Try a Quick Full Body Workout When You’re Short on Time (And Space)

When the day is done, and you’re ready for a full-body workout, you don’t always have the luxury of space or time. Even if you live in a tiny apartment, you can still complete a full workout without leaving home. You just need a little resourcefulness to pull it off. In this post, we’ll break down how to do a quick full-body workout with minimal equipment and in a limited amount of space.

More often than not, you might have to squeeze in a quick full-body workout like I do in whatever spare time—and space—you can find. When that happens, just follow this complete guide on how to make the most of what’s available to you. We’ll cover workout ideas and tips for both beginners and advanced fitness enthusiasts, so no matter your skill level, you’ll be able to find something that works for your needs and goals. So whether you’re pressed for time or want to exercise in your living room, here’s how a quick full-body workout can offer optimal results.

What Is a Quick Full-Body Workout?

A quick full-body workout is a routine that can be completed in under 30 minutes. This might seem like not enough time for a full-body workout, but a study published in the American Journal of Physiology found that 30-minute workouts are just as effective as 60-minute workouts when it comes to burning calories. It just goes to show that when it comes to working out, how well you exercise is more important than how long you exercise. In short, quality over quantity. This is where full-body workouts come in.

Full-body workouts are quick, easy, and effective. I, for one, rarely have the time to plan and execute complicated drills and exercise routines to get my body in tip-top shape. Full-body workouts make things easier by helping me tackle all the major muscle groups in just a few exercises. Some might argue that our muscles require split-style training for maximum effect, but a study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research has proven that full-body workouts do the job just as well. Not only do quick full-body workouts save time, but they can also help you hit two birds (or muscles, in this case) with one stone. On top of that, the main benefit is that full-body workouts can be done anywhere, even when you don’t have access to a gym or the time for a longer, more intense workout.

What Do You Need for a Quick Full-Body Workout?

The great thing about this type of workout is that it doesn’t require much equipment. All you need is some room to move around and an adjustable kettlebell (or two) if you want to add some weight to build additional strength. You can easily find space in your living room, bedroom, or even outdoors to complete a quick full-body workout.

Exercises To Include

Many exercises are effective for targeting specific muscle groups in the body. For training your upper body with minimal equipment and limited time, pushups, burpees, mountain climbers, and pull-ups are great options for building strength in different muscle groups. Using weights for exercises like dumbbell rows or kettlebell presses can also help tone and strengthen muscles effectively. These movements all focus on the chest, back, shoulders, and arms, providing a well-rounded upper-body workout.

Develop stronger abdominal muscles and a more stable core with exercises including planks, Russian twists, situps, crunches, and wheel rollouts. These are all great exercises for targeting the rectus abdominis, also known as the “six-pack” muscle, and engaging the obliques and transverse abdominis. To target the lower body, try different variations of squats and lunges such as jump squats, split squats, reverse lunges, and overhead lunges with weights. These exercises target the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteus maximus, helping to build muscle and improve lower body strength.

The best part is that all of these exercises take up little space. By adding these exercises to your workout routine, you can target major muscle groups in the body, helping to improve overall strength and fitness. Perform two or three different movements for each main muscle group to do a quick full-body workout at home.

How To Perform a Quick Full-Body Workout

Here are the key stages to completing a quick full-body workout for optimal results:

1. Warmup

Before starting any exercise routine, it’s important to warm up your body with some dynamic movements and stretches like jumping jacks, jogging, side shuffles, arm circles, torso twists, and shoulder rolls. This will help increase your heart rate and prepare your muscles for the workout, potentially preventing injuries like muscle strains or pulls.

2. Exercise Sequence

After warming up for about five or 10 minutes, you can begin the workout. Start with three sets of 10 reps of each type of exercise (lower body, core, and upper body) with 15-30-second breaks between each set. Perform this circuit for at least three different movements. After completing all the exercises of one type, rest for one to two minutes before moving on to the next one.

3. Cooldown

After completing circuits for your lower body, core, and upper body, end your workout with some static stretches to target your shoulders, quadriceps, hamstrings, and back. These can help reduce muscle soreness and improve flexibility.

Tips To Remember

Save As Much Time As Possible

One way to save time while working out is by performing as many exercises as possible within a set without stopping. It’s also good to avoid taking long breaks in between sets. If you’re like me, it might be easy for you to lose momentum and motivation after a long break. By maximizing the amount of time you spend actively exercising, you can increase the intensity of your full-body workout for better results and shorten the length of the workout overall to save time.

Follow Safety Precautions

Always remember to warm up and cool down as well as use proper form when exercising to avoid injury. If you’re working out with weights like adjustable kettlebells, it’s important to use the appropriate weight for your strength level. And if something doesn’t feel right or hurts during an exercise, stop immediately and take a break until it subsides.

Getting a full-body workout doesn’t have to require a lot of time or space. With just a few exercises, you can target all the major muscle groups in your body and get a great workout in under 30 minutes. Whether you’re just starting to work out or an athlete, you can find something that works for you. Always remember to warm up, practice proper form, and give yourself enough rest between sets to avoid injury. With these tips in mind, you’ll be able to get a great full-body workout in small spaces and short timeframes.