At Home Full Body Circuit Workout – Part I: Leg Strength and Conditioning Focus

When your days are busy and time is limited, a full body circuit workout is a great way to organize your time and deliver a results-driven session! In this two-part series, I am going to show you a couple of my go-to full body circuit workouts – perfect for when I am pressed for time and can’t get to the gym. 

In under 30 minutes, you will squat, lunge, jump, crunch and skip yourself into a fitness euphoria, all from the comfort of your own home.

I will also introduce you to the bodyweight squat, an excellent compound movement that activates multiple muscles throughout the body from your legs and back to your core.

So, grab a mat or towel and your water bottle and let’s get moving with part 1 of our full body circuit workout.

Quick Stats:

• Equipment Needed: Workout Mat or Towel
• Workout Length: 25 minutes
• Intensity: 3/5
• Est. Calories Burned: 220 Calories

Exercise Instructions

Warm-Up Sequence (x1)

Bird Dogs (8 per side)

Step 1: Start on the floor with your hands and knees in a tabletop position.
Step 2: Pull your shoulders down towards your back to engage your core.
Step 3: While reaching out with your right hand, kick back with your left leg until both are fully extended.
Step 4: After a brief pause bring both arm and leg back to the starting position.
Step 5: Alternate hands and legs until the reps have been completed.

Center Plank (30-60 sec)

Step 1: Lie down on your belly with elbows bent 90 degrees and on the floor and palms facing down.
Step 2: Lift your hips off the floor and squeeze your glutes and hold this position for the listed duration of time.

Glute Bride (10 reps)

Step 1: Lie on your back and in a bent-knee position with your feet flat on the floor.
Step 2: Push through your feet and raise your hips towards the ceiling. Be sure to squeeze your glutes and hold for a 1-second pause.
Step 3: Slowly lower your hips back towards the floor and lightly tap before performing another rep.

McGill Crunch (8 per side)

Step 1: Lie on your back and bring your right foot as close your glutes as possible.
Step 2: Extended your left leg out until fully straight and lying flat on the floor.
Step 3: Place your fingertips on the bottom of your chest and push the elbows forward.
Step 4: Tuck your chin to your chest and perform a crunch.
Step 5: Repeat the sequence and then alternate legs until all reps are completed.

Squat Inner Toe Touch (10 reps)

Step 1: Stand with your feet just outside hip-width and your arms straight and positioned inside your hips and feet.
Step 2: Push your knees out and lower yourself towards the floor in a squatting position.
Step 3: As you reach the bottom of the squat your fingertips should touch the floor on the inside of your feet.
Step 4: Push through your legs and glutes until you reach the starting position and complete the sequence again.

Strength Sequence (x3)

Body Weight Squat (10 reps)

Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and turn your toes slightly outward.
Step 2: Extend your arms in front of you.
Step 3: Pull your shoulders down towards your back while pushing your chest out.
Step 4: Initiate the squat by pushing the knees out and guide yourself down as far as your mobility will allow.
Step 5: Once at the bottom portion of the squat hold for a brief pause before returning to the starting position.

Reverse Lunge (5 per side)

Step 1: Stand with your feet together in the starting position.
Step 2: Go into a lunge position by reaching back with your right foot.
Step 3: Lower your self straight down as far as your mobility will allow with the goal of tapping your knee to the floor.
Step 4: Once at the bottom push yourself back up and bring your foot back into the starting position.
Step 5: Complete the same sequence with your left foot and knee and alternate until all reps are completed.

Circuit Sequence (x3)

Wall Sit (10 reps)

Step 1: Start with your back flat against a wall.
Step 2: While keeping your feet flat on the floor, lower your body until your legs make a 90-degree angle.
Step 3: Hold this position for the desired time.

Tuck Jumps (10 reps)

Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your feet and knees pointed straight ahead.
Step 2: Initiate a chair squat and guide yourself down as if sitting in a chair while pulling your arms back.
Step 3: Jump up, rotating your arms to extend in front of you, and bring both knees toward your chest.
Step 4: Land softly and check that your feet and knees are pointed straight ahead.
Step 5: Repeat the sequence until all reps have been completed.

Bicycle Crunch (30 sec)

Step 1: Lie flat on your back and place both hands behind your head.
Step 2: Raise both legs off the floor about 2 inches and bend the right knee towards your chest and fully extend the left leg.
Step 3: As your right knee come to your chest twist and touch your left elbow to the right knee.
Step 4: Alternate the pattern of right knee-left elbow to left knee-right elbow. Keep a consistent pace until time is completed.

Rope Skips (20 sec)

Step 1: Simulate a rope skip, by quickly doing short hops on the balls of your feet.

Cool Down Sequence (x1)

Jog in Place (3 min)

Step 1: Simulate a light jog, bringing your feet slightly up while remaining stationary.

Stretch (60 sec)

Nutriology Hacks

• Strengthen Your Base – Squats are one of the best exercises to strengthen your base, activating multiple muscles throughout the body and providing support for all of the functional movements you make throughout life – sitting, standing, and most importantly, using the bathroom.
• Circulating – A full body circuit workout is a great way to elevate the heart rate, allowing the blood to efficiently circulate throughout the body and improving multiple things from muscle growth to removing toxins from the body.
• Warming Up – Taking a few minutes to warm up before your workout is essential in getting you ready and preventing injuries.  The best warm-ups mimic the movements you will perform during the workout allowing the muscle to prepare for activation.

Written by the Nutriology Fitness Team