The 20-minute workout: Full-body for beginners

The 20-minute workout: Full-body for beginners

Man doing a workout

Want to do some exercise this weekend, but don’t know where to start?

You don’t have to be a pro, or spend hours in the gym to make your fitness fix count.

A simple 20-minute workout can help to improve your strength, muscle tone, and overall fitness – and you don’t even need any special equipment to get it done.

Personal trainer and owner of Breathe Fitness, Anthony Mayatt, has devised a quick workout that you can do at home – specially designed for beginners.

So, you don’t need to be able to do full press-ups, burpees or endless planks in order to make a difference. Anthony’s workout will help you hit every muscle group in your body and allows you to make progress – no matter what level you’re starting from.

The full-body home workout

Perform each exercise for 45 seconds with 15 seconds rest between each.

Complete 2 rounds for a 20-minute workout.

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Squats

Stand with your feet roughly hip-width apart and drop your hips back and down as if sitting in a chair.

Make sure your knees follow the alignment of your toes and keep your feet planted to the floor throughout the movement.

Knee push-ups

Get into your push-up position with hands directly below the shoulders and body in a straight line from head to ankles.

Drop the knees straight to the floor and perform the push up in this position for an easier exercise.

Can progress to full push-up if the knees is too easy for you.

Lunges

Stand upright with feet together.

Take a large step forwards with the right leg then drop the back knee towards the ground. Step back and repeat with the opposite leg.

To make it easier on the knees you can do the same in reverse stepping back into the lunge rather than forwards.

Triceps dips

Sit on the edge of a chair/sofa/bed with your hands as close to the body as possible.

With your legs either bent (easier) or straight (harder), bend the upper arms lowering the body towards the floor, pause and use the arms to push back up.

Mountain climbers

Return to the full push-up position but this time pull one knee towards the chest then return before swapping legs.

For an exercise that increases your heart rate you can speed the leg movement up as long as you maintain that hand plank position throughout the movement.

Superman shoulder squeeze

Lay on your front with hands by the shoulders.

Proceed to raise the shoulders off the ground keeping the head looking down and squeeze the shoulder blades together as you raise.

This will work the lower back in the raising motion and the upper back when squeezing the shoulder blades together.

Reverse crunches

Lay on your back with knees bent.

Drive the knees and hips up as if trying to get the knees to touch your forehead, pause in the top position and control the feet back to the floor.

Keep your hands on the ground next to your body to support you and help target the abs.

Hand plank toe taps

Start back in your push-up/hand plank position with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width.

Drive your hips upwards keeping the legs and upper body straight and reach one hand back towards the opposite foot.

Don’t worry if you aren’t able to reach it but use it as your target. Return to the start then swap hands aiming for the opposite foot.

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