Ditch the Treadmill: Burn Fat and Build Muscle in ONLY 30 Minutes with This Strength Circuit

Cardio is often seen as the most important type of exercise. After all, the CDC has a specific recommendation for how much you should do – 150 minutes per week (1).

And while the list of health and fitness benefits of cardio is long and impressive, some people find it boring and time-consuming. In addition, cardio doesn’t do a lot for the other fitness components, like strength, muscle mass, mobility, or bone density.

If you want those things, you’ll need to find time to lift weights, too.

Consequently, a well-balanced training program needs to contain both strength training and cardio, which can add up to many hours of exercise each week.

Unfortunately, many people struggle to fit both cardio and strength training into their already busy schedules. Consequently, they pick just one type of workout and settle for less-than-perfect results.

I’ve been a personal trainer for more than three decades, and I understand that lack of time is a legitimate barrier to fitness. However, I also know how to make the best use of your training time so you can achieve the results you want more quickly – and without boredom.

In this article, I share a time-efficient strength circuit that burns fat, builds muscle, and increases fitness in just 30 minutes.

EPOC – The Secret to More Effective, Time-Efficient Workouts

Many people think that you need to spend hours exercising to get fit, build muscle, and burn fat, but this is not necessarily the case. In fact, if you shorten your workouts and increase the intensity, you can actually achieve better results in much less time.

How?

The answer is Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption, or EPOC for short.

Also known as the after-burn effect, EPOC describes how your metabolism remains elevated for many hours after an intense workout. Research reveals that EPOC significantly increases your post-exercise energy expenditure, which can lead to faster, easier weight loss despite spending less time exercising (2).

While the science of EPOC is quite complex, the basic concept is actually pretty simple.

Imagine a campfire: even after you stop adding logs and the flames die down, the embers continue producing heat for many hours. Similarly, after an intense workout, your body continues to use energy at an elevated rate, just as those embers keep the campsite warm long after the fire itself has gone out.

The EPOC effect can last 24-48 hours (3), and your metabolism (energy expenditure) remains elevated all that time. The harder your workout, the more pronounced the EPOC effect is. Consequently, short, intense workouts can be as if not more effective than longer, less challenging sessions.

Circuit training with weights is one of the best ways to trigger EPOC. In addition, this type of workout builds muscle and fitness simultaneously, making it perfect for time-pressed exercisers.

30-Minute High-Intensity Strength Circuit

Now you understand how EPOC works, here is a strength circuit designed to maximize your post-workout energy expenditure, build muscle, and develop your fitness. Do this workout 2-3 times a week on non-consecutive days, e.g., Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

But, before you begin, make sure you ready your muscles and joints to train with a quick warm-up. Start with 5-10 minutes of cardio, e.g., rowing, elliptical, jump rope, etc., followed by dynamic mobility and flexibility exercises for all your major muscles and joints.

Warmed up and ready to go? Then let’s get our EPOC on!

Do four rounds of the following circuit, with a two-minute rest between each lap. Use light to moderate weights so you can pump out the reps for the entire duration of each set.

#	Exercise	Work	Transition
1	Dumbbell thruster	40 seconds	20 seconds
2	Jumping pull-up	40 seconds	20 seconds
3	Push-up	40 seconds	20 seconds
4	Barbell sumo deadlift high pull	40 seconds	20 seconds
5	Medicine ball slam	40 seconds	20 seconds
6	Reverse lunge and cable row	40 seconds	20 seconds
7	Dumbbell curl and press	40 seconds	20 seconds
8	Barbell rollout	40 seconds	20 seconds

Feel free to adjust the work/transition times according to your fitness. Beginners can decrease the work periods and extend the transitions. In contrast, more experienced exercisers can shorten the transitions and increase the work periods.

For example:

• Beginners – 30 seconds work/30 seconds transition
• Experienced – 50 seconds work/10 seconds transition

Related: How to Warm Up for Strength Training

Exercise Instructions

Get more from your workouts while minimizing the risk of injury by following these step-by-step instructions:

1. Dumbbell thruster

Target muscles: Quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus maximus, core, deltoids, triceps.

The dumbbell thruster combines a front squat with an overhead press to work virtually every pushing muscle in your body. As such, it will burn a lot of kilocalories and elevate your heart rate as you build all-around strength and conditioning.

Steps:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes turned slightly outward. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height, palms facing inward.
2. Brace your core, lift your chest, and pull your shoulders down and back.
3. Bend your legs and descend into a deep squat.
4. Stand back up and press the weights overhead to arm’s length.
5. Lower the weights back to your shoulders and repeat.

Tips:

• Use the momentum from your legs to help you push the weights overhead.
• You can also do this exercise with a barbell, medicine ball, kettlebells, or sandbag.
• Do not round your lumbar spine, as doing so could cause lower back pain or injury.

2. Jumping pull-up

Target muscles: Latissimus dorsi, biceps, forearms, core, quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus maximus, calves.

Pull-ups are a great upper back exercise. However, they won’t burn many calories or raise your heart rate much. That all changes when you add a jump. Jumping pull-ups are a great way to build muscle and burn fat simultaneously, and your heart rate will soar!

Steps:

1. Adjust your pull-up bar so you can reach it comfortably while your feet are on the floor.
2. Hold the bar with an overhand, shoulder-width grip.
3. Bend your legs and then extend them rapidly.
4. Simultaneously pull with your arms and bring your chin up and over the bar.
5. Descend under control and lower your feet back to the floor.
6. Release the bar, reset your grip, and repeat.

Tips:

• Stand on a platform if you are unable to adjust the height of your pull-up bar.
• Use gym chalk to stop your hands from slipping.
• You can also do this exercise without releasing the bar between reps.

3. Push-up

Target muscles: Pectoralis major, deltoids, triceps, core.

Push-ups are a very conventional exercise, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t effective. In fact, in terms of bang for your buck, the humble push-up is hard to beat. Working your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core, push-ups are one of the best upper body exercises around.

Steps:

1. Squat down and put your palms flat on the floor, fingers pointing forward, and hands about shoulder-width apart.
2. Walk your feet out and back so your body is straight.
3. Brace your core and pull your shoulders down and back.
4. Bend your arms and lower your chest to within an inch of the floor.
5. Extend your arms and repeat.

Tips:

• Bend your legs and rest your knees on the floor to make this exercise easier.
• Do not drop or lift your butt – keep your body straight throughout.
• Use one of these intense push-up variations if you need a more challenging workout.

4. Barbell sumo deadlift high-pull

Target muscles: Gluteus maximus, hamstrings, quadriceps, core, deltoids, trapezius, biceps, forearms.

The barbell sumo deadlift high-pull works your entire posterior chain, the collective name for the muscles on the back of your body. As such, as well as being an excellent fat burner and cardio conditioner, it’s also a great exercise for posture and injury prevention.

Steps:

1. Place your barbell on the floor.
2. Stand with your feet about 1.5 shoulder widths apart, toes under the bar.
3. Reach down and hold the bar with a shoulder-width overhand grip.
4. Straighten your arms, drop your hips, lift your chest, and brace your core.
5. Extend your legs and explosively stand up.
6. Use this momentum to help you pull the bar up and under your chin.
7. Lower the bar to your waist and then set it back down on the floor.
8. Reset your core and grip, take a breath, and repeat.

Tips:

• Keep your lower back arched throughout – no rounding, please!
• Lead with your elbows so they’re always higher than your bar/hands.
• You can also do this exercise with a resistance band:

5. Medicine ball slam

Target muscles: Core, latissimus dorsi, triceps.

The medicine ball slam is one of my favorite explosive exercises. As well as having a great training effect, it’s also a lot of fun. My personal training clients enjoy this exercise immensely, and I bet you will, too.

Steps:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent.
2. Hold and raise your medicine ball above your head.
3. Putting your entire body into the throw, hurl the medicine ball down at the floor a few inches in front of your feet.
4. Catch the ball as it bounces and repeat.

Tips:

• Do not do this exercise with a gel-filled ball, as it’ll probably burst.
• Add a twist and throw the ball down outside your feet to work your obliques (waist) more.
• No medicine ball? No problem! Here are 11 medicine ball slam alternatives to try.

6. Reverse lunge and cable row

Target muscles: Gluteus maximus, hamstrings, quadriceps, core, latissimus dorsi, biceps, forearms.

While forward lunges are an effective exercise, some people find they cause knee joint stress and pain. Reverse lunges are much more joint-friendly, and the addition of a row makes them even better for burning fat and increasing fitness.

Steps:

1. Attach a dual handle to a cable machine set to about waist height.
2. Grab the handle and stand with your arms extended and feet together.
3. Take a large step back, bend your legs, and lower your rearmost knee to within an inch of the floor.
4. Push off your back foot and return to standing, simultaneously bending your arms and rowing the handle into your midsection.
5. Lunge back with the opposite leg and repeat.

Tips:

• Stand on a 4 to 6-inch platform to increase your range of motion and make this exercise more challenging.
• Keep your torso upright throughout; do not lean forward or backward.
• You can also do this exercise with a resistance band:

Related: Reverse Lunges: A Knee-Friendly Alternative to Forward Lunges

7. Dumbbell curl, and press

Target muscles: Biceps, deltoids, triceps, core.

Upper body exercises don’t raise your metabolism like leg exercises can. However, that doesn’t have to be the case. The dumbbell curl and press works multiple upper body muscles, making it both time-efficient and a decent fat burner.

Steps:

1. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, arms by your sides, and a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Pull your shoulders down and back and brace your core.
3. Bend your arms and curl the weights up to your shoulders.
4. Next, press your dumbbells up and above your head.
5. Lower the weights back to your shoulders and then to your sides.
6. That’s one rep – keep going!

Tips:

• Use an alternating arm action if preferred.
• Avoid using your legs or back to lift the dumbbells, as doing so takes work away from the target muscles.
• You can also do this exercise with a resistance band:

8. Barbell rollout

Target muscles: Core, latissimus dorsi, triceps, hip flexors.

All of the preceding exercises have involved your core, albeit indirectly. However, given how important the core is for both function and appearance, it’s worth hitting it again with a more direct movement. Barbell rollouts are a great way to overload your core muscles, saving you from yet another boring set of planks or crunches.

Steps:

1. Place your barbell on the floor and kneel behind it.
2. Hold the bar with an overhand, shoulder-width grip. Brace your core and pull your shoulders down and back.
3. Push the bar away from you and lower your upper body down toward the floor.
4. Use your abs to pull yourself back to the starting position and repeat.

Tips:

• Kneel on a folded mat or foam pad for comfort.
• Do this exercise with an abs wheel/roller if you prefer.
• Experienced exercises can do this exercise from standing:

Conclusion

While there is no denying that cardio is good for everybody’s body, that doesn’t mean you have to spend hours on a bike or treadmill to get fit, lose weight, and be healthy. In fact, you can get all of the benefits of cardio in much less time with strength circuits.

Do this workout several times a week to improve your fitness, get lean, and build muscle simultaneously. Strength circuits are the ideal workout for busy exercisers who don’t have the time to do cardio and weight training separately.

References:

1.  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “How much physical activity do adults need?” 
2. Moniz SC, Islam H, Hazell TJ. Mechanistic and methodological perspectives on the impact of intense interval training on post-exercise metabolism. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2020 Apr;30(4):638-651. doi: 10.1111/sms.13610. Epub 2020 Jan 3. PMID: 31830334.
3. Schuenke MD, Mikat RP, McBride JM. Effect of an acute period of resistance exercise on excess post-exercise oxygen consumption: implications for body mass management. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2002 Mar;86(5):411-7. doi: 10.1007/s00421-001-0568-y. Epub 2002 Jan 29. PMID: 11882927.

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