{"id":59459,"date":"2025-08-05T05:48:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-05T05:48:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/59459\/"},"modified":"2025-08-05T05:48:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T05:48:13","slug":"arnolds-20-minute-full-body-workout-looks-simple-i-tried-it-and-it-burned","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/59459\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Arnold\u2019s 20-Minute Full-Body Workout Looks Simple \u2013 I Tried It, and It Burned’"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Arnold Schwarzenegger<\/a> talks, it’s usually worth listening. The seven-time Mr Olympia champion used to spend up to five hours a day in the gym<\/a> when at the peak of his powers as a professional bodybuilder, and still enjoys working out now at 78. <\/p>\n

The length of time Arnold spends in the gym is now a lot less than those gruelling days, though, and he’s a keen advocate for getting people moving and active. In May, he shared a sharp and effective workout<\/a> with subscribers to his Arnold’s Pump Club newsletter<\/a> that manages to hit all major muscle groups<\/a>, highlighting how it doesn’t always require an hour in the gym to build strength. <\/p>\n

Consisting of six foundational movement patterns as part of a 20-minute circuit<\/a>, Arnold says to complete 3 total rounds with 60 to 90 seconds rest in-between. I gave it a go to see if it truly delivers. <\/p>\n

The WorkoutRepeat 3 timesIs it Worth Trying?<\/p>\n

First things first, I have absolutely no right to be telling the GOAT of bodybuilding what does and doesn’t work. Completely zero. And yet, I’ll reserve my better judgement and crack on anyway. <\/p>\n

For the workout, I picked up two 20kg dumbbells<\/a> to use throughout each exercise. After going through the first round, however, it immediately became clear to me that I needed to use different weights for each movement. While completing 10 reps in the goblet squat felt relatively easy, it soon became a lot more difficult to finish the push press without needing a little break. The strength discrepancy between my quads<\/a> and delts<\/a> was clearly a limiting factor. <\/p>\n

Picking up a few sets of dumbbells and laying them next to you isn’t easy, or even feasible, in busy gyms if you don’t want to anger the other members trying to find where the 20s, 15s and 12s have gone. In that respect, I think it’s worth adding more reps<\/a> or time to the exercises that feel easier with the lighter weight \u2013 such as the goblet squat and suitcase carry \u2013 so that you’re challenged throughout the workout, and not just on some of the movements. <\/p>\n

What I did like is that it elevated the heart rate quickly and provided a decent pump<\/a> to make it feel like you truly worked hard. I would have preferred some specific chest<\/a> work thrown in to feel like I had hit my full body, though. Personally, I think the three-point row can be substituted for a simple dumbbell bent-over row<\/a>, just so speed things up slightly and remove the single-arm element. <\/p>\n

You’ll need to prepare yourself for the bear crawl at the end of each round, too, which provides a very good challenge when you’re tired and the lactic acid is starting to set in. <\/p>\n

Overall, I think this 20-minute full-body workout holds up well. It took me just under 18 minutes and left me feeling like I\u2019d worked hard without spending ages in the gym. The best part? It\u2019s easy to tailor \u2013 you can swap in different exercises to target specific muscles, or adjust rep ranges if some moves feel too challenging (or too easy) at the same weight. <\/p>\n

Related Stories\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Ryan is a Senior Writer at Men\u2019s Health UK with a passion for storytelling, health and fitness. Having graduated from Cardiff University in 2020, and later obtaining his NCTJ qualification, Ryan started his career as a Trainee News Writer for sports titles Golf Monthly, Cycling Weekly and Rugby World before progressing to Staff Writer and subsequently Senior Writer with football magazine FourFourTwo.<\/p>\n

During his two-and-a-half years there he wrote news stories for the website and features for the magazine, while he also interviewed names such as Les Ferdinand, Ally McCoist, Jamie Redknapp and Antonio Rudiger, among many others. His standout memory, though, came when getting the opportunity to speak to then-Plymouth Argyle manager Steven Schumacher as the club won League One in 2023.<\/p>\n

Having grown up a keen footballer and playing for his boyhood side until the age of 16, Ryan got the opportunity to represent Northern Ireland national futsal team eight times, scoring three goals against England, Scotland and Gibraltar. Now past his peak, Ryan prefers to mix weightlifting with running \u2013 he achieved a marathon PB of 3:31:49 at Manchester in April 2025, but credits the heat for failing to get below the coveted 3:30 mark\u2026<\/p>\n

You can follow Ryan on Instagram @ryan.dabbs<\/a> or on X @ryandabbs_<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n