When you’re tight on time and can’t make it to the gym or fit in an extended workout, this five-move kettlebell workout could be just what you need to build muscle all over your body, strengthen your core and boost your metabolism in just 20 minutes.
And you don’t need a gym full of equipment to get started, just one of the best kettlebells. These off-center weights are extremely versatile and can be used for strength training moves and high-intensity exercise for an effective muscle-building, and fat-burning session.
That’s why they’re at the heart of this five-move workout developed by Angie Asche for the workout app Centr. All you need is a weight that’ll challenge your muscles through a set but won’t affect your form, a bit of space and a yoga mat for underfoot support.
The aim is to do a specific amount of repetitions before moving on to the next exercise, but aim for around one minute per move, so a full circuit takes just five minutes. And, as Asche suggests, “If you’re short on time, just knock out [one] 5-minute round, otherwise, try 3-4 sets.”
It’s crucial to do each move with proper technique if you want to get the most from your training and avoid injury, a particular concern when working with weights. Fortunately, Asche demonstrates each move so you can practice your form before you start.
Watch Centr’s 20-minute full-body kettlebell workout
The routine was posted to Instagram as a collaboration between Centr and Asche and is billed as a pregnancy-friendly routine. However, if you are pregnant and want to give it a go, speak to your healthcare team before taking it on to make sure it’s right for your body.
But it’s a session everyone can use too, thanks to the inclusion of several compound exercises — moves that work multiple muscles simultaneously — to boost your efficiency and give you a full-body workout that you can do in just 20 minutes with these five exercises:
- Kettlebell Romanian deadlift x12 reps
- Kettlebell deadlift x12 reps
- Kettlebell Farmer’s carry 50ft/15m
- Kettlebell sumo deadlift high pull x8-10
- Kettlebell swings x15
Each kettlebell-based move requires your upper and lower body to get the job done, which is why this short routine is ideal if you’re also looking to strengthen your core — the section of muscle around your stomach that also includes your rectus abdominis six-pack abs muscle.
Plus, the kettlebell swing raises your heart rate, so you burn more energy during this high-intensity exercise than during a steady-paced equivalent. And keeping your heart rate high for the whole session boosts your metabolism (the amount of energy you burn throughout the day).
As a result, you can pack a muscle-building, fat-burning workout into just 20 minutes. But since you engage many muscles, you’ll likely feel the effects of delayed-onset muscle soreness the next day. You can reduce some of the soreness with a quick massage using a foam roller.
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