Circuit training vs cardiovascular endurance exercise (research)

Running head: CIRCUIT TRAINING VS. CARDIOVASCULAR ENDURANCE1

Circuit Training vs. Cardiovascular Endurance Exercise

in Required Physical Education Classes

Joshua Plisko

Campbell University

CIRCUIT TRAINING VS. CARDIOVASCULAR ENDURANCE2

Abstract

Increasing students’ health and their ability to practice life long healthy habits is a major

goal of Physical Educators everywhere. Circuit training has shown effectiveness at

increasing fitness levels in a time efficient manner in athlete populations. Few studies

have shown the implications of introducing a circuit training protocol into a Physical

Education setting and its outcomes on students’ fitness levels. The objective of this study

is to compare circuit training to traditional endurance exercise and their benefits at

increasing fitness levels in students in a general Physical Education setting. This study

used a causal comparative design to examine this situation. Results showed a statistically

significant growth in students’ fitness levels when using a six-week circuit training

protocol on the progressive aerobic cardiovascular endurance run assessment. In addition,

fitness level growth through this time period for the treatment group, which used circuit

training, had a sixty-three-percentage increase compared to the test group that performed

traditional endurance exercise through the six weeks.


Problem to be Investigated

Students across the United States are part of a population that is fighting an

obesity epidemic that is strongly linked to fitness levels, inactivity, and nutrition. This

leads to the need for an effective teaching practice to be used as a more effective

intervention to this problem in Physical Education classes. Also is there a need to change

from traditional endurance exercise at the beginning of most classes to a popular

technique in the fitness culture, which is called circuit training. Will a circuit training

protocol benefit students so much that it will eliminate the jogging conducted at the

beginning of most Physical Education classes.

Purpose of the Study

Physical Education teachers tend to keep track of fitness data provided by

students. This fitness data is most commonly recorded either throughout the duration of

the course or as a baseline and final test. However, the most commonly used mode of

non-activity exercise, which is an activity purely dedicated to exercise, used to increase

fitness levels is traditional endurance training (jogging). This study will test an alternative

method using circuit training and present data to concluded its effectiveness.

Justification of the Study

With the recent fitness boom that has continued to grow circuit training has been

utilized and has grown in popularity because of its success. Whenever you watch a

workout video you would most likely find a circuit imbedded in the program somewhere.

The decrease in fitness levels in children and adolescent students can be aided by finding

out which training method would yield the best results to increase fitness given the short

amount of time in Physical Education classes. Traditionally running or endurance


exercise is used at the beginning of most Physical Education classes. Evidence gained

through this research can help students become healthier, while still getting their required

Physical Education content. This can be used as evidence based practice for instructors in

this content area. In addition to implementing a circuit exercise protocol, students will be

assessed in the PACER and One Mile Run test with a true baseline being conducted

followed by a final fitness evaluation after the conclusion of the circuit training protocol.

The PACER test is a common assessment that is now being used in elite professional

sports such as European soccer and national rugby associations. Numerous research has

been conducted on circuit training, especially with elite athletes or other athlete

populations. However, few studies show its implications to general Physical Education

populations. This creates a great opportunity to perform action-based research on circuit

trainings effectiveness in general Physical Education populations.

Research Question and Hypothesis

The study will examine the effects and fitness level benefits of using a circuit

training exercise protocol on ninth grade students in Physical Education class versus the

use of a traditional endurance exercise.

A guiding question for this study is, “Would circuit training instead of traditional

endurance exercise be more beneficial in increasing students’ fitness levels and fitness

assessments?” The hypothesis is the use of circuit training will increase students’ fitness

levels in Physical Education class greater than traditional endurance exercise.

Definitions

The following terms are defined as they are being used during the research study.

Traditional endurance exercise for this study is to be considered training the muscles of


the body to increase their muscle endurance via aerobic exercise such as running. PACER

is the acronym for Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run test. It is a fitness

test that has shown great success at predicting fitness levels. Fitness levels are correlated

to the PACER test via their relativeness to VO2 Max, which is the maximum oxygen

uptake of the body during exercise. This refers to the highest rate at which oxygen can be

taken up and consumed by the body during intense exercise (Bassett & Howley 2000).

Circuit training is exercising using a pattern of exercise to be conducted one after the

other with minimal rest between each exercise with each exercise being completed for

around 30 seconds or 15-20 repetitions then after a relatively short rest period the set of

exercise is repeated two to four times. Steady-state exercise is aerobic exercise completed

at a low enough level that can be continued for long lengths of time, such as running.

Short-term sprint interval is a sprinting workout that used circuit training principles

making them very similar but specializing in sprinting only. HICT stands for high

intensity circuit training, which focuses on a very short rest period from one exercise to

the other within a circuit training protocol it is a hybrid of basic circuit training.

Brief Overview of Study

This study will take place in two ninth grade classes in a general Physical

Education classroom using a casual-comparative design. The experimental group will be

exposed to the treatment, which is a ten-minute circuit training protocol. Data will be

collected and interpreted against the control group. The control group will receive

traditional endurance exercise for the same amount of time. See “Procedures” section for

exercise protocol in both the circuit and traditional endurance exercise. Students will be

engaging in these activities three times a week for six weeks. Students’ fitness data will


be assessed using the PACER and One Mile Run Tests with a baseline and final

assessment. An introduction or practice to the assessment will be conducted before the

baseline is recorded to allow for a quality baseline to be recorded. At the conclusion of

the protocol, the assessment data will be used to compare class growth in fitness levels.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction

The literature being reviewed will focus on the current status of cardiovascular

fitness, reasons for increasing fitness levels, circuit training effectiveness, review of

specific fitness assessment commonly used, and the relationship of circuit training on

fitness levels.

Cardiovascular Fitness

In Physical Education classes across the country, the common practices of

endurance training and lower intensity cardiovascular exercise is an extremely common

practice. This frequently occurs at the beginning of class when students jog, while the

instructor is taking role. However, this common practice may not lead to successful

completion and or growth on physical fitness assessments. Physical educators attempt to

have students experience physical success and show how students can stay active after

graduation and live a healthy lifestyle. An important public health goal is the

improvement of cardiovascular fitness in the population in general, not just in obese

persons. From a public health standpoint, assessment of cardiovascular fitness is a vital,

yet an under-performed assessment. (Carrel, 2012) The hope of this study is to show an

effective way to get students to succeed on improving fitness levels. This may translate to


a greater understanding of the link between exercise and health at a holistic level. Moore

indicates, "There is an increase in literature suggesting exercise can promote positive

changes in physical self-perceptions that can manifest as an increase in global self-

esteem." The results of a 12-week exercise program study denoted significant

improvements in self-perception constructs at all levels of the Exercise and Self-Esteem

Model in college students. (Moore & Mitchell, 2011) This is a benefit that is often

forgotten about when discussing effectiveness of exercise programs.

Increasing Fitness Levels

However, if you were to strictly focus on the numbers some years ago, most

researchers would have told you that increasing aerobic capacity in young children and

adolescents that were already healthy and active could not be done. Rowland conducted a

study that brought attention to this gray area in physical training, “VO2 Max did not

change significantly during the control period but rose from 44.7 (5.8) to 47.6 (6.4) mL

kg-1min-1 (6.5%) with training (P < .05).” “These findings support the concept that VO2

Max can be improved with endurance training during the childhood years, but the degree

of aerobic trainability is limited in healthy, active children.” (Rowland, 1995) With this

information, I hope to see a difference in endurance training, which showed minimal

gains, and circuit training. The PACER Test assessment has shown great equality to

laboratory testing for VO2 Max, which will be used and discussed later. VO2 Max is one

of the main variables in the field of exercise physiology and is frequently used to indicate

the cardiorespiratory fitness of an individual. (Basset & Howley, 2000)

It is important to mark that trainability in healthy students can end with similar

results to Rowland’s study in both the endurance and circuit training protocol. These


gains along with the other general benefits of an exercise program can lead to installation

of specific exercise protocols in Physical Education. This review outlines why including

circuit training in Physical Education classes can become a researched based practice

adopted across the field.

Circuit Training

Kravitz’s study on the complete guide to circuits and intervals described the

circuit training protocol including 9 to 12 exercises at a moderate intensity for a certain

amount of time or repetitions followed by a minimal rest. (Kravitz) As of today, a

specific number of exercises in a circuit training protocol has not been identified and is

up to the creator of the program to follow guidelines. Most literature shows that time on

task is more important than the number of exercises. This time is to be around 30 seconds

or ample time for the participants to complete around 15-20 repetitions. The exercises

should include a whole body workout alternating from upper and lower body focused

exercises. Circuit training was found to make improvements in muscle strength and

endurance, as well as components of aerobic fitness. (Kravitz) In addition, its

implementation has shown significant gains in increasing bone density, while heavy

volume of running activities can lead to numerous lower extremity issues, including

stress fractures. Three brief sessions of ten minute, high-impact exercises per week

implemented over two consecutive years within the elementary school curriculum elicited

a substantial bone mineral accrual advantage in pubertal girls. (MacKelvie, 2003) Klika

states, “HICT may be an extremely effective and efficient means by which to increase an

individual’s VO2 max, a well established marker of cardiopulmonary health. When HICT

protocols have been compared with traditional steady state protocols in the laboratory,


HICT elicits similar and sometimes greater gains in VO2 max despite significantly lower

exercise volume,” this can be found in Klika’s article in American College of Sports

Medicine and Fitness Journal. (Klika & Jordan, 2013) The research on circuit training has

shown not only fitness improvement, but is also time efficient. Thus, installing programs

in Education classes would be realistic. Circuit training has shown significant reductions

in the areas of total body fat, subcutaneous leg fat, and abdominal fat as compared to

steady-state exercise training done at twice the length of time. (Trapp, Chisholm, Freund

& Boutcher, 2008) Given the short duration of time that students will be spending in

Physical Education compared to their time out of school and in other subject areas a fast

delivery of results and rapid change can be the most effective way to show health

improvement associated with exercise to the students. In a study using a practice similar

to circuit training (Short-term Sprint Interval), the findings showed an advantage to using

a high intensity mode of exercise compared to traditional endurance training. (Gibala,

2006)

Assessment

The two fitness assessments that will be used include the One-mile Run Test and

the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run Test (PACER). This study will

involve high school freshmen students. Current literature suggests that these assessments

are accurate at testing fitness levels, especially cardiovascular fitness and commonly used

in Physical Education settings and beyond.

PACER Test

Adolescent girls reported the following in a study conducted in 2012: 62% of girls

reported they preferred to participate in the pacer test, while 38% reported that they


preferred the one-mile run. In addition, 44% of these girls admitted to trying harder on

the one-mile run, while 36% reporter greater effort on the PACER test. (Wilkinson,

Brown , Graser & Pennington, 2012) In the setting where this research will be taking

place giving students the option to participate in one or the other is unavailable due to

teaching responsibilities. Therefore, both will be installed and measured for growth.

When creating fitness intervention strategies, it is vital to consider participants’

enjoyment level to help promote participation in aerobic exercise or any exercise

program. (Kane, Robertson, Fertman, Nagle, Mcconnaha & Rabin, 2013) The PACER

test has been shown to be very effective in grading fitness levels. “Maximal oxygen

consumption (VO2 Max) represents the ability of the body to transport and use oxygen

during strenuous exercise and provides and indication of the individual's aerobic fitness

level.” (Scott, Thompson & Coe, 2013 pg. 1139) According to Stacy Scott, "PACER

elicits similar peak exercise responses compared with treadmill graded exercise test. The

PACER can also be administered for fitness and functional capacity assessments in

healthy and clinical populations. (Scott, Thompson & Coe, 2013)

One-Mile Run Test

The one-mile run is a staple of physical fitness testing in Physical Education. The

number of teachers using this already in their fitness assessment will allow them to see

how the incorporation of circuit training can show growth in their own students with

minimal changes to their existing instruction. However, a historical study showed the

caution needed when comparing physical fitness results in the one-mile run from

different sources because of the inability to control variables in the Physical Education

setting from school to school and student to student. (Watkins & Ewing, 1983) Thus, I


will focus on growth and comparisons of two similar groups throughout the study from

the same school and geographical area.

Conclusion

The purpose of circuit training in this study is to increase students’ fitness levels

in a time effective manner, which will also show increased fitness levels comparative to

traditional endurance exercise (i.e. jogging). This can be accomplished by following

current guidelines for creating a circuit training protocol. The research suggests that the

circuit training due to its intensity will provide greater results on the assessments. The

need for an exercise program to be installed in Physical Education that will increase

fitness levels and put a dent in the obesity rates across America has never been more

important in the United States school system than in the current time. One example is a

study conducted in 2013 by John D. Smith that showed 75% of students that participated

did not meet the healthy fitness zone as laid out by FITNESSGRAM. (Smith & Holmes,

2013) With proper training methods and the use of assessments like the PACER test, this

is adequate to identify students that are at risk and use percentiles for individual

interventions and benchmarks. Aaron Carrel conducted a study that “demonstrated the

feasibility of performing, reporting, and recording annual school-based assessments of

cardiovascular fitness to develop standardized childhood fitness percentiles on the basis

of age and sex. Such data can be useful in comparing populations and assessing

initiatives that aim to improve childhood fitness.” (Carrel, 2012) This study will aim to

improve fitness in freshman high school students. The One-mile Run and PACER tests

are assessments that are frequently used in Physical Education fitness testing. Motivation

of the students may have a large impact on results and needs to be monitored. The


protocols for both the circuit training and traditional endurance exercise that will be

tested can be found in the methods section. The success of an implementation of circuit

training within high schools’ general Physical Education classes on student growth versus

traditional endurance exercise is something that needs to be studied further and assessed.

Procedures

Research Design

The design of this research study will be using a casual-comparative study design

to test the implementation of a circuit training protocol and it’s effectiveness. The study

will commence with a trail period of assessment and then a true baseline completed

within 48 hours of initial trial assessment. There will be two assessments used throughout

the course of the study, which are the one-mile run and PACER tests. Following the

collection of this baseline data a weekly exercise schedule will be created for the two

different freshman classes involved in the study. The weekly schedule will include three

days of traditional endurance exercise for the control group. The experimental group will

have three days of circuit training respectively. Both groups will be participating in these

activities for ten minutes each per class. During the course of the study the researcher will

follow the set parameters for each type exercise protocol per class. After six weeks, thirty

school days (non-consecutive due to weather conditions) a final assessment will be

conducted. Data will be collected during baseline testing, final assessment, and

observationally throughout the study of circuit versus traditional endurance exercise.


Sample

The population for this study includes freshman students participating in a general

Physical Education class that is required by the state of North Carolina. The population

under investigation consists of fifty-seven students, after six were eliminated from the

study. The original population consisted of sixty-three students. Students were

eliminated from this study if they were physically unable to perform the activities, which

could have been due to medical conditions or excessive absences. A total of four students

were eliminated based on this condition, two from each class. Another eliminating factor

was athletic prowess. Two students who were very competitive cross-country runners

were removed based on this, one student from each class. Participants were not informed

of the procedures conducted for the thirty day time period. Following the procedures for a

casual-comparative study, two groups will be compared. The control group consisted

of thirteen girls and sixteen boys making for a total of twenty-nine students in the control

group. This group is to follow a traditional endurance exercise that is commonly seen in

most Physical Education classrooms (jogging) for ten minutes. On the other hand, the

experimental group consisted of thirteen girls and fifteen boys making for a total

of twenty-eight students. This group was given a circuit training protocol that also was

conducted for ten minutes.

Scoring Procedures

Throughout the implementation of the circuit training protocol students will

follow an instructor led program that will remain consistent throughout the time of the

research. The control group will be subjected to a timed traditional endurance exercise

that will consist of jogging for ten minutes. This and the circuit training will be done


three times a week. Each workout will be tracked for completion. During the last week

both assessments will be conducted to generate data to be collected and interpreted for

results on the effectiveness of the circuit training protocol on increasing fitness levels in

students.

Reliability

The use of nationally recognized fitness tests will allow for a clear procedure to

be followed on assessments (see Appendix C). The same fitness tests and procedures will

be given in a pre-post testing format to allow for adequate correlations and data to be

derived from the baseline and final assessment. The research was conducted at the same

time period for the treatment and control group.

Validity

Validity is present throughout this study by creating protocols and procedures for

both groups on all assessments and activities. This scheduling approach will allow for

consistency in both groups. The assessments being used are focal points and top-tier

fitness level assessments. These assessments are great markers of fitness levels and

overall cardio-pulmonary fitness. Thus, the connection between fitness levels and the

physical activity being performed will be tested. The assessments chosen works well with

gaging fitness levels and will represent students’ performance on both the baseline and

final evaluation. Growth throughout the study will be compared and considered

synonymous with cardiovascular fitness levels.

Procedures

The observer will use a baseline to establish preexisting fitness levels of students

in the one-mile run and PACER tests. The baseline will have a trial period (practice day)


followed by official baseline testing within 48 hours of trial period for both the one-mile

run and PACER tests. The one-mile run will be conducted on a standard outdoor

rubberized track, which makes for four laps to complete test. Time will be kept with a

standard stopwatch and data will be recorded. The PACER test will be conducted

following the procedures guidelines in the PACER Manual (see Appendix C). Students’

last successful stage reached, which is the last twenty meter stage completed within the

given “Beep” (time period), will be recorded on both the baseline and final administering

of each test. After the baseline is completed the exercise programs will be put into

practice for six weeks.

The control group will be jogging for ten minutes three times a week. The

experimental group will be going through circuit training for ten minutes three times a

week. The jogging will be timed and led by the instructor to ensure equal time frames of

both programs. The circuit training protocol that will be used will last exactly ten minutes

as well. The teacher will provide students with a handout of the circuit training protocol,

so the students are familiar with which exercise will be conducted when. The exercise

protocol can be found in the appendix (see Appendix D).

The final assessment in the one-mile run and PACER test will be conducted using

the same guidelines listed above in the baseline section. There will be no need to have a

trial period, because all students will be familiar with testing procedures at this point in

time. Data will be recorded and interpreted. The one-mile run will be looked at for simple

mathematical increase in time, while the PACER will be looked at with its connection to

student growth and VO2 Max increases.


Internal Validity

The circuit training protocol has been developed using current guidelines as laid

out by peer-reviewed journals because of the vast amount of flexibility when creating

exercise protocols. With the duration of this research being conducted in a short time

frame and in a school setting an extraneous factor that may threaten internal validity is

history. Specifically for this research attendance and number of treatments given to each

group need to be equal. Having the circuit training and jogging three times a week offset

this threat. Thus, students are able to make up missed treatment times. Any student that

missed more than two treatments of either activity was dismissed from the findings under

physically unable to perform. In addition, the weather an school cancelations caused the

study to be performed on non-consecutive days making sure each group was given the

treatment the same amount of times within a given week. The attention to this threat

throughout the study will aid in eliminating its impact.

Experimental mortality was present but at a very small number and not

unbalanced in a way that it would affect results. The total population loss was six subjects

as was explained earlier in the sample section.

Selection bias is another threat to my study based on the randomness of students

placed in my class. Eliminating one student who was a competitive distance runners and

one soccer player counteracted this. To deal with the variety of students pre-existing

conditions the study will focus on individual's growth along with average class growth.

Lastly, the confounding variable that may arise is in class effect. For example if

one class has better intentional focus and motivation than the other while training. This

would lead to time on task and effort differences. When training effort and time on task


are vital to results. Therefore, understanding this relationship and that the fact that this

study was done in a general Physical Education class, motivation and time on task will be

closely monitored. Students’ engagement needs to be attended to, but equally distributed

amongst both the control and experimental groups to ensure instructor bias does not come

into play as well.

External Validity

When using only two general Physical Education classes to conduct this research

it is evident that their will be an inability to state that the results can be applicable to all

physical education classes or other populations as a whole. This is the case in almost all

action research and small population studies done outside of a laboratory. However, the

results may show significant need to further investigate the application of circuit training

in Physical Education as a daily pursuit to aid in increasing students’ fitness levels on a

large scale or laboratory-based approach.

Justification of Method of Analysis

A two-tailed t-test will be conducted for the baseline and final assessment of both

the PACER and one-mile run test. In addition, the same type of t-test will be run on the

increase (growth) presented over the six-week period. The reason for using the above t-

tests in the given situations is to determine if the difference in the means being evaluated

are statistically significant. Results will be deemed statistically significant by comparing

them to the alpha level of 0.05.

Findings

The results of both the PACER test and the one-mile run test were obtained

through collecting data at the baseline and final assessment for both the control and


experimental groups. The researcher found the mean and standard deviation of both

group’s baselines, final assessment, and increase (growth) after the conclusion of the six-

week treatment of circuit-training in a 9th grade Physical Education class. In addition,

three t-tests were run to compare the baselines, the final assessment, and the increases in

each group separately. This was done for analyzing both the PACER and one-mile run

test.

The PACER test – “Appendix A” displays results on the PACER test in the

baseline, final, and increase (growth) categories. The chart is split between the control

and experimental group. As seen in “Appendix A”, the control group’s results were as

follows: baseline had a mean of 23.13 and a standard deviation of 16.38; final had a mean

of 31.89 and a standard deviation of 21.25; and increase (growth) had a mean of 8.75 and

a standard deviation of 10.15. The experimental group’s results were as follows: baseline

had a mean of 30.75 and a standard deviation of 18.20; final had a mean of 44.57 and a

standard deviation of 21.84; and increase (growth) had a mean of 13.82 and a standard

deviation of 8.67.

For the PACER test, a two-tailed independent t-test assuming unequal variance

between the control and treatments baselines resulted in a probability of 0.10319858,

which is more than the alpha level of 0.05. Therefore the differences in means were not

statistically significant amongst baselines. However, when the same type of t-test format

was used assuming unequal variance to compare the final PACER assessment of both

groups the test resulted in a probability of 0.03063177, which is less than the alpha level

of 0.05. Therefore the differences in this set of means were statistically significant.

Likewise when comparing the increase and growth of the control versus the experimental


group via a two-tailed independent t-test assuming unequal variance it resulted in a

probability of 0.04768397, which is less than the alpha level of 0.05. Therefore the

differences in the growth categories means were statistically significant as well.

The one-mile run test – Appendix B displays results on the one-mile test in the

baseline, final, and decrease in time (DIT) categories. The table is split between the

control and experimental group. As seen in Appendix B, the control group’s results were

as follows: baseline had a mean of 626.62 and a standard deviation of 188.36; final had a

mean of 106.88 and a standard deviation of 106.88; and DIT (growth) had a mean of

53.89 and a standard deviation of 135.56. The experimental group’s results were as

follows: baseline had a mean of 602.21 and a standard deviation of 138.75; final had a

mean of 544.32 and a standard deviation of 121.13; and DIT (growth) had a mean of

57.89 and a standard deviation of 60.09.

In relation to the one-mile run test, a two-tailed independent t-test assuming

unequal variance between the control and treatments baselines resulted in a probability of

0.57906625, which is more than the alpha level of 0.05. Therefore the differences in

means were not statistically significant amongst baselines. In addition, when the same

type of t-test format was used to compare the final one-mile run test of both groups the

test resulted in a probability of 0.35275242, which is more than the alpha level of 0.05.

Therefore the differences in this set of means were not statistically significant. Likewise

when comparing the DIT increase (growth) of the control versus the experimental group

via a two-tailed independent t-test assuming unequal variance it resulted in a probability

of 0.88569094, which is more than the alpha level of 0.05. Therefore the differences in

the growth categories means were not statistically significant as well.


Discussion of Hypotheses and Question - The hypothesis presented by the

researcher suggested the use of circuit training would increase students’ fitness levels in

Physical Education class greater than traditional endurance exercise. This study would

use two assessment methods to determine effectiveness of circuit training protocol. The

data implies that circuit training is highly suggested to increase fitness levels on the

PACER test. The fitness level growth through the six weeks for the experimental group

was statistically significant and averaged a 13.82% increase within the group and a 63%

greater increase than the control group that performed traditional endurance exercise

through the six weeks. In addition, the t-tests on the final assessment (0.03063177) and

growth (0.04768397) were statically significant marking an increase in fitness levels in

the treatment group. The one-mile run test did not show statistical significant throughout

the study.

Summary and Conclusions

Summary

This study investigated the use of circuit training and its ability to increase

students’ fitness levels in Physical Education class more so than traditional endurance

exercise. A statistically significant relationship was found in the students’ fitness levels

with a high percentage increase, which can be seen in the findings section, between

circuit training and the PACER test when a six-week protocol concluded. The other

assessment that was used was the one-mile run test and did not produce statistically

significant data from the baseline and throughout the entirety of the study.


Throughout the study, the researcher conducted a trial baseline, a true baseline,

and a final assessment on both the PACER and one-mile run tests. The intervention that

was designated lasted thirty school days and had one group performing circuit training

while the other performed traditional endurance exercise (i.e. jogging). Procedures for the

ten-minute circuit training exercise protocol can be found in Appendix D. There you can

find the specific exercises and time per exercise bout used throughout the study. The

PACER assessment was conducted following the steps laid out by the PACER Manual.

The procedures for the PACER assessment can be found in Appendix C.

Significance and Implications of Findings

The results show a direct relationship between circuit training and fitness level

growth amongst students on the PACER test. The researcher’s use of circuit training kept

students engaged and increased time on task behavior through the very nature of a circuit

training protocol opposed to a timed jog. This perceived time on task increase along with

the evidence based success of circuit training can be the difference in increasing students’

fitness levels. The body system responds to circuit training at the high end of aerobic

exercise close at times to using anaerobic systems, while traditional endurance exercise

demands a consistently lower aerobic capacity depending on individual pace. Therefore,

the use of a circuit training protocol cuts out the pacing issue and gives students multiple

shot benchmarks and goals that can be internalized and improved upon. Overall

observations suggest that the feedback given to students throughout the study are higher,

timely, and more specific for students when using circuit training and its staged exercise

approach. This strategy creates an individualized positive learning environment that is

difficult to recreate in group-fitness in Physical Education classes.


An important implication of this study is the success and growth of students in the

experimental group comparatively to the controlled group. This would indicate upon

further researcher that Physical Education instructors can move away from the beginning

of the class timed jog to a more productive means of exercise. One of the purposes of

Physical Education is to leave students with the means to live a healthy life. With the

increasing growth of exercise, gym usage, and time constraints of modern day life,

having students understand the concepts of such an effective exercise protocol is

something that they can use on a regular basis to keep themselves fit. Overall, a circuit

training protocol is easy to develop and easy to practice making it a perfect daily activity

or unit of study in its own right.

Limitations and Suggestions for Future Research

Some limitations to this study were the total participants and gender effects. The

population worked well for an action research study, but needs to be increased to further

findings and implications of results. The gender of participants was evenly distributed

with the control having sixteen males and thirteen females: experimental having fifteen

males and thirteen females. However, the results per gender were not looked at in the

findings. In addition, due to time constraints, the study lasted six weeks and would most

likely hold different results based on the body’s response to exercise with an increased

time frame. In further research, I would suggest a nine to ten week protocol in Physical

Education settings that would cover an entire marking period for students.

For further research, I would suggest eliminating the one-mile run test due to its

environmental effects, lack of steady feedback, devotion of time to assess regularly, and

decreased use in upper level elective Physical Education classes.


The last limitation that was perceived by the researcher dealt with motivation and

preexisting individual difference that occur in general Physical Education classes. The

motivation of students makes it difficult to test exercise protocols. Hence why most

studies are conducted using motivated populations such as athletes or sports specific

teams. The possibility of establishing a rewards system for both groups based on effort or

daily improvement for both the controlled and experimental groups is something to be

considered. Motivation’s direct link with effort could have varied results on this study

and future testing alike.

A final suggestion for further research would be to introduce the circuit training

protocol at school wide levels throughout Physical Education departments and compare

results to similar schools that would use a traditional endurance exercise protocol. A

mass-population study maybe the only way to counteract the effect of motivation.


References

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Appendix APACER Test Results


Appendix BOne-Mile Run Test Results


Appendix CProcedures Section of PACER Manual


Appendix C (cont.)


Appendix C (cont.)

("PACER Manual", n.d., p. 4-6)


Appendix D

CIRCUIT TRAINING Exercise Protocol for Physical Education

The following is a 10-station circuit training program. All exercises can be done with body weight and in almost any setting (e.g., home, office, hotel room, etc.). The exercise order allows for a total body exercise to significantly increase the heart rate while the lower, upper, and core exercises function to maintain the increased heart rate while developing strength.Exercises are performed for 30 seconds, with 10 seconds of transition time between bouts. The first time through each exercise will take 5 minutes. The circuit is to be repeated twice. Total time for the entire circuit workout is approximately 10 minutes.

EXERCISES:1. Jumping jacks Total body2. Wall Sit Lower body3. Push-up Upper body4. Abdominal crunch Core5. Step-up onto chair Total body6. Squat Lower body7. Triceps dip on chair Upper body8. Plank Core9. High knees/running in place Total body10. Lunge Lower body

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Circuit training vs cardiovascular endurance exercise (research)

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