Be Well Workout of the Week: Crush Calories With a Kettlebell and Physioball

Jacob Lund/Shutterstock.com

For this week’s workout, you’ll need a kettlebell and a physioball. (Can you tell this week’s workout is going to be a toughie?) For the kettlebell circuit, you’re going to start by doing 20 reps of each exercise, then do 16, then 12 and, lastly, eight reps of each exercise. Then, you’ll move on to the physioball circuit where you’ll do the same number of reps, but different exercises. Once you knock all four rounds of the physioball circuit out, you’re done! Got it? Good luck, friends!

Note: If you don’t have a kettlebell, you can just use dumbbells and do either squats or dead lifts instead of swings.

Kettlebell circuit 
Do 20-16-12-8 reps of each exercise

Kettlebell swings
Lunge row (on each side)
Lateral lunge
Ab twists
Reverse lunge

Physioball circuit
Do 20-16-12-8 reps of each exercise

Sit-ups
Single-leg curtsy
Decline push-ups
Ball-tap crunches (sorry for the name, but hold the physioball between your feet, reach them to the ceiling, then crunch up and tap the ball)
Hamstring curls

Explanations of exercises:
Click the links for how-to videos. 

Kettlebell swings: Standing with feet about hip-width apart, hold a kettlebell in front of you both both hands. Bend your knees into a squat, swinging the kettlebell back through your legs as you drop down and forward to about shoulder height as you stand. Repeat in a fluid motion.

Lunge row: Standing with your left leg forward in a lunge and left forearm on thigh, row the kettlebell with your right arm like you’re starting lawn mower. Switch to opposite side lunge for left arm.

Lateral lunge: Standing with feet together, holding the kettlebell straight down with both hands, step to the side in a lunge, making sure your knee doesn’t bend past your toe. Return to standing and lunge on the other side.

Ab twists: Sit on the floor with knees bent, heels pressing into the ground. Lean back slightly, holding the kettlebell at your chest, and use your abs to twist side to side.

Reverse lunge: Standing with your feet together and holding the kettlebell at your chest with both hands, take a large step back with your right leg, bringing your knee almost to the floor. Return to standing position and repeat on the left side.

Sit-up: Lie with you back on the physioball and your feet on the floor. Put your hands behind your ears. Without pulling on your neck and using only your abs, lift your shoulders off the ball and come to a full sit-up position. Lie back down slowly.

Single-leg curtsy: Standing with your right foot on physioball behind you, roll the ball back and around to the left, doing a curtsy, then drive knee back up. Do all reps on one side before moving on to the other side.

Decline push-ups: Put your toes on the physioball behind you, and put your hands on the ground. Do your push-ups in that position.

Ball-tap crunches: Laying on your back, hold the physioball between your feet up toward the ceiling. Crunch up and tap the ball. Repeat.

Hamstring curls on the physioball: Lying on your back, place heels onto top of the ball (if you’re using a TRX, place your feet in the TRX instead) so your legs are straight and lift your hips toward ceiling; your hips should be in line with shoulders. Keeping your hips up, bend your knees and pull the ball in toward your butt, squeezing your hamstrings. Hold for a beat, then return to the starting position.

» Curious about how tough this workout is? Check out the BeWOW Breakdown, in which our intrepid fitness testers try out this workout and share their review. 

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Audrey McKenna Hasse is the owner of A.M.Fit, a personal training and healthy consultation business on the Main Line. You’ll find her workouts every week right here on Be Well Philly.

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