If you live a sedentary lifestyle or work a desk job, planning exercise sessions in your weekly routine is absolutely critical to maintaining your health and quality of life. We all know this, but for many, the challenge is finding the time to fit some type of exercise into their schedule on a consistent basis.
With very simple, condensed workouts, you can easily maintain or improve your strength and physique. The key to making a 20-minute training session effective, is to not try to do too much. Just focus on a few movements or sequences, whether you goal is to build strength, increase mobility, or improve a particular skill.
The following workouts are written for someone who is interested in building muscle mass, strength, and general endurance. They can be done as one-off workouts, or as a part of a "time-crunched" training program if done 3-4x per week. This routine uses free weights and some typical gym equipment, but you can absolutely substitute calisthenics movements if you don't have access to the equipment.
This circuit of four exercises is done for a total of three rounds, with one minute of rest in between exercises. The first circuit is done for 20 reps, the second for 12 reps, and the third for 8 reps. To clarify for those unfamiliar with circuits, you will do one set of each exercise for 20 reps, then you will start the second circuit, performing 12 reps, and then the third circuit, performing 8 reps each exercise.
Because of the high density of the workout (lots of reps in a short amount of time) it will produce a significant metabolic effect, meaning that it will stimulate both muscle growth and fat loss.
Training Tips
1. Stick to the rest intervals!
2. Keep good technique. The last rep should look identical to the first.
3. The weights you select should be challenging, but you don't need to hit your absolute failure point to get a benefit. You should be increasing the weights for each successive circuit, as you will be doing fewer reps.
Full Body Session 1
A1) Sumo Barbell Deadlift
1×20, 1×12, 1×8, 60 sec rest
A2) 45 degree Incline Dumbbell press
1×20, 1×12, 1×8, 60 sec rest
A3) DB Hack Squat
1×20, 1×12, 1×8, 60 sec rest
A4) Seated Cable Row
1×20, 1×12, 1×8, 60 sec rest
Full Body Session 2
A1) Hip Width Back Squat
1×20, 1×12, 1×8, 60 sec rest
A2) Parallel Bar Dips
1×20, 1×12, 1×8, 60 sec rest
A3) Lying Leg curl with toes pointed
1×20, 1×12, 1×8, 60 sec rest
A4) Chin Up
1×20, 1×12, 1×8, 60 sec rest
Feel free to add variations to the exercises after you've gone through these workouts 3-4 times each. This will help to avoid accommodation so that you can continue making progress. Something as simple as changing grip width, stance width, or angle, can make a big difference.
Good luck! Comment if you have any questions!
