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30-Minute HIIT Circuit (Full Body)

By: Lindsey Bomgren, CPT | April 25, 2024

Build muscle and get your heart rate up with this quick and effective full body HIIT circuit workout. Each high-intensity interval training circuit contains 4 exercises: an upper body, lower body, core and cardio exercise. You can do this HIIT circuit at home or at the gym — all you need is a set of dumbbells.

Jump To Workout

Challenge both your muscular and cardiovascular endurance at home with this HIIT circuit workout. 

Today’s functional HIIT circuit pairs strength training with cardio to target every major muscle group in the body while also burning calories.

HIIT circuits combine various exercises back-to-back, with minimal rest time between exercises. This total body format combines an upper body exercise, lower body exercise, core exercise and cardio exercise within each circuit. 

Alternating the muscular focus area of each exercise is an effective way to both lift heavy weights and increase endurance. 

three women performing a lunge hold dumbbell press out (35 Minute HIIT Circuit Workout At Home)

35-Minute HIIT Circuit Workout

Strengthen and tone at home with this full body HIIT circuit.

Each circuit combines four compound dumbbell exercises, targeting the arms, legs, core and cardio endurance.

Add full body circuit training workouts like this one to your workout routine 1-2 times a week to build muscle mass and increase endurance.

Workout Equipment:

Medium-to-Heavy Set of Dumbbells. We’re using 5, 10, 15 and 20 lb dumbbells.

Workout Instructions:

Follow along with the guided HIIT Circuit Workout on YouTube, led by certified personal trainer, Lindsey Bomgren. 

Your Workout Looks Like This:

  • 3 Circuits
  • 4 Exercises Per Circuit (upper body, lower body, cardio and core)
  • Timed Intervals (40 seconds of work, 20 second of rest. Complete as many repetitions as you can in the timed interval.)
  • Repeat Each Circuit x2 Sets 
3 women holding a dumbbell pressed out away from their chests (hiit circuit)

Prefer to Watch On YouTube?

youtube icon HIIT Circuit

Workout Outline

CIRCUIT ONE:

  1. Arms: Push Ups and Kneeling Shoulder Press
  2. Legs: Split Squat
  3. Core: 3-Second Lunge Hold and Dumbbell Press Out to 3-Second Balance Hold
  4. Cardio: Runner Lunge

CIRCUIT TWO:

  1. Arms: Back Rows and Bicep Curls
  2. Legs: Staggered Deadlift and Clean Squat
  3. Core: Staggered Woodchop
  4. Cardio: Lateral Bound and Dumbbell Pick Up

CIRCUIT THREE:

  1. Arms: 1.5 Overhead Tricep Extensions
  2. Legs: Lateral Squat
  3. Core: 3 Side Plank Crunches and 3-Second Side Plank Hold
  4. Cardio: Lateral Lunge and 2 High Knees

12 HIIT Circuit Exercises

Push Ups and Kneeling Shoulder Press

Targets: Chest, shoulders, triceps, abs and core.

three women performing push ups and kneeling shoulder presses

How To Do A Push Up and Kneeling Shoulder Press

  1. Start in high plank position, shoulders stacked over your wrists, legs shoulder-width apart.
  2. Lower your chest towards the floor, performing a push up. Elbows fall back towards your body.
  3. Exhale as you push back up, returning to high plank position. Repeat this movement for 20 seconds.
  4. Then, pick up both dumbbells and kneel on the floor. Both knees on the mat with legs bent at 90 degrees, toes tucked under and core engaged.
  5. Rack the dumbbells at your shoulders, palms facing in.
  6. Exhale as you press the dumbbells straight overhead, locking out the elbows.
  7. Then lower the dumbbells with control back to the shoulders. Repeat this movement for 20 seconds.

Modification: Perform modified push ups from the knees or option to add an incline. If kneeling is uncomfortable you can always perform the overhead press from a standing position.

Split Squat

Targets: Legs, quads, glutes and hamstrings.

three women performing a split squat with dumbbells in a hiit circuit workout

How To Do A Split Squat

  1. Start standing feet hip-width apart holding one dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
  2. Step your right leg back into a lunge position. Imagine your feet are on train tracks – front left foot planted on the mat and back right toes on the mat.
  3. Your feet will stay planted in this position throughout the entire movement.
  4. Lower your back right knee towards the mat until your front thigh is parallel to the mat. Both knees bent at 90 degrees. Shoulders remain stacked over hips.
  5. Then drive up through your front heel to stand tall, returning to the top of the movement.

Lunge Hold, Dumbbell Press Out and Balance Hold

Targets: Legs, glutes, quads, hamstrings, hip flexors, shoulders, abs, obliques and core.

three women performing a lunge hold and dumbbell press out in a circuit workout

How To Do A Lunge Hold, Dumbbell Press Out and Balance Hold

  1. Start in a low lunge: right leg forward, left leg extended behind you, both knees at 90-degree angles, holding a dumbbell horizontally at your chest.
  2. Brace your core as you press the dumbbell out in front of you, holding it at shoulder height. The further the dumbbell is from your body, the more challenging this move will be. Hold for 3 seconds.
  3. Then, bring the dumbbell back to your chest, and press through your front heel to drive your back knee forward, hovering it so your thigh is parallel to the ground, knee bent at 90 degrees, foot flexed. Press the dumbbell overhead and hold for 3 seconds.
  4. Return the dumbbell to your chest as you step your left leg back, returning to a low lunge.

Runner Lunge

Targets: Legs, glutes, hamstrings, quads and calves.

three women performing runner lunges in a hiit workout at home

How To Do A Runner Lunge

  1. Step your right leg back into a reverse lunge, dropping your right knee down towards the ground as you lower your hips until both knees reach a 90-degree angle, front thigh parallel to the floor.
  2. Keeping your torso upright, jump with enough force to drive your right foot ahead of your left foot. Think of your feet as being on parallel train tracks.
  3. “Run” your feet for two counts (like you’re cross-country skiing). Once you reach the third count, drop your left knee back into a lunge.
  4. Repeat this movement, alternating lunge drops on each leg.

Dumbbell Back Row and Bicep Curl

Targets: The lower back and upper back, specifically the lats and rhomboids as well as the bicep muscles.

three women performing back rows and bicep curls in a hiit workout at home

How To Do A Dumbbell Back Row and Bicep Curl

  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Grip a set of dumbbells, palms facing out away from the body.
  2. Hinge at the hips until your chest is parallel to the floor.
  3. Pull the dumbbells back towards your hips, performing a bent over back row. Feel your shoulder blades squeeze together with each row. Repeat this movement for 20 seconds.
  4. Then, stand tall and squeeze your bicep muscle to curl the weights up to shoulder-height as you exhale, performing a standard bicep curl. Repeat this movement for 20 seconds.

Staggered Deadlift and Clean Squat

Targets: Legs, glutes, hamstrings, hips, quads, core and low back muscles.

three women performing a staggered deadlift clean squat with dumbbells in a dumbbell hiit circuit

How To Do A Staggered Deadlift and Clean Squat

  1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold one dumbbell in each hand at your hips, palms facing in towards your body.
  2. Stagger your feet, so your right leg is slightly in front of your left foot. Kickstand your back left foot, left heel floating off the ground. Keep 80% of your weight in your front foot, 20% in your back left toe.
  3. Maintain a staggered stance as you hinge at the hips. Pushing your hips back towards the wall behind you as you glide the dumbbells down the front of your legs; core tight.
  4. Then, drive through your front heel to stand tall, bringing your left foot parallel to your right foot.
  5. As you stand, bring the dumbbells up towards your chest (this is the “clean” portion of the clean squat).
  6. Holding the dumbbells in a front racked position, lower down into a squat position; hips parallel to knees. Driving your knees out toward your outer three toes.
  7. Drive through your heels to stand tall again, finding a staggered stance again by stepping your left foot back. That’s one rep.
  8. Lower the dumbbells back to the starting position and repeat this sequence of one staggered deadlift and one clean squat.

Staggered Woodchop

Targets: The deep transverse abdominis muscle, oblique muscles, glutes, hips, back and shoulders.

three women performing a woodchop with dumbbell in a circuit workout

How To Do A Staggered Woodchop

  1. Start standing in a staggered stance, right foot slightly in front of left, soft bend in your knees, core engaged. Hold one dumbbell horizontally between your hands.
  2. Slightly bend your knees as you bring the dumbbell to the outside of your left knee.
  3. Then exhale as you use your legs, hips and glutes to drive the dumbbell crossbody, extending your arms up overhead on the right side. Think left knee to right shoulder.
  4. Lower the dumbbell with control back towards your left knee, returning to the starting position.

Lateral Bound and Dumbbell Pick Up

Targets: Calves, hamstrings, quads, hip flexors and glutes (specifically your outer glutes that assist with side-to-side movements).

three women performing a lateral hop dumbbell pick up in a HIIT circuit

How To Do A Lateral Bound and Dumbbell Pick Up

  1. Start by placing two dumbbells horizontally on the mat in front of you; about two feet apart.
  2. Stand with feet hip-distance apart, one foot on each side of the dumbbell on the right side of the mat. Sit your hips down and back into a loaded squat position as you reach your right hand down to pick up the dumbbell on the mat between your legs.
  3. Drive through your heels to stand tall, pulling the dumbbell between your legs up towards your hips. Then perform another squat to return the dumbbell back to the mat.
  4. Hold the loaded squat position as you drive off your outside, right leg to bound laterally to the dumbbell on the left side of the mat. Performing a lateral jump squat and landing softly with one foot on each side of the dumbbell.
  5. Again reach down to pick up the dumbbell, this time with your left hand. Drive through your heels to stand tall, pulling the dumbbell between your legs up towards your hips. Then perform another squat to return the dumbbell back to the mat.

1.5 Overhead Tricep Extensions

Targets: The long head of the triceps and all the stabilizing muscles in the shoulders, core, glutes and lower back muscles.

three women performing 1.5 overhead triceps in a hiit circuit

How To Do 1.5 Overhead Tricep Extensions

  1. Stand with feet hip-distance apart, core engaged and soft bend in your knees.
  2. Hold one dumbbell vertically between your palms overhead.
  3. Bend your elbows to a 90-degree angle, bringing the dumbbell behind your head. Think ‘hide the dumbbell, show the dumbbell’, if you were watching yourself in a mirror. Keep your elbows close to your ears throughout the entire movement (don’t let your elbows flare out as you fatigue).
  4. Raise the dumbbell halfway up, then lower back behind your head.
  5. Then raise the dumbbell all the way up, overhead. Think: all the way down, halfway up, back down and to the top.

Lateral Squats

Targets: Gluteus medius (outer glute that controls hip movement and side-to-side movements), quads, inner thighs (or hip adductors), hamstrings and calves.

three women performing a lateral squat with dumbbells in a hiit workout

How To Do Lateral Squats

  1. Start with your feet wider than your hips (think a wide squat stance squat), with your knees and toes pointing forward. Or toes just slightly turned out away from your body.
  2. Hold one dumbbell at your chest like you would during a goblet squat (vertically so dumbbell is touching your collarbone and sternum), elbows tucked in.
  3. Shift your weight into your right heel as you push your hips back, bending your right knee while leaving your left leg straight. Think of performing a single leg squat with your right leg while your left leg remains straight.
  4. Then, drive through your right foot to reverse the movement, pushing you back up to center.

3 Side Plank Crunches and 3-Second Side Plank Hold

Targets: Obliques, hip abductors, upper abs, lower abs, glutes and shoulders.

three women performing a 3 side plank crunches and 3 second side plank hold in a full body workout

How To Do 3 Side Plank Crunches and 3-Second Side Plank Hold

  1. Begin in a side plank position, left forearm on the mat and shoulder stacked over elbow. Option to bring your bottom knee to the mat for extra stability or increase the challenge by fully extending your left leg, balancing on the outside edge of your foot.
  2. Keeping your hips high and core stable, extend your right arm overhead and right (top) leg off the mat. Flex your extended right foot to engage your leg muscles. Hold this side plank position for 3 seconds.
  3. Then, perform a side plank “crunch” by pulling your right knee in to meet your right elbow, before extending back out. Repeat x3 reps.
  4. Continue this pattern of a 3 second side plank hold, followed by 3 side plank crunches.

Lateral Lunge and 2 High Knees

Targets: Gluteus medius (the outer part of your butt used for side-to-side movements), quads, hamstrings, hip adductors and abductors, hip flexors, calves and core.

three women performing a lateral lunge two high knees as a bodyweight hiit exercise

How To Do A Lateral Lunge and 2 High Knees

  1. Stand with feet hip-distance apart.
  2. Step your right leg out to the side as you push your hips back, bending your right knee while leaving your left leg straight. Think of performing a single leg squat with your right leg while your left leg remains straight. Knees and toes are pointing forward.
  3. Then, drive off your right foot to reverse the movement, exploding back up to center.
  4. Perform two high knees, driving your left knee up to chest height, then your right knee. Core is engaged.
  5. Repeat this lateral lunge movement on the right leg; then switch sides for the second set.

HIIT Circuit FAQs

What Is A HIIT Circuit Workout?

A HIIT circuit workout is a type of training that combines HIIT cardio (high-intensity interval training), strength and endurance in one workout. It involves performing a series of exercises consecutively, with minimal rest between exercises (typically, 15-20 seconds). During circuit workouts, you move from one exercise to the next until the circuit is completed, then repeat the circuit.

Are HIIT Circuits Effective?

Yes, HIIT circuits are an extremely efficient way to maximize energy expenditure (and calorie burn) in a short amount of time. HIIT workouts mean you can spend less time exercising, and still get impressive results in terms of weight loss and increased athletic performance (American Council on Exercise). And you continue to burn calories for hours after the workout, making HIIT circuits great for fat loss.

What Is A Good HIIT Routine?

The best HIIT routine is a functional HIIT circuit. Functional HIIT combines upper body exercises, lower body exercises and core strengthening exercises, all while getting your heart rate up into the anaerobic zone (between 80%-90% of your maximum heart rate). You can calculate your max heart rate here.

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2 comments

  1. Hi Lindsey,
    My name is Tara and I am 41. I have two teenage daughters (13 & 17 yr old) and I strongly believe it’s so important to set a healthy example for them. I have been working out ‘with you’ and NML for just over a year now. I have wanted to comment for awhile and just never got the chance so I am finally taking the time to say THANK YOU! My husband has commented several times that he is impressed with how toned I am and my 17 yr old told me I had a “good butt shape” the other day! Which totally made me giggle! Thank you for the great workouts and continuing to set a positive, healthy example for all of us who sweat along with you!
    Sincerely,
    Tara

    • Hi Tara! I’m so glad you’re loving the workouts — thank you for taking the time to say Thank You! I love that you are feeling strong and toned AND setting an awesome example for your daughters! Keep up the great work! -Lindsey

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