If anyone were to ask me -what is the one piece of equipment you would have in your home? I would say a kettlebell. Kettlebells are a great, versatile weight that can get you moving, get you stronger and get your heart rate raised all in one.
So here is a little kettlebell workout to get you going!
The exercises
Squat and reverse lunge complex
For this you are going to rack the kettlebell on the side you are reverse lunging on (see video). Start with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart, bend at the knees and the hips pushing the hips back as if going to sit on a stool behind you (performing a squat) then squeeze the glutes and come back to standing. Then step one foot straight back, keeping your torso straight with your shoulders relaxed and core engaged. Lower your hips until your knees are roughly at 90-degree angles, not letting your back knee hit the floor. Then step it back to the centre and repeat- work on one side, then switch sides half way through the work time with both kettlebell and leg.
Russian Twist
Start by sitting on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. Lean your torso back until at a 45 degree angle while engaging your core. Hold both your hands out in front of you and if you can- raise both your legs (keeping the knees bent). From here twist in the torso rotating your arms all the way to one side, then twist the other way all while maintaining that body position- that’s one rep, then repeat!
Squat to Press
You can do this either with 2 kettlebells or just the one depending on what is available to you. Start with the feet just over hip-width apart and rack the kettlebell on one side or if using 2 rack both kettlebells. Bend at the hips and the knees, drawing the hips back as if you are going to sit on a small stool behind you. As you come back up to standing, drive the kettlebell upwards in a shoulder press. Lower the kettlebell down to the shoulder (or rack position) and repeat.
Kettlebell Swing
Start in a wide foot position with the kettlebell on the floor slightly in front of you. Keep a slight bend in the knees throughout but we want to focus on hinging at the hips for this movement. So, bend at the hips and grab the kettlebell. Using both hands on the handle, pull the kettlebell through your legs, at the end of its swing thrust your hips forward so the kettlebell swings through. Keep the arms relaxed- it is your hips and your glutes doing the work. As the kettlebell swings back down- hinge at the hips and allow it to swing through your legs. Top tip- if you can swing the kettlebell higher than your shoulders, you can go heavier!
Bear Crawl Hold Pull through
This is a bit like a plank but scrunched up. Start on all fours like a tabletop, then tuck your toes under your feet and place the weight behind one of your hands. From here lift your knees off the floor about 2 cm. You need to focus on keeping that core stable and hips as still and level as possible. Then take the hand with no weight behind it, grab the weight from the other side and pull it across placing it just behind where your hand will go, then replace your hand. Then repeat on the other side (watch video to make sense of it).
This is a timed workout- Perform each exercise for 40 seconds-1 minute, depending on fitness level, and try for 4-5 rounds.
Enjoy!
