Want to get stronger and burn lots of calories in the process without going to the gym? Buy yourself a kettlebell and do this workout instead. It won’t leave a muscle unturned, working your entire body from head to toe. Plus, its circuit-style format with short rest periods keeps the intensity high, so it’ll leave your heart racing helping to crunch through those calories.
Circuits don’t just build strength and burn calories though, they’re also an effective way at boosting your cardiovascular fitness— so, if you slack on the cardio front, you’re in luck! This is down to the short rest periods between movements, but also because most of the exercises involved in a circuit are compound exercises. These recruit lots of muscles and the more muscles your body has to use, the harder it has to work, elevating your heart rate, similar to that of a cardio workout.
For this workout you’ll have three different circuits to work through. You’ll perform each exercise back to back for 40 seconds, two times round, followed by a 30 second rest. Once the rest is up, move onto the next circuit. Don’t worry if you don't have access to a kettlebell, a dumbbell is a good substitute. Just make sure you’re opting for a weight that’s challenging enough— so you’re finding the last few reps pretty tough, but still able to complete the exercise for the set amount of time. Here’s your workout:
Complete each exercise for 40 seconds, one after the other, and repeat each circuit twice
Circuit 1
- Single arm row (left)
- Single arm row (right)
- Overhead tricep extension
- Squat into upright row
Circuit 2
- Reverse crunch
- Sit-up with overhead press
- Push-up with kettlebell drag through
- V-sit
Circuit 3
- Split squat (left side)
- Split squat (right side)
- Deadlift
- Kettlebell swings with hand switch
If you're looking for some more kettlebell workouts to schedule into your week, try this six-move full-body workout— it also features some great core exercises— or if you need something that's a bit more gentle on the joints check out this walking kettlebell workout.
-
I love Nintendo for bringing back kooky gaming cameras for the Switch 2The Nintendo Switch 2 Camera is mad
-
I tried Sony's new Sonos Arc rival – the Bravia Theatre Bar 6 goes big on bassSony's Bravia Theatre Bar 6 replaces the G700 soundbar system – and I got to test it out at a private listening session
-
Tired of a bad lower back? Bulletproof it with these three simple exercisesA fitness expert shares three easy moves you can do straight from the comfort of your home
-
You don’t need the gym – build boulder shoulders with this dumbbell-only workoutYou’ll have delts for days after doing these five exercises
-
Two dumbbells and these four exercises to build a stronger lower body if you’re a beginnerThis simple four-move workout shows that weight training doesn't need to be complicated
-
Try these 7 standing Pilates exercises to help build better balance and stabilityThis low-impact standing routine is ideal if you struggle with floor-based exercises
-
Skip the gym – this 20-minute standing dumbbell is low-impact and strengthens the entire bodyIt's ideal if you have limited mobility too
-
Pass the gym – build strength all over and boost your metabolism with this 20 minute dumbbell workoutGet strong, build muscle and burn fat with just a pair of dumbbells
-
Forget burpees – this 20-minute workout boosts your metabolism with no jumpingGet your heart pumping with this no-jump workout
-
Two dumbbells, 30 minutes, and six exercises to build muscle all over and a stronger coreA simple home workout to add muscle all over and boost strength
