Home workout plan
20-Minute Home Workout Plan
Written by the GymStreak coaching teamUpdated
- Days
- 3 days a week
- Session
- 20 min
- Level
- Beginner to intermediate
- Equipment
- None
The short answer
For a quick full body workout at home, do a 4-minute warm-up, then 3 rounds of a 5-exercise circuit: 40 seconds of work and 20 seconds of rest per exercise (5 minutes a round, 15 minutes total), with an extra minute of rest between rounds if you need it. Alternate circuit A and circuit B, 3 days a week. No equipment needed.
01 / Who it’s for
Who this plan is for
- Busy people who want a complete session in about 20 minutes.
- Anyone who likes timed intervals more than counting reps.
- Gym-goers who need a short fallback workout for busy days.
Probably not the best fit if
- Anyone whose main goal is maximal strength or size: short circuits trade some muscle-building for time. Use the no-equipment plan or a dumbbell plan when you have 40 minutes.
02 / Schedule
Weekly schedule
| Day | Session |
|---|---|
| Mon | Circuit A |
| Tue | Rest |
| Wed | Circuit B |
| Thu | Rest |
| Fri | Circuit A |
| Sat | Rest (or a walk) |
| Sun | Rest |
Next week, swap the order (B, A, B). On a very busy day, even 1–2 rounds is better than skipping.
03 / The workouts
The workouts
Warm-up
- 4 minutes: 1 minute marching or jogging on the spot, 1 minute of arm and hip circles, 1 minute of slow bodyweight squats, 1 minute of easy jumping jacks (or step-jacks).
Circuit A
Strength circuit
| Exercise | RdsRounds | Work | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bodyweight Squats | 3 | 40 s | 20 s |
| PushupsOr knee push-ups. | 3 | 40 s | 20 s |
| Glute Bridge | 3 | 40 s | 20 s |
| Superman Pull | 3 | 40 s | 20 s |
| PlankKnees down if you can’t hold 40 s. | 3 | 40 s | 20 s |
Rest up to 1 minute between rounds.
Circuit B
Legs, conditioning and core
| Exercise | RdsRounds | Work | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| LungesAlternate legs. | 3 | 40 s | 20 s |
| Mountain Climbers Slow | 3 | 40 s | 20 s |
| Incline PushupsOr full push-ups. | 3 | 40 s | 20 s |
| Squat JumpsLow-impact option: bodyweight squats with a calf raise. | 3 | 40 s | 20 s |
| Dead Bug | 3 | 40 s | 20 s |
Rest up to 1 minute between rounds.
Tap any exercise for step-by-step form cues and the muscles it works.
04 / How hard
How hard to train
- Work at a steady pace you can keep for all 40 seconds with good form. By the last round you should be breathing hard but still able to say a short sentence.
- Count your reps in round 1 and try to match them in rounds 2 and 3. That number is how you track progress.
- If you can’t keep good form for 40 seconds, use the easier option or work for 30 seconds and rest for 30.
05 / Progression
Progression rules
- Beat your rep count. Write down your reps per exercise and try to add one or two each week.
- Then swap in harder versions: decline push-ups, Bulgarian split squats, single-leg glute bridges.
- Then add a 4th round (about 25 minutes), or shorten the rest to 15 seconds.
This plan is general fitness guidance, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, an injury, are pregnant or are new to exercise and unsure, check with a doctor or physiotherapist first. Stop any exercise that causes sharp or joint pain.
06 / FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is a 20-minute workout enough?
It’s a lot better than nothing, and three of them a week count towards the WHO recommendation of muscle-strengthening activity on 2 or more days. For the best strength and muscle results, longer sessions with more sets help, so use this plan for busy weeks or as a starting point.
Can I do this workout every day?
It’s better to leave a day between sessions so your muscles recover. On the days in between, walk or do easy cardio.
Is this a HIIT workout?
It’s a circuit with short rests, so your heart rate stays up, but the goal is steady, good-form reps rather than all-out sprints. If you want more intensity, push the pace in squat jumps and mountain climbers.
What if I have neighbours downstairs?
Skip the jumps: do bodyweight squats with a calf raise instead of squat jumps, and slow mountain climbers. Everything else is quiet.
Sources
- World Health Organization. WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. 2020.
- American College of Sports Medicine. Position stand: Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
- Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
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Get this plan in GymStreak
Set your session length to about 20 minutes and your equipment to bodyweight in GymStreak, and it builds short home workouts to fit. You can also add a custom workout with the exercises above.
- 1. Download GymStreak and answer the set-up questions.
- 2. Choose 3 training days, your session length and your equipment (no equipment (bodyweight)).
- 3. GymStreak builds your weekly plan, with a demo for every exercise.
Your plan and the exercise library are free to see. Starting and logging workouts needs GymStreak Premium, an in-app subscription; the app shows your local price before you pay.