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The best 20-minute total-body workout

Build strength and endurance with this intense full-body routine.

Jump to the Routine
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Lateral Jump
Corey Jenkins / Getty
Lateral Jump
Corey Jenkins / Getty

Any guy who goes to the gym on a regular basis probably wonders, “What workout should I do?” more often than not.

But no matter what equipment you have available, from a fully stocked supergym to a pair of mismatched dumbbells in your garage, or nothing but your bodyweight alone, you can build muscle, lose fat, and sculpt the physique you’ve always wanted.

Well-rounded fitness means being both strong and conditioned, but a tight schedule usually causes either weights or cardio to get left out of your program. The answer is to combine them both in one densely packed circuit.

How it works

Although you’ll train for only a fraction of the time that most guys sweat it out in gyms, you won’t sacrifice big gains in this workout. The brisk pace will double as cardio, and the sequencing has another advantage as well—moving from smaller to larger muscle groups enhances the way your muscles are recruited, resulting in greater strength and muscle gains.

Directions

The workout is broken into six circuits. It may look long, but the whole routine will take only 20 minutes. Perform the circuits in order, repeating where noted. Your rest between exercises should be only as long as it takes to transition between moves. Repeat this workout up to four times a week on nonconsecutive days.

Routine

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The best 20-minute total-body workout

Circuit A

Exercise
Equipment
Sets
Reps
Rest
Exercise 1 of 16

Sprint

Equipment
No Equipment
Sets
--
Reps
Walk one minute. Sprint one minute.
Rest
0 sec.
Use a treadmill.
Exercise 2 of 16

Dumbbell Flye

Equipment
Dumbbells
Sets
--
Reps
8-10
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 3 of 16

Pushup

Equipment
Sets
--
Reps
10-15
Rest
0 sec.
How to
Exercise 4 of 16

Plank

Equipment
No Equipment
Sets
--
Reps
30 sec.
Rest
0 sec.

The best 20-minute total-body workout

Circuit B

Exercise
Equipment
Sets
Reps
Rest
Exercise 5 of 16

Pullup

Equipment
Pullup Bar
Sets
--
Reps
AMRAP
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 6 of 16

Dumbbell Lateral Raise

Equipment
Dumbbells
Sets
--
Reps
12-15
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 7 of 16

Lying Dumbbell Skull Crusher

Equipment
Dumbbells
Sets
--
Reps
10-12
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 8 of 16

Side-to-Side Hop

Equipment
No Equipment
Sets
--
Reps
30 sec
Rest
0 sec.

The best 20-minute total-body workout

Circuit C

Exercise
Equipment
Sets
Reps
Rest
Exercise 9 of 16

Dumbbell Lunge

Equipment
Dumbbells
Sets
--
Reps
20 (each leg)
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 10 of 16

Burpee

Equipment
No Equipment
Sets
--
Reps
10
Rest
0 sec.

The best 20-minute total-body workout

Circuit D

Exercise
Equipment
Sets
Reps
Rest
Exercise 11 of 16

Pullover/Triceps Extension

Equipment
Barbell
Sets
--
Reps
10
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 12 of 16

Hop Onto Bench

Equipment
Bench
Sets
--
Reps
20
Rest
0 sec.

The best 20-minute total-body workout

Circuit E

Exercise
Equipment
Sets
Reps
Rest
Exercise 13 of 16

Dumbbell Curl

Equipment
Dumbbells
Sets
--
Reps
15
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 14 of 16

Lateral Band Walk

Equipment
Resistance Band
Sets
--
Reps
20
Rest
0 sec.
Step sideways for 20 ft.

The best 20-minute total-body workout

Circuit F

Exercise
Equipment
Sets
Reps
Rest
Exercise 15 of 16

Stepup

Equipment
Dumbbells
Sets
--
Reps
30 sec.
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 16 of 16

Leg Lift

Equipment
Bench
Sets
--
Reps
To failure
Rest
0 sec.
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