Hi everyone,
Sometimes when we are short for time it is tempting to skip exercise all together. I was nearly going to cop out of a workout today, but then I thought about how little training I’ve been doing as it is, with my crappy work schedule right now! So I thought I would put together a straight forward workout that anyone can do, with only a couple of modifications.
The focus is on cardio and endurance, mixing Kettlebells and bodyweight exercises. Below is my workout breakdown and then further down I have outlined a few modifications for beginners and intermediates to follow. From the video, you will notice that 3 of the exercises have been modified or substituted for beginners. I would also recommend checking out the tutorials for the exercises that are highlighted links below.
My Workout
Setting my Gymboss Interval Timer for 20 cycles of 15 seconds rest and 45 seconds effort, I completed 4 rounds of the following 5 exercises. My reps per exercise are in brackets, except for round 2, which I didn’t count:
- Kettlebell Goblet Squat to Press (15, / , 14, 12)
- Two-Handed Kettlebell Swing (30, /, 29, 29)
- Plank Climber (18, / , 18, 16)
- Kettlebell Bent Over Alternating Row (18, /, 17, 15)
- Side to side Step Ups (48, /, 45, 43)
Sweat Bath! Loved the simplicity today, as I was not in the mood for a complicated set-up.
Right, now for some straight forward modifications:
Beginners and Intermediates
Sometimes is is better to use set reps as a beginner as you are less likely to rush your technique and hurt yourself in the process. However, this approach does not work so well for all exercises, so I have included some set times for 3 of the exercises, so you can use a countdown from your interval timer, or use a stopwatch. The set reps and set times are indicated in Bold below. I have also highlighted in Green, the times where the modifications appear in the video.
If you are using intervals, then either set the timer for 5 cycles if you want a longer break between each round, or 20 cycles of 30 seconds rest and 30 seconds effort. Aim for the full 4 rounds, but you can do as many as you’re able to do.
Intermediates you should be able to manage intervals set to at least 20 seconds rest and 40 seconds effort, you may want to do the advanced version or mix and match between the two:
- Kettlebell Goblet Squat x 12 – 15 reps (1:53)
- Two-Handed Kettlebell Swing x 30 seconds
- Plank Hold x 30 seconds (2:12)
- Kettlebell Bent Over Alternating Row x 12 – 16 reps
- Jumping Jacks x 30 seconds (2:31)
Feel free to play about with the intervals to suit your fitness level, but try not to under-estimate your abilities either, as you want to get the most out of this 20 minutes work.
I really had fun with this workout as it was just what the doctor ordered – nothing fancy, but very effective 😀
Let me know how you got on?
Marianne
