Mini Bodyweight Circuit Program

Craig Ballantyne from TurbulenceTraining.com returns to show us how to maximize your workout with minimal equipment, and with just using your bodyweight.

Great detailed program for fitness beginners who aren’t sure of the basics yet.

Warmup

I’m coming at you with this cool TurbulenceTraning Mini Bodyweight Circuit program. There are only 3 exercises per workout to really maximize as much work as you can get done with bodyweight exercises with minimal equipment in the least amount of time.

Start your warm-up with 20 repetitions of jumping jacks. Make sure you get your arms up overhead in a full extension while keeping your arms behind your to get a lot of shoulder mobility.

Next do elevated pushups. Keep one hand elevated about 4-6 inches from the ground. Make sure you use something that won’t slip out from under you. This is a great torso warm-up.

Finally, you will do stick-ups. Stand against a wall with your heels about 6 inches from the wall. Keep your butt, shoulders, elbows, wrists and head against the wall the entire time as you move your arms up above your head.

Rest 1 minute and repeat this circuit one more time. Now you are ready to move onto one of the Mini Bodyweight Circuit Workouts.

Workout A

We’re going to start this circuit with chin-ups. Take an underhand grip and pull yourself up and slowly lower back down. I want you to 2 repetitions to failure. If you dont have a bar, do as many push-ups as you can. Do a classic push-up also 2 repetitions short of failure.

Move immediately into prisoner squats. Keep your chest up and elbows back. Drop your hips down and drive back up for 25 repetitions. If you cant do 25, take a little break to get the full 25 reps in.

Next will be reverse lunges for 15 repetitions on each side. Step back and down and use your lead leg to come back up. If you have weight, you can add it to this final exercise.

Rest 30-60 seconds and repeat this circuit 2-4 more times depending on your fitness level.

Workout B

We’re going to start with underhand inverted rows with more of a narrow grip. You are going to do as many as you can to failure. Pull your chest up to the bar, using your biceps and squeeze your shoulder blades.

Move immediately into Bulgarian Split Squats. Put your back foot up on the bench, drop your hip down and get a nice stretch through your hip flexor area. All of the work will be done on your lead leg in the front. Do 15-20 repetitions on each side.

Finish off this mini-arm circuit with close grip pushups. Bring your hands in closer and tuck your elbows into your sides. Do as many reps as you can with the pushups.

Rest 1 minute and repeat this superset 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

Workout C

For this workout, start with either pull-ups or if you can’t do pull-ups, then you can do bodyweight rows. For your pull up, take a slightly wider than shoulder width overhand grip hand position. Pull your chest up and chin over the bar and slowly lower back down. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and really pull in by drawing your elbows down.

If you cant do pull-ups, you will do bodyweight rows instead. You will do these to failure for these sets. Take an overhand grip, tuck your elbows in and squeeze your shoulder blades as you pull up and slowly lower yourself back down.

Move immediately into split squats doing 15-20 repetitions per side. You can use just your bodyweight for all of these exercises, however, if you have weights you can add them by holding either dumbbells or kettlebells at arms length at your side. You can also use medicine balls, weighted vest or any kind you want to use.

Finish with mountain climbers, by getting into a pushup position to start. Keep your hips low and your abs braced. You will do 15 repetitions per side for a total of 30 repetitions.

Rest 1 minute and repeat this set 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

At the end of all of these circuits, you can do the stability ball circuit. This is optional.