A Full-Body Strength-Cardio Circuit Workout to Boost Endurance

Strength training builds muscle and bone. Cardio conditions your heart and lungs. Both are crucial for your health — and you don’t have to choose between the two for your workout.

In fact, when you combine them, you can get more done in less time and challenge your body in ways that steady-state exercise can’t match. That’s the idea behind circuit training. You move through a series of strength exercises that keep your heart rate up while you work different muscle groups. The result is a session that builds strength and endurance while keeping you engaged from start to finish.

This philosophy is what inspired the collection of SHRED classes at Life Time. “SHRED is built on the belief that strength and conditioning are better together,” says class collection brand specialist Colette Raymond. “At its core, SHRED combines purposeful strength training, athletic cardio, and functional movement to help you build a strong foundation while improving endurance, strength, and overall fitness — all in one single session. Every SHRED workout is designed to be efficient, scalable, and empowering.”

What is SHRED at Life Time?

There are three SHRED class variations you might see on your club’s schedule.

SHRED is the foundation. “This class uses simple and effective upper-body, lower-body, and core strength circuits paired with athletic cardio bursts,” Raymond explains. “Participants move through timed one-minute intervals at their own pace, creating a workout that is approachable for beginners while still challenging for experienced athletes.”

SHRED CON takes the SHRED philosophy and elevates it through heart rate–driven interval training. “In addition to strength and conditioning, in this class participants experience anaerobic threshold challenges, a variety of interval formats, and an explosive finisher designed to improve performance, work capacity, and metabolic conditioning,”
says Raymond. “SHRED CON is for the athlete who enjoys training with purpose and pushing their limits.”

SHRED CIRCUIT delivers the same high-performance training experience from SHRED CON but in a station-based environment. “Participants rotate through strength, conditioning, and core stations that strategically challenge different energy systems while also providing opportunities for active recovery,” says Raymond. “It creates a dynamic, team-oriented atmosphere that combines athletic performance training with the excitement of moving through multiple stations.”

SHRED Circuits

To help you experience the benefits of strength-cardio circuits (and give you an idea of what to expect in a SHRED class), Raymond demonstrates three circuits that rotate between an upper-body movement, lower-body movement, core exercise, and a cardio burst.

Directions: Complete each exercise for one minute. Repeat the strength circuits three times before finishing with a one-minute cardio burst.

Round 1

Upper-Body Strength: Push-Up + Renegade Row

• Start in a high-plank position with your hands gripping dumbbells shoulder-width apart.
• Lower your body into a push-up by bending your elbows, keeping them at roughly a 45-degree angle to your body.
• Push back up to the starting plank position with an engaged core and glutes.
• From the top of the push-up, pull one dumbbell up toward your ribs, driving your elbow back and keeping your hips stable.
• Lower the dumbbell back down with control.
• Lower your body into a push-up by bending your elbows, keeping them at roughly a 45-degree angle to your body.
• Perform a renegade row on the opposite side, pulling the other dumbbell up toward your ribs, driving your elbow back and keeping your hips stable.
• Repeat this sequence for one minute.

Lower-Body Strength: Squat to Romanian Deadlift

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides with a neutral grip (palms facing inward).
• Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower into a squat, keeping the dumbbells at your sides.
• Press through your heels to stand back up to the starting position.
• At the top, shift into the Romanian deadlift movement by hinging at your hips.
• Keep your knees slightly bent and lower the dumbbells down the front of your legs by pushing your hips back.
• Lower until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings (typically when the dumbbells reach mid-shin or slightly below).
• Drive your hips forward to return to standing.
• Repeat this sequence for one minute.

Core Strength: Dumbbell Halo Chop

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding one dumbbell vertically in front of your chest with both hands.
• Keeping your core engaged and chest upright, move the dumbbell in a circular motion around your head, rotating it clockwise for one rep.
• Complete the full circle around your head and return to the starting position in front of your chest.
• From there, rotate your torso to the right and perform a “chop” by moving the dumbbell diagonally across your body from high (shoulder height) on the left side to low (hip height) on the right side.
• Engage your core and obliques as you twist through the movement.
• Return the dumbbell to the center of your chest.
• Repeat on the other side — completing a circle around your head counterclockwise and performing a “chop” movement across your body from your shoulder on the right to your hip on the left.
• Repeat this sequence (alternating sides) for one minute.

Cardio: Scissors + Plyo Lunge

• Start by standing with your arms at your sides. Jump up and, as you do so, raise your arms above your head and switch your leg positioning so one leg is out in front and one is behind. Land with your arms in the air.
• As you jump again, bring your arms back overhead and switch your leg positioning in mid-air so you land with opposite legs in front and behind.
• Repeat for four jumps.
• Then, jump into a lunge position with one leg in front, both knees bent at 90 degrees.
• Explosively jump, switching leg positions in mid-air so you land in a lunge with the opposite leg forward.
• That’s one plyo lunge. Perform a second plyo lunge, switching legs again.
• Repeat the full sequence of four scissors and two plyo lunges for one minute.

Round 2

Upper-Body Strength: Hammer Curl + Corner Raise

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides with a neutral grip (palms facing inward).
• Bend your elbows and curl the dumbbells up toward your shoulders, keeping your elbows stationary at your sides.
• Curl until the dumbbells reach shoulder height with your forearms nearly vertical.
• Slowly bring your arms back down to your sides with control.
• Transition into the corner raise by rotating your wrists so your palms face forward.
• Maintain a slight bend in your elbows and press the dumbbells up and out at a 45-degree angle (diagonal line between a lateral raise and a front raise).
• Raise until your arms are roughly at shoulder height, creating a “corner” or V-shape with your arms.
• Lower the dumbbells down with control, reversing the diagonal path.
• Repeat this sequence for one minute.

Lower-Body Strength: Lateral Lunge to Reverse Lunge

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides with a neutral grip (palms facing inward).
• Step to the right with a wide stance, shifting your weight onto your right leg.
• Bend your right knee and lower your hips back and down into a lateral lunge, keeping your left leg straight while bringing the dumbbells along either side above your right foot.
• Push through your right heel to return to the starting standing position, keeping the dumbbells at your sides.
• From there, step backward with your right leg into a reverse lunge.
• Lower your body by bending both knees until your front knee (left) is at 90 degrees and your back knee (right) nearly touches the ground.
• Push through your front heel to return to standing. That’s one rep on the right side.
• Repeat the sequence on the opposite side: lateral lunge to the left, then reverse lunge stepping back with the left leg.
• Continue alternating sides for one minute.

Core Strength: Dumbbell Double Crunch

• On a mat, lay on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor about hip-width apart.
• Hold one dumbbell vertically with your arms extended overhead.
• Engage your core and crunch your upper body forward, bringing your chest toward your knees.
• Simultaneously, drive your knees up toward your chest, lifting your feet off the mat.
• Both movements happen at the same time: your upper body crunches forward while your lower body drives upward.
• Lower your upper body and legs back down with control to the starting position.
• Repeat for one minute.

Cardio: Scissors + Plyo Lunge

• Start by standing with your arms at your sides. Jump up and, as you do so, raise your arms above your head and switch your leg positioning so one leg is out in front and one is behind. Land with your arms in the air.
• As you jump again, bring your arms back up overhead and switch your leg positioning in mid-air so you land with opposite legs in front and behind.
• Repeat for four jumps.
• Then, jump into a lunge position with one leg in front and both knees bent at 90 degrees.
• Explosively jump, switching leg positions in mid-air so you land in a lunge with the opposite leg forward.
• That’s one plyo lunge. Perform a second plyo lunge, switching legs again.
• Repeat the full sequence of four scissors and two plyo lunges for one minute.

Round 3

Upper-Body Strength: Triceps Kickback + Overhead Triceps Extension

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip (palms facing inward).
• Hinge forward at your hips so your torso is nearly parallel to the ground, with your knees slightly bent.
• Position your elbows close to your ribs with a 90-degree bend, dumbbells hanging down.
• Extend your elbows and press the dumbbells backward, straightening your arms fully behind you.
• Squeeze your triceps at the end of the kickback movement.
• Bend your elbows to return the dumbbells to the starting bent position.
• Stand back up and press the dumbbells overhead into an overhead triceps extension. Your upper arms should remain stationary as you extend the dumbbells upward.
• Fully extend your elbows so the dumbbells are directly overhead (or slightly behind your head).
• Bend your elbows to lower the dumbbells back down behind your head, then press back up.
• After one overhead triceps extension rep, lower the dumbbells back to your sides and return to standing.
• Repeat this sequence for one minute.

Lower-Body Strength: Transverse Plane Squat

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding one dumbbell at your chest with both hands.
• Step laterally to the right with a wide stance.
• As you step, shift your weight onto your right leg and lower your hips back and down into a squat.
• Push through your right heel to drive back to the starting position, stepping your right foot back to hip-width.
• Repeat the movement on the opposite side, stepping laterally to the left and performing a squat before pushing through your left heel to drive back to the starting position, stepping your left foot back to hip-width.
• Continue alternating sides for one minute.

Core Strength: Plank Hip Dips

• Start in a forearm plank position with your elbows directly under your shoulders and your body in a straight line from your head to your heels.
• Engage your core and glutes to maintain a neutral spine.
• Keep your neck in a neutral position, looking down at the floor.
• Rotate your hips to the right and lower your right hip toward the floor in a controlled dip.
• Your forearms and feet stay planted; the movement comes from rotating through your core and lowering your hip.
• Dip as low as you can while maintaining a strong plank position, but don’t let your hip fully touch the floor.
• Return to center by engaging your obliques and bringing your hips back to neutral.
• Rotate your hips to the opposite (left) side and lower your left hip toward the ground in a controlled dip before returning to center.
• Continue alternating hip dips from side-to-side for one minute.

Cardio: Scissors + Plyo Lunge