15 Minute Workouts for Any Occasion

No matter if you’re at home still or returning to the gym we’ve got the perfect 15-minute workouts that will get you to work hard, get fitter, and still have time to enjoy the rest of your lunch break or an extra coffee before work. Remember to warm-up before starting with a quick 3-5min skipping or full-body dynamic movements such lunges with a twist, squat with overhead reach, or high knees, for example, to get your body ready to hit these workouts with intensity.

The 15 Minute No-Equipment Home Workout

Push yourself without even leaving home plus no equipment needed. Hit your full body in 15 minutes, perform each exercise straight after each other with little to no rest between movements. Once a circuit is complete take 1-2mins rest before starting the next round.Complete each exercise for 1 minute without stopping before moving onto the next, complete two rounds.

1. Star Jumps with a floor touch

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, initiate a squat movement but driving the hips back and keep the back straight, at the halfway point touch one hand to the floor and explode back up in a star jump. Land softly and repeat with the other hand.

2. Bicycle Crunches (Crossbody crunches)

Laying on the floor on your back driving your lower back into the ground, bring your hands to either side of your head and lift the shoulders. Bring your knees up so they are bent at 90 degrees and your feet are parallel to the floor. Bring your right elbow across your body to meet you left knee while dropping your right leg towards the floor before return back to starting position, repeat with the left elbow to right knee and dropping the left leg. Keep this movement going to alternatively crunch on each side.

3. Jump Squats

Standing with feet shoulder-width apart, initiate the squat movement by driving the hips back and down, keeping your chest lifted and core engaged. At the bottom of the squat power up to a jump before landing back in the squat position and repeat.

4. Leg Raises

Lay flat on your back with your legs stretched out in front of you, arms are by your side, palms flat on the floor or placed just under the side of you glutes (Hands should never be placed under the lower back). Engage your core pulling your belly button to your spine and with your lower back firmly pressed into the floor slowly raise your feet off the floor keeping your legs straight. Lift your legs to a 90-degree angle to the hip and then slowly lower your legs back down with control ensuring they do not touch the floor.

5. Lunge Jumps

Stand with your feet staggered and your left foot slightly in front of your right foot, with your hands on your hips or your arms out in front of you. Engage your core pulling your belly button to your spine, bend at the knee like in a normal lunge driving your back knee towards the floor at the bottom of the movement push through both of your feet spring up and switching the positions of your feet in midair and landing back into a lunge position and repeat.

6. Press-ups

Start in a high plank position, placing your hands as wide as is comfortable. The narrower your hands the more tricep is involved and the wider apart your hands the harder you will work out your chest. Slowly lower your chest towards the floor, bending at the elbow and keeping your abs engaged, just before you touch your chest to the floor, push through your hands and return to the start position. If you cannot complete the movement on your feet without touching the floor then drop your knees to the floor and use the same method as above.

7. 360-degree squat jumps (round the clock squat jumps)

Standing with feet shoulder-width apart, initiate the squat movement by driving the hips back and down, keeping your chest lifted and core engaged. At the bottom of the squat power up to a jump and using your arms rotate your body so you land facing the opposite way in the squat position and then repeat.

15 Minute Beginner Workout

New to working out? That’s not a problem try this circuit to hit your full body and leave you feeling strong. Perform each exercise one after the other with little to no rest. Complete the exercises for the stated amount of reps and then take 1-2 mins rest between circuits - Repeat the circuit 3 times.

1. Reverse Lunge - 10 reps each leg

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, with your hands on your hips or your arms out in front of you. Engage your core pulling your belly button to your spine, step one leg backwards and bend at the knee driving it towards the floor at the bottom of the movement push through both of your feet to starting position and then repeat with the other leg and continue to repeat alternating between legs.

2. Squat into shoulder press (with or without Dumbbell) - 15 reps

Stand with your legs hip-width apart and core engaged. Dumbbells should be held at the shoulder with your elbows bent. Start by dropping into a squat, by bending the knees to 90 degrees, keeping the back straight and the core engaged. At the bottom of the movement push through your feet driving your hips up, and reversing the movement. As you do this drive your hands upwards above your head to shoulder press the dumbbells squeezing the shoulders and traps. (if you don't have dumbbells, hold your hands by the side of your head like you would if you were holding them and repeat exactly the same movement as stated).

3. Press-ups on knees - 12 reps

Start in a high plank position, placing your hands as wide as is comfortable and your knees on the floor. The narrower your hands the more tricep is involved and the wider apart your hands the harder you will work out your chest. Slowly lower your chest towards the floor, bending at the elbow and keeping your abs engaged, just before you touch your chest to the floor, push through your hands and return to the start position.

4. Squat hold with punches - 20 reps (10 punches on each arm)

Stand with your legs hip-width apart and core engaged. Start by dropping into a squat, by bending the knees to 90 degrees, keeping the back straight and the core engaged and hold at the bottom of the movement. Holding your hands in front of your face in fists or holding dumbbells, punch one hand at a time out in front of you, extending the arm fully before returning and repeating on the other arm. Hold the squat for all the reps.

5. Crunches - 20 reps

Lay flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your hands by your forehead or cross your arms over your chest. Contract your abdominals by pulling your belly button in towards your spine, and slide your rib cage towards your hips, ensuring your lower back remains pushed into the floor. Your shoulders should lift slightly off the floor. Squeeze at the top of the movement and then lower yourself back to the starting position ensuring to control the movement.

15 Minute Full-Body Workout

This circuit will hit your full body, get your heart rate up and leave a burn. Perform each exercise straight after each other with little to no rest between movements. Once a circuit is complete take 1-2mins rest before starting the next round.

Complete each exercise for 1 minute without stopping before moving onto the next, complete two rounds.

1. Kneeling into squat Jump

Starting on your knees with your glutes on your feet, keeping your chest lifted and core engaged. Step one foot at a time so you are in a squat position and then push explosively with your hips so that you jump up and return into a squat before lowering yourself one leg at a time back to your knees and repeat.

2. Jump Squats

3. Tricep Dips

Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the surface behind you with hands facing forward and arms straight. Squeeze your core and glutes to engage them and keep your chest lifted. Initiate the movement by bending your elbows and lowering your bottom towards the floor until you elbows are bent to 90-degrees, then pushing through your hands drive yourself back upwards squeezing your triceps at the top of the movement before repeating.

4. Plank Rotations

Start in the high plank position with your core engaged. Making sure your hands are shoulder-width apart, shift your weight to the right side and twist your chest raising your left arm to point your arm towards the ceiling. Pause at the top of the moment and then rotate back down ensuring to control the movement, once back in starting position repeat on rotating weight to the left and raising the right arm. Keep repeating until you have completed all the reps.

5. Commandos

Begin in a plank position on your forearms. Push up on your left side so your arms are straight, and then follow with your right arm so you’re now in a high plank and then lower down onto your left forearm and then your right. Ensuring your core is engaged the entire time and your back is straight. This is one rep.

6. Pulse Sumo Squats

Stand with your legs wider than hip-width apart and core engaged. Start by dropping into a squat, by bending the knees driving them out over your knees in a wide stance, keeping the back straight and the core engaged. At the bottom of the movement hold and then lift your self back you slightly before dropping back into the lower position. Repeat this small movement in a pulse keeping the core, chest, glutes, and thighs engaged throughout.

15 Minute Arm Workout

Ready for an arm pump like no other? Build a strong set of arms as they say summer bodies are made in the winter so let’s work on building those bigger arms.Complete each exercise for 3 sets resting 30-60 secs between sets the last few reps should be hard to complete so choose a weight that will push you.

1. Barbell Bicep Curl - 12 reps

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, shoulders back and down, chest lifts. Hold the barbell in front of you palms facing up slightly wider than hip-width. Tuck your elbows tight to the body, and start the movement by curling the bar up towards your chest by bending at the elbow. Try not to move the hips and keep your arms tight to your body, when you reach chest height hold for a second before lowering the bar with control and repeat.

2. Dumbbell Hammer Curls - 12 reps

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, shoulders back and down, chest lifts. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at the side of your body, palms facing in. Tuck your elbows tight to the body, and start the movement by curling the dumbbells up towards your chest by bending at the elbow. Try not to move the hips and keep your arms tight to your body, when you reach chest height hold for a second before lowering with control and repeat

3. Overhead triceps extension - 12 reps

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, shoulders back and down, chest lifts. Hold a dumbbell or plate between both hands straight above your head. Tuck your elbows tight to your head, and start the movement by bending at the elbow and lowering the weight behind your head until your elbows reach 90-degrees. Try not to move the hips and keep your arms tight to your head, when you reach 90 degrees drive the weight back up above your head squeezing your triceps at the top.

4. Diamond Press-ups - 12 reps

Start in a high plank position on your feet or knees, placing your hands under your chest so that your thumbs and forefingers make a diamond. Slowly lower your chest towards the floor, bending at the elbow and keeping your abs engaged, just before you touch your chest to the floor, push through your hands and return to the start position.

5. Arnold press - 12 reps

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, shoulders back and down, chest lifts. Hold a dumbbell in each hand in front of your face, palms facing inwards. Tuck your elbows tight to the chest, and start the movement by pressing the dumbbells up towards above your head rotating your hands as you move so your palms are facing out at the top of the movement. Reserve the movement by lowering the weights back down to straight position ensure to rotate back to palms facing in.

15 Minute Abs Workout

Hit your entire core with this ab-solute burner. Once a circuit is complete take 1 rest before starting the next round.

Complete each exercise for 1 minute without stopping before moving onto the next, complete three rounds.

1. Crunches

2. Heel Reach

Lay flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor tucked close to your glutes. Place your arms at your side outstretched. Contract your right oblique reaching your right hand towards your right heel, as soon as you reach your heel contract your left oblique and drive your left hand towards your left heel. Keep the movement going one touch each side counts as a rep Ensuring your lower back remains pushed into the floor and your shoulders are lifted slightly off the floor. Squeeze at the bottom of the movement and before you move onto the opposite side.

3. Reverse Crunch

4. Leg Raise

5. Forearm Plank

Getting yourself into the press-up position lower yourself down so your forearms are flat on the floor, hands should be clenched and elbows under your shoulders in a 90-degree angle. Pull your lats back and down, engage your core by pulling your belly button to your spine and brace.

15 Minute HIIT Workout

Who needs a traditional HIIT workout? Not you! So why not string these two HIIT based AMRAPs together and push it to the next level. Take a minute rest between each one and get ready to get sweaty.Complete two AMRAPs (As many rounds as possible) in 7 mins moving from one exercise to the next without stopping for 7mins take 1 min to recover and then repeat for the second AMRAP, not down your scores and see if you can beat it each week.

AMRAP 1

1. 10 Burpees

Start standing with your feet hip-width apart, bend into a squat position keeping your core engaged, lower your hands to the floor in front of you in line with or just inside of your feet. Lean your weight into your hands and jump your feet back into a high plank position before lowering your body to the ground. Engaging your core and glutes return to high plank and then jump your feet back into your hands and return to a squat position before powering up and out of the squat with a jump and repeat.

2. 15 Squat Jumps

3. 20 Single leg V-ups (10 each leg)

Lay on the floor with your legs out straight out in front of you and toes pointed. Arms should be straight out behind you. Engaging your core lift your torso up driving one of your hands forwards while simultaneously pulling the opposite leg up to meet your chest in the middle before lowering yourself back to starting position.

AMRAP 2

1. 20 Bicycle crunches

Adopt a normal crunch position with your hands at your forehand, bend your knees and lift from the hip so that your legs are at a 90-degree angle. Engage your abs pulling your belly button to your spine and driving your lower back into the floor, as you do this bring your right elbow across your body to meet your left knee and simultaneously drop and straighten the right leg towards the floor but do not let it touch, return to start and then repeat on the opposite side by driving the left elbow to right knee and lowering the left leg (as if you were cycling).

2. 12 single leg glute bridge (6 each side)

Lay flat on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, lift one leg towards the ceiling keeping it straight and glutes engaged. Place your arms at your side outstretched. Engage your core and drive your hips up to the ceiling pushing through the heels of the foot still on the floor (keeping your shoulders and arms on the floor). At the top of the movement pause and squeeze your glutes before slowly lowering back down to the floor after 6 reps which the leg that is raised. 3. 12 Jump lunges (6 each side)

4. 10 Press-ups

15 Minute Cardio Workout

Ready to hit some cardio that will get your heart rate up, get you fitter, and a right sweat on within 15 mins? Yes, you are!.Add this in to end of a weight session or power through it as its own stand-alone workout to get your cardio in. Choose a bike or treadmill (alternatively want to get outside try hill/park sprints or a bike loop). Repeat 10 sets resting for 30 secs between sets.

20-second treadmill hill sprint or 30-second bike sprints
20 reps Alternating lunge jumps

Enjoy!

Amy Golby Writer and expert

Amy has a BSHons in psychology where she was a sports scholar, as a sportswoman for over 18 years playing rugby and netball up to a national level. She is a level 3 qualified personal trainer with a diploma in sports and exercise nutrition. She has been training in a gym and weightlifting for over 13 years, participating in CrossFit, Bodybuilding and many other events such as hyrox, triathlons and marathons. She has a passion for extending her learning through latest studies and with a great passion for getting more women into fitness. Amy has created programs as a coach for the last 4 years as well as around sport and fitness for Red Bull, Hyrox, Spartan UK, as well as Mental Movement UK around how fitness can help improve your mental health. She is also a advocate for female confidence and being awareness to mental health and body confidence. She can be found here – https://www.instagram.com/dreams_and_dumbbells/?hl=en