exercise sets in random order and administer the program to a client. Then, after a few days, scramble the program and administer it. Now ask yourself... at what point am I supposed to gauge success? Furthermore, what was the predominant contributing factor of said success... the program?, the food strategy?, the client's genes?, the frequency of work outs?, the clients's age or race?... so on and so forth.

Most programs are just 'shots in the dark' and the truth is they would work just the same if certain exercises were substituted for others and certain conditions replaced with others. It is far from an exact science, yet many pretend that is precisely what they are prescribing because admitting as much implies anyone can do it.

[dunnebells]

Imagine a turbo-charged workout routine that mixes cardio and strength training and has you in and out of the gym in 30 minutes. Plus, it's infinitely and easily customized to help you reach your goals faster. Sound too good to be true? It's not! It's called circuit training.

While this style of training has a lot to recommend it, figuring out how to set up an effective circuit workout can be intimidating at first. That's why pulled together six easy steps that help you build your perfect circuit.

Step 1: Select Your Time Limit

Circuit training is simply a workout based around a set number of "stations" that you repeat until your time runs out. So knowing how much time you have can help you determine how many circuits you'll need to complete and how hard you'll need to work. (The shorter the workout, the harder you should be pushing!) Anywhere from 10 to 45 minutes is ideal.

Example: Five stations of one minute each repeated for six circuits adds up to a 30-minute workout.

Step 2: Pick an Upper-Body Exercise

The trick with circuit training is to use whatever you have handy. If you're at the gym, you have a wide range of options, but all you really need is your body. You can choose a different upper-body move each time through the circuit or simply repeat the same exercise every time if you want to keep things simple.

Example:
Circuit 1: Shoulder presses
Circuit 2: Bent-over rows
Circuit 3: Standing dumbbell curls
Circuit 4: Triceps dips
Circuit 5: Pushups
Circuit 6: Russian ab twists

Step 3: Pick a Lower-Body Exercise

Just like you did with the upper body, choose exercises that will work each part of your lower body. You can change up the moves each time through the circuit or keep them the same.

Example:
Circuit 1: Walking lunges
Circuit 2: Sumo squats
Circuit 3: Calf raises
Circuit 4: Hamstring curls on a Swiss ball
Circuit 5: Deadlifts
Circuit 6: Supermans

Step 4: Pick a Compound Exercise

Weight training is an excellent workout, but you'll really get your heart rate up by adding in some total-body movements.

Example:
Circuit 1: Jumping lunges
Circuit 2: Mountain climbers
Circuit 3: Thrusters (squat to shoulder press)
Circuit 4: Cleans
Circuit 5: Bench hop-overs
Circuit 6: Single-arm swing

Step 5:

Choose a Sprint for 1 Minute

Research shows that short, fast sprints are the most effective way to torch fat -- especially around your midsection. Pick any type of cardio you like and go all out for one minute.

Example:
Circuit 1: Running
Circuit 2: Jumping rope
Circuit 3: Rowing
Circuit 4: Cycling
Circuit 5: Up-hill jogging
Circuit 6: Stair climbing

Step 6: Rest for 1 Minute

You've earned it! Let your heart rate come down and then go back through the circuit as many times as you'd like!

Example: Get a drink and make sure your music is all set for the next round.