The 20-Minute No-Equipment Full-Body Workout
You don’t need a gym, a membership or even a pair of dumbbells to train your whole body hard. You need 20 minutes, a bit of floor and the willingness to work. This circuit is our go-to for busy days.
How it works
Perform each move for 40 seconds, then rest for 20 seconds before the next one. Five moves make one round. Complete four rounds, resting one minute between rounds. That’s it — 20 minutes, done.
The circuit
- Bodyweight squat. Feet shoulder-width apart, sit your hips back and down until your thighs are parallel to the floor, then drive up through your whole foot. Keep your chest proud.
- Push-up. Hands just wider than your shoulders, body in one straight line from head to heels. Lower your chest to a fist’s height from the floor. Drop to your knees when form starts to slip — that’s smart, not soft.
- Reverse lunge. Step one foot back and lower until both knees are at roughly 90 degrees. Push through the front heel to return. Alternate legs.
- Plank shoulder tap. From a high plank, tap each shoulder with the opposite hand while keeping your hips as still as possible. Widen your feet to make it easier.
- Glute bridge. Lie on your back with knees bent, drive your hips up until your body forms a line from shoulders to knees, squeeze hard at the top, then lower with control.
Make it harder (or easier)
Progress by adding a pause at the bottom of every squat and lunge, elevating your feet for push-ups, or turning the squat into a squat jump. To scale back, reduce work to 30 seconds and rest to 30 seconds. Either way, the aim is the same: finish feeling like you couldn’t have done a fifth round with good form.
How often?
Three times a week on non-consecutive days is a brilliant starting point. Pair it with daily walking and one mobility session and you have a complete, sustainable training week — no commute required.
Consistency beats intensity. The best workout is the one you’ll actually do on Tuesday.
