Forget the gym — build a stronger core and full-body muscle in just 30 minutes with this 6-move kettlebell workout

a man performing a kettlebell workout outside

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The gym is packed with muscle-building equipment, but if you're tight on time or want to train at home, you don't need endless machines to strengthen your whole body. Instead, you only need a single weight and this six-move routine.

You can use any kettlebell that's heavy enough to give your muscles a challenge, but if you need a set for your home, the best kettlebells are a great place to start. Then you can pick up your durable, versatile weight and get started with this 30-minute workout.

It's a short, intense routine developed by TMAC Fitness that's designed to work muscles all over your body, raise your heart rate, boost your metabolism, and strengthen your core as you'll need to engage your mid-body muscles for stability.

Watch TMAC Fitness’ 28-minute kettlebell workout

28-minute kettlebell workout - YouTube

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The reason you can pack a muscle-building workout into just 28 minutes is the exercise style: high-intensity resistance training (HIRT). These sessions are designed to make you train intensely in short bursts with minimal rest, which works your muscles hard.

But there are other benefits, like a raised heart rate, which helps you burn more energy than during a slower repetitions-focused routine. Plus, keeping the breaks short sustains this high heart rate, which boosts your metabolism (the amount of energy you burn throughout the day).

This results in a muscle-building, fat-burning workout that you can do in less than 30 minutes with just a single weight. However, it’s not the only reason to choose this specific routine from TMAC Fitness, as instructor Lauren Donahue closes the session with a short mindfulness practice.

It’s designed to help you bring your mind to the present moment, connect with your breathing, and develop the mind-muscle connection as you notice how your body feels at the end of the intense workout in a similar way to a Savasana pose at the end of a yoga class.

Mindfulness and meditation, which are generally seen as calming activities, might seem at odds with high-intensity exercise. However, one of our writers recently tried meditating before a workout and found that it helped her improve her form and recover faster.

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James is Tom's Guide's Buying Guide Editor, overseeing the site's buying advice. He was previously Fitness Editor, covering strength training workouts, cardio exercise, and accessible ways to improve your health and wellbeing.His first job at as a sales assistant in a department store, and this is where James learned how important it is to help people make purchasing decisions that are right for their needs, whether that's a fountain pen to give as a gift or a new fridge for their kitchen.

This skill stayed with him as he developed a career in journalism as a freelance technology writer and, later, as Buying Guide Editor for MakeUseOf, where his interest in fitness combined with his commitment to impartial buying advice.

This is how he came to join Fit&Well as Fitness Editor, covering beginner-friendly exercise routines, affordable ways to boost your wellbeing, and reviewed weights, rowing machines, and workout headphones.

James is an advocate for sustainability and reparability, and focuses his reviews and advice through that lens to offer objective insights as to whether a specific product or service will be right for your needs.