Resistance Training: 20 Minute Dumbbell Circuit #1

Written By admin • 1 min read

For everyone whose ever said “I don’t have enough time to train”, this one’s for you! All you need is a set of dumbbells and 20 minutes. You may be thinking, will I really get any benefit out of training for 20 minutes?

Well for starters, short duration high intensity circuit/interval training has been shown to increase VO2 max and lactate threshold better than long duration steady state aerobic activity. So while the traditional gym user is sitting on the recumbent bike reading their newspaper for 90 minutes, you’re going to be in and out and burn more calories in 20 minutes. However, there is one catch. You have to be willing to get uncomfortable and push yourself to the max, that’s where the magic happens! Ok so let’s get started with this resistance training workout.

Resistance Training Rounds

There are 5 rounds each of this resistance training workout lasting 3 minutes. Within each round, there are two exercises that are alternated for 30 seconds for a total of 3 sets of each (3 min). The goal is to not drop the dumbbells for each round. After completion of a round, there is a 1 min recovery before moving on to the next round. Round 1 is shown in depth, the rest of the rounds will just show the two exercises but will follow the same format as round one.

Round 1
30 seconds Squat and Press
30 seconds High knees
30 seconds Squat and Press
30 seconds High knees
30 seconds Squat and Press
30 seconds High knees

Round 2
30 seconds Mountain climbers
30 seconds Crunches
Repeat 2 more times

Round 3
30 seconds Cycle Jumps
30 seconds Punches
Repeat 2 more times

Round 4
30 seconds Pushup/row
30 seconds Russian twist
Repeat 2 more times

Round 5
30 seconds Jumping Jacks
30 seconds Sumo Squat w/upright row
Repeat 2 more times

Exercise List:

Squat Press
High Knees
Mountain Climbers
Crunches
Cycle Jumps
Punches
Pushup/Row
Russian Twist
Jumping Jacks
Sumo Squat w/Upright row

Starting on these will really get you pumped and in great shape before you know it. Check back on my blog for more posts about how resistance training can help you get in shape and lose those extra pounds.