The 20-minute workout: Bodyweight cardio for every muscle group

Woman doing a burpee

It’s Saturday morning, it’s freezing cold, it might snow today – the last thing you want to do is head out to the gym.

Luckily, you can do this simple bodyweight workout at home – and you don’t even need any equipment.

This efficient workout is all about activating every muscle group in your body, and getting your heart rate going. It tones, conditions and builds stamina – all in less than half an hour.

Hannah Robinson, a personal trainer at F45 Holloway and F45 Blackhorse Lane, has shared her favourite quick workout.

All you need is 20 minutes, a little bit of space, and plenty of energy.

Full-body bodyweight cardio workout:

This workout is based on F45’s FOXTROT bodyweight cardio class.

It consists of 4 exercises, with 4 sets at each station.

Set 1: 45 sec work, 15 sec rest

Set 2: 20 sec work, 10 sec rest

Set 3: 45 sec work, 15 sec rest

Set 4: 20 sec work, 10 sec rest 

You will complete a total of 1 lap/rounds of all stations. All stations are bodyweight only (no equipment needed) so you can do this at home.

Burpee

Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms by your sides.

Lower into a squat position and place your hands on the floor, keeping your elbows close to your body, directly behind you.

Ensure your chest touches the floor before kicking or stepping your legs back into a high plank position.

Jump or step your legs forward to return to a jump squat position.

Repeat the exercise as many times and as fast as possible.

Russian twists

Sit with bent knees with either your feet on the floor or away from the floor for a more advanced version.

Sit back slightly, keeping your spine straight and core braced.

Exhale as you twist to the left, moving both arms over to the left side and quickly placing the hands on the floor (or as low as you can). Inhale back to centre, and then repeat on the opposite side.

5X Plyo lunges + 2X shuffles

Start with the feet shoulder-width apart. Step forward with your right foot and begin the exercise by lowering your body until your forward thigh (right thigh) is parallel to the ground and your back knee is almost touching the ground.

As soon as you reach this point, explode back up as high as you can off the ground. Land softly and immediately drop back down into a lunge position, now taking the left thigh forward.

Ensure your knee does not pass your toe when sitting in the lunge position, keeping the chest lifted throughout.

Repeat 5 times before coming up into standing/shuffle position, bringing one foot in front of the other, using your arms for momentum.

Speed sprawls

Start in high plank position with wrists underneath the shoulders.

Kick back into a high plank position with braced core, ensuring that the hips don’t sag. On return, jump the feet forward, sitting low into squat position and keeping feet wide.

Ensure the glutes are engaged and the chest is lifted at the top of your low squat.

Use the arms to support the fast transition from high plank to low squat, bringing the arms in front of the chest.

Repeat by kicking the legs back and returning back into high plank position.

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