Metabolic Circuit to Build Muscle and Burn Fat AT-HOME!

When your schedule doesn’t allow you to hit the gym or you want a change of pace, an in-home metabolic circuit could be exactly what you need.  What’s great about an in-home metabolic circuit is that you don’t need any special pieces of equipment – you simply use what’s around your home or just your own body weight. 

The beauty of an in-home metabolic circuit is not only that you have zero excuses to not fit in a workout but also that it's short and intense so you can maximize your time and effort in as little as 20-30 minutes.

What Is a Metabolic Circuit?

A metabolic circuit is the combination of both resistance exercises and aerobic movements that are to be conducted in an interval format.  The purpose of this style of training is to keep you moving rather than utilizing the standard 30-60 second rest periods between sets.  You want your heart rate to stay elevated to help your body maximize its fat-burning potential while also helping to build muscle and strength in the process.

Utilizing an in-home metabolic circuit involves high-intensity movements that will tax the body and leave you sore the following days.  The harder you push yourself, the greater the results you can achieve.

*With that being said, as with any exercise program, it is advised that you speak with your doctor before starting to ensure you are healthy enough to do so.

High-Intensity In-Home Metabolic Circuit Workout

For this specific in-home metabolic circuit, being that the resistance is not going to be the same as what you may be used to in the gym, you want to really focus on squeezing each rep and getting a solid mind-muscle connection.  Control the movement nice and slow on both the concentric and eccentric portion of the movements.

The fact that you will be completing more reps per exercise will challenge your body and you may notice an intense burn of lactic acid in each muscle group you work.  If this in-home metabolic circuit is something you want to utilize throughout the week, be sure to leave a minimum of 24 hours between workouts.  Furthermore, being that this style of training is different than the resistance training you do in the gym, you may even need more than 24 hours to recover properly.

For resistance, you are going to use objects around your home according to your strength level.  Items can be (but not limited to) soup cans, milk jugs filled with water, a suitcase, or similar.  To ensure you know what exercises you need to use one of these objects, the word “Object” will be used in the exercise list below.  Additionally, you are going to need a stopwatch, clock, timer, or watch to ensure you are completing each exercise according to the designated time.

To start this workout, you are going to want to warm up for 5-10 minutes.  This can be something as simple as walking around your house or even walking up and down your steps.  Once completed, blood will be pumping throughout your body and your muscles should be ready for the workload ahead.

If you are a beginner, start off by going through the circuit one time only.  Then, slowly increase the number of circuits as you get stronger.  If you are an intermediate or advanced lifter, move through the circuit 3-4 times.  Make sure the area you designate for your workout is safe and there aren't objects around you that could break or hurt you when completing your in-home metabolic circuit.

As you will notice below, there are no designated rest periods shown.  This is on purpose.  You want to push yourself to move through the in-home metabolic circuit without resting.  Should you need to take a breather, do so briefly and get right back into your next exercise.

*AMAP = As Many As Possible