Workout of the week: 20-min functional partner workout

12th February 2024

ALL LEVELS / functional partner workout / 20 minutes

Equipment: Medicine ball & partner

Love and exercise go hand in hand — literally. They both release endorphinsthe hormones responsible for that feel-good sensation after working out. Among other things, these two also turn our faces red, and they make our hearts beat faster. That’s why we thought a partner’s workout on this Valentine’s day would be a great idea. But don’t worry, you don’t need a significant other to perform it. Just bring a friend along and have some fun!

This functional partner workout results from a partnership between our two personal trainers from EVO Fitness in Vienna, Mariahilfer Strasse: Hannah Braun and Johannes Auer. It consists of 6 exercises, each to be performed for 30 seconds. Try to rest as little as possible between each exercise because you’ll have plenty of time to rest in between rounds: 60 seconds. This workout has 3 rounds, which should account for 20 minutes total. 

  1. Plank with clap 
  2. Plank shoulder taps and claps 
  3. Sit-up with medicine ball and pass
  4. Russian twist medicine ball pass 
  5. Squat and pass 
  6. Squat jump and pass 

Grab a partner and let’s go!

WORKOUT SETUP

  • 6 exercises
  • 30 seconds each, little to no rest in between
  • 3 rounds
  • 60 seconds rest between rounds.
  • 20 minutes
  • Equipment: Medicine ball

WORKING OUT FROM HOME? NO PROBLEM.

Medicine ball = bag with some weights, such as books, cans of food 

WORKOUT EXERCISE LIST

3 rounds

1 – PLANK WITH CLAP

30 seconds

  • Get into a high plank position, with both heads facing each other. Make sure you’re close enough to reach and calp your partner’s hand.
  • Clap hands with your partner diagonally — that means you’ll both use the same hand to clap with each other.
  • Engage your core and reach your right hands, clapping.
  • Go back to the high plank position.
  • Now do the same with the left hand and repeat the whole process for 30 seconds.

2 – PLANK SHOULDER TAPS AND CLAPS

30 seconds

  • Once again, get into a high plank position, with both heads facing each other, making sure you’re close enough to reach and calp your partner’s hand.
  • Engage your core and perform a shoulder tap on both shoulders individually. With your right hand and without balancing, touch your left shoulder. With your left hand, your right shoulder.
  • Clap your right hand with your partner.
  • Go back to the high plank position and repeat for 30 seconds, alternating the clapping hands.

3 – SIT-UP WITH MEDICINE BALL AND PASS

30 seconds

  • Lay down on your back with your feet facing each other. One of you will start with the ball. 
  • Both should then perform a sit-up by curling up your upper body, but only one holds the ball at chest level.
  • When you reach the top, pass the ball to your partner and do the same — now without the ball.
  • Repeat for 30 seconds. 

4 – RUSSIAN TWIST MEDICINE BALL PASS

30 seconds

  • Sit down next to your partner, and balance your body weight using your hips.
  • Make sure your torso is at a 45-degree angle to the floor and your back straight.
  • One of you should hold the medicine ball at chest level, perform 3 twists touching with the ball on the floor before passing the ball over.
  • Your partner will wait for your pass in an ab hold. After receiving the ball from you, they’ll repeat the 3 touches and hand it over again.
  • Repeat for 30 seconds.

5 – SQUAT AND PASS

30 seconds

  • Stand face to face with your partner, both with your feet shoulder-width apart and your feet slightly pointing out.
  • One of you should be holding the ball before starting.
  • Keep your chest proud and look forward.
  • Squat at the same time — one of you holding the ball at chest level — pushing your hips back and bending your knees.
  • Come back up and throw the ball to your partner.
  • Repeat for 30 seconds.

6 – SQUAT JUMP AND PASS

30 seconds

  • Once again, stand face to face with your partner, both with your feet shoulder-width apart and your feet slightly pointing out.
  • One will start with the ball, and both should keep their chest proud and look forward.
  • Squat at the same time — one of you holding the ball at chest level — pushing your hips back and bending your knees.
  • At the end of the movement, jump as high as you can before doing another squat.
  • Once you’re in the starting position, throw the ball to your partner.
  • Repeat for 30 seconds.

This functional partner workout is the best day to start Valentine’s Day. Scroll down for more challenges below:

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