Ready to sweat and shred with me? I have a fast, fun resistance training workout for you today that you can do at home in 20 minutes.
Resistance training is essential for building, and holding onto your muscle tissue. We want to add and maintain our muscle as we go through time because it has such an impact on our ability to be active and agile.
Muscle also secretes hormones that affect metabolism and impacts your fat burning capacity (1) which is another great reason to prioritize strength training – the more muscle you carry, the more efficient you can be.
Speaking of being efficient, your basal metabolic rate (BMR)—the calories you need just to live—is based on your gender, genetics and age but one of the biggest components is your overall body mass.
Think about it this way, a semi truck burns more fuel than a motorcycle just like a person who is taller will require more energy and have a higher BMR than someone who is shorter. So the more mass you have (especially lean muscle mass), the greater your metabolic rate will be (2) and increasing the muscle you carry is one of the best ways to do this (3)!
Resistance training, especially when combined with high intensity cardio, also raises your EPOC (post-exercise oxygen consumption) or your “afterburn effect,” which can help you burn more calories and increase your fat burning potential (4).
EPOC refers to the increase in your metabolic rate due to the greater needs of oxygen and energy (calories) that your body takes in and uses after exercise to help your muscles repair and recover. Because strength based workouts cause more (good) stress to your body, your EPOC remains elevated longer increasing your metabolism and helping you burn more fat (5).
You can do resistance training so many different ways– using your own bodyweight against gravity, using bands or using weighted objects like dumbbells and water bottles – and today I’m going to combine it all!
For this workout you’ll want some weights (or full water bottles) and an elevated surface. As always, I’ll show you modifications and ways to increase the intensity as we go.
It’s you and me, Rockstar! Let’s go!
One-off workouts are great, but having a plan to follow is even better! Check out Home Workout Domination for a total home workout program that uses minimal equipment and will get you on track to feeling and looking your best!
20 Minute Full Body Sculpting Supersets
Click to expand for all written move descriptions.Perform each superset for the prescribed repetitions or time and repeat for 3 rounds
A1: Squat to Reverse Lunges (8-10)
- Stand with feet slightly wider than hip distance apart, engage your core and squat down by shooting your booty back behind you as though you were going to sit on a chair – keeping the weight in your heels and chest up.
- Squat down until your thighs are parallel or lower to the ground and then power through your heels back up to a standing position.
- Step your right foot back behind you and begin bending your back knee until it nearly touches the ground in a 90 degree angle to perform a lunge.
- As you stand up, power through your front heel and come to standing.
- Repeat with left leg and then repeat all movements in the pattern of squat, lunge lunge.
- Pro Tip: Hold weights on your shoulders.
A2: Mountain Climbers (0:30)
- Begin in a tall plank position with your shoulders stacked over your hands, core engaged, and back flat.
- Keeping your hips down, run your knees into your chest and back out by pulling each knee in as far as you can and then back out, one at a time.
- MOD: Do this move on an elevated surface by placing your hand on the edge of a couch or table.
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B1: Walking Plank Rotation (5 each side)
- Begin in a tall plank position with your core engaged and shoulders stacked over your hands.
- Brace your core and lower yourself down to your forearms, one at a time.
- Rotate and open you body to the right, balancing on your right elbow with it securely stacked below your right shoulder while balancing on the side of your right foot. Stack your left foot behind you for balance and keep your core engaged and hips lifting.
- While in your side plank, perform a hip dip by dropping your hip to the ground and lifting it back up.
- Rotate back around to your elbow plank, walk your hands back up and repeat on the other side.
- MOD: Perform this movement from your hands and knees.
B2: Jack Touchdowns (0:30)
- Start standing with feet together and arms by your sides.
- Jump your feet out wide as you bring your arms out and above your head.
- As you jump your feet back together, squat down and touch your hands to your outer foot.
- Power through your heels as you jump your feet back out wide and arms over head for a jumping jack.
- MOD: Take out the jump and simply step your feet out one at a time while bringing your arms over head.
C1: Split Squat Lunge (8-10 each side)
- Begin in an elevated lunge position with your back foot elevated (on a stair or couch, etc), making sure your knees are in line with your toes.
- Bend your front knee and drive your body straight down, keeping your weight in the front heel (make sure your knee is not shooting out over your toe).
- Press back to standing by pushing through your front foot and repeat.
- MOD: Do this movement with both your feet on the ground.
- Pro Tip: Hold weights on your shoulders.
C2: Low Shuffle to Front Kick Side Kick (0:30)
- Begin in a squat position on the outside of your mat.
- Low shuffle to the right until you reach the other side of your mat.
- Plant your feet and kick straight forward with your left leg, then out to the side with your right foot.
- Squat back down, shuffle to the other side and repeat – front kick with your right leg and outside kick with your left leg.
- Repeat back and forth.
Awesome job- I’m proud of you for giving it your all!
Leave me a comment below and let me know how you’re feeling, where you did this workout, and anything else you’d like to share. I love hearing from you!
Ready for more? I’ve got you covered!
The Home Workout Domination program is perfect if you’re looking for a time-saving resistance training plan to do at home, at the gym, or on the road – it will torch body fat, and tighten and strengthen your legs, glutes, abs, and arms – total body domination!
Check out Home Workout Domination right here!
- Yang J. “Enhanced skeletal muscle for effective glucose homeostasis.” Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science. 2014. Web. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24373237
- Manfred J. Mülle, et al. “Effect of Constitution on Mass of Individual Organs and Their Association with Metabolic Rate in Humans—A Detailed View on Allometric Scaling.” PLoS ONE. 2011. Web. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0022732
- McPherron, A., et al. “Increasing muscle mass to improve metabolism.” Adipocyte. 2013. Web. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3661116/
- Osterberg KL. and Melby CL. “Effect of acute resistance exercise on postexercise oxygen consumption and resting metabolic rate in young women.” International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolizm. Web. 2000. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10939877
- Farinatti, Paulo. et al. “Influence of Resistance Training Variables on Excess Postexercise Oxygen Consumption: A Systematic Review.” ISRN Physiology. Web. 2013. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn/2013/825026/cta/