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20-Minute Chest and Leg Workout (Max 20 Day 6)

By: Lindsey Bomgren, CPT | June 8, 2026

Build total-body strength with this chest and legs workout at home. Using just dumbbells, you’ll train your glutes, quads, hamstrings, chest, shoulders and core in just 20 minutes. Efficient strength circuits combine powerful compound movements to help you build muscle and maximize your workout time.

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This is DAY 6 of my Max 20 Program.

woman performing a lateral squat in a leg and chest workout

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Day 6 of my Max 20 Program is a powerful chest and leg workout, focusing on 2 major muscle groups that pair perfectly for building strength in a short amount of time.

Your legs and chest make up a large portion of your upper and lower body strength. When trained together, they:

Build powerful glutes, quads and hamstrings
Strengthen the chest, shoulders and triceps
Improve total-body strength and muscular balance
Increase overall calorie burn
Support better everyday pushing and lifting movements

Combining leg exercises with chest exercises is another workout format I love. Because these are 2 large muscle groups, training them together offers an efficient way to target your entire body in a short workout.

Your legs power movements like squatting, hinging and driving through the floor, while your chest supports pushing strength for exercises like presses and push-ups. Together, they build functional strength that carries over into everyday life – whether you’re getting up off the floor, pushing a stroller, or lifting something heavy.

Today’s chest and leg workout at home keeps strength training simple and effective. No machines or complicated programming required.

two women performing a dumbbell chest press as part of a leg and chest workout at home

Workout Details

Build strength in the legs and chest with this quick and effective strength workout at home.

I suggest doing this dumbbell workout once a week as part of a well-rounded workout routine.

Workout Equipment

Medium-to-Heavy Dumbbells. I’m using 20-30 lbs. Optional bench.

Workout Instructions

Follow along with the guided 20-Minute Chest and Leg Workout on YouTube, led by me — your certified personal trainer, Lindsey Bomgren.

Your Workout Looks Like This:

20 Rep Buy In
4 Strength Exercises
Timed Intervals (Complete each exercise for 40 seconds of work, followed by 20 seconds of rest.)
Repeat All 4 Exercises x 4 Sets

Workout Outline

Buy In: Side-to-Side Push-Ups

Tempo Squats
Alternating Chest Press
Staggered Deadlift with Rotation
Lateral Squat

1. Side-to-Side Push-Ups

Targets: Chest, shoulders, triceps and core.

two women performing side to side push ups in a leg and chest workout at home

How to Do Side-to-Side Push Ups

Start in a high plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders and your body in a straight line from head to heels. Engage your core and keep your hips level.
Step your right hand out to the right slightly wider than shoulder-width. Bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the floor, performing a push-up.
Press through your palms to return to the top of the push-up. Step your right hand back to the center under your shoulder.
Next, step your left hand out to the left slightly wider than shoulder-width. Bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the floor, performing another push-up.
Press back up to the top and step your left hand back to center. Continue alternating sides while maintaining a strong plank position.

Modification: Option to perform modified push-ups from your knees, or from an incline position.

2. Tempo Squats

Targets: Legs, glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings and core.

two women performing tempo squats with dumbbells in a leg and chest workout

How to Do Tempo Squats

Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides with your chest tall and core engaged.
Lower down into a squat for a 2-count, pushing your hips back and bending your knees until your thighs are about parallel with the floor. Keep your chest lifted and knees tracking over your toes.
Hold at the bottom for a 2-count, maintaining tension in your legs and keeping your core braced.
Drive through your heels to stand tall on a 1-count, squeezing your glutes at the top and returning to the starting position.

Modification: Hold one dumbbell at your chest in a goblet hold.

3. Alternating Chest Press

Targets: Chest, shoulders and triceps.

two women performing an alternating chest press with dumbbells in a leg and chest workout

How to Do an Alternating Chest Press

Lie on a bench with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and press both weights straight up over your chest so your arms are fully extended, palms facing forward. Engage your core and keep your shoulders pressed into the bench.
Lower the right dumbbell down with control, bending your elbow until it returns just outside your chest while keeping the left arm extended overhead.
Press the right dumbbell back up to meet the left, returning both arms to the fully extended position.
Next, lower the left dumbbell down with control until your elbow is bent and positioned just outside your chest.
Press the left dumbbell back up to return both dumbbells overhead. Continue alternating sides while keeping your core engaged and both shoulders stable against the bench.

Modification: Perform this exercise lying on the ground.

4. Staggered Deadlift with Rotation

Targets: Glutes, hamstrings, lower back, core and obliques.

two women performing a staggered deadlift with dumbbells in a leg and chest workout at home

How to Do a Staggered Deadlift with Rotation

Start standing with your right foot forward and left foot stepped slightly back, toes both facing forward. Hold a dumbbell in each hand in front of your thighs with your palms facing your body. Keep most of your weight in your front (right) foot.
Hinge at your hips to lower into a staggered deadlift, pushing your hips back while keeping your back flat and a slight bend in both knees.
As you perform the deadlift, rotate your torso to the right, bringing the dumbbell in your left hand down toward your right foot while the right dumbbell stays close to your front leg.
Rotate your torso back to center as you drive through your right heel to stand tall, returning to the starting position.

Modification: Omit the rotation, performing staggered deadlifts.

5. Lateral Squat

Targets: Legs, glutes, inner thighs, quadriceps and hips.

two women performing a unilateral lateral squat with a dumbbell in a leg and chest workout

How to Do a Unilateral Lateral Squat

Start standing with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes facing forward. Hold a dumbbell at your chest or just in front of your hips. Engage your core and keep your chest lifted.
Shift your weight into your right leg, bending your right knee and pushing your hips back as you lower into a lateral squat on the right side. Keep your left leg straight with your foot planted on the floor.
Lower until your right thigh is about parallel with the floor or as low as your mobility allows, keeping your chest up and your right knee tracking over your toes.
Drive through your right heel to return to the starting position.
Complete all reps on the right side, then switch and perform the movement squatting only to the left side for the next set.

FAQs

Can you train chest and legs on the same day?

Yes, and it’s actually one of my favorite muscle group pairings. Training chest and legs together allows you to work both your upper and lower body in one efficient workout. While your chest muscles recover between sets, your legs are working, and vice versa. This keeps the workout moving and allows you to build total-body strength in less time, which is perfect if you’re fitting workouts into a busy schedule.

Is a 20-minute chest and leg workout effective?

Absolutely. When you focus on compound exercises and limit rest, a 20-minute workout can be incredibly effective. Movements like squats, push-ups and presses recruit multiple muscle groups at once, which helps build strength, increase muscle endurance and elevate your heart rate. It’s proof that you don’t need hour-long workouts to see results.

What weight dumbbells should I use for this workout?

Choose a set of dumbbells that feels challenging for the final 2-3 reps of each set while still allowing you to maintain good form. For most people, this will be somewhere between 10-25 lbs, but it varies depending on your strength level and the exercise. Remember: the goal is to feel fatigued by the end of the set while keeping your movement controlled and strong.