If you’re looking for a time-efficient and effective bodyweight workout plan that can level up your fitness and improve your shape at home, you can try circuit training.
Circuit training involves performing a set of multiple exercises in a sequence with little or no rest between them.
It helps enhance cardiovascular health, build a toned and firm physique, and improve overall fitness.
From 10 and 15 minutes to 20 and 30 minutes, I’ve shared multiple full-body circuit workout routines in this article. Depending on your current fitness level and goal, you can do one of them.
These workouts include only bodyweight exercises, so you can do them at home without equipment.
But before I share those routines, let’s see how you can also design an effective bodyweight circuit workout for training at home.
How to Design a Circuit Workout Program?
As you know, circuit training involves performing a set of different exercises in a row without taking a break in between. So, it is crucial to include various exercises that target different muscle groups, such as the back, chest, legs, and core.
How many exercises you should perform in one set entirely depends on you. You can include three, four, five, or six exercises; it’s up to you.
The best sequence would be – Start with a full-body cardio exercise, then do a push exercise, followed by a leg, pull, and core exercise.
Here’s how a 5-minute circuit workout looks:
- Ankle Hops/Jumping Jacks
- Pushups
- Squats
- Superman Pull
- Situps
- Perform each exercise for 20-30 seconds, take one minute of rest, then repeat once more.
This way, you can design your own circuit training at home that matches your current fitness level.
If you want a ready-to-use weekly circuit workout plan, you can explore the following routines.
- 10-minute workout for beginners
- 15-minute workout for beginner to intermediate
- 20-minute circuit workout for intermediates
- 30-minute Advanced circuit routine for fat burn.
Make necessary adjustments if needed.
10-Minute Circuit Workout at Home for Beginners
You may always be on the go, but taking ten minutes from your busy day can help boost your productivity at work or study.
You can do a 10-min total body circuit workout routine that will help you stay energetic during the day.
In the routine, you’ll do four rounds of five exercises each.
Instructions: Perform each exercise for 15 seconds in round 1, 20 seconds in round 2, 30 seconds in round 3, and 15 seconds in the last round. The total activity time will be 75+100+150+75= 400 seconds (around 7 minutes). Take 30 seconds of rest after 1st round, 45 seconds after the second, 2-minute after the third.
| Round | Activity time/exercise | Rest after each round |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 15 seconds | 30 seconds |
| 2nd | 20 seconds | 45 seconds |
| 3rd | 30 seconds | 2 minutes |
| 4th | 15 seconds | – |
Monday and Thursday
| Circuit 1-2 | Circuit 3-4 |
|---|---|
| Jumping Jacks | High Knees |
| Shoulder Taps | Pushup |
| Squats | Flutter Kicks |
| Superman Pull | Front Lunge |
| Mountain Climbing | Sit-ups |
Tuesday and Friday
| Circuit 1-2 | Circuit 3-4 |
|---|---|
| Half Burpee | Jumping Jacks |
| Mountain Climbers | Alternate Heel Taps |
| Jumping Split Squat | Forward Lunges |
| Standard Pushup | Standard Pushup |
| Prone Y Raises | Superman Pull |
Wednesday and Saturday
| Circuit 1-2 | Circuit 3-4 |
|---|---|
| Jumping Jacks | Squat Jump |
| Floor IYT Raises | Renegade Row |
| Squats | Curtsy Lunges |
| Pushups | Shoulder Taps |
| Flutter Kicks | Plank |
Once you feel you need to work out more, you can do 15 or 20 minutes of circuit training.
Is a 10-minute workout effective?
Yes, exercising for ten minutes a day has significant health benefits.
Research shows working out for even 10 minutes daily improves mood and reduces stress.1 Immediate benefits of a brief 10-minute exercise protocol in a chronic pain population: a pilot study – Pain Medicine (Malden, Mass.)
Another study also demonstrated that even a 7 minutes workout could improve cardiovascular health and help you stay vibrant.2 Effect of 7-minute workout on weight and body composition – The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness
15 Minute Full Body Circuit Workout
Those looking for a quick and effective workout that improves oxygen flow and keeps them active during the day can do this 15-minute bodyweight circuit routine.
It includes six rounds of five exercises.
Here’s how you can perform the workout:
| Round | Activity time/exercise | Rest after each round |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 15 seconds | 30-sec |
| 2nd & 3rd | 20 seconds | 45-sec |
| 4th & 5th | 30 seconds | 60-sec |
| 6th | 15 seconds | – |
Perform exercises at your pace.
Monday and Thursday
| Rounds 1 & 4 | Rounds 2 & 5 | Rounds 3 & 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Jumping jacks | Half Burpees | Squat Jump |
| Mountain Climb | Flutter Kicks | Alternate Heel Taps |
| Squats | Front Lunges | Glute Bridge |
| Pushups | Shoulder Taps | Floor Dips |
| Superman Pull | Prone IYT Raises | Renegade Row |
Tuesday and Friday
| Circuit 1-4 | Circuit 2-5 | Circuit 3-6 |
|---|---|---|
| Burpee | High Knees | Squat Jump |
| Mountain climbers | Plank | Side Plank |
| Dive Bomber Pushups | Dive Bomber Pushups | Knee Tap Pushups |
| Squats | Cursty Lunges | Glute Kickback |
| Seated IYT Raises | Lying Reverse Flyes | Superman Pull |
Wednesday and Saturday
| Circuit 1-4 | Circuit 2-5 | Circuit 3-6 |
|---|---|---|
| Ankle Hops | Plyo Lunges | Jumping Jacks |
| Push-ups | Pushups | Floor Dips |
| Mountain Climbing | Plank Jacks | Spider Crunches |
| Pop Squats | Jumping Lunges | Kneeling Squat Jump |
| Prone IYT Raises | Superman Pull | Lying Reverse Flyes |
Is working out 15 minutes a day effective?
Yes, working out for 15 minutes daily will help nurture your physical and mental health.
A study published on the BBC website has shown that exercising 15 minutes a day can increase life expectancy by three years and cut the mortality rate by 14%.3 15-minute daily exercise is ‘bare minimum for health – BBC Health
Even if you can’t make up the time every day, make sure you exercise at least five times a week.
Full-Body 20-Minute Circuit Training at Home
Those working out for a while can do this 20-min circuit training at home to level up their fitness and improve their shape.
Doing high-intensity circuit training for 20 minutes can burn as many as 250-300 calories. So if you’re trying to lose weight, it can also speed up the process.
Instructions to perform the 20-minute workout:
You’ll do six rounds of six exercises in this program.
Here’s how you can complete each round.
| Round | Activity time/exercise | Rest after each round | Total time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 15 seconds | 30-sec | 2 min |
| 2nd & 3rd | 20 seconds | 60-sec | 6 min |
| 4th & 5th | 30 seconds | 90-sec | 9 min |
| 6th | 20 seconds | – | 2 min |
Monday
| Circuit 1-4 | Circuit 2-5 | Circuit 3-6 |
|---|---|---|
| Jumping jacks | Half Burpees | Squat Jump |
| Side Drills | Heel Touches | Shadow Boxing |
| Mountain Climber | Flutter Kicks | Pushup |
| Squats | Prone IYT Raise | Leg Raises |
| Pushup | Curtsy Lunges | Pop Sqauts |
| Plank Jacks | Glute Bridge | Side Plank Dips |
Wednesday
| Circuit 1-4 | Circuit 2-5 | Circuit 3-6 |
|---|---|---|
| Squat Jump | Plyo Lunges | Chair Pose |
| Floor IYT Raises | Mountain Climber | Burpees |
| Half Jack | Shoulder Tap | Air squats |
| Squats | Butterfly Situp | Tuck ups |
| Bear Crawl | Frog Jump | Pushup |
| Alternate Heel Taps | Reverse Crunches | Plank |
Friday
| Circuit 1-4 | Circuit 2-5 | Circuit 3-6 |
|---|---|---|
| Burpee | High Knees | Forward Lunges |
| Mountain Climber | Situp | Burpees |
| Mountain climbers | Tuck Jump | Bird Dog Plank |
| Jumping Split Squat | Narrow Pushup | Leg Raises |
| Narrow Pushup | Jump Squat | Lateral Squat |
| Reverse Crunches | Floor IYT Raises | Superman Pull |
30 Minute Bodyweight Circuit Workout for Fat Burn
The 30-minute circuit training will sweat you out, pump your heart, and fuel you up at home without equipment.
It will help you torch 300 to 350 calories, may improve your metabolic health, and help you sculpt your physique.
It is suitable for both men and women.
Summary:
- There will be six circuits a day.
- One Circuit: 6 Exercises
- Duration for one exercise: 20-seconds
- Total time for one round: 2-minutes
- Rest between circuits: 3-minutes
- Frequency – 3 times a week (you can increase if you like)
Monday
| Circuit 1-4 | Circuit 2-5 | Circuit 3-6 |
|---|---|---|
| Jumping jacks | Half Burpees | Shadow Boxing |
| Butterfly Situp | Heel Touches | Sumo Squat |
| Plyo Lunges | Side Drills | Pushup |
| Squats | Floor IYT Raise | Glute Bridge |
| Pushup | Reverse Lunges | Butterfly Situp |
| V ups | Floor Wiper | Plank |
Wednesday
| Circuit 1-4 | Circuit 2-5 | Circuit 3-6 |
|---|---|---|
| Burpees | Plyo Lunges | Floor IYT Raises |
| Pushup | Pushup | Chair Pose |
| Floor IYT Raises | Butterfly Situp | Bird Dog |
| Squats | Butterfly Situp | Locust Pose |
| Half Jack | Frog Jump | Chair Pose |
| Butterfly Situp | Leg Raises | Side Plank |
Friday
| Circuit 1-4 | Circuit 2-5 | Circuit 3-6 |
|---|---|---|
| Squat Jump | Burpee | Bear Crawl |
| Floor IYT Raises | Mountain Climber | Plyo Lunges |
| Mountain Climber | Shoulder Tap | Pushup |
| Squats | Butterfly Situp | Tuck ups |
| Bear Crawl | Frog Jump | Calf Raises |
| Chair Pose | Glute Bridge | V ups |
Is 30-minute training enough?
A 30-min of circuit training is enough for a healthy and fit body.
Training for 30 minutes a day burns many calories, maintains weight and supports weight loss, improves physical and mental health, and enhances the quality of life.
A light-intensity training for half an hour a day may also reduce the risk of death incurred by sitting – suggested in a study published by the NIH.4 Light activity may lower harmful effects of sitting– National Institute of Health.
Download Circuit Workout PDFs
Final Thoughts
Bodyweight circuit training is a great way to enhance your aerobic and anaerobic fitness. It helps you train your entire body in less time compared to traditional cardio training.
Circuit training helps you enhance your cardiovascular health and improve your body composition.
You can follow one of the bodyweight circuit workouts or create your own.
If you want to design a routine for yourself, keep the following things in mind:
- Duration and frequency of training.
- Duration of one exercise and the rest between circuits.
- Integrate at least one upper body, lower body, and core workout in each circuit.
Whichever program you follow, you’ll need to focus on other things to achieve optimal results, such as diet, recovery, sleep, and hydration. If you take care of all of these things, you’ll achieve decent results over time.
You can also try this related workout: 12-Week HIIT Program to Burn Fat
References
- 1Immediate benefits of a brief 10-minute exercise protocol in a chronic pain population: a pilot study – Pain Medicine (Malden, Mass.)
- 2Effect of 7-minute workout on weight and body composition – The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness
- 315-minute daily exercise is ‘bare minimum for health – BBC Health
- 4Light activity may lower harmful effects of sitting– National Institute of Health
