I mentioned in a previous post that I was excited about a Dragon Door kettlebell certification coming to Boston at the end of this month. Welp, missed the sign-up deadline. Womp. But it’s actually a blessing in disguise because a reader introduced me to StrongFirst (thank you, Lindsey!) and I was pretty blown away at how amazing (and totally intimidating) it sounded. StrongFirst has an intense, 3-day certification program that will be in Boston in August, but it’s expensive ($1,600) and after reading the testing requirements, I’m actually not even strong enough to pass! I read the weight of the bells that would need to be used for each of the tested exercises and just went damn.

My first thought was, ok better get training. But before I start increasing my weights, I really want to have the form perfected. StrongFirst offers courses (different from certifications) that are one day and go over the ins and outs of kettlebells and proper form and alignment. They’re $299 and that cost can go towards a certification course should I chose to do that in the future. It sounds perfect for where I am right now, and it’s coming to Boston late April—whoop! I won’t be credentialed afterwards, but will be 100x more knowledgeable. Really excited to share all I learn with you guys!

And speaking of kettlebells, here’s a full-body workout I did the other day in my apartment made up of three mini circuits (one focusing on core, one on upper body, one on lower body).

3-Circuit Kettlebell Workout

Equipment I Used:

• 25-lb kettlebell
• 20-lb kettlebell
• Exercise mat

This workout consists of three circuits: the first focusing on core, the second on lower body, and the third on upper body. There are kettlebell swings in each one for a little cardio boost (plus kb swings might just be the most perfect exercise…ever). Go through each circuit three times. Complete one circuit before moving onto the next. Complete each circuit as quickly as possible (without sacrificing form!) and rest for up to 1 min in between circuits.

I indicated the weight I used in the exercise descriptions but adjust these to match your fitness level. With kettlebell exercises, it’s always best to start with a lower weight until you’re comfortable with the form.

I would budget 30 minutes for this workout. If you’re more advanced, you’ll be able to finish in less time; beginners will need a little longer. 

Circuit 1 (Core) | Go through 3 times

1 min Kettlebell Swings | Start with kettlebell on the floor between your legs and lift it up to starting position with both hands, flat back, using your legs to lift. With kettlebell hanging between your legs, use your arms as a pendulum, and swing the bell to chest-to-eye level by thrusting with your hips while keeping your core tight as you stand up straight. Swing back down and repeat. Your knees should remain slightly bent, but the main source of movement is hinging at the hips—not so much squatting. I used a 25-lb bell (but need to go up!).

50 Russian Twists | Start seated, holding the kettlebell in both hands at your chest, feet lifted off the ground with your knees bent. Lean back slightly, core engaged, balancing on your tailbone. Twist to one side, bringing the kettlebell to the outer side of that hip; then repeat in the other direction. Really twist at the waist—you want your chest to be totally facing whatever side you’re bringing the bell. I used a 20-lb bell.

25 Standing Side Bends (each side) | Stand with feet hip distance apart and a kettlebell in one hand. Lean over to the side with your torso as you lower the kettlebell towards the ground (try to get it at least to knee height, if not a little lower). Engaging the obliques, bring your torso back upright to starting position once you’ve gone as low as possible. I used a 25-lb bell.

Circuit 2 (Lower Body) | Go through 3 times

1 min Kettlebell Swings

25 Goblet Squats | Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart with your toes angled slightly outward. Hold a kettlebell in both hands, cradling it at the base of the handle at your chest. Keeping your torso as upright as possible (you don’t want to hunch forward with the weight of the bell), squat down, trying to get your bum lower than your knees. As you bend the knees, they should track in line with the angle of the toes and not jut forward of them. Once you reach the bottom of your squat, weight in your heels, power up to standing, thrusting the hips forward slightly at the top as you squeeze those glutes. I used a 25-lb bell.

25 Figure 8 Side Lunges (each side) | Begin standing with kettlebell in your right hand. Lunge out to the side onto your left leg, sitting your butt back to prevent the knee jutting forward of the toes. As you lunge out, gently swing the kettlebell around that left leg in a partial figure 8 movement, passing it off to your right hand as you continue to circle it around that left leg. Pass it back off to the right hand as you push off the left leg and return back to the starting standing position. I used a 25-lb bell.

Circuit 3 (Upper Body) | Go through 3 times

1 min kettlebell swings

15 Clean ‘n Press (each side) | Start standing tall with feet shoulder-width apart, holding the kettlebell in one hand, arm straight, bell hanging in front of your body. Bend knees into a half squat, and bring the kettlebell from a straight-arm hanging position to being closely held by the center of your chest with arm bent, fingers facing up. It’s a smooth movement, pulling the bell straight up and flipping your grip around the handle from an overhand grip to underhand (it will be cradled in the crook of your thumb and index finger at the end). Use your legs to help you achieve the clean: push up from your feet, straightening your legs for added power as you pull the bell up, and landing softly back into that half-squat as you catch the bell in its new hand position. From there, straighten legs as you stand up and extend your hand and the bell skyward. Reverse the moves to bring yourself back to starting position. Try to keep the kettlebell towards the center of your body throughout this move. When done correctly, this isn’t just an upper-body workout, but great for your core.

15 Mini Get-Ups (each side) | This is a partial Turkish get-up (very partial). Start laying down with the kettlebell in your right hand, right arm extended straight up towards the ceiling. You want to “pack” your shoulder blade down and back into the floor. Your right knee should be bent with right foot planted on the floor. Left leg is outstretched and left arm is laying beside you on the floor out at an angle. This is your starting position.

From here, engage your core and drive through the right heel as you punch the kettlebell straight up, coming up to a propped position on your left forearm. So you crunch the abdominals and, leading with your chest, rotate the shoulders so that the right arm is still perpendicular to the ground and your left forearm/elbow is supporting the weight of your upper body.

The last step is to squeeze the glutes and left oblique to lift the hips up into a sort of side plank. Don’t change the position of your feet when you do this. Reverse the motion, lowering the hips back to the ground and lowering your shoulders back down to the floor to your starting position. I used a 20-lb bell. 

WEARING: t-shirt: c/o Reebok (old) // leggings: c/o Eddie Bauer

SHOP A SIMILAR LOOK:

 

Hello, weekend, you beautiful thing!

I wanted to share the tutorial to the quick kettlebell workout I posted to my Facebook page earlier this week for anyone who’s unfamiliar with the exercises (and, of course, for all of you who don’t follow the blog on the ‘book). This took me just under 15 minutes to complete and was the perfect way to start the day. I was going to take a class at Btone later that night before teaching, but needed to do something before gluing my butt to my desk chair. This did the trick!

Quick Kettlebell Ladder

Equipment I Used:

• 25-lb kettlebell

You’ll go through the following exercises five times. The first round, complete 50 reps of each. Next round: 40; and so on, down to a final round of 10 reps of each. For the side bends, split up your reps (for example, during the first round, you’d do 25 to the right and 25 to the left).

• Kettlebell Swings: Start with kettlebell on the floor between your legs and lift it up to starting position with both hands, flat back, using your legs to lift. With kettlebell hanging between your legs, use your arms as a pendulum, and swing the bell to chest-to-eye level by thrusting with your hips while keeping your core tight as you stand up straight. Swing back down and repeat. Your knees should remain slightly bent, but the main source of movement is hinging at the hips—not so much squatting.
• Figure 8 Squats: Start standing with feet a little more than hip width apart, holding the kettlebell in one hand. Squat down, and as you do, pass the bell through your legs to the other hand, tracing half of a figure 8. Stand up, squeezing that booty and popping your hips forward. Squat back down, finishing the figure 8 shape around your legs as you pass the kettlebell through your legs to the starting hand.
• Standing Side Bends: These are sneaky! The first few reps you’ll feel like you aren’t doing anything, but man are these effective. My obliques were noticeably sore the next day. Stand upright with fieet hip-width apart, holding the kettlebell in your right hand. With your left hand on your hip or overhead (I have mine overhead in the pictures, but it doesn’t matter—do what’s comfortable), lean to the right, lowering the kettlebell towards the floor. Return to starting position using your core (arm isn’t moving or doing any of the work; your torso is where the movement originates). Split up the reps between sides. Round one, you’ll do 25 to the right and 25 to the left. Round two, 20 to each side, and so on.

Lorna Jane Picks

In today’s post I’m wearing the Coco Excel Zip Through and Berry Support Full Length Tight that Lorna Jane so graciously sent me. I was super excited about the top because black zip-ups are such a wardrobe essential—gym, running errands, grabbing lunch on the weekends. I actually lost the one I previous owned so thank you for the perfectly timed gift, LJ! In addition to the items I’m wearing, I wanted to share some of my other favorite picks from the brand (just in time for holiday shopping wink wink).

Keeping It Real Tank // Sabina Stripe Bra // Erica Active ¾ Pant // Cruz 7/8 Tight // Mia Excel Tank Bra Combo

Lorna Jane also sent me their 2015 Move Nourish Believe Diary which is essentially a weekly planner with healthy recipes, workouts and pictures thrown in. To go along with it, LJ has the Move Nourish Believe site that covers all things health and fitness (sort of like an online magazine meets blog)–check it out! In particular, this Beetroot Crust Pizza looks delish and I loved this article comparing cold press juicers to centrifugal juicers.

Enjoy your weekend! If you’re in Boston and looking to get a workout in, I’m subbing tomorrow morning at Btone and there are a couple spots left in the morning classes. Sign up here!

This post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Lorna Jane.

I did this on one of those days when you keep putting off your workout (but with full intension of doing it!) until all of a sudden it’s 8PM and anything not involving your couch and/or bed seems like an absolutely terrible idea. I figured a deck of cards workout would be a way to make it seem more like a game and less like a workout? Wrong. This was so hard. In fact, it’s pretty much the complete opposite of anything involving your couch and/or bed.

Thanks to my friends over at Cozy Orange, I’m rocking some fun printed leggings in today’s tutorial. They’re super comfy and the material is perfect for these upcoming colder months as it’s warm and a little on the thicker side. They have a small key pocket in the waistband as well, so I can see these being on heavy rotation for my cold-weather morning runs! If you want to check them out online, these are the Juno Fitted Yoga Pants.

Kettlebell Double-or-Nothing Deck of Cards Workout

Equipment I Used (adjust weights to your individual fitness level):

• 15-lb kettlebell
• 20-lb kettlebell
• 25-lb kettlebell
• A deck of cards (you can also use an app like RipDeck)

Deck-of-cards workouts are fun! Each suit corresponds to a different exercise, and number on the cards indicates how many reps of that exercise you’ll do. Ace is 11 and face cards are 10. Go through the entire deck, flipping one card over at a time.

For this particular “double or nothing” workout, you’ll either double the number of reps indicated on each card, or do it twice, once on each side (left, right). For example:

8 of clubs = 16 kettlebell swings

4 of diamonds = 4 windmills on the left, 4 windmills on the right

CLUBS | Kettlebell Swings (x2)

Start with kettlebell on the floor between your legs and lift it up to starting position with both hands, flat back, using your legs to lift. With kettlebell hanging between your legs, use your arms as a pendulum, and swing the bell to chest-to-eye level by thrusting with your hips while keeping your core tight as you stand up straight. Swing back down and repeat. Your knees should remain slightly bent, but the main source of movement is hinging at the hips—not so much squatting. I use a 25-lb bell.

DIAMONDS | Windmills (a set on each side)

Start in a standing position, feet wider than hip-width apart, kettlebell pressed above head in right hand. Your right foot should be pointing forward, your left foot pointing out to the side (perpendicular to the right). Slowly bend down, keeping legs and the arm holding the kettlebell straight. Touch the ground by your left foot with your left hand, keeping the kettlebell perpendicular to the ground the whole time. Slowly rise back up to starting position. A good way to maintain proper alignment during this is to look up at the kettlebell the whole time. I used a 15-lb kettlebell for these.

SPADES | Figure 8 Squats (x2)

Start standing with feet a little more than hip width apart, holding the kettlebell in one hand. Squat down, and as you do, pass the bell through your legs to the other hand, tracing half of a figure 8. Stand up, squeezing that booty and popping your hips forward. Squat back down, finishing the figure 8 shape around your legs as you pass the kettlebell through your legs to the starting hand. Here’s a video of it in action (fast forward to 0:43).

HEARTS | High Pulls (a set on each side)

Stand tall, feet about hip-width apart, with the kettlebell on the ground in front of you to one side. Squat down, weight in your heels, grabbing the kettlebell with one hand. This is your starting position. From here, power up to a standing position using your legs. As you do, pull the kettlebell straight up by your armpit, leading with the elbow. Bring the kettlebell back down to the ground softly, tapping it to the floor and going right into your next rep. I used a 20-lb kettlebell.

WEARING | leggings: c/o Cozy Orange // top: H&M // sneakers: Nike

Have you ever done a deck of cards workout?

My last upper body workout using kettlebells was a big hit, and I got a reader request for another one so she could switch it up. Ask and you shall receive…eventually (my turnaround time with workout requests is glacial, I know).

I would consider this workout to be a little more advanced than the first upper body kettlebell routine I blogged because you’re doing dynamic movements with heavier weights (the high-pull swings and high-pull to plank rows in particular). Form will be important for injury prevention with those, so if you’re newer to working out or kettlebells, start with a lighter weight—lighter than you think you need, trust me. Practice the exercises with little-to-no weight before upping it.

Granted, I am a whiney baby when it comes to upper body workouts, but OH MAN this one killed me…

Upper Body Kettlebell Interval Workout

Equipment I Used:

• 20-lb kettlebell
• Two 10-lb kettlebells (you could easily use dumbbells instead)
• Gymboss Interval Timer

Set an interval timer for 21 rounds of 45 seconds of work and 15 seconds of rest. You’ll go through the following circuit of exercises three times. As you’ll notice, you work the right side completely before moving onto the left: three exercises on the right, a two-hand exercises, then the starting three exercises on the left.

• High Pull Swing RIGHT: The best way to understand this swing is to watch this YouTube video demo (@2:40). It’s essentially a basic one-arm swing, but at the top of the swing, you pull your elbow back and slightly up and then lightly punch the bell back forward towards the top of the swing arch. To break it down: Start holding the bell in your right hand, feet shoulder-width apart with a soft bend in the knees. Swing the bell back between your legs, thumb-first, leaning forward with a straight back and bending the knees a little deeper. As you explosively swing the bell forward and up, thrust the hips powerfully forward, rotating your hand so that knuckles face forward, bringing the bell up to chest-to-face height as you bend the elbow, pulling it back behind your body at a slight upward angel. Push the bell back out front, straightening the elbow, and swing it back down, rotating the bell so that your thumb leads the way.
• Clean ‘n Press RIGHT:Start standing tall with feet shoulder-width apart, holding the kettlebell in one hand, arm straight, bell hanging in front of your body. Bend knees into a half squat, and bring the kettlebell from a straight-arm hanging position to being closely held by the center of your chest with arm bent, fingers facing up. It’s a smooth movement, pulling the bell straight up and flipping your grip around the handle from an overhand grip to underhand (it will be cradled in the crook of your thumb and index finger at the end). Use your legs to help you achieve the clean: push up from your feet, straightening your legs for added power as you pull the bell up, and landing softly back into that half-squat as you catch the bell in its new hand position. From there, straighten legs as you stand up and extend your hand and the bell skyward. Reverse the moves to bring yourself back to starting position. Try to keep the kettlebell towards the center of your body throughout this move. When done correctly, this isn’t just an upper-body workout, but great for your core.
• High Pull to Plank Row RIGHT: This exercise is almost like an upper-body burpee. Start standing tall will the kettlebell placed a little in front of you on the floor to your right. Squat down, placing hands on the floor (next to the bell) and jump your feet back into a plank position. From there, holding a plank and trying not to rotate your hips, grab the kettlebell with your right hand and row it off the ground, pulling your elbow straight up towards the ceiling and slowly returning it back down. Resting the bell back on the floor, jump both feet back up towards your hands, shifting your weight into your heels so that you’re squatting next to the bell. From here, it’s time for the high pull. Grab the kettlebell with your right hand and power up to a standing position using your legs. As you do, pull the kettlebell striahgt up by your armpit, leading with the elbow. Bring the kettlebell back down to the ground softly, and as you do, place your hands on the ground next to it and jump back into your next plank, starting from the beginning.
• Serve the Platter to Front Raise: You’ll do one serve the platter and then one front raise, flipping your grip at the bottom of each movement to transition to the next. Start holding a kettlebell in each hand at hip height, palms facing up. From there, reach your hands up and out in front of you to shoulder height. Careful not to the shrug the shoulders as you do this. Keep a soft bend in the elbow at the top, and then slowly return the bells back to hip height. Smoothly flip the bells so that your palms are now facing down gripping the top of the handles. From here, raise your hands straight up in front of you to shoulder height, keeping just a soft bend in the elbows (don’t lock your arms straight). Slowly return down to starting position, transitioning back to serve the platter.
• High Pull Swing LEFT
• Clean ‘n Press LEFT
• High Pull to Plank Row LEFT

WEARING | top: c/o Lucy // leggings: c/o Forever21 // sneakers: Nike

The tank I’m wearing in today’s workout is another gift from lucy (you might remember the leggings I wore a few weeks ago, also from them). Isn’t the back of this top adorable?? It’s their Perfect Core Halter (retail at $65), and cute back detailing aside, is also comfortable and functional. And the built-in bra is supportive enough that I can run/jump/cartwheel/play on trampolines without feeling like I need a sports bra underneath.

Alright that’s all for me today—enjoy this kettlebell killer! You all seem to love upper body workouts (personally my least favorite haha), so hopefully this will be a perfect addition to your weekly workout routine.

Hello there, long-lost readers! Sorry for the silence on the blog lately. Last weekend, the world lost an amazing person and friend, and in the wake of such a tragic loss, blogging/work/everything has been put on hold. It was a sore reminder of how fragile life is, so take a moment today to reach out to friends and just let them know how important to you they are. 

I’ve slowly built up a decent collection of kettlebells, but I know many people don’t have the space or budget to purchase a bunch of different weights, so I wanted to put together a workout that only requires the use of just one. I’m using a 20-lb bell, but you should adjust the weight to match your fitness level.

One-Bell Kettlebell Workout

Equipment I Used:

• 20-lb kettlebell
• Gymboss Interval Timer

This workout will take you 30 minutes to complete. Set an interval timer for 30 rounds of 45 seconds of work and 15 seconds of rest. You’ll go through the following circuit of exercises five times.

• One-Arm Kettlebell Swing (RIGHT): This is your basic kettlebell swing, but holding on to the bell with only one hand. The main form difference is that your hand will rotate with the swing, as opposed to a two-hand grip where your knuckles are always facing out. Start holding the bell in your right hand, feet shoulder-width apart with a soft bend in the knees. Swing the bell back between your legs, thumb-first, leaning forward with a straight back and bending the knees a little deeper. As you explosively swing the bell forward and up, thrust the hips powerfully forward, rotating your hand so that knuckles face forward, bringing the bell up to chest-to-face height. Swing it back down, again rotating the bell so that your thumb leads the way.
• Weighted Curtsey Lunge (RIGHT): Start standing with kettlebell in your right hand. Step your right foot behind the left, sinking down into a lunge (on the left) as you reach the right foot as far to the side as you can. Once the left knee is bent as close to a 90-degree angle as you can get it and the kettlebell is hovering close to the ground, push through the left heel to stand back up, returning the right foot to the right side of your body.
• One-Arm Kettlebell Swing (LEFT)
• Weighted Curtsey Lunge (LEFT)
• Goblet Squat Clean to Overhead Press: This is a three-part movement. Start standing with feet shoulder-width apart, holding the kettlebell with both hands (it should be hanging in front of you). Squat down. Explosively come up from the squat, pulling the bell up towards your chest as you flip your grip mid-air so that hands are now at the base of the handle (versus the top). As you catch the base of the handle at chest height, sink back down into a (goblet) squat with bell held close to your chest. As you come up from that second squat, do an overhead press, lifting the bell straight up overhead as you stand up straight. Reverse the move back to starting position.
• Russian Twist Full-Body Crunch: You’ll do a Russian Twist to each side, followed by a full-body crunch. Start seated, holding the kettlebell in both hands at your chest, feet lifted off the ground with your knees bent. Lean back slightly, core engaged, balancing on your tailbone. Twist to one side, bringing the kettlebell to the outer side of that hip; then repeat in the other direction. Really twist at the waist—you want your chest to be totally facing whatever side you’re bringing the bell. After you’ve twisted to each side, hold the bell at center and lean back, extending your legs straight out and reaching the bell in front of you. When you get to your fullest extension, crunch everything in, sitting back up, pulling the bell into your chest, and bending your knees. That’s one rep; you’ll go right back into the Russian Twists next. The pace of this move is quick: twist, twist, crunch, twist, twist, crunch.

WEARING | tank: Style Stalker // leggings: Michi // sneakers: Nike // sports bra: Cory Vines

Today I’m wearing two of my current favorite pieces of clothing: a muscle tank referencing my Queen (did you see her VMA performance? Beyoncé is flawless) and Michi workout leggings with sheer mesh detailing. Michi is a splurge brand for sure—up until now, I would just drool over their leggings on Shopbop with no intent of buying. But Btone actually has small retail sections in the Boston and Sudbury studios, with the selection in the city currently being 30% off. These Michis are so incredibly comfortable and I love the trendy design—seriously can’t take them off.

Enjoy the rest of the day! Feels good to be back bloggin’!

You guys are going to have to try this workout and let me know if it really is ridiculously hard or I just made the fatal mistake of doing it outdoors in 80-degree, humid weather. I’m guessing it’s a mix of both…

Kettlebell Cardio Workout

Equipment I Used:

• 25-lb kettlebell
• 15-lb kettlebell
• Jump rope
• Exercise mat
• Gymboss Interval Timer

This workout is made up of four mini circuits. You’ll do three rounds of the first circuit, moving right from one move to the next without breaks. After the three rounds (6 minutes), you get a minute break before moving onto the next mini circuit. In total, this workout will take you just under half an hour to finish.

I used an interval timer and just set it up for 78 rounds of 30 seconds and made a mental note of when to do an exercise for two intervals (1 minute) and when to switch it up after 30. If that’s confusing, just time it in a way that works for you.

CIRCUIT 1 | Complete 3 rounds of the following…

• (30 seconds) High Pull Swings with the Right Arm: I used a 15-lb bell for these because it was my first time with the exercise. I think I might be able to up that to a 20-lb bell now that I’ve got the hang of it. This is a normal one arm swing, except at the top of the swing you’ll pull your elbow up and back then thrust the kettlebell forward again in sort of a punching motion, going right back down into your swing.
• (30 seconds) High Pull Swings with the Left Arm
• (60 seconds) Jump Rope

1 minute break

CIRCUIT 2 | Complete 3 rounds of the following…

• (60 seconds) 2 Lateral Jumps over KB into Figure 8 Squat: Start with feet a little wider than hip-width apart, standing to the left of a heavy kettlebell (I used 25-lb because it’s the heaviest I have—35-lb would have been ideal for me). Squat down, grabbing the kettlebell with your right hand. Power up to stand. Squat back down, passing the kettlebell through your legs to the left hand, using a figure-eight motion. Once it’s in your left hand, stand back up (careful not to lock the knees). Squat back down a final time, placing the kettlebell to the ground so that you’re now standing to the right of it. From here, do two lateral jumps, jumping over the kettlebell to the left then back over to the right. Go right into the next figure 8 squat series, this time in the opposite direction.
• (60 seconds) Jump Rope

1 minute break

CIRCUIT 3 | Complete 3 rounds of the following…

• (30 seconds) Russian Twist: Sit with legs elevated, leaning slightly backwards, and twist from right to left, bringing kettlebell from one side of your body to the other. I used a 15-lb bell.
• (30 seconds) Boat Pose Leg Scissors: Holding the bell at your chest, lean torso back, keeping abs engaged (think about squeezing your belly button and spine in towards each other). Lift feet off the ground and straighten legs out in front of you. Alternate lifting one foot up while you lightly tap the other heel to the ground. Switch, scissoring back and forth. The heel should just barely kiss the ground before lifting back up—don’t rest your legs on the floor!
• (60 seconds) Jump Rope

1 minute break 

CIRCUIT 4 | Complete 3 rounds of the following…

• (30 seconds) Kettlebell Swings: I use a 25-lb for swings, but probably need to raise that to 30 since I’ve been doing this a while now. Start with kettlebell down between your legs and, using your arms as a pendulum, swing the bell to slightly above eye level by thrusting with your hips while keeping your core tight as you stand up straight. Swing back down and repeat.
• (30 seconds) Kettlebell Swing Punches: Don’t pause in between the swings and swing punches, just move seamlessly into these on your next swing after the timer goes off. This is just like a regular swing except for at the top, bend your elbows wide, bringing the kettle bell in towards your face, and punch it back out.
• (60 seconds) Jump Rope

No seriously, don’t do this outside on a hot day unless you want to cry…

And it wouldn’t be a P&I post if I ended this without talking about what I’m wearing, now would it?? Sweaty Betty sent me this fun, optic print leggings and I’m in love. The quality is excellent—comfortable, soft, supportive, wide waistband—and I’ve gotten compliments every time I’ve worn them to a class. It’s perfect timing to wear them on the blog because Sweaty Betty is having a summer sale through 7/30: up to 50% plus free shipping on purchases over $200. Shwing! Check it out HERE.

WEARING | leggings: c/o Sweaty Betty // tank: Under Armour // sneakers: Nike

Hope you all had a fun weekend! I spent mine on Nantucket, and it was wonderful. During the summer, weekends aren’t always my finest display of health (you have to drink beer when it’s sunny out—it’s not my fault, ok??), so when Monday comes around I’m more than ready to get after it with a tough workout and clean eating. Lately I’ve been adding “finishers” to all my workouts—just a minute or two more of exercising after completing a circuit to really hammer the nail into the coffin.  

30-Minute Kettlebell HIIT Workout with Finisher

Equipment I Used:

• 25-lb kettlebell
• 20-lb kettlebell
• Two 15-lb kettlebells
• Gymboss Interval Timer
• Exercise mat

Set a timer for 30 rounds of 45 seconds of work and 15 seconds of rest. You’ll go through the following circuit five times. Once you’ve finished it, you’ll set a timer for 2 minutes and do as many high-pull burpees as possible.

• Kettlebell Swings:Start with the kettlebell down between your legs and, using your arms as a pendulum, swing the bell to eye level by powering through with your hips and legs while keeping your core tight as you stand up straight. Swing back down and repeat. Proper form is important, so watch this (random) video if this is your first time using kettlebells. I use a 25-lb bell but need to up it to 30 or 35 lbs.
• Figure 8 Squats: Start standing with feet a little more than hip width apart, holding the kettlebell in one hand. Squat down, and as you do, pass the bell through your legs to the other hand, tracing half of a figure 8. Stand up, squeezing that booty and popping your hips forward. Squat back down, finishing the figure 8 shape around your legs as you pass the kettlebell through your legs to the starting hand. Here’s a video of it in action (fast forward to 0:43).
• Turkish Get-ups (right):For a step-by-step guide to doing a Turkish Getup, CLICK HERE. Everyone yells at me for doing them wrong in that tutorial but whatever, it’ll give you the general idea haha. I use a 15-lb bell for these.
• Turkish Get-ups (left)
• Kettlebell Swing Jumps:Swing bell back through your legs, knees soft and butt out. Driving your hips forward, swing bell forward and up to the chest-to-forehead height range. As the kettlebell reaches its highest point, jump up with both feet, landing softly as kettlebell comes back on the downswing. I used a 20-lb bell.
• Alternating Cleans:Start with a kettlebell in each hand. I use 15-lb bells. With feet a little wider than shoulder width apart, bend knees and bring one kettle bell from a straight-arm hanging position to closely held by the center of your chest with arm bent. From there, reverse the movement to bring arm back to starting position while simultaneously cleaning upward with the opposite arm. Try to keep the kettlebell towards the center of your body throughout this move. When done correctly, this isn’t just an upper-body workout, but great for your core. It should be a fluid movement, and you’ll need to engage your legs, bending them as you clean. If you don’t need the help of your legs, then you’re not using heavy enough kettlebells.

FINISHER = 2-minute AMRAP

If you have two kettlebells available, place one on each side of your hands so that you can alternate the arm you pull with each time through. Otherwise, use one and switch arms after the first 60 seconds to keep it simple.

• Burpees with a High Pull: Do a regular burpee, only instead of jumping up at the end, do a one-arm high-pull. The full movement looks like this: squat down, placing hands on the ground by feet. Jump feet back into plank position. Jump feet back up towards hands. Staying low in that squatting position, grab the kettlebell with one hand. Power up to stand, pulling the kettlebell straight up by the side of your head, leading with your elbow. Bring the kettlebell back down to the ground softly, and as you do, place hands on the ground to go right into your next burpee. 

WEARING | leggings & hoodie: c/o Ellie (use code nicoleperr20 to get 20% off your first order!) // sneakers: Nike

Hi! Remember me? I used to blog all the time and then I fell off the face of the earth? I’m back.

Lower body and back might seem like a weird muscle group combo to hit at the same time, but kettlebell exercises really all require core stabilization. Additionally, when you’re doing front weight-bearing moves (squatting holding a kettlebell at your chest or swings, for example), those back muscles are going to be engaged to keep you upright.

Lower-Body & Back Kettlebell Interval Workout

Equipment I Used:

• 25-lb kettlebell
• 20-lb kettlebell
• Two 10-lb kettlebells
• Gymboss Interval Timer

Set an interval timer for 48 rounds of 30 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest. You’ll go through the following circuit 4 times. In total, this workout will take you 32 minutes to complete. I’ve indicated the weight of kettlebell I used for each exercise, but adjust based on your fitness level.

• Kettlebell Swing Jumps: This is a regular kettlebell swing, except you’ll jump both feet up when the bell is at the top of your swing. You’ll start with knees slightly bent and butt back and swing the bell back through your legs. Using a hip thrust/powerful leg drive, swing the kettlebell up to just above eye-level and jump a couple inches off the ground. I started using a 20-lb bell and then switched to a 25-lb.
• Goblet Squats: Squat down, legs slightly more than shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell in both hands at your chest. Make sure you’re sending your hips back and not the knees forward and keep chest facing forward and upright. I used 25 lbs.
• Lateral Lunge Passes to the Left: Begin with kettlebell in your right hand and lunge out to the side onto your left leg, butt back. As you lunge out, gently swing the kettlebell around that left leg, passing it off to your right hand as you continue to circle it around that leg. Pass it back off to the right hand as you push off that left leg and return back to the starting position. I used a 20-lb bell.
• Lateral Lunge Passes to the Right
• Kettlebell Swing Jumps
• Figure 8s: Start with legs a bit more than shoulder-width apart and lower yourself into a shallow squat. Keep your back straight and chest up. You’ll hold the kettlebell in one hand and weave it around your legs in a figure 8 motion, passing it off between hands as you swing through the center. Each time through the circuit, reverse the direction in which you swing the figure 8. I used a 25-lb bell because it was the heaviest I had, but ideally I like to use a 35-lb bell for this exercise.
• One-Leg Deadlift (right): Holding a kettlebell in both hands, plant your right foot on the ground and keeping a straight leg and straight arms, bend forward with a flat back. Come as close as you can to toching the kettlebell to the ground by your right foot before slowly coming back upright. Your left leg stays straight as well, lifting up behind you. I used a 25-lb bell for the first two rounds but was having a really hard time balancing so I dropped down to a 20-lb bell.
• One-Leg Deadlift (left)
• Kettlebell Swing Jumps
• Tip-Toe Wall Sit: This is a normal wall sit, except you’ll be on the balls of your feet instead of having your foot flat on the ground. Knees should still be at 90 degrees, aligned with your ankles. Hold a kettlebell at your chest. I used a 25-lb bell.
• Forward/Backward Pivoting Lunge (right): Holding a kettlebell in each hand, lunge forward onto your left foot and then pushing off that front foot, come back upright and immediately step your left foot back into a lunge. Right foot stays planted on the ground in the same position as you lunge forward and backward, back and forth. I used two 10-lb bells.
• Forward/Backward Pivoting Lunge (left)

Have a wonderful day (as wonderful as a Monday can be, anyway)!

As last week’s 15-Min AMRAP proved, a workout doesn’t have to be long to kick your butt. This one doesn’t require a lot a time, a lot of space, or a lot of equipment—just one kettlebell. Enjoy!

12-Minute Kettlebell Blast Workout

Equipment I Used:

• Gymboss Interval Timer
• 20-lb kettlebell

Set an interval timer for 12 rounds of 50 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest. Push yourself to complete as many reps of each exercise as possible (without sacrificing form) in the 50 seconds. You’ll go through the following circuit four times.

• Alternating One-Arm Swings: Hold kettlebell in right hand with legs a little more than shoulder-width apart. Start with kettlebell down between your legs and, using your arms as a pendulum, swing the bell to eye level by powering through with your hips and legs while keeping your core tight as you stand up straight. When the kettlebell is at its highest point, it will be momentarily “weightless”—this is when you’re going to grab it with your left hand, letting go of the right. Swing back down and repeat; always switching hands at the top. At the bottom of your swing, your thumb should be pointing back through your legs.
• Marching Wall Sits: With back flat against the wall, squat into seated position, holding the kettlebell at your chest. Lift one knee up then the other, and continue to alternate in a marching rhythm. Make sure to keep your feet under your knees throughout—it’s more challenging this way. If marching is too hard, just hold the wall sit.
• High Pulls (same arm for entire interval; switch next time through circuit): Start with feet hip-width apart with kettlebell on the floor in front of you. I use a 20-lb bell for these. Bend with your knees keeping back straight, grab and kettlebell, and power up, standing as you pull your elbow up, bringing the kettlebell up towards the side of your face. In a controlled movement, lower back to starting position. Switch arms during your next time through the circuit (in other words, you’ll do each arm twice in this workout).

A big thanks to Puma for outfitting me for today’s workout! Gotta love the slimming effects of an all-black ensemble, am I right or amirite?? I’m wearing the Faas 300 v3 Running Shoe (which besides being cute are also super comfy and lightweight), Pure ¾ Tights & Gym ACTV Power Tank Top. The tank gives you the benefits of compression with interior athletic tape—I just like that the tape makes it so that the shirt doesn’t ride up or roll up when I’m jumping around or getting into weird exercise positions (which, you’ve probably noticed, is frequently haha).

What’s your favorite way to workout when you’re in a time crunch?

I’m always looking for new workouts and exercises to try, and in addition to drawing inspiration from group fitness classes, blogs and magazines, I get a lot of ideas from Pinterest.

…That sentence is me trying to justify the hours I spend aimlessly browsing Pinterest as “research.” Humor me.

Anyway, today’s workout is made up solely of exercises I’ve been introduced to during my time stalking the pages of Pinterest. I pin all these exercises and workouts to this board if you’d like to follow along.

450-Rep Workout

Equipment I Used:

• Stability ball
• 20-lb kettlebell
• Exercise mat

You’ll do three rounds of the following exercises. Try to move as quickly as possible from one exercise to the next. If you need to take a break between rounds, limit it to 1-2 minutes. The kb swing jumps will get your heart rate up and the other exercises will challenge your balance and core. Enjoy! Also, take a second to laugh at how bad I am at one-leg squats:

• 20 Kettlebell Swing Jumps: Swing bell back through your legs, knees soft and butt out. Driving your hips forward, swing bell forward and up to the chest-to-forehead height range. As the kettlebell reaches its highest point, jump up with both feet, landing softly as kettlebell comes back on the downswing. I used a 20-lb bell.
• 20 Reverse Plank Tucks on Stability Ball: Sit on a stability ball and lean back so that hands are on the floor behind you, palms down and facing out. Extend legs straight out. Bring your right knee up and in towards your chest, holding left leg out and straight. Return back out and repeat with the left knee.
• 20 Kettlebell Swing Jumps
• 10 Breakdance Planks to the right: Start in a plank position. Step your right foot up and out to the side. Bring your left foot across your body, in between your right hand and right foot. Lift your right hand into the air as you twist your body, thrusting your hips up towards the ceiling as you shift your weight onto that left hand. Think of the motion as weaving your left foot through the right side. Reverse the motion back into a plank position. See the exercise in action HERE if you’re reading this like whaaat is this chick talking about (it’s a tough one to explain!).
• 10 Breakdance Planks to the left
• 20 Kettlebell Swing Jumps
• 5 Supergirl Squats on the right: Do a one-leg squat on the right, keeping left foot lifted and outstretched in front of you. As you come up, extend that left leg back out behind you, leaning forward with a flat back. Slowly come back upright, keeping left foot off the ground the whole time, and repeat, sinking back down into a squat.
• 5 Supergirl Squats on the left
• 20 Kettlebell Swing Jumps
• 20 Alternating Prone Oblique Twists on Stability Ball: These were tough! Get into a plank with your shins on a stability ball and your hands shoulder-width apart on the floor. Draw your knees into your right shoulder, keeping feet on the stability ball, and then return to center. Repeat to the left.

Try it out and let me know what you think! The exercises all required a lot more balance than I anticipated—which was great for an added challenge. Definitely fell off my stability ball three times doing the oblique twists…

WEARING | tank: H&M // leggings: Ellie // sneakers: Nike Free +3

Do you have any favorite Pinterest accounts you follow? Share ‘em!