Well, if you’re going to juggle blood and fire like that, I’d advise having a clear picture of what you mean by…
There’s “optimal” in the sense of doing things the best possible way that will produce the best conceivable results. Perhaps your partner is a very driven person, ready to do all of these things with a lot of heart and consistency. “Optimal” takes on a specific meaning in that context, and I’m not the best person to tell you what that looks like.
Then there’s “optimal” in the sense that your partner doesn’t start hating lifting, or hating your guts. She learns to enjoy lifting and what it does for her, and manages to make lifting a thing that she does productively, either on her own or as an activity with you. I’m a firm believer that, for beginners at least, the best lifting is the lifting that you do.
I’ve tried both, and failed with both, so I will speak more to the latter scenario. I think the basic movements you’ve listed are a pretty good thing to start a rank beginner on. Others may have better ideas, but I’d strongly advocate keeping things fun AND productive FOR HER, and not worry about whether you’ve optimized this or that.
Not yet at least. Get her hooked first, and THEN break the news that 20 rep squats start today.
Start slooooooooooow. Set an early benchmark that she can beat with a little effort. I train reluctant trainees who are mostly beginners for part of my day. We don’t worry about optimization. We look for ranges. Get them to a minimum level then encourage them to push for another slightly higher level.
One trick we use is to have modified versions of each exercise. Each time through the circuit they know they should (not have to) try a more difficult version of that exercise. It might be push-ups as the easy one, squat thrusts as the moderate one, then burpees as the toughest one. If the harder exercise feels to hard, they can drop back down as they see fit. They start to auto-regulate while feeling comfortable at their level.
You can accomplish the same thing through rep ranges or even choosing a lighter/heavier weight. Keep a record of it. Later, she can see that she has chosen progressively more challenging work.
Yes, I realise the I’m juggling blood and fire with this…
I’ve been casually lifting on and off for general fitness & ‘wellbeing’ for a few years but have never done any circuit training (which is why I need the help!)
How does the following sound:
training 3/4 days a week
15 reps of 3 sets for most exercises
We’re hoping the circuit with some occasional swimming/cardio sessions and a ‘clean’ diet should show some positive results…
