The Ultimate Full-Body Circuit Workout for Beginners

Keeping your fitness journey fresh and exciting can feel like a lifelong quest. You want to balance your workout routine full of old favorites you know and love while throwing in new adventures so you steer clear of boredom and make the most out of the time you spend moving.

One of our favorite ways to bust out of a workout rut is by mixing in some circuit training. If you’re a beginner—or just looking to add something new to your routine—circuit workouts are a dynamic and efficient workout style that combines strength and cardio exercises, making it ideal for a lot of diverse groups. Read on to rediscover the forgotten fun of circuit workouts or learn about circuit training workouts for the first time. 

This guide will unpack the basics of circuit training, its benefits, and various types of circuits, with a peek at Planet Fitness' ultimate full-body circuit workout designed for beginners—but perfect for everyone. 

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What are Circuit Training Workouts?

Circuit training is a high-efficiency workout regimen that typically involves between 8 to 10 different exercises, each performed for a specific amount of time (typically between 30 and 90 seconds) or a certain number of reps before moving to the next exercise. 

Crunched for time? The format allows for quick-moving workouts, often taking less than 20 minutes—easy to squeeze in before work or over lunch. But don’t let the clock fool you! Circuit training workouts pack a punch, blending endurance and strength-based exercises while building muscle and keeping the heart rate elevated. 

Unlike standard strength training, circuit training combines cardio workouts with various strength training exercises, targeting specific muscle groups or a full-body workout. 

Further down, we'll define different types of circuit training—repetition, timed, HIIT, full-body—that you'll likely come across on gym class schedules or while browsing for your next online video workout. 

Benefits of Circuit Workouts

As mentioned, circuit training is a highly structured approach to fitness that maximizes results through a sequence of exercises. This super-organized, specific type of workout comes with some pretty stellar benefits unique to circuit training. Here are some of our favorites:

• Efficient: Get in. Get out. Get on with your life. Circuit training offers a well-defined plan to pop in, build muscle, get your heart rate up, and get "work out" checked off your to-do list in just 15 to 30 minutes.
• Full-Body: You don’t have to worry about remembering what day is "leg day" each week. With circuit training, a typical session incorporates compound exercises that work your entire body!
• Customizable: Exercise anytime, anywhere. Circuit workouts are adaptable, no matter your needs, whether recovering from injury or building strength over time. Have a weight-loss goal? Include more cardio. Building strength? Incorporate resistance bands or gym machines. Looking for more power? Add plyometric stations. (PS: Unfamiliar with plyometrics? Check out this helpful link to get the low-down.)
• Engaging and Social: Circuit workouts are fast-paced and diverse, making boredom nearly impossible. They're also ideal for group settings. Bring a buddy for some friendly competition, or meet someone new while you’re at the gym.

Types of Circuits

As you can already tell, Circuit training is diverse and adaptable, offering various formats to cater to different fitness goals and preferences. Understanding the types of circuits available helps you choose the right one for your unique fitness journey.

Repetition Circuits

Repetition circuits focus on a set number of repetitions for each exercise—a fairly structured approach to strength training. Repetition circuits generally combine exercises that target different muscle groups. For example, a repetition circuit might begin with a lower-body focus like squats, move on to push-ups, throw in some lunges, and wrap it up with a core exercise like planking, ensuring that full-body burn. And, like all circuit workouts, repetition circuits are adaptable for every level; just add more reps as you build strength to challenge yourself and maximize your workout. 

Timed Circuits

Timed circuits are—you guessed it—exercises performed for a specific length of time, usually 30-90 seconds. Timed circuits emphasize endurance and cardio and are particularly effective at improving stamina. Exercise length can be adapted for different fitness levels, making it accessible to beginners and challenging for seasoned athletes. 

Plus, with clear start and end times, you know exactly how long your workout will take you, no matter how tired you are or how much you accomplish. Time's up when time's up, making it easy to squeeze in an exercise at any time of day. And timed circuits have forced rest periods, which helps bolster recovery and prevent burnout. A timed circuit could involve 45 seconds of burpees and 30 seconds of jumping jacks, followed by 30 seconds of mountain climbers, with brief rest periods in between. 

HIIT Circuits

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) circuits are characterized by short, intense bursts of activity followed by brief recovery periods. HIIT circuits are designed to elevate your heart rate quickly, improving heart health in a condensed time frame. A HIIT circuit workout often combines cardio exercises like sprints, high knees, or jump squats with strength-training moves such as push-ups or lunges.

But how is this different than the timed circuit we outlined above? A HIIT workout would typically have higher impact exercises, requiring more energy than a regular timed circuit.

People love the rapid pace and efficiency of HIIT interval circuits (similar to Sprint Intervals), which makes them particularly suitable for those who want to build fitness levels rapidly or for people with tight schedules seeking an effective, time-efficient workout. A typical HIIT circuit could include 30 seconds of sprinting, 20 seconds of burpees, and 10 seconds of rest, repeated several times for a high-energy, metabolism-boosting session.

Full-Body Circuits

Full-body circuits are truly the ultimate circuit training workout, which is why we saved the best for last. This type of workout engages every major muscle group in one quick—but never easy—session, combining the most challenging and practical parts of timed and HIIT circuits into one muscle-burning session. 

A classic full-body circuit could include a combination of:

• Upper-body exercises: Think push-ups or pull-ups
• Lower-body moves: Get in those lunges or squats
• Core strengthening exercises: Throw in a plank or some Russian twists

Incorporating both strength and cardio elements, full-body circuits are especially fitting for folks seeking a comprehensive workout without focusing on individual muscle groups in separate sessions. No more committing “arm day” or “leg day” to your schedule; crush them both in one workout!

For beginners, a full-body circuit introduces a range of exercises, while for the more experienced, it offers a challenging and varied routine.

The Ultimate Full-Body Circuit Workout for Beginners

One thing we know well at Planet Fitness is how to build a solid circuit workout. Not to brag, but we've perfected the 30 Minute Circuit. And it's available to all Planet Fitness members*, no matter your level of experience.

Beginners and seasoned gym goers alike love the 30 Minute Circuit at PF for many reasons, like:

• The unique red light/green light timer system helps you keep moving and reminds you to rest.
• How the stations alternate between cardio and strength activities, ensuring a balanced and comprehensive workout.
• Colorful labels on each machine show how to use it properly, and QR codes to provide additional video guidance.

The workout seamlessly blends cardio exercises and strength training stations, providing an adaptable, challenging, and rewarding full-body workout. Plus, you never have to go alone. If you're a PF Black Card® member, you can bring a guest with you every visit. 

To get a closer look at what this workout entails, take a virtual tour with PF's Lead National Trainer, Teddy Savage.

Whether you're starting your fitness journey or looking to add variety to your routine, the 30 Minute Circuit at Planet Fitness is our favorite way to exercise, hands down! Plus, we love the consistency. Whether at your local gym or traveling, the 30 Minute Circuit makes for a convenient and accessible option for fitness enthusiasts everywhere.

Can't wait to make it to the gym? Get started now for free on the PF App.