Tackle this full-body circuit from Your Personal Training trainer Benjamin Augusto.

This is an advanced upper body and core workout with minimal equipment – all you need is a decent pair of gym shoes, light dumbbells and a mini resistance band – targeted at those looking to challenge themselves, try new moves, build muscle and improve their body control.

The bodyweight exercises are scalable depending on your ability. The aim is to perform them with perfect execution and form rather than simply as many reps as you can.

How to do the full-body circuit

  • This is a circuit, so perform the exercises back-to-back with minimal rest
  • Rest for 90 secs once you’ve completed one full round
  • Aim for a minimum of 3 rounds in total
man in red top and red shorts doing a pike push-up in the gym

1. Pike push-up 

Targets: Shoulders, upper chest, triceps, core 

Reps: 5-8
Rest: Go straight into exercise 2

  • Begin by placing your hands on the floor, around shoulder-width apart, with fingers facing forward
  • Stack your shoulders over your hands and walk your feet towards your hands as close as possible, going up onto your toes. Push into the ground to elevate your scapula – this is your start position
  • Bend your arms and lower your body forward and down towards the floor, keeping your elbows tucked and not flared out
  • Lower until your head is close to the ground, then push up and back to the start position

PT tip: Make it harder by shifting your feet further back

man in red top and red shorts doing a superman with banded row in the gym as part of a full-body circuit
man in red top and red shorts doing a superman with banded row in the gym as part of a full-body circuit

2. Superman with banded row

Targets: Lower back, glutes, upper back

Reps: 8-10
Rest: Go straight into 3

  • Lie flat on your front, holding a mini resistance band in your hands
  • Squeeze your glutes and lift your feet and lower legs off the ground. Arch your upper back to lift your chest off the ground as well
  • With your arms extended in front of you, pull the band apart slightly to engage tension into the band and your shoulders – this is the start position 
  • Begin to row the band back towards your chest, lifting your chest further off the ground, pulling your scapula back and feeling the squeeze in your whole posterior chain
  • Hold this position for a split second, then reverse the movement back to the start and repeat

PT tip: Really focus on squeezing your upper back at the top of the movement

man in red top and red shorts doing a typewriter push-up in the gym as part of a full-body circuit
man in red top and red shorts doing a typewriter push-up in the gym as part of a full-body circuit

3. Typewriter push-up

Targets: Chest, shoulders, triceps, core

Reps: 10-15
Rest: Go straight into 4

  • Begin in a normal push-up position, but place your hands much wider than shoulder-width and point your fingers outwards
  • Engage your core and don’t let your hips sag – this will be your starting position
  • Lower down to one side, aiming to bring your chest to your hand with the other arm completely straight, then slowly transition across to the other side, keeping your chest as close to the floor as possible
  • Once you have reached the other side, press up to the top
  • Now lower back down to the same side, transition across and press back up to the top again
man in red top and red shorts doing a dumbbell hinged row in the gym as part of a full-body circuit

4. Dumbbell hinged row

Targets: Upper back, biceps, forearms

Reps: 8-12 (each side)
Rest: Go straight into 5

  • Pick up your dumbbells and stand with your feet around shoulder-width apart
  • Soften your knees and hinge at the hips, keeping a flat or slightly arched back. Hands should rest around knee height, palms in towards the knees – this is your start position
  • Row the dumbbells back into your hips, driving the elbows backwards and up, squeezing your shoulder blades together
  • Hold this squeeze for a split second, then lower back down to the start position
man in red top and red shorts doing a side plank with dumbbell triceps extension
man in red top and red shorts doing a side plank with dumbbell triceps extension

5. Side plank with dumbbell triceps extension

Targets: Obliques, shoulders, triceps

Reps: 15-20 (each side)
Rest: Go straight into 6

  • Lie sideways on your mat, stacking your feet on top of each other and placing your forearm on the floor to support your weight
  • Pick up your dumbbell with the upward arm, and lift it to rest behind your head
  • Now engage your core and lift your hips up to hold the side plank, with a nice straight line from your feet to your hips and shoulders – this is your start position
  • Hold this position while you perform reps of triceps extension, aiming to keep your upper arm in the same position as you contract the triceps
  • Perform your reps, then swap to the other side to repeat
man in red top and red shorts doing a dumbbell reverse-grip biceps curl as part of a full-body circuit

6. Dumbbell reverse-grip biceps curl

Targets: Biceps, core

Reps: 8-12
Rest: 90 secs, then return to the first exercise

  • Pick up your dumbbells, and stand with your feet around shoulder-width apart, with core engaged, neutral shoulders and palms facing towards you — this is your start position
  • Curl the dumbbells up slowly, keeping the palms facing down until they are close to your shoulders
  • Squeeze at the top for a split second, before slowly lowering down to the start position