Strength Training: 20 Minutes to Fit!
Give your body a serious boost with our circuit workout that tones from head to toe!
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The number one reason women skip the gym? Lack of time. We all lead busy lives, and sometimes it can seem impossible to get a workout in. The good news is you don’t have to set aside a full hour to blast calories while building strength. This fitness plan is perfect for those days when you’re short on time. All you need is 20 minutes and a pair of dumbbells!
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 WORKOUT GUIDELINES
Complete as many repetitions of each exercise as you can in 40 seconds, rest for 40 seconds, then move on to the next exercise. Perform the circuit three times total.
40 seconds Mountain Climber
40 seconds Rest
40 seconds Front Squat
40 seconds Rest
40 seconds Double Lunge
40 seconds Rest
40 seconds Romanian Deadlift
40 seconds Rest
40 seconds Squat Jump
40 seconds Rest
Repeat 3 times!
HOT BODY QUICK
Make your minutes count by burning calories in multiple ways…
1.  During exercise. You burn about five to 10 calories per minute, depending on how hard you’re working.
2. Post exercise. Certain workouts burn calories hours after they are over. Interval training, which alternates very intense exercise with rest, will stoke your metabolic furnace for 24 to 48 hours after the workout is complete.
3. Building lean muscle tissue. Adding muscle speeds up your metabolism, thereby increasing the number of calories your body burns 24 hours a day.
This workout does all three: Total-body exercises burn tons of calories, the interval format increases afterburn and the weighted movements build muscle to keep your metabolism revved all day long.
MOUNTAIN CLIMBER WITH SQUAT THRUST
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, shoulders back and core engaged. Squat down, placing your hands flat on the ground in front of you. Then kick your feet back behind you into a push-up position. Drive one knee up toward your chest, keeping the ball of the foot on the ground. Return to the push-up position and repeat with the opposite leg. Jump both feet back in toward your hands and stand up. That’s one rep. Repeat for 40 seconds.
FRONT SQUAT WITH ROTATIONAL PRESS
Stand with feet slightly more than hip-width apart, holding a pair of dumbbells at your shoulders. Lower into a squat, keeping your chest up. Stand back up, straightening your right arm overhead as you rotate your torso to the left. Return to the start position. Then repeat the squat, driving your left arm overhead as you rotate to the right. That’s one rep. Repeat for 40 seconds.
DOUBLE LUNGE
Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Step your right foot in front of your body, lowering into a lunge. Return to the start position. Then step your right foot out to the right side of your body and lower into a side lunge. Return to the start position. Repeat both lunges on the opposite side. That’s one rep. Repeat for 40 seconds.
ROMANIAN DEADLIFT WITH BENT OVER ROW
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a pair of dumbbells so that they rest on your thighs. Push your hips back so the dumbbells slide down to your knees, keeping your back straight. From this bent position, use your back muscles to pull both dumbbells up to your chest, keeping elbows tucked. Lower the weights and return to the start position. That’s one rep. Repeat for 40 seconds.
SQUAT JUMPS
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, hands behind your head. Lower into a squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Push through your feet to straighten your legs and jump into the air as high as you can. Land softly and return to the start position. That’s one rep. Repeat for 40 seconds.