It’s time to slim down and power up your fitness with this kettlebell HIIT workout.
Kettlebell training is an awesome way to develop athletic curves and a strong figure. Not only does it help to accentuate different areas of your body by providing a strong toning effect, it also burns a huge amount of fat.
Throw in some high-intensity interval training with those bells and you’ll turbocharge your gains and melt fat.
Now it’s your time to get serious with this fast-paced 20-minute kettlebell HIIT workout…
High Intensity Interval Training
Use high intensity interval training to boost fat loss, ramp up fitness and sculpt a leaner, more athletic body.
You’re here because you want to make changes to your body in the shortest time possible.
Luckily, you’re in the right place. We’re here to give you the lowdown on the most effective 20-minute kettlebell HITT workout on the planet.
It promises:
- Firmer, more toned muscle
- Next level fat burn
- Athlete levels of endurance
- Greater strength, skill and power
- A time-efficient way of working out around your hectic lifestyle
What is HIIT and why should you care?
High-intensity interval training (known as HIIT) is a training method used by everyone from athletes to housewives to get lean, toned and fitter… fast.
Unlike traditional cardio that takes up hours and hours of your day, HIIT compacts your workout into multiple high-intensity bursts known as intervals.
By adding in recovery periods between intervals, you can work harder than ever, accelerating calorie burn and fat loss. The impact on your cardio system builds endurance, stamina and real fitness too.
There are lots of ways to perform HIIT training.
You can adapt both work interval and rest interval length to suit your current abilities.
When you’re not at your fittest, make the work durations 10-30 seconds long and make sure you get plenty of recovery between reps so you’re feeling sharp.
If your fitness is looking good, test yourself by either longer work reps or shorter duration rest periods. Even add in more reps if you can.
Why use kettlebell HIIT?
HIIT is a concept not a program. It’s fluid, dynamic and adaptable to your goal. If you want all-out fat loss you can perform your workout on a bike or a running track.
But if you want to build some sexy curves while shredding fat you need to think about throwing some resistance in there too… and that’s where kettlebells come in.
Kettlebell HIIT workout
In just 20-minutes 3 times per week you’ll develop a completely new physique and mindset… and a whole lotta sass.
This 20-minute kettlebell HIIT workout is as simple as it gets. You just need a kettlebell and a little grit and determination.
Get ready to challenge yourself, girl. We want you to go as heavy as you can without sacrificing form. Women were meant to lift heavy, and now’s your time to grip, rip and teach those kettlebells what it’s all about.
The great thing about kettlebells is they’re portable.
You can do this kettlebell HIIT workout in the gym, your front room, in your garden and even on the beach in full bikini.
Here’s a breakdown of the workout:
- 5 exercises
- 30 seconds work
- 30 seconds rest
- 2 rounds
Here are your exercises:
Kettlebell swing
- Grab your kettlebell by the horns with both hands and stand up. Make sure you’ve got a strong grip as that baby will be swinging at some speed.
- Start with your feet at shoulder-width apart and the kettlebell resting between your legs (there needs be enough space for it to travel between your legs without bashing your knees).
- With your knees slightly bent, stick your butt back and let the kettlebell move backwards slightly. Keep your back straight as you ‘hinge’ your hips.
- As powerfully as you can, snap your hips forward by pushing forward with your glutes. Your knees should still be slightly bent throughout.
- As you extend your hips, the kettlebell will naturally travel in front of your body, maybe to around eye level.
- When the kettlebell begins to fall, bend at the hip again and use the momentum to swing back and into the next rep.
Alternate kettlebell clean and press
- Take hold of a kettlebell with a firm grip with your left hand and start with it sat on your left thigh. You should be stood with your feet at shoulder-width apart.
- Start by swinging the weight up into a rack position. This is where the kettlebell rests on the outside of your forearm and your elbow points to the floor.
- Bend your knees slightly to gain some momentum and drive the kettlebell upward as you press it overhead. Don’t lock your elbow out but do make sure you extend it.
- Reverse the actions to return to the start position and change grip during the following movement to train your right side.
Goblet squat
- This one’s simple. Grip the kettlebell horns with two hands so that the bell of the weight is below the horns. This is called a goblet position.
- With the weight close to your chest, squat down making sure you push your knees out and avoid leaning forward excessively.
- Try to get your butt just below the height of your knees if you can.
- Drive upwards until your legs are fully extended.
Plank with kettlebell drag
- Get in a full plank position with your kettlebell resting just behind your right palm.
- With your left hand, drag the weight by the handle until it sits just below where your left palm was. Make sure you keep your body still as you move the weight.
- Place your left hand back on the ground and repeat with your right hand.
- Carry on alternating sides until the timer goes off.
Goblet rear lunge
- Get the kettlebell into a goblet position, again with the weight resting close to your chest.
- With your feet at shoulder-width apart, take one long step back with your right foot, bend your left knee and sink into a lunge.
- At the bottom of the movement, both knees should be bent at 90 degrees and your right knee shouldn’t be touching the ground.
- Keep your upper body still and don’t lean forward.
- Push through your left foot and return to the start position.
- Alternate sides.
Here’s how the 20-minute kettlebell HIIT program works…
Start with exercise one and push for as many good quality reps as you can for that first 30-second period.
The workout is classed as an AMRAP which stands for ‘as many reps as possible’. Think power and speed.
Once the timer goes off, rest for 30 seconds and move onto exercise number two.
Carry on like this until you finish exercise number 5. This completed round 1.
Once the 30-second timer goes off again, start back at exercise 1 and repeat the same exercises with even more power, speed and enthusiasm.
You need to do a total of four rounds to hit your 20-minutes.
That’s it.
20-minutes will be over before you know it.
[Related article: Best Fat Burners for Women]
The bottom line
This brutally-effective 20-minute kettlebell HITT workout has been designed by the pros to shake off the cobwebs and help you develop a fitter, leaner figure in a matter of weeks.
Build up the intensity gradually and when you’re ready just add in another round or two for maximum effect. It’ll take a little longer than 20 minutes, but at some point your new fitness levels will need an extra boost.
