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!
Im weighing 70 s dat not 2much 4 a 25yr old girl?bcos i feel embarassd wen som of my frds weigh 50,45.pls i ned 2 know
Hi Shella, it depends on your height and fitness / strength really. How tall are you? You can calculate your own BMI here
hi motley….. this is ritu here i contacted u earlier too…. as u told i ve reduced my diet to 1100-1200 calories a day… I m avoiding junk foods n sugar too….. my workout schedule is like i jog for 15 mins a day and then go for brisk walk for 2 kms….. I ve kept this regime as I ve just started and I dont want to leave it soon so increasing it gradually…. So cud u plz tell if I follow this regime in wot span of time I can shed my weight……
Hi Ritu, you should be able to lose 1-2 pounds per week, so long as you ensure that your diet is healthy (well balanced, not just reduced calorie) and that you maintain the exercise. Remember to always try to push yourself harder to, your aim should be to get fitter.
hi. I’m 23 with 2 kids by c-section. I am 5 foot 5 inches and weigh 190. Do you have any good suggestion for me to lose weight fast. I’m a picky eater so it’s hard for me to even find a good diet. PLEASE HELP.
Hi Anna. Losing weight fast is never a good option. To lose weight you absolutely have to change your diet (as in food eaten and amount of calories consumed) as well as exercise. Have you tried a low GI diet plan? You can eat a variety of foods, the key is to avoid food which rapidly increases blood sugar.
Hey guys I need help im 15 weeks prego with second child, with my first I was very fit had a great labor and delivery, however this one I have not worked out in over 2 years can I do this workout while pregnant and after to get body back!?
Hi Tiffany, you should not do any workout while pregnant without first speaking to your midwife or doctor (ideally one knowledgeable on exercise during pregnancy). Prenatal yoga is something more gentle that you could possibly do.
Hiya MotleyHealth, thanks for this. I just started on this today and I sweat too much and I’m feeling this is going to be really effective. My only concern is I’m really dizzy after doing the circuit. I did all the steps, except for the reverse crunches, and I only did 10 squat thrusts instead of filling the whole minute. But anyways, its fine. Thanks for this. =D
Hi Keiy, remember to eat something little afterwards. If you are also dieting then the dizzyness is most likely caused by low sugar levels as the body burns up sugar when we exercise and the brain then gets dizzy when it cannot get enough. Keep working at it, maybe in a few weeks you will be able to do the full minute of squat thrusts, and in a few weeks after that you will do the whole circuit twice!
Is this for guys??
For anyone.
hi im about 5’3 & weigh 170 i love my shape i just want to lose fat in my stomach and thighs . i really want both area also including my arms to be tone . i am a fast food junkie i can eat it every day . i used to weigh around 150 which was the weight i loved the most & i have gained the extra 20lbs within like 3 years . ive now been tryin to eat healthy and cutting out the fast food . ive also been walking 30-60 mins a day but ive jus recently started . wat is the best way to lose 20lbs & try to stay on track with the “dieting” and work-outs ?
Hi Shakira, best way to stay on track is to make the exercise a part of your daily routine – never stop. As for diet, just keep away from the places that sell junk food, control yourself and do not buy it. Keep healthy options in the house. To maintain a healthy weight requires permanent lifestyle changes, and as we grow older our energy needs reduce so it is vital that you learn now how to manage your weight with healthy diet and exercise.As Nike say, just do it.
I am 18 and weigh over 275 lbs. I am starting my freshman year of university in the fall, and have become even more self-conscious about the way I look! :( I have tried everything from fad diets to completely cutting down calories, down to 1000 per day, and I exercise for at least 120 minutes a day. But nothing seems to work! Is there anything you could recommend that I haven’t already tried?
Hi Jessica, exercise and diet does work. Diet needs to remain healthy and balanced, not just calorie reduced. Also, bear in mind that most people (myself included!) underestimate how much they eat by a long way. Small nibbles and snacks soon add up.
What exercise are you doing for 2 hours a day? You must be incredibly fit by now if that it the case, and that much exercise will burn a lot of calories. 120 minutes of exercise could easily burn 600 Calories which means you only have 400 left to provide energy for the rest of the day. You must be calculating your calories wrong.
Focus on healthy eating and have small portions, and cut out all snacks. Read How To Lose Belly Fat to learn some more specific diet rules.
I do yoga for 30 minutes every day, followed by an hour long jog/walk, and 30 minutes of pushups, situps,and other small exercises. recently I have started to use this routine as my last half hour and nothing seems to work. I keep a food log of literally everything I eat and it never exceeds 1100 calories. even if I eat a single potato ship I divide the calories by the serving size and write it in my food log. My diet is rather healthy, I eat lots of fruits and vegetables, as I am a vegan, I do not drink milk either. I have been eating healthy and exercising daily since freshman year high school and I have only gained weight! I seriously do not know what I’m doing wrong!! :(
Jessica, something must be missing. You cannot do 2 hours of exercise a day on 1100 calories and not lose weight. On a vegan diet with little protein and fat you would waste away too. What are your main protein and fat sources?
I am 35 years old, type 2 diabetic, 164cm tall and weigh 95kg. I am starting your routine today and hoping with determination to lose weight and increase my fitness. My stomach looks like i am 8 months pregnant and I cant wait to be a better, fitter me. My goal is to pass a physical fitness assessment for a job I recently applied for.
Hi Natasha, good on you. What sort of physical fitness assessment are you going to be doing? Maybe I can give you some more tips and additional exercises to start on.
Hi! I love this workout. It really works and is easy! It works everything I want it to…besides one thing in my opinion. And that is the legs. I have a sort of small upper body but my legs, mostly thighs, are just so big in comparison! Do you have any recommendations of excersises to help burn that thigh fat?
Hi Miya, to burn that thigh fat you just need to do more cardio workouts – running, swimming, cross trainer etc. Cycling will build up more muscle, but in the long term it will still slim the thighs. Also reviewing your diet may help, the fat on the things comes from excess calories.
Hello, Im 5ft 7 and aged 17, female. I weigh 203lbs (14st 7lbs) I have put on 2 stone within the last 2 years and I have completely lost my confidence, I didnt have much before that so now i cant even look myself in the mirror. My wii fit says im obese
I am now on a diet and doing exercises like these every day, any recommendations of how I can lose some of my weight as I am young and feel awful compared to other people my age and I would like to be healthy. The weight piled on as my mum works in a biscuit factory and brings alot of freebes home, Ive cut out chocolate and sweets completely and swapped to oranges, bananas and apples and having no snacks between meals
Hi Kirsty, a daily workout is certainly one half of the equation. If you are going to be healthy and lose weight you absolutely must stop eating the free biscuits and cakes from your mum’s factory. Take a look at our guide to healthy eating and also follow the rules on the “lose belly fat” page (the same rules apply to all forms of body fat).
For my protein and fat I often eat tofu and legumes. I, like you am very confused at why this is happening. I do everything the way it should be done, excessively some times! But still I can not find the problem of why I can not lose a single pound!! HELP!!
Hi Jessica, have you ever attempted to calculate how many calories you consume in a day? I mean, really accurately calculate it? Also, what exercise have you tried, and have you been working on improving your fitness?
Hello,
I had a question about the workout. When it states “repeats”, does that mean 1 or is it a set? For example on the jumping jacks, crunches, hip bridges, etc.
Just means individual exercises, same as repetitions. So 15 repeats for crunches just means do 15 crunches.
I keep a food journal and everything I concume, even water is recorded, including the portion size and the amount of calories per serving and I make sure it never exceeds 1,100! I do alot of exercising, especially now that I am not in school. I run alot, that is my favorite thing to do, for at least an hour a day, followed by stretching and weight training, and often swimming laps in my pool. I have been doing more repetitions and making them more frequent to improve my fitness, but again, it just doesn’t seem to be working.
Hi Jessica, if you are eating just 1100 Calories a day and running for 1 hour then doing weight training / swimming on top of that, you must be losing weight. If you are not, then it really must be a case that you are eating too much still. How long have you been running for? Maybe you are still just getting fitter? Even so, 1100 Calories a day is restrictive and I am surprised you can easily do 60+ minutes of exercise a day on just 1100 Calories.
I’ve been running for over a year now, it’s my favorite kind of exercise.. I have tried other things like biking and hiking, but neither are as enjoyable.. I do not understand either how this is happening.. My fitness is actually really good for someone my size, after my un, I am not completely exhausted or anything.. But still nothing is working. I do not feel faint or anything like that after Iexecise which could be expected for eating so few calories!! I don’t know what to do!!
How far are you running in the 60 minutes each day?
In my 60 minutes of running I usually cover around 10 kilometers. It’s a trail by the beach, 5km out and 5km back, followed by yoga or something else on the beach
So I had a few questions. I am 36 years old and currently weigh 185lbs. I have a lot of “belly fat” I would like to get rid of. I have been walking 10 miles a day for almost 2 months, and have drastically changed my eating habits….but still havent really lost any weight. I would like to try this routine and see if its helpful…..but was wondering how long it would be before I can expect results? Also, I am sure the factor that I quit smoking 2 months ago hasn’t helped with the weight issue.
Hi Thomas, it is a good idea to increase the intensity of your workouts, so add this plus some more circuit training or weight training workouts to your walking plan. Great move to quit smoking too, many people that quit do tend to snack more to compensate, but it sounds like you are doing OK. Start trying to improve your fitness now.
Hi, I am 15, five foot five inches, 124 pounds and I really want to know what’s the best way for me to lose weight. Although my bmi is normal, I still have fat that I need to ge rid of. I also turned vegetarian recently. So do you know what’s the best kind of food for me to eat because I’m not used to eating just vegetables.
Hi Sammy. If you are already a healthy weight then exercise is the key to getting in shape. As for being a vegetarian, you have to consume more than just vegetables for good health, without adequate protein and healthy fats you will become malnourished and under-developed. These two articles should help you improve your diet: Healthy Vegetarian Diet For Teenagers and Diet Advice for Vegetarian Athletes and Bodybuilders which provides some a list of foods which provide a healthy source of protein.
Remember that there many essential nutrients are required to maintain a healthy diet, and this means we need fats, proteins and minerals which are easily neglected in a poorly managed vegetarian diet.
hi!!
i have just started today on the circuit for working women. I have always been fit but off late am gaining weight. I am 28 yrs, 5’3 and weigh 53 kgs. I have gained two kgs in last 3 months! recommend a diet and lifestyle plan please….
Hi Rohini, there are various options available to your really, for example you could just plan your own healthy diet based on the rules set out in our nutrition section. If you wish to purchase a complete diet plan then I recommend that you try the Diet Solution Program.
Just found this site, and I am so impressed with your responses and support, I am compelled to say thanks in advance! This looks so practical and so suited to those of us who live remotely. Looking forward to giving it a go to improve my fitness, thanks a lot.
Thanks Kharma. Do let us know how you get on with it.
WOW this work out really works! just did it and i can feel it already! i will definatley be doing it everyday!
hi, im a 17 year old girl & i have a good amount of belly fat & my arms are meaty, my butt could also use toning.. i weigh 130 pounds but i find my body so flabby and un toned, how will this help me and how can i get results fast??
Hi Linaa, this will help you by working your body to burn more energy (calories) and tone up (build muscle). If you also go running (or cycling, swimming etc) in addition to doing this workout you will burn more energy and lose more weight. Eat healthy too, that is vital.
hi I weigh 144 pounds im 5′ 4″ I want to be 128 pounds can I do that in 4 weeks
Hi Mina, losing 4 pounds a week is going to be very difficult, and certainly not possible with just a 20 minute workout. If you eat a healthy diet and exercise for 40 minutes every day to a high intensity then you may be able to lose 16 pounds in 8 weeks.
I don’t understand the reverse crunches. Also, I am a teen weighing about 165 pounds and i’m 5’7″ i think. I need to lose weight, what should be my goal weight
I meant to write i am 175 lbs
Reverse crunch – rather than lifting your upper body with a crunch, you keep your upperbody still and “crunch up” your legs to help target the lower parts of the abs. According to your BMI (which is 25.8) you are just slightly overweight. Of course, your fitness / muscle mass will affect this figure. You goal weight should be around about the 150 pounds mark, but that has to be a fit and strong body, bit just a lighter one.
Hi I am 49 years old and not handling this age very well, I am 5’11” 160 lbs and starting to have OMG im about to admit tummy fat, and where did the waist go.
Can this workout help me? and if so will I see results quickly? Ive never had to work out in the past so yhis is a first for me.
Thank you for the help
Donna