Circuit Training Is One of the Most Efficient Workout Methods. Here's How to Do It

When it comes to efficient workouts, circuit training is tough to top. As Peloton instructor Andy Speer explains, “Circuits are a magical combination of muscular and cardiovascular training that can be programmed for a variety of goals and fitness levels, from beginner to advanced."

Intimidating as it may seem to introduce a new type of training into your routine (regardless of how long you’ve been doing it), circuit training is really just about how you organize your exercises. Here’s more information on how circuit training works, along with a beginner-friendly circuit workout designed by Andy.

What Is Circuit Training?

Circuit training is a style of resistance training that’s all about efficiency. These workouts are organized slightly differently than traditional resistance training sequences, in which you perform multiple sets of the same exercise in a row, resting for a minute or two between sets before moving onto sets of the next exercise. 

In circuit training workouts, you do one set of each move in the routine. After completing all of the exercises, you take minimal rest before repeating the full circuit. To be clear: Circuit training does allow for some rest—just less than you’d get in traditional straight-set training. 

“This saves time because it allows for active recovery,” Darci Revier, the director of education for the National Exercise Trainers Association, says. “Instead of rest breaks, you just work a different part of the body.” If you follow a lower body exercise, like squats, with an upper body move, like push-ups, your legs can rest while you do the upper body move.

Well-planned circuits work all of your major muscle groups, allowing you to target your full body in a single session. And because there’s less rest time, your heart rate stays elevated, meaning circuit training can offer cardio benefits too. 

Expect to find circuits in the following high-intensity conditioning workouts:

1. As Many Reps as Possible (AMRAP) Circuits

AMRAP is an acronym for “as many reps as possible.” This type of circuit is exactly what it sounds like: performing as many reps of an exercise as you can in a set amount of time. 

For example, you might do an exercise for 40 seconds straight and then rest for 20 seconds before moving onto the next exercise in the circuit, which you’ll repeat as many times as you can for 40 seconds before taking another 20-second rest.

2. Every Minute On the Minute (EMOM) Circuits

EMOM (“every minute on the minute”) circuits are about completing a certain amount of reps in the span of 60 seconds—the sooner you finish, the more time you get to rest. 

At the beginning of a minute, you do a set number of reps for one exercise. Once you hit the goal number of reps, you rest for the remainder of the minute. So if you finish your reps in 30 seconds, you have 30 seconds to rest. As soon as the next minute begins, you start the following exercise in the circuit.

3. Circuits Performed for Time

To do this type of circuit, you set a timer for the total duration of your workout—say, 15 minutes. You then perform the complete circuit as many times as possible until the timer goes off. The goal is to improve your work capacity, or the amount of work you can complete in a certain amount of time. So if you can get through three rounds of a circuit in 15 minutes, you’ll gradually work your way up to four rounds.

The Benefits of Circuit Training

If you’re crunched for time, circuits are a great option—they work a variety of muscle groups in one gym session. But this type of training provides other benefits as well. Here are some of the main ones.

1. Circuits Don’t Require Heavy Equipment

“Circuits are ideal for people without access to heavy equipment or those who like to work out at home,” Revier says. Since circuits involve minimal rest between reps, you’re always moving. Even by using light loads or just body weight during a circuit, you can tax your muscles, keep the intensity up, and break a sweat. You’re also not stuck doing the same few exercises during equipment-free circuits. As Andy points out, “They provide movement variety for physical and mental stimulus.”

2. Circuits Build Strength

A systematic review of eight studies published in Sports Medicine found resistance-based circuit training boosted strength gains and improved people’s one-repetition maximum bench press, a measure of how much weight someone can lift just one time. Of course, the amount of strength someone builds varies by the workout sessions’ frequency and duration, along with the individual’s baseline fitness level.

3. Circuits Improve Heart Health

Circuit training can help you fit bursts of cardio into your workout routine and strengthen your overall heart health. A meta-analysis of 45 studies published in a journal titled Biology found that circuit-based training improved VO2 max (how much oxygen a person can utilize while working out) aerobic speed, power, and performance.

4. Circuits Boost Muscular Endurance

Circuit training may not build the kind of cardio endurance you’d need to run a marathon, but it’ll definitely help you build muscular endurance (aka your muscles’ ability to sustain an effort over time). Why is that a good thing? Muscular endurance comes in handy when you’re doing everything from unloading groceries from a car to hiking with a heavy backpack.

Is Circuit Training Right for You?

Circuit training is ideal for those who are pressed for time but want to improve their fitness levels. However, it's not for everyone. If your main goal is to get a lot stronger or build up your cardio endurance, circuits may not be the best approach. 

“They won’t build as much overall strength as traditional strength training, and they won’t build up your cardiovascular system as efficiently as normal cardio work. But they’re pretty good at building a little bit of both,” Shawn Arent, PhD, chair of the Department of Exercise Science at the University of South Carolina, says. If your primary goal is to get really strong, consider lifting heavier weights with more rest between sets. And if you want to focus on improving your cardiovascular fitness, opt for zone 2 cardio.

Circuit Training Exercises for Beginners

The best circuit training exercises for beginners check the following boxes:

Here are some beginner-friendly exercises to consider as you build your own circuit, which we’ll explain how to do in the next section:

How to Design a Circuit Training Workout

Our experts suggest using circuits to train your whole body in a single workout. However, you can also tailor your routine to your specific goals. “This can be ‘general fitness' or something more specific, like active recovery or power endurance,” Andy explains. 

Here are four basic guidelines that'll help you build a circuit training workout that’s safe, efficient, and effective.

1. Select the Correct Number of Exercises

Choose six to 10 exercises for your circuit, making sure you have one or two that target each major muscle group, including your upper body, lower body, and core. The exact number of exercises is less important than making sure you hit a variety of muscles.

2. Organize Your Exercises

Do exercises that work different muscles back to back, Andy says. “This increases metabolic demand and decreases fatigue in any single muscle group,” he says. For example, you might do an upper body exercise, a lower body exercise, and then a core exercise in a well-planned circuit.

3. Do Your Workout: Reps, Sets, and Rest

In any circuit, you’ll move through one set of each exercise. If you’re building your workout as a traditional circuit, do eight to 10 repetitions of each exercise, Arent says. Aim for three rounds total.

If you want more of a cardio challenge or you’re using lighter (or no) weights, perform 10-15 reps of each exercise and complete the circuit two to three times. If you prefer working for time, do each move for 30-45 seconds.

“Beginners should start with a one-to-one work-to-rest ratio,” Andy says. “If you work for 30 seconds, rest for 30 seconds between exercises.” Over time, you’ll reduce the rest period until you don’t rest at all between moves.

4. Progress Over Time

For maximum health benefits, research shows that two to three circuit workouts per week, lasting 20 to 60 minutes each, is optimal. But if you’ve only got 15 minutes, that’s completely OK. 

Work hard during the time you do have and don’t forget to track your progress, Arent says. If you’re doing three rounds of your circuit now, try to work up to four rounds over time. You can also progress by increasing the intensity of each repetition. A few ways to do this include:

Does Circuit Training Count As Cardio?

It depends on your goal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity plus two muscle-strengthening sessions each week. A circuit training session can count as either one.

However, if you want to build the type of cardio endurance needed for a long race, circuit training can’t replace other cardio sessions, Arent says. That’s because cardio endurance training usually involves maintaining an elevated heart rate—where you can talk, but not easily—for 20 minutes or longer. Although circuit training can leave you out of breath and raise your heart rate, it’s unlikely that you’ll maintain the necessary level of elevation throughout the workout.

“It’s OK that it’s not highly aerobic exercise though, because it’s resistance training. That’s the purpose,” Arent says. “It doesn’t mean you won’t get cardiovascular benefits from a circuit.”

Pressed for Time? Try This Dumbbell Circuit Workout for Beginners

To put all of this knowledge into practice, we asked Andy to share a simple circuit training workout for beginners. Here’s how it works: Do each exercise for 30 seconds, resting for 15-30 seconds in between them. Start by doing the full circuit (all six moves) twice, and gradually build up to three or four rounds.

1. High Knees

Areas worked: Lower body, core, heart

2. Dumbbell Push Press

Areas worked: Legs, shoulders, core

3. Alternating Reverse Lunge

Areas worked: Legs, core

4. Bent-Over Row

Areas worked: Back, biceps

5. Bicycle Crunch

Areas worked: Core

6. Spider Lunge

Areas worked: Legs, core

Peloton Circuit Training Workouts for Beginners

If you prefer guided workouts or just want to be motivated by one of Peloton’s instructors, the Peloton App has a huge selection of circuit training-style classes. Here are three of our favorites to get you started: