Critique my Circuit, Please!

Hi folks.

I’m currently cutting, and I needed some advice for the circuit I’m attempting. Are there any problems with the exercises I’ve selected?

Bear one thing in mind, though. I am having some knee and hip problems at the moment, which means I can’t deadlift or lunge or anything of the sort.

Let me know what you think.

I’m shooting for 20 reps on each exercise before I move onto the next one.

Lat Pulldown
Stability Ball crunches
Dumbbell Bench Press
Dumbbell Curls
Bodyweight Squats
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Tricep pushdown

Looks pretty good. I’m assuming this isn’t the only thing you’re doing during the week.

Try goblet squats if you want to load the squat movement at all.

You might think about using a weighted ab movement as well.

I’m doing as much NEPA as I can. Other than NEPA, that’s my only work in the gym.

What weighted ab movements would you suggest for circuit training?

Then you should really add a heavy lifting day or two to your workout schedule, it will help you keep your muscle mass while in a caloric deficit. For weighted ab movements, try weighted decline crunches.

What’s wrong with your knees and hips? Priority number one should be rehabbing those body parts so you don’t have to eliminate so many really important exercises from your arsenal.

I’d remove curls and triceps pushdowns, because they’re pretty worthless when it comes to fat loss. Replace them with some cleans and chin-ups.

Crunches are a ridiculously limited core exercise. Try Russian twists, bridges, pallof presses or woodchoppers.

If 20 air squats is a struggle, you’ve got to solve that problem first.

agreed…and scrap the lat pulldowns for pullups, even if you can’t do many, just crank them out lat pulldowns are virtually worthless in my eyes unless you’re either rehabbing or unusually weak.