The most important factor when it comes to getting in shape and staying fit is consistency. Maintaining your training routine in the long term will always lead to better results than flash-in-the-pan fitness kicks, and the key to keeping at it is to focus on doing enjoyable and achievable workouts.
That’s why I like this 20-minute workout from Viv Addo, one half of fitness duo Mr and Mrs Muscle. It doesn’t require any weights to do the session, and it is time-effective in that it strengthens the whole body while also boosting your heart rate to improve your cardio fitness.
All you might need for the workout is a yoga mat to provide grip and protect your floors, but otherwise you’ll be all set once you’ve changed into your kit and found enough space to move. It’s also a workout that’s suitable for all levels — if you are finding it tough you can always shorten the work periods and increase your rest.
Watch MrAndMrsMuscle’s 20-minute full-body workout
During the workout you’ll be working for 45 seconds and resting for 15 seconds, doing 20 moves in total in two round of 10, though some will be the same move done on each side of your body. The video also includes a short warm up and cool down, which are well worth doing if you have the time to spare.
Addo does the workout with you, and the upcoming exercise is shown on screen, so you can follow along with her form to make sure your technique is right. There’s also a useful graphic showing which muscles are targeted by the move you’re doing, which you can use to make sure you’re engaging the right parts of the body.
As you get more comfortable with the moves you can speed up to increase the amount of reps you fit into each work period
With the long sets and short rests, plus the fact you’ll be doing a lot of compound exercises that work multiple muscle groups at once, the session will get your heart pumping, so you also get fitter while building strength.
As you get more comfortable with the moves you can also speed up to increase the amount of reps you fit into each work period, but always make sure you focus on form above all and slow down if you have to in order to maintain good technique. You’ll get better results from moving slowly and working the right muscles than rushing and getting sloppy with your form.
Once you’ve done the workout a couple of times and are looking to progress it, you can add in weight to make a lot of the exercises more challenging. Holding a dumbbell or kettlebell while doing exercises like lunges and deadlifts will increase the difficulty considerably. You can also give this 20-minute full-body dumbbell workout a go if you’re looking to mix up your routine.
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