How to run a circuit workout

Running a circuit is simple once it's set up: pick your exercises, decide on work and rest times, start a timer, and go. Here's how to put one together, plus four ready-made circuits you can use today. New to circuits? Start with what a circuit workout is.

Step 1: Choose 4 to 8 exercises

Pick exercises that cover your whole body, and order them so the same muscles don't work twice in a row. A simple pattern:

1. Lower body, like squats, lunges or step-ups
2. Upper body push, like push-ups or a dumbbell press
3. Lower body hinge, like kettlebell swings or a Romanian deadlift
4. Upper body pull, like dumbbell rows or band pull-aparts
5. Core, like a plank, dead bug or mountain climbers
6. Cardio burst, like jumping jacks, burpees or a jump rope (optional)

Put the hardest, most technical exercise first, while you're fresh.

Step 2: Set your work and rest times

Rest 1 to 2 minutes between rounds. If you're gasping for air before the next round starts, take the full two.

Step 3: Set up your space and a timer

Lay out any equipment in order before you start, so you're not hunting for a dumbbell mid-round. Then set up a timer that calls out work and rest for you, so you can keep your eyes off the clock. Our free circuit timer takes your exercise list, plays a sound for each change, and shows what's next.

Step 4: Warm up

Five minutes is enough: some light cardio, then one easy round of the circuit at half pace. This gets your joints moving and lets you check your setup.

Step 5: Run the circuit

• Move with good form first, speed second. Fewer clean reps beat many sloppy ones.
• Pace yourself in round one. The goal is to finish the last round about as strong as the first.
• Use the rest to get set up, not to check your phone.
• Breathe out on effort, like on the way up from a squat or push-up.

Step 6: Progress each week

Make the circuit slightly harder every week or two, by changing one thing at a time:

1. Do more reps in the same work time.
2. Add a round.
3. Make the work longer and the rest shorter (for example, 40/20 becomes 45/15).
4. Use a harder version of an exercise, or add weight.

This is the same idea as progressive overload in strength training: do a bit more than last time.

Four sample circuits

Bodyweight starter (about 20 minutes)

40 s work, 20 s rest, 3 rounds, 60 s between rounds.

1. Bodyweight squats
2. Push-ups (on your knees or a bench if needed)
3. Reverse lunges, alternating legs
4. Plank
5. Jumping jacks

Dumbbell full-body (about 25 minutes)

45 s work, 15 s rest, 3 rounds, 90 s between rounds.

1. Goblet squat
2. Dumbbell row (alternate sides each round)
3. Push-up
4. Dumbbell Romanian deadlift
5. Dead bug
6. Farmer carry or march in place holding the dumbbells

Kettlebell conditioning (about 15 minutes)

30 s work, 30 s rest, 4 rounds, 60 s between rounds.

1. Kettlebell swings
2. Goblet reverse lunge
3. Push-up
4. Mountain climbers

Four-minute Tabata finisher

20 s all-out, 10 s rest, 8 intervals, alternating burpees and squat jumps. In the Tabata timer, list both exercises and set Rounds to 4. Do it at the end of a strength session.

Common mistakes

• Going all-out in round one and crawling through the rest.
• Putting two exercises for the same muscles back to back, like push-ups straight into dips.
• Picking exercises that are too technical for fatigue, such as heavy barbell lifts with short rests.
• Doing the exact same circuit for months. Change exercises or progress the times every few weeks.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a circuit workout be?

Most circuits take 15 to 30 minutes, not counting the warm-up. If you can go much longer than 40 minutes, the work periods probably aren't hard enough.

Should I rest between exercises in a circuit?

A short rest of 10 to 30 seconds helps you keep good form and gives you time to move to the next station. Advanced circuits sometimes have no rest between exercises, only between rounds.

Can I do a circuit every day?

Light circuits, yes. Hard circuits need recovery just like heavy lifting, so two to four hard sessions a week is plenty for most people.