20 Minute Workout at Home: Full Body, No Equipment

Twenty minutes is the sweet spot for a lot of the parents I coach. It is short enough to fit in during nap time, before the school run or after the kids are down, but long enough to train your whole body properly. This 20 minute workout at home needs no equipment, no jumping if you do not want it, and about the space of a yoga mat.

I have built it the same way I build sessions in my classes: a proper warm-up, a main block that works every major muscle group, and a short finisher that gets your heart rate up. Follow it as written for a few weeks and you will notice the difference climbing the stairs with a sleeping toddler.

Before you start

• Clear a small space about two metres by one metre. Move the Lego.
• Have a timer ready. Your phone’s stopwatch or a free interval app is fine.
• Grab a sturdy chair or use the bottom step of your stairs.
• Know your levels. Every move below has an easier and harder option. Start with the easier one in week one, even if you feel you could do more.

If you are returning after an injury, a baby or a long illness, check with your GP or physio before starting a new routine. After birth, the NHS advice on keeping fit with a baby is to wait for your postnatal check, usually around 6 to 8 weeks, before more strenuous exercise.

Warm-up: minutes 0 to 4

Do each of these for 40 seconds, flowing from one to the next. The NHS guide to warming up explains why easing in matters: it raises your heart rate gradually and gets the joints ready to work.

1. March on the spot, arms swinging
2. Arm circles, small to big, then reverse
3. Bodyweight good mornings (hands on hips, hinge forward with a flat back)
4. Slow squats to a comfortable depth
5. Alternating reverse lunges with a reach overhead
6. Inchworm walk-outs, or hands-on-thighs hip hinges if your hamstrings are tight

For a longer version you can save, see my warm-up guide for parents.

Main set: the 20 minute workout at home, minutes 4 to 16

This is three rounds of a four-move circuit. Each exercise is 40 seconds on, 20 seconds rest. One round takes 4 minutes, so three rounds take 12.

1. Split squat

Stand in a long stride, back heel lifted. Lower your back knee towards the floor, then push up through the front foot. Do 20 seconds on each leg.

• Easier: hold a wall or chair back for balance, and only go halfway down.
• Harder: put your back foot on the bottom step or a sofa for a Bulgarian split squat.

2. Push-up

Hands just wider than shoulders, body straight from head to heels, lower your chest towards the floor.

• Easier: hands on the kitchen worktop or a sofa arm. The higher the surface, the easier it is.
• Harder: full push-ups on the floor, with a slow three-second lowering.

3. Single-leg glute bridge

Lie on your back with knees bent. Lift one foot off the floor and push your hips up through the other heel. Do 20 seconds on each side.

• Easier: keep both feet down.
• Harder: shoulders on the sofa edge for a hip thrust.

4. Bear hold to shoulder taps

On hands and knees, lift your knees an inch off the floor and hold. Keep your back flat like a table.

• Easier: knees down, tap shoulders slowly.
• Harder: hold the bear position and tap alternate shoulders without your hips rocking.

Use the 20 seconds of rest to breathe and set up the next move. By round three it should feel like solid work, around 7 out of 10 effort. If it feels easy, choose the harder options next time.

Finisher: minutes 16 to 19

Three rounds of 30 seconds hard, 30 seconds easy:

• Option A (low impact): fast step-backs, alternating legs, pumping your arms.
• Option B (higher impact): squat jumps or burpees without the push-up.

Low impact is completely fine. The aim is to get out of breath, not to bounce. If you leak, feel pressure in your pelvic floor or have sore knees, stick with Option A and speak to a physio if it continues.

Cool-down: minute 19 to 20

Slow breathing, a hip flexor stretch on each side and a forward fold with soft knees. Done.

How to progress it over six weeks

Doing the same session forever stops working. Here is a simple plan:

• Weeks 1-2: easier options throughout, two or three times a week.
• Weeks 3-4: switch one or two moves to the harder option, or change work to 45 seconds and rest to 15.
• Weeks 5-6: add a fourth round to the main set (making it a 24-minute session), or slow down every lowering phase to three seconds.

Keep a note of which version you did. Seeing “week 1: worktop push-ups, week 6: floor push-ups” written down is a big motivator. For more bodyweight ideas you can swap in, have a look at my no-equipment home workout, or try a 15-minute Tabata session on days you want something sharper.

Where bootcamp fits

Home workouts are great for convenience, but there are things they struggle with. Bodyweight only goes so far for leg and back strength, you will not get feedback on your form, and it is easy to drift into the moves you like and avoid the ones you need.

In my classes we use kettlebells, slam balls and pads to load the same movement patterns you practise at home. My SYP Built To Last functional strength class is a good match if you have been doing this routine and want to get properly stronger. A sensible week for a busy parent might be one or two classes plus one or two of these 20-minute sessions at home.

FAQs

Is a 20 minute workout at home enough?

For general fitness, yes, especially if you do it two or three times a week and keep making it a bit harder. Add daily walking and you are covering a lot of what the NHS recommends for adults.

Can I do this every day?

I would do the full strength circuit on alternate days, so your muscles have time to recover. On the days in between, walk, stretch or do something gentle.

Should I do cardio or strength in 20 minutes?

Both. This routine is mostly strength with a short cardio finisher, which is a good mix for parents who want to feel fitter and stronger without spending hours training.

What if I only have 15 minutes?

Do two rounds of the main set instead of three and keep the warm-up. Never skip the warm-up to save time.

Book your first class

Want to add some coaching and kit to your home routine? SYP Bootcamp runs 45-minute small-group classes indoors in Archway N19, max 10 people, all fitness levels, £15 a class. You will get the timetable as soon as you book. Book my £15 class here, or call or WhatsApp me on 07301 512215. If you would prefer me to write and track your home sessions for you, have a look at my online coaching.

About the author

Artem Olekhnovych is a personal trainer in Archway and the founder of SYP Fitness and SYP Bootcamp. He has coached clients in Archway, Highgate and across North London for over 10 years, and runs small-group bootcamp classes for busy mums and dads. Read reviews from his 1-1 clients.