Try This 4-Minute Circuit To Get Your Heart Pumping And Calories Burning
Page last updated: 21st March 2022
Circuit training is a style of training that involves rotating through exercises, with minimal rest until the full circuit is finished. Circuits are high intensity workouts and typically to combine a mixture of cardio, dynamic, and weighted exercises.
What are the benefits of circuit training?
Due to its high intensity nature, circuit training has similar benefits to HIIT training, including:
- Improved cardiovascular fitness and endurance
- Improved strength and power
- Improved heart health
- Great for mental health
- Time efficient
- Burns calories in a short amount of time
- Can be done in small spaces and with minimal equipment
- Can be easier to stick to
Some people choose to train exclusively with circuit style training, while others prefer to supplement other styles of training with circuits. Because circuit training can improve both strength and cardiovascular health, it's great for everybody - no matter their goals!
4-Minute Fat Blasting Circuit
Ready to try circuit training? Try adding this fat blasting circuit at the end of your next workout. Although it's just 4 minutes, it's high intensity so will get your heart rate up and burn some serious calories in a short space of time.
- Start off by warming up on the treadmill for 5-10 minutes. If you're doing this circuit after a workout, you can skip this step.
- Perform each exercise for 20 seconds, with a 10 second rest between each exercise.
- Repeat for 2 rounds.
The circuit is only 4 minutes, so make sure to put 100% effort in to get the most out of it! If you want to make the circuit harder, add more rounds or remove the rests between each exercise.
- Jump Squat
Jump squats strengthen the muscles in your lower body and core, and help to improve your mobility and balance. Try to get as deep as possible on the way down, and make sure to really explode up off the floor to get your heart working.
- Burpees
Burpees work muscles throughout your entire body, which is why they feel so hard! They're great for building functional strength, balance, and coordination, as well as improving your cardio fitness. If you find traditional burpees too hard, we've shared some burpee variations here.
- Plank
The plank is an 'anti-core' exercise, which is where the core muscles have to work to stabilise the spine. These are some of the best exercises to train your core, and are surprisingly hard! If you struggle holding a plank for the full 20 seconds, try a modified plank and work your way up to planks.
- Power Jacks
Power jacks, or jumping jacks, are an explosive aerobic exercise that strengthens your glutes, quads, hip flexors, shoulders, and core, and can help to improve your mobility, speed, and balance.
Once you've finished the circuit, make sure to cool down properly. Some low intensity cardio, like walking on the treadmill or using the crosstrainer, will help to bring your heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature down to normal levels, while stretching will encourage blood flow and aid recovery. You can see some of our favourite stretches here.
If you enjoyed this workout, why not try more short circuit workouts? We've shared five HIIT workouts that are between 5-20 minutes here, or you can download the free PureGym App for more free workouts.
