If you’re looking for a workout that combines both strength and cardio workout, you can do the full-body circuit workout with dumbbells.
Circuit training involves performing a series of exercises in succession with little or no rest between them.
Weighted circuit training is a time-efficient approach to improving athleticism, gaining lean mass, increasing fat loss, building strength, and sculpting your physique.1 Ramos-Campo, Domingo Jesús et al. “Effects of Resistance Circuit-Based Training on Body Composition, Strength and Cardiorespiratory Fitness: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Biology vol. 10,5 377. 28 Apr. 2021, doi:10.3390/biology10050377, 2 Oliveira-Junior, Silvio A et al. “Effects of Circuit Weight-Interval Training on Physical Fitness, Cardiac Autonomic Control, and Quality of Life in Sedentary Workers.” International journal of Environmental Research and Public Health vol. 18,9 4606. 27 Apr. 2021, doi:10.3390/ijerph18094606, 3 Seyam, Mohamed K et al. “Effect of circuit training with low-carbohydrate diet on body composition, cardiometabolic indices, and exercise capacity in adults with mild to moderate obesity in Saudi Arabia: A randomized control trial.” Medicine vol. 101,33 (2022): e30054. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000030054
In this article, I’ve shared dumbbell circuit workouts for all fitness levels. Whether you’re a beginner or have been exercising for a while, you can try this challenging and effective workout to improve your fitness.
How to Perform Circuit Training?
Circuit training is a form of workout that involves performing a set of exercises in a row without taking a rest between them.
In circuit training, you can do exercises at your own pace, but it’s best to do them at around 70-80 percent of your maximum heart rate.
To calculate your maximum heart rate (MHR), you need to subtract your age from 220. For example, if you’re 30, your MHR will be 220-30=190, and 70% would be around 133 beats per minute.
Can You Do Circuit Workouts with Dumbbells?
Yes, you can do circuit workouts with any equipment, including the dumbbells.
Doing circuit training with dumbbells can be more effective than any equipment because they are easy to grip, provide a full range of motion, and allow you to do unilateral exercises (using one arm or leg at a time).
You can also use dumbbells to perform various high-intensity exercises and simultaneously enhance your cardiovascular fitness and build lean mass.
15-Minute DB Circuit Workout for Beginners to Enhance Your Fitness
If you’re a beginner, I recommend starting with this 15-minute workout. It involves performing four exercises in a circuit for five rounds with two minutes of rest between them.
Number of rounds: 5 | Rest between rounds: 2 minutes | Total Duration: 15 minutes
| Monday | Wednesday | Friday |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Goblet Squats | DB Swing (6/arm) | 10 Cossack Squats |
| 10 Overhead Presses | 10 Floor Press | 10 Thrusters |
| 12 Gorilla Rows (6/side) | 10 Squat Pulses | Step-up (6/leg) |
| 12 Front Lunges (6/leg) | 10 Half Burpee | 10 Front Raises |
| 12 Wood Chop (6/side) | 1-arm Row (6/arm) | 10 Lateral Raise |
30-Minute Circuit Training for Intermediates to Get Shredded
This 30-minute circuit workout is for those who have been training for a while and want to promote cardiovascular fitness and sculpt their physique.
It involves performing basic to intermediate dumbbell exercises three times weekly.
Number of rounds: As many as possible | Rest between rounds: 2-3 minutes | Total Duration: 30 minutes
| Monday | Wednesday | Friday |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Squat Jump | DB Swing (6/arm) | 10 Cossack Squats |
| 10 Floor Press | 10 DB Surrenders | 10 Step-up (5/leg) |
| 10 Overhead Presses | 10 Deadlift | 10 Thrusters |
| 10 Gorilla Rows (5/side) | 10 Deficit Push-ups | 10 Biceps Curl |
| 10 Plank Drag (5/side) | 10 Lying Leg Curl | 10 Triceps Extension |
| 10 Front Lunges (5/leg) | 5 Burpees (No Jump/PU) | 10 DB Cluster |
| 10 Kneeling Chop (5/side) | Single-arm Row (6/arm) | 10 Bent-Over Lateral Raises |
Advanced 45-Minute Dumbbell Workout to Improve Athleticism
Doing circuit training for 45 minutes in one session can be challenging and requires decent stamina and muscular endurance.
However, if you’re fit and experienced and want to take your athleticism to the next level, I suggest trying this workout.
It includes all kinds of exercises that target almost every muscle group, from the upper to the lower body.
The Number of rounds: As many as possible | Rest between rounds: 2-3 minutes | Total Duration: 45 minutes
| Monday | Wednesday | Friday |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Squat Jacks | DB Swing (6/arm) | 10 Cossack Squats |
| 10 DB Crunches | 10 DB Surrenders | 10 Step-up (5/leg) |
| 10 Overhead Presses | 10 Deadlift | 10 Thrusters |
| 10 Gorilla Rows (5/side) | 5 Burpees | 10 Reverse Lunges |
| 10 Plank Drag (5/side) | 10 Russian Twist | 10 One-arm Snatch |
| 10 Front Lunges (5/leg) | 5 Push Jerk | 10 DB Cluster |
| 10 Kneeling Chop (5/side) | Single-arm Row (6/arm) | 10 Lateral Raises |
Download The Full Body Dumbbell Circuit Training PDF
Get this PDF file on your device and use it offline whenever you want.
The Closing Notes
Circuit training with dumbbells helps increase strength, endurance, cardiovascular health, and muscle mass, decrease total body fat, and get in shape.
This training is also ideal for those who have a limited amount of time to work out.
In this article, I have shown you how to use dumbbells to perform circuit training, strengthen your entire body, and improve your overall fitness.
You can pick one of the workouts according to your fitness level and start working out.
If you find any exercises challenging to perform, replace those with the ones that match your fitness level.
Besides training, I recommend equally focusing on sleep quality, nutrition, and water intake to achieve decent results over time.
References
- 1Ramos-Campo, Domingo Jesús et al. “Effects of Resistance Circuit-Based Training on Body Composition, Strength and Cardiorespiratory Fitness: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Biology vol. 10,5 377. 28 Apr. 2021, doi:10.3390/biology10050377
- 2Oliveira-Junior, Silvio A et al. “Effects of Circuit Weight-Interval Training on Physical Fitness, Cardiac Autonomic Control, and Quality of Life in Sedentary Workers.” International journal of Environmental Research and Public Health vol. 18,9 4606. 27 Apr. 2021, doi:10.3390/ijerph18094606
- 3Seyam, Mohamed K et al. “Effect of circuit training with low-carbohydrate diet on body composition, cardiometabolic indices, and exercise capacity in adults with mild to moderate obesity in Saudi Arabia: A randomized control trial.” Medicine vol. 101,33 (2022): e30054. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000030054
