The Best Total Body Circuit Workout Menu Verywell Fit Nutrition Weight Management Nutrition Facts Nutrition Basics Diets Meal Plans Meal Delivery Services View All News Fitness and Nutrition What to Buy How We Test Products Fitness Gear Nutrition Products Tools Recipe Nutrition Calculator Weight Loss Calorie Goal BMI Calculator Body Fat Percentage Calculator Calories Burned by Activity Daily Calories Burned Pace Calculator About Us Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Search Full Body Workouts Total Body Strength Circuit Workout By Paige Waehner Paige Waehner Paige Waehner is a certified personal trainer, author of the "Guide to Become a Personal Trainer"; and co-author of "The Buzz on Exercise & Fitness." Learn about our editorial process Updated on July 11, 2021 Reviewed Verywell Fit articles are reviewed by nutrition and exercise professionals. Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Tara Laferrara, CPT Reviewed by Tara Laferrara, CPT Tara Laferrara is a certified NASM personal trainer, yoga teacher, and fitness coach. She also created her own online training program, the TL Method. Learn about our Review Board Print This total body circuit workout targets every muscle in your body with dynamic compound exercises as well as muscle-specific moves. This short, powerful workout is perfect for when you're short on time and want to get the most out of your workout. You'll perform each exercise, one after the other, for one complete circuit for a short, efficient workout. Want more? Go through the circuit up to 3 times for an intense, calorie-burning workout. Precautions See your doctor if you have any illnesses, injuries or other medical conditions. If any individual exercise causes pain, stop. Modify or skip the move. Equipment Needed For this circuit workout, you will need an exercise ball, various weighted dumbbells, and a step or bench. How To Warm up with 5 to 10 minutes of cardio. Perform the exercises as shown, one after the other, with short rests in between as needed. For a longer workout, complete 2 or 3 circuits. Modify according to your fitness level and avoid any exercises that cause pain or discomfort. 1 Squat Curl and Press Verywell / Ben Goldstein Stand tall, holding medium weights with feet slightly wider than hip-distance apart. Squat down, touching the weights to the floor. Curl the weights up in a biceps curl, and then press the weights overhead as you push to a standing position. Lower the weights and repeat for 10 to 12 reps. How Much Weight Should You Use? 2 Sumo Squat Hold a very heavy weight or kettlebell and take the feet slightly little more than hip-width distance, but not super wide. Toes should rotate out at about a 45-degree angle. Bend the knees and sit into a squat as low as you comfortably can, keeping the knees in line with the toes. Push into the heels to stand. Be careful not to lock out the legs as you straighten them. Repeat for 15 reps. 3 Power Biceps Curl Hold medium weights with feet hip-distance apart. Swing the weights back slightly as you squat, powering the weights up into a hammer curl while squatting, touching the elbows to the knees if you can. Stand up while keeping the weights high, then slowly lower the weights back down. Repeat for 16 reps. 4 360 Plank Hold medium weights and lunge to the left (right leg is straight), taking the weight in the left hand down to the floor. You should be in a runner's lunge with the right arm pulled up into a row. Put the right weight down as you straighten the left leg into a plank. Now pull the right weight up again into a row as you step forward with the right leg. Stand up, facing the back of the room and repeat the series with your left lunge, plank row and stand. Complete 4 circles in each direction. 5 Deadlift to Overhead Press with Reverse Lunge Hold medium weights in front of the thighs, tip from the hips, keep the back flat, and lower into a deadlift. As you pull back up, lift the weights overhead, arms straight up over the shoulders. Keeping the arms straight, step back into a reverse lunge with the right foot and then the left foot. Repeat the entire sequence for 8 to 10 reps. Compound moves like these work multiple muscles and joints, making your workout more efficient. 6 One-Arm Row Place your left foot on a step and support the body with the left hand as you hold a heavy weight in the right hand.Squeeze the back to pull the elbow up in a rowing motion until it is level with the torso.Lower and repeat for 15, then switch sides. 7 Push-Ups Verywell / Ben Goldstein On the knees or toes, do as many push-ups as you can with good form. Rest for about 10 seconds and repeat one time. 8 Reverse Turning Lunge Begin the move facing forward, holding weights in each hand, if desired. Turn to the left at a diagonal, pivoting on the right foot while stepping forward with the left foot into a lunge. Take the weights towards the floor, keeping the abs engaged to protect the back. Your right leg should be straight. Push back up, turning so that you face forward again. Do the same thing on the other side, lunging with the right foot forward. Push back to start and repeat, alternating sides for 15 reps. 9 Lunge Stand in a split stance, with feet about 3 feet apart. Hold weights in each hand and bend the knees.Lower the back knee toward the floor, keeping the front heel down and the knee directly over the center of the foot. Keep the torso straight and abs in as you push through the front heel and back to starting position.Do 15 reps on one side before switching sides. How to Lunge: Benefits, Techniques, Variations 10 Y-Chest Press Lie on a bench and hold medium-heavy weights with elbows bent. Straighten the arms and press the weights up and out at an angle into a Y shape.Bring the weights together over the chest, then lower back down.Repeat for 15 reps. 11 Skull Crushers Hold a medium barbell with hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing out. Contract the triceps to push the weights up and then bend the elbows and lower the weight down towards the head, stopping when the elbows are at 90 degrees. Push the weight back up and repeat the close grip press and skull crusher. Repeat for 12 reps. 1 Source Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Myers TR, Schneider MG, Schmale MS, Hazell TJ. Whole-body aerobic resistance training circuit improves aerobic fitness and muscle strength in sedentary young females. J Strength Cond Res. 2015;29(6):1592-1600. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000000790. By Paige Waehner Paige Waehner is a certified personal trainer, author of the "Guide to Become a Personal Trainer," and co-author of "The Buzz on Exercise & Fitness." See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? 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