Weekly Workout Planner: 20 Minute Workout Routines for a Week

August 6, 2012April 24, 2014 dotcomwomen

These quick workouts are designed specifically to boost the metabolism and spike the heart rate. This is great for rapid fat loss, small gains in lean muscle, and overall cardiovascular health. Included for each day, are 20 minute routines that can be done anywhere, at any time.

Weekly Workout Planner:

Monday:

Morning – Cardio A
Afternoon/Evening – Chest

Tuesday:

Morning – Abs
Afternoon/Evening – Legs

Wednesday:

Morning – Cardio B
Afternoon/Evening – Arms, Stretching

Thursday:

Morning – Obliques
Afternoon/Evening – Glutes

Friday:

Morning – Cardio A
Afternoon/Evening – Cardio B

Saturday:

Morning – Abs
Afternoon/Evening – Stretching

Sunday:

Morning – Cardio B
Afternoon/Evening – Obliques

Chest:

Superset One:

Wide-Grip Push-ups – 4 Sets, Max Reps (Hands slightly wider than shoulder-width)
Static Chest Stretch – 3 Sets, 30 Seconds Each (Hands on hips, push elbows back and chest out)

Superset Two:

Chair Push-ups – 4 Sets, Max Reps (Put feet on chair and hands on ground, perform push-up)
Ballistic/Dynamic Stretch, Air Presses – 4 Sets, 10 Reps (Either lying down or standing, slowly make the motion of a bench press, focusing on the stretch at the bottom and contraction at the top)

Arms:

Superset One:

Chair Dips – 4 Sets, Max Reps (Put feet on ground and hands on the seat of the chair. Butt should be off the chair. Drop the butt towards the ground then press up using the triceps)
Milk Jug Curls – 3 Sets, 15 Reps (Fill milk jugs with water until they’re your desired weight. Do a normal curl using the jugs)

Superset Two:

Narrow-Grip Push-ups – 3 Sets, Max Reps
Bicep/Tricep Stretches – 3 Sets, 15s Bicep/15s Tricep (Any variation of a bicep of tricep stretch)

Legs:

Superset One:

3-Way Lunges – 3 Sets, 10/Way (10 forward, 10 at a 45 degree angle, and 10 directly to the side)
Wall Squats – 3 Sets, 1 Minute Each (Press back against a wall while in the bottom of a squat position)

Superset Two:

Split-Squats – 4 Sets, 15-20 Reps (Put one leg out in front as if going into a lunge. Drop the back leg while keeping the front leg straight and outward)
Calf Raises – 3 Sets, 20 Reps (Push body up using calves. Make sure to use the calf muscles and not the Achilles tendon)

Glutes:

Superset One:

Butt Raise/Bridges – 4 Sets, 20 Reps (Lay on back with feet on the ground. Slowly thrust hips upward focusing on the contraction in and around the glutes)
Body Squats (Below Parallel) – 3 Sets, 30 Reps (Squat the same way as described in the original cardio workout, but go below parallel to emphasize the glutes.

Finisher Exercise:

Glute Kickbacks – 4 Sets, 15 Reps (Place hands and knees on the ground. Kick one leg back and upwards, focusing on the contraction at the top of the movement)

Full-Body Stretching:

Overhead Tricep Stretch – 30 Seconds
Chest – 30 Seconds (Hands on hips, flex elbows back and push out chest)
Hamstring Toe Touches – 30 Seconds (keep legs straight, bend, and touch toes)
Quad Pull – 30 Seconds/Leg (Stand on one leg, grab the other with your arm and pull back)
Abdominal Seal Stretch – 30 Seconds (Lay on stomach, put hands near chest with palms on the ground. Press up while keeping your lower body touching the ground. Hold for 30 seconds)
Glute Stretch – 30 Seconds/Leg (Lay on back with feet on the ground forming a triangle. Bring up one leg and lay it sideways across the other – ankle should be near the other knee. Reach arms through and grab the shin of the leg that still has its foot on the ground. Bring foot off ground and roll back slightly)

Abdominals:

Superset One:

In-And-Outs – 3 Sets, 20 Reps (Sit on the ground in an upright position. Put hands on the ground at your side. Lift feet off the ground and extend outward while lowering your back towards the ground. Bring the feet back in while returning your back to the upright position)
Leg Raises – 3 Sets, 15 Reps (Lay on the ground with hands at your side, palms on the ground. Lift legs 3-5 inches off the ground. From there, keep legs straight and raise to form a 90 degree angle. Slowly return them to the starting position 3-5 inches off the ground.

Superset Two:

Prone Plank – 3 Sets, 1 Minute Each (Begin laying on stomach. Put your hands together just in front of your body. Raise your body off the ground keeping a flat back and flexed core. You should be on your toes in the raised position. Hold position for 1 minute)
Flutter Kicks – 3 Sets, 30 Seconds Each (Lay on back with palms on the ground at your side. Raise feet 4-6 inches off the ground and do small kicks, never touching the ground or going more than 8 inches off of it)

Obliques:

Superset One:

Oblique Crunches – 4 Sets, 20 Reps (Lay on side and perform a crunch, moving your elbow towards your hip)
Russian Twists – 3 Sets, 40 Reps (Sit on the ground with feet off the ground and a fairly upright/straight back. Cup hands together and touch the ground on either side of your core. Engage the core and do not let legs move too much)

Finisher Exercise:

Torso Twists – 2 Sets, 150 Reps (Stand and hold arms firmly at chest height with bent elbows. Flex the core and twist from side to side 150 times. This exercise focuses on strengthening the entire core and tightening the skin)

Cardio A:

Interval One (no rest between exercises)

Fast Stationary Lunges (20 reps per side) – Done the same as normal stationary lunges, but with a much quicker pace. They’re sometimes called “kick-back” lunges because the fast pace makes it feel as though you’re kicking back. This exercise should take about 1 minute total, 30 seconds per side.
Mountain Climbers (30 seconds) – Get on the floor positioned as you would be at the top of a push-up. At a fast pace, bring knee to chest by pushing off the ground. As you’re returning the first knee to the starting position, the other knee should be driving towards your chest/abdomen.
Jump Squats (15 reps) – Place feet at or slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Flex the core and drop the butt until it’s parallel with the ground. From there, explode into a jump. When coming down from the jump, drop immediately into the next squat. Do not stop at the top and then squat. This should take about 30 seconds total.
Stair Run (1 minute) – Find a set of stairs and run up and down for 1 minute.

*60-90 Second Rest* – Note that if you rest for more than 90 seconds, you risk heart rate returning to completely normal levels. Hence, your circuit workout will not be as effective.

Interval Two (no rest between exercises)

Fast-paced Push-ups (20 reps) – I don’t think push-ups need an explanation, but make sure not to be too far back. Ex: don’t do pushups using mainly the shoulders, make sure they’re focused around the chest. Drop to the knees if necessary to complete the reps. These should take about 30 seconds total.
Star Jumps (1 minute) – Put the feet together, and jump forward, back, left and then right – then repeat. Basically, make a cross with your jumps. Continue for a 1-minute period. There should be no stoppage in movement at any point.
Crunches (30 reps) – Also a fairly well-known exercise. One note is that, in my opinion, crunches are more effective when performed with the feet in the air. Lay on your back, and make a right angle with your legs in the air. It forces you to stabilize by engaging core muscles that otherwise wouldn’t be worked. These should take about 45 seconds. Make sure to emphasize the squeeze while keeping the movement fast-paced.
Jumping Jacks (50 reps) – These should take between 45 seconds to a minute. Aim for a faster pace than the warm-up jumping jacks, as we’re focusing on elevating the heart rate.

*60-90 Second Rest*

*Repeat, beginning with Interval One*

Cardio B:

Circuit: Repeat Two Times

Jump Rope – 5 Minutes
Jump Squats – 15 Reps

Disclaimer – All material in this document is provided for your information only and may not be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action or inaction should be taken based solely on the contents of this information; instead, one should consult appropriate health professionals on any matter relating to their health and well-being.

The information and opinions expressed here are believed to be accurate, based on the best judgment available to the author, and readers who fail to consult with appropriate health authorities assume the risk of any injuries.