Killer Kettlebell Workout

Featured Article, Fitness, Outdoor Activity, Workout Plans
on May 28, 2015

This killer kettlebell workout will challenge the muscles of your entire body and work your cardiovascular endurance to bring you a calorie blasting and sculpting workout you’ll love. Perform each of the five movements in sequence, resting 30 seconds in between each one. Once you’ve completed all five, rest for two minutes, then complete an additional two rounds!

Around the Body Passes:

AroundTheWorld_1 AroundTheWorld_2

Begin in an athletic position, placing the feet hip-width apart, keeping a slight bend in the knees and contracting the core. Pass the kettlebell from in front of your body to behind, switching the hand holding the kettlebell. This is a great movement to warm up the body as well as to tighten the tummy, so embrace that abdominal burn!

Swings:

Swing_1 Swing_2

This movement, if done correctly, should actually work the glutes and hamstrings more so than the arm muscles. Begin by bending at the knees in a squatted position and hinging at the hips so your upper body is leaning slightly forward. Use your butt as the driving force to move the kettlebell from just gracing the ground to straight out in front of your face by thrusting the hips forward. Allow the kettlebell to swing back in between your legs as you bend in the knees then drive with the hips and butt for continued reps in a fluid motion!

Windmills:

Windmills_1 Windmills_2

Begin with your hips slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Place the kettlebell in the right hand and press it overhead, so the right arm is straight up and extended. With your free left hand, reach it down to your left ankle in a slow, controlled movement keeping the right arm with the kettlebell straight overhead. Reverse the motion to stand up in the starting position. Don’t forget to switch to the other side!

Squatted Upright Row:

SquattedUprightRow_1 SquattedUprightRow_2

Hold your body in a static squat position with your knees stacked over your ankles and your chest as straight up as possible. Hold the kettlebell in between your legs. Using your shoulder muscles, row the kettlebell from the ground straight up to your chest. Then, slowly lower back down.

Lunge to Row:

LungeToRow_1 LungeToRow_2

Begin in a lunge position with the right foot in front of the left and kettlebell in the left hand near the ground. In this lunge, hinge at the hips so your upper body is leaning slightly forward. Rise up into the top of your lunge by pressing the heel into the ground. As you come up, row the kettlebell into the abdomen. Lower back down into the lunge while simultaneously lowering the kettlebell down. Don’t forget to switch to the other side! This is a more advantaged movement, so it may take you a few attempts to get the hang of it, but don’t give up…it’s worth it!