If a new fitness product promised to improve your conditioning, build full-body muscle, boost strength and help you develop an iron core, you’d probably think it was a gimmick. But that product already exists – it’s the kettlebell.
This kettlebell workout from Break The Mould training app creator Obi Vincent delivers all the benefits above in less than 20 minutes. You only need one kettlebell to try it too, making it a great option when you’re faced with a busy gym, or if your home gym consists of a single weight.
The session is a sequence of three five-minute AMRAP (as many reps as possible) workouts, with two minutes of rest between each one.
Watch Vincent’s video below for a breakdown of the three-part workout, as well as a tutorial on how to perform two of the best power-building kettlebell exercises around: the clean and the snatch.
When picking a weight for this workout, Vincent advises taking a conservative approach. If you choose a heavier kettlebell the moves will become more challenging, but this will hamper your ability to move at a decent speed. Consequently, you may be forced to take longer breaks mid-workout, resulting in less of a conditioning effect than if you opted for a moderate-weight kettlebell.
Vincent uses compound exercises like the kettlebell swing, clean, snatch and push press to hit multiple muscle groups and joints simultaneously.
Another benefit of kettlebell exercises is the recruitment of your core muscles to keep you stable. The dynamic, compound nature of the movements and unilateral (one-sided) work, means your midsection is working overtime to support your spine and keep your balance.
The single-arm exercises in the second AMRAP will hit deep-lying core muscles like the multifidus and transversus abdominis, as well as the internal and external obliques (often colloquially called the “side abs”).
If you haven’t mastered the clean or snatch yet, start with our beginner kettlebell workout which steers clear of those more technical moves, or this full-body kettlebell workout which adds loaded carries to the mix.