You don't have to spend hours in the gym for a great full-body workout. All you really need is a few good moves, some basic equipment and enough space to move around.
So long as you have some dumbbells to hand, you can work your whole body, strengthen your core, and raise your heart rate. The best adjustable dumbbells are a great option if you regularly train at home, as they combine several weights and you can quickly change the load between moves.
Then you'll be ready to take on this minimal equipment routine from personal training duo Mr and Mrs Muscle. It takes less than 20 minutes, so it's ideal if you're short on time or want to squeeze in some muscle-building exercise in your lunch break.
To get started, perform the four moves for 30 seconds each with a 10-second rest between them. The duo recommend repeating this sequence for three or four rounds in total to complete the workout.
If you're new to these exercises, you can follow along with the trainers' demonstrations to practice your technique to get the most from your training and avoid injury. Plus, you could try them without weights first to perfect your form.
Watch Mr and Mrs Muscle's workout video
If you struggle with any of these exercises, don't worry. You can always shorten your working time to 20 or 10 seconds, or use the easier versions of the exercises provided (these can be seen in the top left of the screen during the video workout).
If you're wondering how you can pack in a full-body, muscle-building, fat-burning workout into just 20 minutes, it comes down to the type of exercises. The duo use compound exercises that work multiple muscles at the same time, making them more efficient than single-muscle isolation exercises.
For example, when you're doing the reverse lunge to biceps curls, your arms and core are called into action as well as large leg muscles including the quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes.
To get the best results from this workout, it's worth considering what dumbbell weight you should use. The aim is to find a load that'll challenge your muscles to get through a set, but won't affect your form or cause injury.
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Skip the plank—I’m a personal trainer and these three core moves are what I’m loving right nowWorkout You need to try my new go-to alternatives
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A yoga instructor says these four moves can get rid of shoulder knots—I put them to the testFlexibility I'm a desk-job worker with very tight shoulders, but this short routine provided immediate relief
