Although the majority of people who focus on bodybuilding tend to spend 45 minutes to an hour and a half in the gym, it’s still possible to make good use of less time. It’s not ideal by any means, but for those who work around the clock or simply don’t have the time or energy at the end of a long day, a 20 minute workout may be the only option.

20 Minute Workout Brief

In order to benefit from a 20 minute workout, you need to make as much use of the time as possible. By keeping breaks between sets short, you’ll keep your heart pumping. This saves a lot of time and means that even if you focus solely on weightlifting you’ll still get a bit of a cardio workout. The main drawback to this is that there may be a bigger risk of injury as there is a near constant load on your joints. Additionally, by having less time to recover you’ll have a harder time banging out full sets with heavy weight. The below example is a starting point although you’ll have to play around to find what works best for you.

Quick Workout Tips

Make the most of supersets and trisets to save time and get the blood pumping.
Always keep your Gym bag packed and ready to go.
To avoid injury always follow Correct Form and technique.
Make sure to consciously squeeze whatever muscle you are Working Out.
Push yourself, but don’t exceed your working weight. Only once you can comfortably complete 3 sets should you increase it slightly.
If you’re working out at a gym, avoid socializing – you’re there to get Pumped, nothing else.

20 Minute Workout Example Plan

While you have a lot of options as to what 20 minute workout you choose, due to the short amount of time, the quick workout plan below targets one muscle group per day. Doing so means that you can hit the muscles from multiple angles in a short time to accelerate muscle Fatigue.

Sets: 3 regular sets of 8-12 reps for each exercise + 1 superset until failure.
Triset: Perform each exercise after each other with no break. Rest briefly before the next three sets.

Monday: Chest & Forearms

Main Exercise	Superset
Flat Dumbbell Bench Presses	Medium Grip Push Ups
Incline Dumbbell Flyes	Wide Grip Push Ups
Cable Crossovers	Half Weight
Reverse Grip Forearm Barbell Curls	N/A

Tuesday: Legs & Abs

Main Exercise	Superset
Barbell Squats	Bodyweight Jump Squats
Leg Extensions	Half Weight
Seated Calf Raises	Standing Bodyweight Calf Raises
Decline Crunches	N/A

Wednesday: Arms

Main Exercise	Superset
Barbell Bicep Curls	Half Weight
Tricep Dips	Close Grip Bench Press Push Ups
Dumbbell Hammer Curls	Half Weight
Reverse Grip Tricep Pushdowns	Half Weight

Thursday: Shoulders

Main Exercise	Superset
Barbell Military Presses	Half Weight
Dumbbell Side to Front Raises	Half Weight
Barbell Shrugs	Half Weight
Upright Cable Rows	Half Weight

Friday: Back & Forearms

Main Exercise	Superset
Barbell Deadlifts	Bodyweight Hyperextensions
Weighted Pull Ups	Bodyweight Pull Ups
Seated Cable Rows	Half Weight
Barbell Wrist Rotations	N/A

Saturday: Legs & Abs

Main Exercise	Superset
Dumbbell Lunges	Bodyweight Jumping Lunges
Hamstring Curls	Half Weight
Standing Calf Raises	Standing Bodyweight Calf Raises
Hanging Leg Raises	N/A

Sunday: Rest

As mentioned, this 20 minute workout plan is just one example. You could play around with the workout so you perform upper/lower or push/pull splits, or even focus solely on bodyweight exercises or utilize HIIT (high intensity interval Training) instead. Just keep in mind that for best results, it’s a good idea to extend your workout whenever you get a chance. Check out our workout plans for beginners if you would like some full length workout options.