This Full-Body Bodyweight Workout Takes Just 20 Minutes
Looking for a quick workout that will give you an incredible bang for your buck? This full-body bodyweight workout will burn out all your major muscle groups—your upper body, core, legs, and glutes—in just 20 minutes.
Working all your muscles together has more benefits than just making your workouts more efficient. “By hitting all your major muscles, you reduce the risk of muscle imbalances, which can lead to chronic injuries like tendonitis and ligament issues,” Alicia Jamison, CPT, trainer at Bodyspace Fitness in New York City, tells SELF. For example, if you train your quads more than your hamstrings, and you’re lacking strength in the latter, you may be at higher risk for ACL tears and strains.
In this full-body workout created by Jamison, you’ll be working all of your muscle groups in circuit fashion, with longer periods of work and shorter periods of rest. This will give you a cardiovascular boost: You’ll increase your heart rate while also strengthening your muscles.
Training with just your bodyweight is powerful in itself, but if you’re looking for more of a challenge with this workout, Jamison suggests playing with speed during your 40-second work periods. “By increasing our time under tension, we’re able to increase our muscle strength and muscle size,” she says. The more reps you perform during that 40 seconds of work, the more muscular burnout you’ll feel. But remember: It’s integral to focus on form, even when you’re not using heavy weights or equipment—so start slow and make sure you master each move before adding a faster tempo to the mix.
When you perform your reps too quickly, it’s easy for your form to falter, especially when you’re working out at home and don’t have a trainer or instructor to provide hands-on alignment. Jamison commonly hears about lower back pain, which can occur when you're not properly engaging your core. “To prevent back pain, make sure you keep your chest proud and squeeze your glutes,” she says. “That pulls tension away from our lumbar spine, and that way, it won’t burn out your lower back.” Make sure you're bracing your core not only in abs-focused moves, but throughout your entire workout too.
Before heading into this full-body bodyweight workout, take five minutes to warm up: Think light cardio like jumping jacks, high knees, or marches, followed by dynamic stretches that loosen up your shoulders, hips, T-spine, and quads.
Ready to work hard for a 20-minute full-body bodyweight workout? Here’s everything you’ll need to get started.
The Workout
What you’ll need: A chair, table, or step, and an exercise mat for extra cushioning.
The Exercises
- Bicycle crunch
- Bulgarian split squat
- Superman with arm extension
- Feet-elevated glutes bridge
- Elevated push-up
Directions
- Perform each exercise for 40 seconds, resting for 20 seconds before moving on to the next move. (For the Bulgarian split squat, stay on the same side for the entire 40 seconds, switching legs each round.)
- Complete four rounds total.
Demoing the moves below are Delise Johnson (GIF 1), CEO and strength coach at Wellness and Weights; Cookie Janee (GIF 2), a background investigator and security forces specialist in the Air Force Reserve; Sarah Taylor (GIF 3), a personal trainer and Canadian-based fitness blogger; Hejira Nitoto (GIF 4), a mom of six and a certified personal trainer and fitness apparel line owner based in Los Angeles; and Amanda Wheeler (GIF 5), a certified strength and conditioning specialist and cofounder of Formation Strength.
- If the hollow hold is still too challenging</em></a>, <em>you can bend your knees or keep your arms forward instead of overhead.</em>","contentType":"photo","credit":"Katie Thompson","segmentedSources":{"sm":[{"height":320,"width":320,"url":"https://media.self.com/photos/5dfae13ee313510008a384b0/master/w_320,c_limit/BicycleCrunch-Delise-Use2.gif"},{"height":640,"width":640,"url":"https://media.self.com/photos/5dfae13ee313510008a384b0/master/w_640,c_limit/BicycleCrunch-Delise-Use2.gif"}],"md":[{"height":640,"width":640,"url":"https://media.self.com/photos/5dfae13ee313510008a384b0/master/w_640,c_limit/BicycleCrunch-Delise-Use2.gif"},{"height":1280,"width":1280,"url":"https://media.self.com/photos/5dfae13ee313510008a384b0/master/w_1280,c_limit/BicycleCrunch-Delise-Use2.gif"}],"lg":[{"height":1024,"width":1024,"url":"https://media.self.com/photos/5dfae13ee313510008a384b0/master/w_1024,c_limit/BicycleCrunch-Delise-Use2.gif"},{"height":2048,"width":2048,"url":"https://media.self.com/photos/5dfae13ee313510008a384b0/master/w_2048,c_limit/BicycleCrunch-Delise-Use2.gif"}],"xl":[{"height":1280,"width":1280,"url":"https://media.self.com/photos/5dfae13ee313510008a384b0/master/w_1280,c_limit/BicycleCrunch-Delise-Use2.gif"}],"xxl":[{"height":1280,"width":1280,"url":"https://media.self.com/photos/5dfae13ee313510008a384b0/master/w_1280,c_limit/BicycleCrunch-Delise-Use2.gif"}]}}}" data-testid="GallerySlideWrapper">
Katie ThompsonBicycle Crunch
- Lie faceup with your legs in tabletop position (knees bent 90 degrees and stacked over your hips). Place your hands behind your head, elbows bent and pointing out to the sides. Use your abs to curl your shoulders off the floor. This is the starting position.
- Twist to bring your right elbow to your left knee, while simultaneously straightening your right leg.
- Then twist to bring your left elbow to your right knee, simultaneously straightening your left leg.
- Continue alternating sides for 40 seconds. Start at a slow and steady pace so that you can really feel your abs working.
To make this core move easier, try a hollow-body hold. Lie on your back and engage your abs, pulling your belly button toward the floor. Slowly raise your shoulders and legs from the ground. Your arms and head should be raised along with your shoulders, keeping your lower back in contact with the floor. Hold for 15 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, and hold again for 15 seconds. If the hollow hold is still too challenging, you can bend your knees or keep your arms forward instead of overhead.
Katie ThompsonBulgarian Split Squat
- Stand with your back to your “bench.” With your left foot on the floor a few feet in front of the bench, place the top of your right foot on the bench, shoelaces down.
- Place your hands behind your head and engage your core.
- Bend your knees to lower down into a split squat. Your left knee should ideally form a 90-degree angle so that your thigh is parallel to the ground, and your right knee is hovering above the floor. (Quick position check: Your left foot should be stepped out far enough that you can do this without letting your left knee go past your left toes—if you can't, hop your left foot out a bit farther away from the bench.)
- Driving through your left heel, stand back up to starting position. Continue like this for 40 seconds. (You'll switch sides during the next round.)
This move works your quads and your glutes. To make it easier, do a regular split squat, omitting the bench or step.
Katie ThompsonSuperman With Arm Extension
- Lie facedown on a mat with your arms at shoulder height and elbows bent to 90 degrees so you're making a goalpost shape with your arms. This is your starting position.
- Engage your shoulders, glutes, and hamstrings to lift your chest, arms, and feet off the floor to come into a Superman. Be mindful that you do not crunch your low back—this is a strength move; it's not about flexibility or how high you can arch your back.
- Holding in this raised position, extend your arms overhead so both arms are straight and your biceps are in line with your ears.
- Return your arms to the goalpost position, then lower everything back to the floor to complete the rep. Continue for 40 seconds.
This exercise works your upper back and glutes. To make it easier, remove the arm extension and just hold the Superman position.
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Katie ThompsonFeet-Elevated Glutes Bridge
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet propped on a chair or bench in front of you, arms by your sides. This is your starting position.
- Lift your hips until you form a straight line from your knees to your shoulders, engaging your glutes and abs and keeping your spine long.
- Slowly lower back to the ground. That's one rep. Continue like this for 40 seconds.
This move works your glutes and hamstrings. To make it easier, keep your feet on the ground instead of elevating them.
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- a more effective regression</em></a> <em>than doing push-ups from your knees because it allows you to hold tension and stability throughout your core and the rest of your body, instead of just stopping at the knees.</em>\n<strong>Related:</strong>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=https://www.self.com/"https://www.self.com/gallery/beginner-hiit-workout/">This HIIT Workout for Beginners Is Simple Yet Effective</a></li>\n<li><a href=https://www.self.com/"https://www.self.com/gallery/calisthenics-workout/">This Calisthenics Workout Will Build Strength in Your Entire Body</a></li>\n<li><a href=https://www.self.com/"https://www.self.com/gallery/tabata-workout/">This Tabata Workout Targets Your Entire Body in Just 4 Minutes</a></li>\n</ul>","contentType":"photo","credit":"Katie Thompson","segmentedSources":{"sm":[{"height":320,"width":320,"url":"https://media.self.com/photos/5c4a2e2601584d32459c06ce/master/w_320,c_limit/elevated-push-up-Amanda_091.gif"},{"height":640,"width":640,"url":"https://media.self.com/photos/5c4a2e2601584d32459c06ce/master/w_640,c_limit/elevated-push-up-Amanda_091.gif"}],"md":[{"height":640,"width":640,"url":"https://media.self.com/photos/5c4a2e2601584d32459c06ce/master/w_640,c_limit/elevated-push-up-Amanda_091.gif"},{"height":1280,"width":1280,"url":"https://media.self.com/photos/5c4a2e2601584d32459c06ce/master/w_1280,c_limit/elevated-push-up-Amanda_091.gif"}],"lg":[{"height":1024,"width":1024,"url":"https://media.self.com/photos/5c4a2e2601584d32459c06ce/master/w_1024,c_limit/elevated-push-up-Amanda_091.gif"},{"height":2048,"width":2048,"url":"https://media.self.com/photos/5c4a2e2601584d32459c06ce/master/w_2048,c_limit/elevated-push-up-Amanda_091.gif"}],"xl":[{"height":1280,"width":1280,"url":"https://media.self.com/photos/5c4a2e2601584d32459c06ce/master/w_1280,c_limit/elevated-push-up-Amanda_091.gif"}],"xxl":[{"height":1280,"width":1280,"url":"https://media.self.com/photos/5c4a2e2601584d32459c06ce/master/w_1280,c_limit/elevated-push-up-Amanda_091.gif"}]}}}" data-testid="GallerySlideWrapper">
Katie ThompsonElevated Push-Up
- Get into a high plank with your hands on a box, bench, or step, palms flat, hands shoulder-width apart, and shoulders stacked directly above your wrists. Extend your legs behind you, feet hip-width apart. Engage your core and glutes.
- Bend your elbows and lower your chest to the bench.
- Push through the palms of your hands to straighten your arms. That's one rep. Continue for 40 seconds.
This is a push-up regression, meaning it’s easier than a traditional push-up. To put less pressure on your wrists and shoulders, try doing push-ups on a wall. Elevating your hands is actually a more effective regression than doing push-ups from your knees because it allows you to hold tension and stability throughout your core and the rest of your body, instead of just stopping at the knees.
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