Free Fitness Friday: At-Home AMRAP Kettle Bell Workout

Kettle Bell home workout

It's finally Friday! And it's a bitter-sweet one for me since my vacation home is over and I am already missing my family and friends back home in Massachusetts! I had such a nice time back in my home town and truly enjoyed the quality time spent with my loved ones, relaxing at home, and my awesome at-home workouts! Speaking of which, today's Free Fitness Friday features a calorie-blasting 30-minute kettle bell workout that you can do anytime and anywhere. This quick and convenient workout requires only 1 moderate-weight Kettle Bell (or a moderate-weight dumbbell), an exercise mat (or towel), and (ideally) a 200-yard distance (for the "cardio" portion). You want to be sure to use a moderate weight that you can lift 10-12 times for each exercise and you can choose any form of "cardio" exercise that you prefer and have access to (walking / jogging, marching in place, stationary bike, rowing machine, elliptical, jump rope...).

The concept of the workout is to complete As Many Rounds As Possible (A.K.A. "AMRAP") of the 7 different exercises in 30 minutes, but to do so at a realistic pace so that you are able to continue the workout for 30 minutes. You want to set up your Kettle Bell / dumbbell and exercise mat on flat ground before starting the clock and select a good location with enough space for you to perform the exercises. I completed my workout outside on my parents' driveway in the shade and had about a 200-yard distance to run up and down the street for the "cardio" portion.

So here it is! The 30-Minute At-Home AMRAP Kettle Bell Workout

1 Round:

1. 2-minute cardio (walk / run 200- yards out and 200-yards back, jump-rope, bike, row...)
2. 10 x Right arm Kettle Bell swing
3. 10 x Left arm Kettle Bell swing
4. 10 x Squat with right arm high pull
5. 10 x Squat with left arm high pull
6. 10 x Kettle Bell tricep push-ups (can be performed on knees if needed)
7. 15 x Kettle Bell sit-ups with straight arms

Repeat exercises for the next round(s) until the 30-minutes is up! Trust me, the time goes by quickly and the workout will be over before you know it!

Here is a short video to demonstrate each exercise (minus the 2-minute run) in case you are not sure of how to perform each exercise. (Note: I only performed 3 repetitions of each exercise (#2-#7) for demonstration purposes, but aim for the designated number of reps for each exercise listed). If you still are not sure how to perform one of the exercises, please feel free to ask me in the comments below!

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRWXpnkqXRM[/embed]

Have a great workout and weekend ahead :-)

Free Fitness Friday: Interval Workout #2

Treadmill Interval Workout #2

So here we are again friends, it's finally Friday! And this Friday I am heading home to visit my family for one last vacation before my dietetic internship starts on August 24th! I am so excited to spend quality time with my family and have been busy getting everything ready for my trip (washing clothes and cleaning the house, packing for the week ahead, and setting up my client schedule for the week while I am away). With all I had to get done before my flight later today, I still made time to squeeze in a quick cardio workout and (though I only ran 3 miles on the treadmill) I burned nearly double the calories of a steady-pace 3-mile run and I was completely exhausted after just 25 minutes on the treadmill!

How is this possible? As I mentioned in last week's Free Fitness Friday: Intervals for the Win, you can still get the health benefits of cardiovascular exercise in a quick 25- minute workout when you incorporate Interval Training - and you will burn twice as many calories with Interval Training over the same distance run in a shorter amount of time!

Today's workout was less complex than last week's interval workout and my 3 miles were up before I knew it! So here it is!

The 25-minute Interval Workout #2: Escalated Miles

Distance (in miles)

Speed (in mph)

RPE (based on chart)

0-0.25 miles

6.0-6.5

4-5

0.25-0.50 miles

6.5-7.0

6-7

0.50-0.75 miles

7.0-7.5

7-8

0.75-1.0 miles

7.5-8.0

9

1.0-1.25 miles

6.0-6.5

4-5

1.25-1.50 miles

6.5-7.0

6-7

1.50-1.75 miles

7.0-7.5

7-8

1.75-2.0 miles

7.5-8.0

9

2.0-2.25 miles

6.0-6.5

4-5

2.25-2.50 miles

6.5-7.0

6-7

2.50-2.75 miles

7.0-7.5

7-8

2.75-3.0 miles

7.5-8.0

9

1. Start with a 2-3 minute warm-up walk / jog on the treadmill to warm up your body and prepare your muscles for the intense work ahead.
2. After you feel nice and warmed up, set the speed of the treadmill to a 6.0-6.5 mph speed (depending on your fitness level) and an RPE of a 4-5 "moderate activity" factor (based on the RPE chart) and run 1/4th of a mile (0.25 miles).
3. Once you hit the 0.25 mile mark, increase the speed by 0.5 mph (up to 6.5-7.0 mph) and an RPE of 6-7. Once you hit the half mile mark, increase the speed again by 0.5 mph (7.0-7.5 mph) and an RPE of 7-8. For the last quarter of the mile, increase the speed again by 0.5 mph (7.5-8.0 mph) and an RPE of 9 ("very hard" activity factor) and hold this pace until you hit the mile mark (1.0 miles).
4. Once you hit the 1 mile mark, reduce the speed back down to 6.0-6.5 mph and an RPE of 4-5 for the next quarter of a mile. Repeat the pattern in step 3 to increase the speed by 0.5 mph at each 0.25 mile increment until you complete the 3 miles.
5. Reduce the speed to a comfortable walk ' jog for a 2-3 minute cool-down.
6. You're done!

You can refer to the RPE chart to set your starting and ending pace on the treadmill and be sure to set the speed based on you OWN PERSONAL rate of perceived exertion! Remember, this workout is for you and YOU alone - work hard, but be sure to set a realistic pace so you will be able to successfully compete the 3-mile interval run :-)

RPE chart

(Photo: runandbehappy)

And there you have it, friends! A quick 3-mile interval run that you can complete in 25 minutes or less and enjoy the rest of your Friday and the weekend ahead! I know I will :-)

Free Fitness Friday: Intervals for the Win!

It’s finally Friday!! Once again, the week flew by and we are already approaching the weekend! I truly don’t know where the time goes, but I know how important it is to make the time to exercise – even when I am short on time! Time really is of the essence and it may be difficult to fit in a cardio workout throughout the week, but I have great news for you! You can still get the health benefits of cardiovascular exercise in a quick 25- minute workout when you incorporate Interval Training - and you will burn twice as many calories with Interval Training in the same amount of time! Now that’s a win, win situation if you ask me!

Interval Cardio

(Photo: BodyBuilding.com)

The beauty of Intervals is that you can perform any cardiovascular exercise that you wish in nearly any setting that you desire– walking, jogging, sprinting or running the stairs outdoors; walking, jogging, and sprinting on the treadmill inside; or on the stair-master, rowing machine, elliptical, or spin bike in your house or gym – and you are able to perform the exercise at a higher intensity throughout the 25-minute workout. The key is performing the exercise at intervals of low intensity (to rest and recover) and higher intensity (to get your heart-rate up and torch some serious calories).

RPE chart

The intensity of the exercise is based on YOUR OWN rate of perceived exertion (RPE) and it is important to rest and recover during the lower intensity and to really push it during the higher intensity intervals. Here is a table that lists and describes the RPE method for setting the intensity level for your intervals.

(Photo: runandbehappy)

Use this chart when setting your intensity levels throughout the interval workout and be sure to warm up for the first 3 minutes at a “light activity” factor (2-3 on the RPE scale) in order to warm up the body and prepare yourself for the higher intensity work. Similarly, be sure to cool down during the last few minutes at a “light activity factor” (2-3 on the RPE scale) in order to allow your heart-rate to come back down to near resting levels and end your work out with a full body stretching session to reduce soreness and prevent injuries.

Here’s the workout! It’s only 25 minutes long (including the warm-up and cool-down) and it will be over before you know it! Trust me, you will feel the burn and will feel amazing when it’s over!

Time

Intensity (RPE)

0:00-3:00

2-3 (warm-up)

3:00-5:00

7-8

5:00-7:00

4

7:00-9:00

7-8

9:00-11:00

4

11:00-13:00

9

13:00-15:00

4

15:00-17:00

7-8

17:00-19:00

4

19:00-21:00

10 (as fast as you can!)

21:00-25:00

2-3 (cool-down)

Now that you understand how to use the RPE chart and have the Interval Training workout in front of you, let’s get this workout started!

1. Pick your cardiovascular exercise of choice
2. Set your Ipod to your favorite workout playlist
3. Set your first interval speed and get going!

Have a blast “blasting” some serious calories and have a wonderful weekend ahead!