Essential Takeaways:
- This 20-minute full-body workout combines 9 classic bodyweight exercises that can be performed anywhere without equipment to improve fitness and burn fat.
- The routine alternates between timed exercises and rep-based movements, including cardio and strength training elements for maximum effectiveness.
- Each exercise targets specific muscle groups while maintaining an elevated heart rate, making it ideal for both toning and cardiovascular fitness.
- The workout can be completed as a single 10-minute circuit for beginners or repeated twice for a full 20-minute intensive training session.
- Perfect for daily exercise, this routine can be performed once or twice a day, with proper form and 30-second rest periods between exercises.
How To Get Fit At Home
This is a good 20 minute home workout to help you to get fit and healthy at home. It’s also a great way to lose fat fast, as it works your whole body. The more work you put in, the more fat that will fall off! You can always find time to get a 20 minute cardio workout into your daily schedule, and this is the best 20 minute workout you can do!
The workout starts with a warm-up jog and then has 8 bodyweight exercises designed to help tone and burn fat. All the exercises are traditional old school fitness exercises that are performed in martial arts clubs, aerobics classes and gyms the world over.
This quick home workout routine is designed to improve both cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance. It is also great for toning the body, so you can use this as a home-based 20 minute toning workout too.
Perform each exercise as intensively as possible and then rest for up to 30 seconds before moving on to the next one. Always ensure that you perform the exercises correctly, holding proper form, especially in the hip bridges and squat thrusts. Breath deeply and naturally throughout.
This 20 minute circuit workout targets the whole body, improves cardiovascular efficiency and tones and strengthens the body. This workout is a great way to prepare for a more serious circuit training workout. This twenty minute workout also requires no equipment, so you really can do it anywhere.
The 20 Minute Workout Routine
1. Jog in one place for 3 minutes
Simple light jogging on the spot. This does not have to be intensive, so no high knees or jumping around, it is just to gently warm you up for a few minutes before the main exercises.
2. Jumping jacks: 50 repeats
The classic old school cardio burner. Also known as the star jump, start by standing up straight with your feet together, then simply jump the feet out to the sides, just wider than shoulder width apart while lifting you hands upwards.
Return to normal standing position. When landing, bend your knees slightly to reduce the impact on knee joints.
3. Crunches: 15 repeats
Lie flat on your back with your knees bent. Place your hands at the sides of your head with your fingers lightly touching your temples, with elbows pointing outwards.
Try to keep your neck in a straight line with your spine, fixing a point on the ceiling above you is a good idea. Flex your waist to raise the upper torso from the floor so that you are “crunching” your abdominals.
Ensure that your abs are engaged (contracted) throughout the movement, hold for a second. Then lower yourself until the back of your shoulders touches the mat before repeating. Muscles worked: Abdominals
4. Hip Bridges: 10 repeats
Lie on your back with your arms straight and out by your side and palms facing upwards. With only the heels of your feet touching the floor lift your hips up to form a straight line from the shoulders to the knee.
Your legs should be almost vertical from the foot to the knee. Hold this position for 10 seconds. Squeeze your glutes (butt muscles) and then lower yourself. Muscle worked: Lower back, hamstrings and glutes.
5. Step ups: 1 minute
You will need a stepper for this. If you do not own a stepper then you can use the bottom step on a flight of stairs or a sturdy stool. Simply stand in front of the step and step up onto it.
Alternate your leading leg on each step, so left then right up onto the step, return with left first then right. Then on the next step lead with the right then left leg, return with right first. Repeat. Muscle worked: hamstrings, gluteus, quads.
6. Reverse crunches: 15 repeats
Lie on your back with your hands on your sides. Keep you knees bent. Bring your knees towards your head, till your hips come slightly off the floor. Hold this position for a second, and then lower your knees. Muscle worked: lower abs and obliques.
7. Mountain climbers: 1 minute
Get down on your hands and knees and raise your knees like a starting block sprinter.
Run in that position, supporting your upper body with the palms of your hands. Keep your back straight. Muscles worked: triceps, deltoid muscle, gluteus, quads, hamstrings, calves.
8. Push–ups: 15 repeats
The classic push, in the plank position with palms flat on the floor, point forward, about shoulder width apart. Muscles worked: triceps, deltoids, pectorals.
9. Squat thrusts: 1 minute
Stand straight. Now, drop to a crouch position. Immediately thrust your legs out straight behind on your toes, in push up position, now jump to pull legs back to the chest, in crouching position, then stand up straight. Muscles worked: arms, legs, chest, and lower back.
Cool down by walking around, until your heart rate starts getting back to normal, stretch.
A 10 Minute Circuit?
We tested this routine and the routine took 10 minutes to complete, however, for beginners it is best to take your time and rest more between each exercise. As you get fitter you should aim to go through this circuit twice to make it a full 20 minutes of high intensity exercise.
If you do it twice, there is need to do the 3 minute jog again – you may need to take a little more rest between exercises in the second round. We have also today increased the jumping jacks to 50 (was previously 25). If you do just one round then 25 really is not enough!
You should be able to perform this workout every day – in fact, it is highly recommended to do a 20 minute workout everyday for long-term health and vitality. If you wish to increase your exercise rate to get fitter and burn off even more fat, then use this as a circuit training workout and repeat it once or twice.
This simple 20 minute workout routine could be done twice a day, once in the morning before work and then again in the evening. A few readers have asked if we have a
the 20 minute workout video to go with this article, but at the moment we do not, sorry! This is a great way to get fit in 20 minutes, lose weight and lose weight as well as improve your overall fitness and mental well being!
Hi Ya, I love this workout! I had a stroke earlier this year (right arm and right leg) and I am just getting back into exercise after gaining 20 lb through inactivity. I can’t coordinate the mountain climbers at number 7, so I skip them and jog on the spot instead, and I can only manage about 6 pushups, NOT 15, but everything else I can pretty much do! I love workouts that don’t need equipment! Well, it’s after midnight, and my kids and husband are in bed, so HAPPYT NEW YEAR to all! Danni
An awesome looking circuit , will try it later and post how i do
Hey Chris, how was it then?
hi guys i need help on doing the mountain climbers
Here is a good video instruction:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KI8u58hPam4&ucbcb=1
Help please Motley Health Crew! The video for number 7 (Mountain climbers) helped me a lot, and I can do them slowly now. However, I am having a terrible time with number 4 (the hip bridge thingy.) Since I had my stroke on Nov 30, 2009, I have trouble understanding some instructions, and I think I am doing my arms wrong. I feel like a pretzel, and I don’t think that is what you intended. Can you provide a video, or even a simple drawing of how I should look in the bridge position…I suspect my arms are backward or something. Thanks, Danni
Hi Danni, I think that our description may have been a little confusing. I have edited the description and added a video above.
How are you push ups progressing? In January you said that you could only do 7, have you been training hard?
We now have a new workout that requires no (or little) equipment, you may want to take a look at the Best Bodyweight Exercises for Weight Loss
It is very similar but may help you progress by adopting either the timed method (as many exercises in a minutes) or by setting goals for each exercise. Feel free to ask away!
Hi Motley Health heroes!
I have been working away to regain the strength and balance I lost when I had my stroke, and I do pushups becuase I think they are a great exercise. I can currently do 12 with good form, which is better than the 6 I could do 3 months after my stroke in January! I do them on my toes and hands, NOT on my knees, so 12 isn’t bad for a middle-age woman! THANK YOU so much for the video on hip bridges and the revised instructions. I was doing it wrong, so no wonder I felt like a pretzel. I will check out the link to the other workout you mentioned and THANKS again!
Danni
That is good progress Danni, many people would struggle to do 12 push ups with good form.
Thanks for this :) Will this help in weight loss?
Hi Sarah. Yes, it will certainly help. Remember that you need to eat a healthy diet and reduce calories to lose weight. Also, you need to aim to keep getting fitter too, so each week of doing this workout try to increase intensity so that you are always challenging your body.
Hey, I am a 17 year old female, and I am 5 foot 4, and I weigh 140 pounds. I was wondering if you have any advice for me to help reduce abdominal fat, and tone?? Also, I am diabetic, and i am so very desperate to loose weight before grad which is may 2010. please help…
ps. I am going to try and do this workout daily, and i will let you know what i think of it. thank you for posting this. i really think i needed it. :)
another ps… any nutritional ideas??
Shainaa, your weight is in the normal range for your BMI. Nutritional advice is here: https://www.motleyhealth.com/diet-and-nutrition/basics-of-a-healthy-diet-what-to-eat
As you are not overweight the best course of action is to eat a healthier diet and start exercising. So just keep doing this workout, and if you get bored, try one of the other home workouts we have here too.
Hello! Thankyou for this awsome circuit, i have been looking for one that is easy to do a home. I have a question. I am 17 5 foot 5 and 190 pounds. i have started a diet for my new years resolution, but diets or exercices dont seem to work on me. I am very active, I play on a regional soccer team, I am on the school volleyball and basketball team, I know i make the teams beacause i am able to grasp any sport very easilly, but the only thing that holds me back compared to my team mates is my weight. Would you have any suggestions to my dilema? Thankyou!!
Hi Stephanie. Diet does work, for everyone, some people just do not do it right! You should start keeping a food / diet diary, write everything down, read our advice on healthy eating, and make sure that you eat less calories each day than you need for your age / activity levels. See this calorie chart, use the requirements for an active 17/18 year old, i.e. 2400 a day, then take off 500 calories to lose 1 pound a week or 1000 calories to lose 2 pounds per week.
Calorie counting is not much fun, be restricting calories really does work, that hard part is know how many calories you are eating and maintaining your willpower.
Remember that a sandwich and a glass of juice can amount to 500 calories alone, so be really careful where you are getting your energy from.
Hi, this look interesting. I may have try them. I just wondering, can I lose weight fast by just doing this routine every weekdays? I am so looking forward to be fit, I’m hoping this routine will help me to loss weight :D
Hi Bloggerboy, really that depends on how overweight you are now, and how much you eat. If you have not been gaining weight for a while then regular exercise alone could be enough to start burning fat and raising your metabolism through increased muscle mass. However, if you are very overweight and are still gaining weight then you may need to follow a diet for a while and then eventually start a permanent healthy eating lifestyle to maintain your weight, as well as exercise.
Hey! So i just tried this and it works out pretty good. I’m in Basketball right now so I’m not totally out of shape but im 16 5’1 and 165 pounds. Will this work for me or not?
This will help you get in shape, to tone up and increase metabolism. You may also want to look carefully at your diet to determine how your BMI got over 30.
Hello, I am currently 5ft 3 and weight 112 pounds, it might not seem that much but I currently carry a little excess weight than im used to. If I follow this exercise and eat well (my diet is not that bad) will I get into shape with only doing this workout? I am also going to purcahse some dumbells, what about carido?
This is certainly a good workout to start with. Add in some dumbbell rows, lunges, shoulder presses and bent-over rows and you will have a nice little workout that will get you fit and toned.
Hello, i am a 6’2″ 286 lbs male and i realized that i need to loose some because its mostly FAT weight. is this a good regiment to use to loose this big belly?
It is a good workout to start with, but you also need to change your diet and start consumer a healthy and calorie restricted diet.
Hi I am going to try this and hope it works. however my concern is that last august I cut calories to 1200 a day and was working out with cardio and other things with a trainer. And lost 5 lbs in about a month. Then continued that for 3 months and dint lose a pound. I am 25 and 5’6 and 193 lbs. I got so frustrated that I quit. I was missing my foods. And i was so stressed about not losing the weight that I got hard to live with. What can I do to lose that weight?
Hi Joanna, you just have to do it. Maybe increase the workouts, time and intensity. You really have to be careful with the diet, every tiny little snack or drink adds to calories. Some people forget to count juice or the milk in cereal when counting up the calories. There are some tricks to not feeling so hungry, such as eating protein with each meal and having soup, this may help.
Hi. I have a problem here! I can’t really understand what to do on number 9. Could you help me?
It is this form of squat thrust, not the ones where you stand up (also known as burpees).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soYZzQdVXTo&ucbcb=1
i’m 5’3, 118 lbs. about how many calories would this circuit burn for me?
Difficult to say, probably in the region of 125 Calories.
Thanks you are great. hope to get more from you.
Mary.
I have been working out for years now, but all i achieve is to maintain a certain weight, i neva drop more than that.
Hi Ene, what are you goals?
Hii
This is Ritu here……. My age is 25 n height is 5’3.5″ and weigh 200 pounds ….. I desparately need to shed my weight but unable to follow a routine….. can u suggest me gud diet plan besides this wonderful workout plan which can srsly help me out……
In our opinion the best diet plan is The Diet Solution. It has everything you need to lose weight – advice on good nutrition, diet plans, meals, recipes, diet logs, plus more fitness tips in the various bonus books.
thank u for replying…. I have been told by my mom tht the age I m in its relatively difficult to shed off so much weight ……. In her opinion its gonna take more than 3 yrs to have a perfect body … is it so ??
Please help m really depressed….
Ritu, your ideal weight according to BMI is between 108 and 145 pounds. So your first target should be to get to 145 pounds, which means losing 55 pounds. If you restrict Calories by 500 per day (a low active 25 year old woman needs 2100 Calories a day) so you need to eat 1600 Calories per day plus do some exercise 3-4 times a week. This will result in approximately 1 pound weight loss per week which means it will take just over a year.
If you restrict Calories further and do a lot of exercise you can lose 2 pounds per week while eating 1350 Calories per day (but you have to exercise to a greater level of intensity 4-5 times a week). This means you can reach your first target in about 28 weeks, just over 6 months.
thank u for replying, you said exercise of greater intensity…… well the exercises mentioned by you above plus the repetitions given are they enuogh from point of view of grtr intensity or I’ve to double it up n do that in 4-5 times a week…….
Don’t mind me asking again and again as I found you as an authentic source to come to my rescue….. I m really tensed…….. Please reply
If you do the 20 minute workout every day that would really still be considered low activity in my book. It is a good workout, but for burning extra fat it is good to do more each day (although some sports science research has suggested that 20 minutes of high intensity interval training is just as effective). One factor of exercise is that it reduces appetite, so exercise twice a day for 20 minutes will in theory result in reduce eating too, as well as burning more calories.
hii my name is rishi . well iam 16 . i measure 5’5 in height and weigh 185 pounds . i am over weight for my age . please suggest some ways so that i can reduce my weight in 2-3 months. thank you
Hi Rishi, a healthy but calorie restricted diet combined with regular intensive exercise will do it. You need to exercise 3-4 times a week, with 2 of those session being very intensive. Ideally as you increase your fitness you will work to a higher intensity in all workouts. Also you must follow a healthy diet, also you should read up on Diet and Weight Loss Advice for Teenagers because your needs are greater than that of an adult, both in terms of nutritional quality and quantity. What sort of exercise do you like to do?
hey! I loved it, I worked on all those exercises, thnx a lot guyz !:D
well i like to do any sort of exercise that can get me back into shape . But i prefer going to gym rather than push ups. please give a work out schedule
is there any way i can lose 25 pounds in 2 months ?
Hi Rishi, that depends how much weight you have to lose. It is possible to lost 2 pounds a week with careful diet and intensive exercise, and that will be around 17 pounds in 2 months. You BMI is currently 30.8 so ideally you need to reduce your weight to 150 pounds so that you are no longer overweight. Set an initial 2 month target of 20 pounds and make sure that you workout hard.
There are many ways to train, if you have an access to a gym do a beginners weight training routine, see if they run some kettlebell classes or martial arts style workouts too as these burn a lot of energy.
The key is to work hard and reduce total calories.
hey motley health can u suggest some work out routines or exercises
If you want to work on building muscle then start some . You need to do some regular cardio too, bodyweight exercises are one of the best ways to burn fat and tone up. This weekly workout may suit you.
What is important is that you change your diet as your current eating habits are the cause of your weight gain, so this needs to be addressed. This article on healthy eating will point you in the right direction.
hey motley health . i have fat chest .how do i reduce that? thank you in advance
Diet and exercise Rishi. Eat a healthy, balanced diet that provides fewer calories than your body needs and you will lose weight. Add exercise and you will burn more energy, boost your metabolism and reduce hunger. Ideally do some exercise everyday. You ultimate aim should be to get fitter and stronger.
Hi Motleyhealth, I checked my weight and lm weighing 70 and l’m 25 yrs dat not too much for my age. And also what exercise should I do 4 my laps and leg 4 dem 2 be in shape and firm.tanx
Squats and lunges are best, and lots of them.