The dumbbell overhead press is one of the best overall upper body exercises, perfect for a 30-minute workout when you want the most bang for your lifting buck. Full-body workouts have been around since the dawn of strength training. ‘To start with, I recommend that you aim to complete 10 reps of each exercise in one minute, taking your time to really feel each exercise and practice good form. ‘The workout follows a simple interval training format featuring five rounds that are two minutes long each, with a one-minute rest in between rounds,’ says Izy. Squats Challenge After the first two weeks, continue doing the workout every other day, adding one additional circuit each week, gradually working up to five circuits. Start with two circuits every other day and allow two weeks for your body to get used to the movements. Rest for 90 seconds before performing the next complete circuit (including cardio). These exercises combine multiple movements and muscle groups in an effort to increase the oxygen demand and subsequent energy expenditure. This depends mostly on your current training level and your training goals. If you do your normal workout and still feel like you have some gas in the tank, throw in a finisher. So, even if you aren’t interested in aesthetics, I would certainly recommend you to train using Circuit Training for the health benefits that come with it. Stringing together a barbell complex is one of the more difficult but effective 30-minute HIIT workouts you’ll find. The barbell is a classic in strength workouts for a reason. That way, you can compare your numbers the next time you complete this workout. Kettlebells also have some unique exercises that give your training session a fun (but challenging) spin. Did you know a 30-minute workout can be as beneficial as a longer one? This style of training makes your body adapt faster and burn more calories too. Every exercise is new, targeting different muscle groups so you’ll feel that burn all over. Great structure and room to re-evaluate weight selection each set.“Matthew. “Did the afterburn workout this morning and it was awesome! Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need 90 minutes of gym time to build or maintain solid muscle or to get a vein-blasting pump. That means any of our eight 30 minutes workouts will be right up your alley at some point in, say, the next month. If you are not interested in conditioning, you can include a MRT workout for either strength, muscle gains or endurance. If you are already following a strength focused program, I suggest that you include a HIIT workout to improve your conditioning as well (along with fat loss). As a results, I wasn’t able to achieve my fitness goals (build muscle and burn fat) at the timeframe I was aiming for. As you improve, you can reduce the rest time between sets, which could give you room to fit a few more rounds within that 30-minute window. Combining brief periods (less than one minute) of high-intensity runs with a far less demanding walking interval of equal time will push you mentally and physically. While nutrition plays a major role in your ability to lose body fat, exercise can enhance your efforts to trim extra inches off your waistline. Get back to your circuit training roots to get growi... So on our timed workouts, if you end up going too light or too heavy, don’t bother repeating a set, which could extend your gym time. If you are serious about losing fat rapidly, choose one circuit workout from above that seems appropriate for your level and perform it ASAP. In the finishers’ section, I shared with you 5 circuit workouts. Ignite It Up: Speed Jump Rope If the intermediate circuits seem like a child’s play to you, then you will have to try the advanced circuits.These bodyweight circuits combine strength training with metabolic conditioning, a potent combination for building muscle while burning fat.Once again, with as little rest as possible, get ready for the next exercise.I love that circuit training is challenging and never gets boring.”Repeat each exercise consecutively and then take a minute break, repeat this 3 times.Try these boredom-busting variations on traditional exercises with our one-stop, full-body workout.It’s an excellent finisher or a standalone conditioning session when time is tight.That way, you can compare your numbers the next time you complete this workout. Repeat for a total of 3 circuits, then immediately complete the Ignite It Up exercise. Complete all the reps of exercise A1, rest 20 seconds, then complete all the reps of exercise A2, A3, and A4. That’s right, I pumped to share with you an afterburn circuit training workout from my best selling Live Lean Afterburn workout program. Rest and recovery are important when it comes to weight loss. This will help you see how your body is responding to the workout and make adjustments if necessary. Aim to perform each exercise for a set amount of time or repetitions before moving onto the next exercise. Circuit training is a great way to improve your cardiovascular health. Jo is a London-based freelance journalist and content creator specialising in fitness, health, lifestyle and beauty. Return to the start position and repeat with your right leg (b) to complete one rep. Focus on the move slow and controlled, with your hips low and your core engaged. One minute of Up downs followed by one minute of Mountain climbers So, instead of following the circuits of other people, I tried to create my own based on my goals. AMRAP in 10 minutes (go for 15 minutes if you are more advanced) With that said, let’s see the HIIT circuits… The higher volume, of course, is an aerobic challenge that produces a higher calorie burn per workout, keeping you lean. In fact, machines allow you train heavy and safely without the use of a spotter, which leads to greater gains in strength and size. The 15-rep range helps to build muscular endurance while allowing newer lifters to develop some muscle memory with these basic movement patterns. And since most of your early gains are neurological – not physiological – it’s good to make progress rapidly in the safety of circuit row. Best agrees that limiting these "empty-calorie foods" may help you lose weight in 30 days. Kimszal points to one study that put 10 adults on an ultra-processed foods diet and 10 on a whole foods diet for 14 days where the diets were matched for calories, sugar, fiber, fat, carbs, and protein. Ultra-processed foods can often result in you eating more sugar, salt, and saturated or trans fats than you realize, potentially posing health problems. Also known as the clean, squat, and push press, you'll need either two kettlebells or dumbbells of equal weight. Silverman recommends striving for great form over anything else, paying close attention to your technique as the weight increases. When I started to workout I was very stubborn and I always tried to create my own programs. When you reach your max, start decreasing the reps. A sprint at 75% of your max doesn’t have the same intensity as a sprint in 80% of your max speed. For example, the intensity of a sprint depends on how close you are to your max speed. In short, if you can squeeze in three 30-minute weekly workouts – fantastic. Take 30 seconds of rest, do one more round of push-ups and the plank, rest a minute, then get ready for the final act of StrengthLog’s 30-minute workout at home. When done right, it doesn’t require any additional weight to strengthen every muscle fiber in your midsection. It’s as close to a perfect exercise for at-home workouts as you can get because it doesn’t require any equipment and can be done anywhere. Once you have done three rounds of the circuit, take a minute to recover, then get ready for the superset part of this 30-minute workout at home. Can you lose weight doing the Planet Fitness 30-minute circuit? Pete McCall, MS, CSCS, is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and long-time player in the fitness industry. The cardio exercise should focus on the aerobic energy system, so your breathing should be quicker than normal, but you shouldn’t be out of breath. Instead of holding a weight, simply hold your arm extended and outstretched to receive the benefit of the exercise for your hips, obliques, spinal stabilizers and shoulders. Do this for five minutes, which means you’ll have to keep a close eye on the clock or your watch. You’re afraid that doing straight sets will cause you to cut your workout short, but still want to build muscle. The deadlift is one of the best afterburn exercises for both men and women, since you can lift heavier weight. After the last exercise, of the last circuit, without taking a break, complete the Ignite It Up exercise. This means it is important to keep all the weights close by for every exercise within the circuit. Get ready to trigger the afterburn effect, build lean sexy muscle, and turn your body into fat burning mode. She’s been hearing a lot about afterburn training, so she wanted to give the best afterburn exercises a try. When you want to lose weight, circuit training provides the most efficient, effective way to burn fat and build muscle while increasing the energy you burn at rest.Circuit training is one of the most popular workout formats for building strength, increasing endurance, and improving cardiovascular health.Step forward, one foot at a time, to return to standing position.Mike Silverman, certified personal trainer and contributor to Living.Fit states that circuit training is an excellent way to tone up and lose fat.Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need 90 minutes of gym time to build or maintain solid muscle or to get a vein-blasting pump.Burn calories at home with this equipment-free workout from GRNDHOUSEBodyweight training often gets dismissed as a “plan B,” something you do when all the benches and barbells are taken.You can do a circuit training workout using just your bodyweight or dumbbells.Which means I needed to have a low body fat percentage. 3 In addition, they make the exercise that much more challenging, meaning 30–60 seconds is enough. Research shows these two slight modifications make the plank five times more effective! The plank is an excellent exercise for your entire core. In addition, it works your shoulders, triceps, and core muscles. A circuit workout is a series of consecutive exercises that you perform with little to no rest between sets. It blends strength training with cardio for a full-body workout. “I tried the circuit training workout yesterday, very awesome.“MelN87, Holland This is the final burnout and how we’ll end this Live Lean Afterburn circuit training workout #1. They include bodyweight and resistance exercises. Circuit training is a fast-paced workout involving a series of exercises. This method combines cardio with strength exercises. There are so many different training styles, so you’ll never get bored with your workouts. Fat-burning circuit training is great for losing weight and getting fit.This 30-minute workout at home gives you the tools to build strength and muscle in the comfort of your living room in half an hour or less.The exercises stay the same each week, but your effort should get progressively more intense.It’s available exclusively in our workout tracker app.It’s really important to work as many muscle groups as you can, with proper form during afterburn training.For each exercise, select a weight that will cause you to fail at 10 reps. Do 10 reps right off the bat, then rest until you feel ready to go again.Without resting, adjust your dumbbells to the appropriate weight and get your yoga mat out – it’s time for the dumbbell chest press on the floor.Keep track of your progress by measuring your weight, body fat percentage, and muscle mass. Sure, HIIT isn’t your “classic” workout like LISS cardio (low-intensity steady-state cardio). This method also gives you a lot of freedom to customize your workout with different equipment and exercises. During your rest times, you can choose to move a little bit (for example, walking instead of sprinting) or completely rest. To sustain a HIIT workout for 30 minutes, you have to use different parameters. Rest as minimally as possible between rounds and complete as many as possible within 30 minutes. You’ll do a predetermined series of exercises at a very high effort while either resting minimally or taking set rest periods. A HIIT workout is a high-intensity interval training session. Aim to give your muscle groups 24 to 48 hours of recovery between intense workouts. HIIT workouts generally (including 30-minute HIIT workouts) are extremely effective. HIIT workouts are an extremely popular option for your cardio. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. You asked for a no-repeat workout, and here it is. It usually moves through 8 to 10 exercise stations. It’s perfect for those wanting to lose weight and tone up quickly and effectively. Studies show that sticking to a structured 30-minute routine can bring great results. It boosts your metabolism and helps burn fat. This targets both your upper and lower body. Be the smartest person in your gym You’ll complete 4 different exercises in circuit format, and repeat for a total of 2 rounds. The D1-D4 exercises are designed as a 4 minute tabata workout. Complete 10 reps, rest 20 seconds, then move on to the last exercise in the B1-B4 circuit, hanging leg raises. At the end of the C1-C4 circuit and Ignite It Up exercise, move on to the final D1-D4 4 minute tabata workout finisher. Rest 2 minutes, then follow the same instructions for the B1-B4 and C1-C4 circuits. Muscle Building A HIIT workout should take approximately 4-15 minutes. So, all exercises with which you can perform more than 15 reps are a good fit for a high intensiy interval. For maximal strength the rep range should be 5-8 reps, for muscle gains 8-15 reps, for endurance (or more) reps. With that said, let’s move on to the actual “How to”… in creating your own circuit workouts. Do this 3 times for beginners, 5 for intermediate gym goers and 6 for fitness freaks. Do each exercise one after another and then follow that by a one minute break. Try this at-home workout to attack every muscle group. Building muscle doesn't need to be time-consuming. If doing a few extra warm-up sets means you’re in the gym for 32, even 35 minutes, well—that’s close enough for us. What Equipment Do You Need for StrengthLog’s 30-Minute Workout at Home? After the first superset, take a short rest and repeat the two exercises one more time.One of the leading reasons for using any form of cardio workouts at home is to improve your health.Do 1 minute off each exercise followed by a minute off for regular gym goers and 30 seconds of each exercise followed by a minute off for beginners.This has fueled confusion over the difference between HIIT and circuit training.The second way (and close in effectiveness) is circuit training.For example, some of the workouts in the “Complete Guide To AMRAP Training” could be easily categorized in both categories.You can start anywhere on the circuit where you wish.I suggest a rest of 60 to 90 seconds between rounds to maintain high intensity yet allow recovery.But can such brief training sessions really improve your cardio health? This is one of the best overall core crunching exercises that you can do as it hits your rectus abdominis and obliques. Complete 10 reps per leg, take a 20 second rest, then move on to the standing dumbbell bicep curl. Complete for 12 reps, then at the end of the third circuit, move on to the Ignite It Up portion. Stephen is an ISSA-certified personal trainer and nutritionist with an immense passion for health and fitness. However, that’s certainly not the case — especially if you want to fully reap the rewards of your upcoming cardio session. Cycling and swimming fit the bill, as does a steady-state treadmill workout. It also works really well when completed after cardio, as it doesn’t attack one muscle group in particular which varies the muscle fatigue and allows you to keep pushing yourself. Training them regularly is great for fitness as they burn more calories per pound than any other muscle, which makes them great for a weight loss. A HIIT circuit simply means any group of exercises that get your heart rate working at maximum capacity for an intense period, followed by a period of rest. Take a look at the best gym circuits for weight loss to get you inspired to hit the gym. Try these boredom-busting variations on traditional exercises with our one-stop, full-body workout. Your forearms will also be getting tight since you’re holding onto the dumbbells for 10 reps per leg. Make sure to keep your chest up and shoulders back, while engaging the muscles in your back. Complete 12 reps, take a 20 second break, then move into the standing one arm dumbbell bent over row. Click the links below for a step-by-step exercise demonstration of each exercise. It’s important to push yourself by lifting a heavy weight, with good form. Want a quick, fuss-free workout that will help you lose weight from the comfort of your home? Just because you’re training in a circuit doesn’t mean you’re training light. The use of machines allows you to work through a predetermined range of motion and the exercise order allows for optimum muscle recovery. When you’re just starting out, these machines help to build the mind-muscle connection necessary to prosper with free weight variations. After each round, you’ll take a 60- to 90-second break, then complete another round. This method of training could help maximize your results. Its variety keeps things fun, perfect for those with little time. The aim is to loosen up and ready the muscles and joints. You can burn from 200 calories up to 700 calories per 30-minute session depending upon your weight and your speed on the stepping stations. How many calories can you burn doing the 30-minute Planet Fitness circuit? What machines are in the 30-minute circuit at Planet Fitness? Doing this will leave you enough time to wipe the equipment down before the minute is up. Keep the tempo up and grind out the final supersets to complete this 30-minute workout in time. Like last time, perform each exercise in order, resting as little as possible between exercises. Start with a few minutes of light cardio to boost your heart rate and body temperature. Most importantly, however, this method provides more fat-burning upside than simply going at the same speed throughout your workout.I wrote a post about variations you can do with the Planet Fitness circuit in case your body hits a weight loss or strength plateau.Silverman notes that weight loss starts in the kitchen.Be sure to fuel your body with the nutrients it needs to perform at its best during your circuit training workouts.But before that, let’s get you ready with this quick bodyweight warm-up that hits all the right spots.While circuit training is an effective way to promote weight loss, it’s important to avoid overtraining.Even if you are fairly advanced, it is good to spend some time doing regular cardio and not jump straight into HIIT workouts. Finally, remember that the best workout for you is one that you can do consistently and challenge yourself with. Complete as many reps as possible in 30 seconds. Complete all reps on your right side before switching to your left side. Complete all reps on one side before switching to the other side. Complete all reps on one side before switching to the other. And since most of your early gains are neurological – not physiological – it’s good to make progress rapidly in the safety of circuit row.As long as you practice progressive overload, meaning you train a little heavier or do one more repetition when you can, your muscles respond by getting bigger and stronger.Maximize your gains and build the body you want with our guide on the best exercises for every muscle group.Do as many rounds as you can in the 30 minutes you have.(1) However, if you have a limited window to hit the gym, it’s important to get the most bang for your fat-burning buck.Research shows that shorter rest periods between heavy sets helped lifters burn 50 percent more calories during the workout than those who rested three minutes. With the Tabata method, you’re going to give your all-out effort paired with complete rest. You would then repeat this interval for eight total rounds (or four minutes). One example of a HIIT-style workout is the Tabata training protocol. Focus on moving as slowly as you can, holding the positions at your end ranges of motion during each rep to build full-body strength and increase the challenge. Select a weight that you can handle for push pressing 15 reps — that weight will be your limiting factor. For my routine, I picked exercises that work different muscles. This makes circuit training ideal for a range of people, including those with health issues. Even short workouts can significantly improve your fitness. It helps with weight loss, building muscle, and improving heart health. Circuit training sessions last about 20 to 30 minutes. Metabolic conditioning may lead to fat loss, but that’s not the sole objective.Circuit training, a combination of weight lifting and cardio, works the whole body.If you want to get your body primed to train again, a treadmill-centric approach is simple, yet effective.Additionally, circuit training increases your metabolism, which means your body continues to burn calories even after your workout is over.When you reach your max, start decreasing the reps.This is why circuits are so great for weight loss, as the exercises are always changing.Circuit training sessions last about 20 to 30 minutes.If your gym routine has been feeling a bit stale, it might be time to give circuit training a try! There are countless ways to arrange your workouts, including cranking out quick and dirty 30-minute sessions. Sometimes you have to ask them if you can jump in for one minute to perform your reps. The strength machines in the circuit have both lower body, upper body, and one abdominal machine. Complete 10 reps of each exercise except burpees, which you should do for 15–20 reps. Increase your weight from last week by 5% and/or cease using modifications.The varied exercises keep things fun and prevent boredom.If you do your normal workout and still feel like you have some gas in the tank, throw in a finisher.For this reason, you need to follow a basic strength training program to help you progress with the exercises.Here is a full-body circuit training workout that you can do using just your body weight.Best of all, this workout uses bodyweight exercises only – so you won’t need any fancy equipment to do it – and takes just 30-minutes!In 30 minutes, you would have a completed full-body workout.Do one set x reps of each exercise in a row, rest for 30 seconds, then do them again for a total of three rounds. You can do circuit workouts two to three times per week. If you want to get in a more intense workout or build strength more quickly, use dumbbells or a barbell for your circuit workouts. This workout will strengthen your major muscle groups while also burning calories and improving your aerobic fitness level. Just remember that circuit workouts are less intense and have less rest while HIIT is a higher effort level with longer rest periods. The circuit consists of 10 strength machines and 10 cardio step stations. (You don’t want to do circuit workouts two days in a row). If you want to enjoy the benefits of circuit training, all you need to get started is a clean bill of health and some space. This has fueled confusion over the difference between HIIT and circuit training. Dumbbells help you implement the principles of progressive overload — gradually upping the intensity of your training over time — by adding external load to your exercises. But if you only have 30 minutes total to get in and out, you can reduce the total time of the following workouts to 20 to 25 minutes. I wrote a post about variations you can do with the Planet Fitness circuit in case your body hits a weight loss or strength plateau. In 30 minutes, you would have a completed full-body workout. The Planet Fitness circuit is an exercise program that involves both strength and cardiovascular training. But hitting your 10,000 steps a day may not be in the cards for people who just don’t like slower-paced, low-impact workouts. LISS cardio options, while tremendously beneficial in their own right, may not fit into your timetable. In fact, HIIT seems to be able to generate similar results as moderate-intensity training for several markers of health and performance. But can such brief training sessions really improve your cardio health? Instead, you’ll be getting in and out in 30 minutes. That said, interval-style training reigns supreme when it comes to conditioning. Additionally, while you can pencil it into your schedule two to three times per week, make sure to do so on non-consecutive days so you’re able to recover and hit the gym again. Keep in mind that you can make this workout more demanding in a number of different ways. (1) However, if you have a limited window to hit the gym, it’s important to get the most bang for your fat-burning buck. Izy has designed this workout to be equipment-free, and it consists of 10 fun but challenging bodyweight exercises. Pick 1 of the 5 Circuit training workouts at the top of this page and… You only need to do one of the above workouts for 10-to-20 minutes. Because it’s a versatile workout, circuit training can be scaled up or down in intensity. It’s really important to work as many muscle groups as you can, with proper form during afterburn training. Since we’re working more than one muscle group, this makes this another incredible exercise to ignite the afterburn. This is an incredible exercise not only for your legs, but also your entire body. As you lower your body, extend your arms and legs back out. Then, lift your upper body and your hips off the floor (b). Pull your arms in so that your hands are pressing into the floor by your chest and, at the same time, bend your knees so your feet point to the ceiling. One minute of Cobra lat pulldowns followed by one minute of Glute bridges Look at the floor and keep your core braced throughout so your body forms a straight line from shoulders to ankles (a). Complete each D1-D4 exercise for 20 seconds then rest 10 seconds. With a body of research backing the benefits of HIIT behind you, take a crack at it on your next cardio day. HIIT will supercharge your cardio training, slipping your sessions into bite-sized pieces throughout the week. This can be a great asset for beginners on the hunt for a high-intensity workout that’s still straightforward and accessible. How to Perform Push-Ups During my research in the last couple of years, I came across 3 types of circuit training that are really effective for fat loss. In this post, I am going to share with you some simple and effective bodyweight circuits that are going to help you lose fat rapidly. If building strength is your goal, circuit training is an efficient and effective way to increase muscle mass and endurance, especially if you have a busy schedule. There isn’t a traditional rest period in full-body circuits, so they also save time. Full-body workout circuits are efficient, allowing you to work several muscle groups in one workout without burnout. Increasing your work capacity can allow you to shine brighter in your weightlifting sessions or give you the cardiovascular foundation to maintain an elevated heart rate for a longer period. Rather, this exercise methodology is all-encompassing in its mission to improve both your endurance and strength. Metabolic conditioning may lead to fat loss, but that’s not the sole objective. Because this workout is ultra-demanding on just about every part of your lower body, it’s best to save it for a non-leg day. Whether you’re focused on losing fat, improving your metabolic conditioning, or recovering efficiently, this popular piece of home gym equipment can help put you on a path to success. Sign up to receive relevant, science-based health and fitness information and other resources. He holds a master's degree in exercise science and health promotion, and several advanced certifications and specializations with NSCA and NASM. Start with four to six reps on each side and work up to eight to 10. Often they’re just nestled under a layer of fat which can be easily lost with a good diet and exercise regime. Do 1 minute off each exercise followed by a minute off for regular gym goers and 30 seconds of each exercise followed by a minute off for beginners. The legs are the biggest muscle group, with the glutes and the legs containing the biggest muscles in the body.