20-Minute Strength and Abs Workout

How to Do a Deadlift, Clean and Reverse Lunge

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. Hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides.
2. Hinge forward at the hips, pushing your hips back as you lower the dumbbells along the front of your body. You should feel a stretch in the back of your legs (range of motion looks different for everyone). Focus on keeping your back in neutral alignment with your neck and shoulders throughout the entire movement (straight line from head to tailbone). Keep a slight bend in your knees to avoid ‘locking out’ the joint.
3. Drive through your heels, squeezing your glutes as you drive your hips forward to return to the starting position.
4. As you stand tall, clean the dumbbells up, catching them at shoulder height.
5. Step your right leg back into a reverse lunge, lowering your hips until both knees reach a 90-degree angle, front thigh parallel to the ground.
6. Squeeze your left glute, driving your back, right leg forward as you stand tall, returning to the starting position.

Modification: Omit the dumbbell clean, keeping the weights by your sides as you perform the reverse lunge. If lunges are uncomfortable, check out these alternative exercises.

How to Do a Bicep Curl and Overhead Press

1. Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart and core engaged. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing in towards each other (hammer curl).
2. Perform a bicep curl by squeezing the front of your arms to curl the dumbbells up to shoulder height. Think about keeping your elbows tucked into your side and your shoulder blades pulled down.
3. Pause when the dumbbells reach your shoulders, then perform a narrow overhead shoulder press by pushing the dumbbells overhead until your arms are fully extended, with your biceps near your ears.
4. Slowly and with control, lower the dumbbells down to shoulder level. Then curl the weights down to your side, returning to the starting position.
5. In this variation of the exercise, perform 2 bicep curls into 2 overhead presses.

How to Do a Plank and Arm Extension

1. Start in a low plank or forearm plank position. Your shoulders are stacked over your elbows, and your core is engaged. Keep your hips in line with the rest of your body, avoiding sagging or piked hips.
2. Fully extend your right arm out to tap the mat in front of you. Keep the core engaged and hips square to the mat. 
3. Pull the right arm back in, returning to a forearm plank. 
4. Alternate arms, fully extending your left arm in front of you. Again, try to keep your hips stable and square to the mat as you alternate reaching your arms straight out.

Modification: Perform a standing goblet march.

How to Do a Wide Squat

1. Stand with your feet wider than your hips, heels in and toes pointed out (sumo squat stance). Hold a pair of dumbbells between your legs.
2. Bend your knees to lower down into a sumo squat, pushing your knees out towards your pinky toes as you drop your hips parallel to your knees.
3. Drive through your heels, squeezing your glutes and pulling your inner thighs together to stand tall.

How to Do a Push-Up and Renegade Row

1. Start in a high plank position, both hands on your dumbbells, shoulders stacked over wrists, core engaged.
2. Perform a push-up by lowering your chest to the ground, letting your elbows fall back towards your hips. Exhale, pushing back up to the starting position.
3. Then, perform a single arm plank row (or renegade row) on each side, pulling first your right elbow to your right hip, then planting it on the ground. When the right hand is planted, pull your left elbow to your left hip before returning it to the ground.

Modification: Perform a standing dumbbell back row to dumbbell press out. You can also perform modified push-ups from your knees or at an incline. If push-ups hurt your wrists, try placing your hands on a set of dumbbells.

How to Do a Seated or Russian Twist

1. Start in a seated position on the ground or on a yoga mat. Lean your torso back until you feel your core engage. Option to hold a dumbbell horizontally in both hands. To make it more difficult, float one or both feet off the ground.
2. On an exhale, rotate your shoulders and torso to the right as you bring the dumbbell to tap the mat outside of your right hip. Inhale as you use your obliques and outer abs to return your chest to center.
3. Then repeat on the opposite side, rotating your shoulders to the left as you bring the dumbbell to tap the mat outside of your left hip.

Modification: Omit the dumbbell, using just your bodyweight.

How to Do a Dead Bug

1. Lie on your back flat on the floor, performing a slight pelvic tilt to press your lower back into the mat. Lift your knees to form a 90-degree angle (knees stacked on top of hips).
2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and extend your hands straight overhead toward the ceiling. Inhale, letting your belly expand.
3. Exhale, engaging your core and simultaneously extending your left leg and right arm away from your body, lowering the dumbbell in your right arm towards the ground with control. Left arm and right leg remain in place. With control, inhale as you return to the starting position.
4. Then repeat on the opposite side, exhaling as you extend your right leg and left arm away from the body, lowering the dumbbell in your left arm towards the ground. With control, return to the starting position.

Modification: Omit the dumbbells, using no equipment for this exercise.