KETTLEBELLS ARE A great way to stay in shape and a great workout can be devised using even the lightest weight.
Lidl recently had their range on sale for as little as €4.99 (2kg) and you could do a lot worse than trying this routine using just that.
Yes, you can probably lift them with a finger but can you complete this simple circuit without taking a rest?
The weight of the kettlebell is entirely up to you – so feel free to grab hold of the 5 or 10kg weight.
Exercise 1
Muscles targeted: Legs, biceps, triceps, obliques, and shoulders.
Stand shoulder-width apart, holding the kettlebell in your right hand.
Now, squat down, keeping your knees over your ankles and bring the kettlebell to the floor outside your right foot.
Hold at the lowest point for a second before returning to a standing position and bring the kettlebell across your body and raise it as high as you can reach – diagonally across your body. Do 20 reps either side.
Exercise 2
Muscles worked: Biceps, triceps, core.
Get into a press-up position with the kettlebell in your right hand. Keep your hips raised and your core muscles engaged.
Now, flex your elbow and bring the kettlebell into your waist for a total of 20 times either side.
Exercise 3
Muscles worked: Core and shoulders.
For a great core exercise, lie on the floor and take the kettlebell in your right hand, raising it perpendicular to the floor by extending your arm fully.
Now, using your core muscles, bring yourself into a seated position and extend the kettlebell to the ceiling in the same movement.
Do NOT use your left hand for leverage – concentrate on using the core muscles at all times. If you are unable to lift yourself off the floor, use your free hand to support you.
Repeat 20 times either side.
Exercise 4
Muscles worked: Core
For an easier core exercise, grab the kettlebell with both hands and hold it in front of you with your arms flexed at 90 degrees.
Now, with your feet planted firmly on the floor and your core muscles fully engaged, pivot your upper body from side to side for 60 seconds.
Exercise 5
Muscles worked: Glutes
Lie on the floor, feet shoulder-width apart and one hand flat on the ground for support. The other hand holds the kettlebell.
Now, squeeze your glutes and lift your hips towards the ceiling. This is a glute bridge.
Next, just raise the kettlebell to the ceiling, hold when your arm is fully extended and return to starting position.
To make the exercise harder, extend one leg (the opposite side to the one holding the kettlebell). For example, if you’re lifting with your left hand, extend your right leg. Repeat 20 times each side.
Exercise 6
Muscles worked: Core
Lying on the floor and bring both legs up until they’re perpendicular to the floor. Now, grab the kettlebell with both hands and rest it in on your chest.
Next, you simply reach upwards and bring the kettlebell as close to your feet as possible. Return to the starting position. Repeat 20 times.
Exercise 7
Muscles worked: Core
The final exercise is another one to target the core. Lying on the floor, bring the kettlebell overhead with a slight bend in the elbow and your knees in a table-top position – flexed at the knees.
Now, keeping your core tight, perform a crunch where you bring the kettlebell up and over your head to touch the knees, before returning to the starting position.
Perform 30 crunches to complete the workout.
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Excellent analysis of all the pieces of the jigsaw of moves leading to great tries
Great analysis as always. What an atmosphere yesterday. Delighted for Sexton and Healy!!! What a Six Nations send off
@Kenneth O Connor: Healy not getting a run was disappointing and strange
@Noel Lynn: He did… only about 4 minutes but he did play.
Yesterday(and last week) should put to bed any doubt about Conan’s value. Every bit as effective as Doris imo.
@Gary Donlan: doris level ahead
@Gary Donlan: I’m a big, big fan of Conan – he’s an outstanding player – but I’d have to acknowledge that Doris is at the very top of the global tree. And he has so much more to grow, being so young. Arguably a future World Player of the Year nominee, if not winner.
I see lots of people saying how England really used line speed yesterday to get in Irelands face, that’s not what happened at all. England played a soft drift defence, not putting too much pressure on the first carrier / passer, and not committing too many men to the breakdown, opting to be more disruptive and messy rather than look for turnovers. It was an interesting tactic and one that threw a lot of the Irish players off, particularly Furlong who takes the first pivot option quite often. Ireland will need to learn how to adapt to it by World Cup, I can’t imagine South Africa or France would try it, they would trust their line speed, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Scotland or even New Zealand thought about using it.
Great analysis there. It shows really how intelligent this group are. Dorris, JVF,, Aki, Sexton, Hansen running subplots and dummies lines and how they build a try 3 phases out. To have so many on the same page is extraordinary and as Farrell said, they will get a lot better over the next few months with more time collectively in camp.
Roll on the WC
It was squeaky bum time for much of the game. England gave it everything. Ireland found a way to win. Work done with decoy runners is magnificent. Enjoy, upwards and onwards to France
That was some offload by Conan for sheehans try.
Sheehan is a pure speed merchant
@Gary Galligan: He’s a 4×4 at full speed.
On the strike plays which Ireland use we have seen a few of these in this 6 nations I believe they have only used a small number of these in this 6 nations and there are many more which they had no need to use and they are been reserved for the later stages of the world Cup.
I would imagine when Farrell and his team review this game they will be a little concerned. Obviously the short term gain here, winning a grand slam, is brilliant. But there was a lot of pressure going into the game and we did not handle it well. Ultimately a red card may have won it for Ireland and whether you agree or disagree with the card the nature of it shows it can how easily happen under current rules. (There was at least 1 red card possibility for us that was missed by the ref and TMO). This team will ultimately be judged on how it performs in the World Cup. When they meet Scotland on the 7th of October it will more than likely be a knock out game. The pressure on them will easily be as intense as yesterday, probably more so. They will need to be a lot better. If we don’t make it out of the group, this Grand Slam will lose a lot of it’s shine. Of course hopefully by the time we meet Scotland SA will have 2 losses so it won’t matter :)
@Pud: OTOH, the experience of yesterday, a real pressure cooker, will stand to them. Plus, those guys played a lot of intense rugby over a short period of time. Some were definitely not at their best, following injuries (Furlong, for example, looked rusty; Henshaw wasn’t fully up to speed; Ringrose in and out). Farrell took some risks, playing guys like Porter, VDF, Keenan, Hansen and others to their limits (Keenan looked tired yesterday, as did others). The player management plan for the RWC needs to cater for the interactive effects of physical endurance and how it affects mental/emotional resilience. I’m pretty confident they’re on top of that. And again, all the players will be better for the experience of this 6N.
@Pud: South Africa then Scotland…followed by France or New Zealand…three massive banana skins….I don’t think if we are stopped before semi final, yesterday’s outstanding achievement will be diminished….cruel world cup draw.
Herring sealed victory over the All Blacks with a similar try in the third test .. hooker is definitely a position we don’t need to worry about… bench again made the difference yesterday
Murray Kinsella, single handedly helping other teams work out Ireland!!