Are you hoping to build strength all over without doing any squats or lunges? Then this kettlebell session, from fitness trainer Roxanne Russell, proves that you can still complete a full-body workout without putting extra strain on your knee joints.
Beginner-friendly and taking just half an hour to complete, Russell uses one of the best kettlebells to help intensify the knee-friendly session. The workout involves completing 21 exercises in 30 minutes, working for 60 seconds and resting for 20 seconds with each move.
“This workout is suitable for all,” Russell notes. “It will challenge your balance, stability and strength.” So once you’ve grabbed your weights you’re good to go. And to ensure you do each move with proper form and avoid injury, follow along with Russell's demonstrations to perfect your technique as you go.
Watch Roxanna Russell’s 30-minute kettlebell workout
Russell starts this 30-minute session with a quick three-minute warm-up where you’ll complete bodyweight stretches, like chest stretch side reaches and hip openers. This will prepare your body for the strength workout that follows.
Once you’ve warmed up, Russell jumps straight into the session which contains a number of compound exercises like:
By their design, compound exercises are known (and loved) for their ability to hit more muscles in a shorter space of time because they recruit multiple muscle groups and joints simultaneously. It’s what makes them so effective at building muscle mass and strength across your body without spending days in the gym.
But the fitness coach does include some unilateral exercises, like a single staggered row, which works one side of your body at a time. But with such a variety of moves, you might be wondering what kettlebell weight you should use.
“The weight displayed is for demonstration purposes as a reference, but you should pick the weight that is challenging for you,” Russell says. So the trainer recommends using her weight as a guide. However, just bear in mind that you might need to change the weights depending on the exercise.
Of course, it’s all well and good completing this workout—doing so will help you increase your strength, balance and stability. But if you intend to increase muscle mass, you’ll also need to read up on progressive overload and its effects on muscle growth.
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