Total Body Burner: At-Home Kettlebell Workout

Have you ever heard the saying that abs are made in the kitchen and summer bodies are made in the winter? They’re both true, and if you’ve got bikinis on the brain, don’t stress. I’ve put together the best burner of an at-home workout to get your heart rate up and help you sweat off those extra calories we may or may not have awarded ourself this Girl Scout cookie season ????.

If you haven’t used kettlebells before, you’re in for a treat. Depending on which sets you buy (this adjustable weight goes from 8-40 lbs and this starter set can get you moving for under $35), they can be a great affordable option for your home gym, especially perfect for those busy days when making it to the gym can be a struggle.

What Are Kettlebells + Why Use Them?

A kettlebell is an instability device, which means that depending on the weight, momentum, and rotation of your body, the amount of activation and stability will change making different muscle groups fire at different times. Unlike free weights and dumbbells, the asymmetrical shape of the weight leaves you with more options than with traditional exercises.

The movements you can perform with a kettlebell help you improve not only your power, but your endurance too, meaning you’re getting stronger AND faster at the same time. The best part is that most kettlebell movements target more than one body part at a time, so not only are you able to work out at home, but you’re also able to get in a killer workout, targeting multiple areas, burning more fat, and blasting calories all at the same dang time! How’s that for efficient?

Outfit + Equipment Details:

White Leggings?(similar here?on sale under $20), Reebok Sports Bra (bonus: only $25), APL Sneakers (also love these budget friendly Reebok style ones), Kettlebell Set

Best At Home Kettlebell Workout

Next time you’re ready to work out, try this at-home (or anywhere!) kettlebell workout:

Workout options:

  • Set your timer for 20 minutes and try to complete as many rounds and reps as possible, aiming for 10-15 reps of each movement. No breaks!
  • Complete 3-5 rounds of 60 seconds for each movement. Try to hit the same number of reps (or more) each round. Rest about 60 seconds between rounds.

Squat

Start in the standing position, with your feet spaced slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly out to the sides. Holding the kettlebell in front of your chest (you can hold it by the handle or flip it over and hold it by the bell too), keeping your elbows in close to your body. Keeping your core tight throughout the movement, slowly squat down, drive your heels into the ground, and try to get your butt below parallel, keeping your chest up and your knees slightly out over your toes. Return to a standing position to complete the rep.

High Pull

Stand up straight with your back nice and flat, core tight. Hold the kettlebell by the handle so it’s hanging down below your hips. Slowly bring the kettlebell up toward your chin, allowing your elbows to go out, stopping at about shoulder height. You can also combine this move with a deadlift.

Lunge

Lunges are great because they are working SO many muscles at the same time, and you don’t need to add weight. For extra burn,?add in dumbbells or kettlebells (you can honestly use either for this move!). If you have dumbbells, hold one in each hand and lunge forward (or you can choose to complete reverse lunges). Make sure that your front knee never goes out ahead of your toe and that you’re creating a nice 90 degree angle with your knee. Return to standing. If you opt to use a kettlebell, hold it in front of your chest like you did for your squat.

Deadlift

Begin standing straight with the kettlebell on the ground between your feet. Your feet should be about shoulder width apart, and your back should remain flat and your core tight throughout the entire move. Slowly push your hips back as you bend down (keeping your legs as straight as possible) to grab the handle of the kettlebell, keeping your chin neutral. Slowly stand and squeeze your glutes at the top of the stance, and then lower back down until you feel the pull in your hamstrings. Be sure to keep your shoulder blades squeezed together to help keep your back flat and chest out during the movement to maximize the stimulation of your glutes and hamstrings.

Kettlebell Swing

The kettlebell swing is one of my absolute favorite moves! Not only is this a great strength + endurance move, but it’s just pretty dang fun to do. At first glance, it looks like this move works your arms. But, in reality, it’s a great hip/glute move as you should be using your hips to really drive the kettlebell up and forward.

Begin in a standing position holding the kettlebell down below your hips. Your back should remain flat and your core tight. Bend slightly, pushing your hips back toward the wall behind you. Use your hips to propel the kettlebell forward in a swinging motion up and about chest or chin level. This movement is meant to be on the faster side. The slower you go, the more difficult it will be to maintain the proper motion.

As you progress through these moves, you can start to make them more challenging by opting for a heavier kettlebell or even by trying to do a one arm overhead kettle bell squat and/or lunges! I definitely don’t recommend doing those unless you’re more intermediate to advanced and after you’ve had some practice with these moves. After you try the workout, comment below and let me know your favorite movement!

xo,

Related reading:

At-Home Stepladder Workout
A Lotta Tabata || 4-Minute Total Body Toning Workouts
Benefits of Adding Resistance Bands to Your Workout + My Favorite Banded Moves
5 Workouts You Can Do Anywhere
My 10-Minute Anywhere Workout || Bodyweight Moves for Beginners and Advanced

2 Responses

    1. Hi Jeannie! Heidi shares a couple of links for kettlebells she likes in the post! 🙂

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.