Circuit training vs cardiovascular endurance exercise (research)

Running head: CIRCUIT TRAINING VS. CARDIOVASCULAR ENDURANCE 1
Circuit Training vs. Cardiovascular Endurance Exercise
in Required Physical Education Classes
Joshua Plisko
Campbell University

CIRCUIT TRAINING VS. CARDIOVASCULAR ENDURANCE 2
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 A
PACER Test Results

Appendix B
One-Mile Run Test Results

Appendix C
Procedures 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 body
2. Wall Sit Lower body
3. Push-up Upper body
4. Abdominal crunch Core
5. Step-up onto chair Total body
6. Squat Lower body
7. Triceps dip on chair Upper body
8. Plank Core
9. High knees/running in place Total body
10. Lunge Lower body

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