Have 20 minutes to spare? Great! The 20 minute workout plan that I have lined up for you is more than enough for you to maintain a decent level of physical fitness.
Now, be warned. If you are seeking another goal like shedding a few pounds, check out my fat burning workout plan, as the plan is tailored for weight loss.
The 20 minute workout plan here is more for improving your level of physical fitness, which in turn lowers risk of contracting illnesses like osteoporosis and high blood pressure. Also, keep in mind that you can only enjoy such benefits of exercise if you manage your diet well on top of working out regularly.
I’m sure that you might have read at some point that you need to work out for an hour to achieve any physical benefit. I think that that claim is an utter lie. Your body benefits from any physical activities, be it 5 minutes or one hour.
The only thing you cannot achieve from a 5 minute workout is significant weight loss!
The 20 Minute Workout Plan
Let’s say that you choose 4 days – Tuesdays to Fridays – out of the whole week and every day you are willing to commit twenty minutes to working out. This twenty minutes can be uninterrupted or broken down into smaller blocks, it is up to you.
I like to train different parts of my body on different days – it helps remind me whether I am under training or over training my arms, for example.
Remember to warm up and cool down before and after exercising!
Tuesday – The 20 Minute Workout For Arms, Chest and Shoulders
- 15 repetitions of dumbbell flyes
- 30 seconds rest
- 10 repetitions of push ups exercise
- 30 seconds rest
- 15 repetitions of bicep curls (you can choose to do advanced bicep curls too)
- 30 seconds rest
- 8 repetitions of diamond push ups
- 30 seconds rest
Aim to complete 5-7 cycles of the all the exercises listed above.
Some you might ask, what if you do not have weights. As I’ve mentioned in the various workouts, you can simply use any bottle lying around your house, fill it with water and you have innovative weights ready to be used!
You can also change the workouts around, increase or lower the number of repetitions.
Wednesday – The 20 Minute Workout For Abdominals
- 25 repetitions of ab crunches
- 30 seconds rest
- 20 repetitions of bicycle crunches
- 30 seconds rest
- 15 leg raises
- 30 seconds rest
- 1 minute (longer or shorter, depending on yourself) of leg scissors
- 30 seconds rest
Challenge yourself to complete 4-6 cycles of all the workouts above.
Again, it is up to you if you wish to move the exercises around, or if you would like to increase or lessen the number of repetitions for each workout.
Thursday – The 20 Minute Workout For Legs
- 2 minutes (can be longer or shorter) of wall squat
- 30 seconds rest
- 15 repetitions of squats
- 30 seconds rest
- 30 calf raises
- 30 seconds rest
- 20 lunges for each leg
- 30 seconds rest
Motivate yourself to complete 6-8 cycles of the exercises shown above.
Remember, it is up to you if you feel that you want to reshuffle the exercises, or if you want to complete more repetitions. You can even take a look at the workouts themselves and use the tips to make the exercises harder.
Friday – The 20 Minute Workout For Aerobics
If you have read about the definition of aerobic exercises and examples of aerobics, you should know that aerobic exercises can be anything that increases your heart rate.
This is your chance to do something fun for twenty minutes. Do anything that raises your heart rate. You can cycle, rollerblade, jog, swim, play tennis, engage in a game of basketball, dance… The possibilities are endless.
Final Words
I hope the 20 minute workout plan that I have listed for you here helps you have a better idea of how you can plan your own regimes. It is very simple and straightforward. Target a particular group of muscles, do several repetitions and aim to complete several cycles of all the exercises you have selected.
Listen to your body when you exercise. While it would be great if you can complete X number of cycles, do not continue if you think you cannot keep up. Cool down so that you will prevent injuries. The next time, strive to do more!
Improvement to your physical fitness will take time, so take things slowly and don’t lose faith in yourself. You can do it.