How to Do a Full Upper Body Weight Workout in 20 Minutes

You don’t need three hours at the gym to get a complete upper body workout. All you need is a set of dumbbells, a bench and less than half an hour. In fact, you can do a full upper body workout in about 20 minutes. The trick is to work as many muscles as possible in as few exercises as possible. Here’s how.

Things You'll Need

  • Free weights
  • Bench
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Instructions

  1. How to Do a Full Upper Body Weight Workout in 20 Minutes

    • 1

      Lie on your back on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Follow 10 bench presses immediately with 10 butterfly presses. Rest for 30 seconds. Repeat for three sets.

    • 2

      Adjust the bench so you can sit upright at 90 degrees. Follow 10 shoulder presses immediately with 10 tricep extenders. Rest for 30 seconds. Repeat for three sets.

    • 3

      Stand with feet shoulder width apart, with a dumbbell in each hand. Perform 10 bicep curls. Rest for 30 seconds. Repeat for three sets.

    • 4

      Do a round of abdominal exercises. Include 30 crunches with your legs bent. Perform ten crunches while reaching towards the ceiling. Follow with ten more crunches for your right and left leg.

    • 5

      Take one weight in your right hand and bend at the waist with the weight for a count of 40. Repeat on the left side.

    • 6

      Finish off the workout. Grasp one of the dumbbells in front of you and rotate it with your upper body as you twist to the left. Hold, then twist to the right. Hold for a count of 60 seconds.