Home Workout Ideas

Bust Out of the Skinny Fat Zone at Home with One Arm Push Ups

November 8, 2012 by Jay Leave a Comment

If you are stuck in the skinny fat zone, like I was once upon a time, a great way to bust out of this zone is to start doing some simple exercises at home. If you can join a gym and get a good, well qualified, personal trainer who understands your predicament then fair play to you. However, if you are short on time and don’t want to commit to an expensive gym membership then there is no reason why you can’t start your body transformation and put an end to being part of the ever increasing skinny but fat demographic.

It took one of my friends to point out to me how I was no longer just skinny but was starting to get fat too. Once this public observation (thanks dude) had been made I took myself off to the nearest gym and started working out like mad. Unfortunately I didn’t have a clue about what I was doing and didn’t really make much progress for the first year, until I started doing some research into nutrition and working out. Luckily you won’t have to make the same mistake as me. If you are ready to start working out at home in order to prevent yourself from getting (even more) skinny fat, half the battle has already been won!

You Don’t Need the Gym to Win

Now if you told me you wanted to become a professional bodybuilder or fitness magazine cover model, I’d tell you to turn off the computer and get down the gym. But if your goals are a little more modest and you want to look good with your top off and obtain that lean, athletic look then signing up at the gym isn’t necessary. You can perform a great workout at home with hardly any equipment and in some cases no equipment at all! One great exercise to burn calories and put some lean muscle on your chest, shoulders and triceps is the push up and the best news of all is that it requires no gym equipment. Diet and nutrition also play a big part in getting in great shape and something like the Lean Ape Living book can help you get this aspect of your life sorted without any pain.

But Doing Endless Push Ups isn’t Going to Help

Before I started going to the gym I was a proper weed! I doubt I could do more than five push ups in those days. If you are struggling to get into double digits don’t worry, you can quickly remedy this. But one big mistake people make when they start working out at home is to do as many reps of an exercise as they can. In a few months you will probably be able to do 20-30 push ups in one go, but just because you can, it doesn’t mean you should.

If you want give your muscles enough of shock so that they grow, you need to make sure the exercise you are performing is difficult enough so you can only do around 8 to 12 reps. Once you get good at push ups you will have to start finding creative ways to make them difficult again. Once such way, that I am utilizing myself at the moment is the one armed push up, or at least working my way up to it! You can read about my current fitness challenges in my series of monthly goals.

How One Armed Push Ups Can Help you Avoid Skinny Fat Syndrome

In order to put on muscle and transform your body from soft and flabby to hard and toned, you need to keep your muscles working hard when exercising. Doing push ups at home is a great way to exercise without any fitness equipment but they can quickly become too easy to really challenge your muscles. In order to make this exercise useful again you need to make it harder. Once you can do three sets of 12 push ups you should start working your way towards one arm push ups. The extra tension the one armed version of this classic exercise puts on your chest and triceps will have them growing in no time. The extra muscle will help speed up your metabolism and you will be burning more calories than ever before, helping to keep your body fat levels down.

The First Step Towards One Armed Push Ups

Even though I can now do a good amount of regular push ups, when I first tried a one armed push up I couldn’t even manage one rep! How can you practice something you can’t even do once? Well the answer is you have to build up to them slowly. Try the exercise below for a few weeks until you can easily do three sets of 12 reps. If you already exercise your chest muscles, then perform these push ups on the same day. If you are not regularly working out then try these three times a week with a least a day’s rest in between.

Get in the regular push up position with your arms just beyond shoulders width apart and your feet close together.
Take one arm, and move it out to the side keeping the fingers of both hands pointing ahead of you.
Start doing a push up. You will notice that the side of the body of the arm that you didn’t move out to the side is doing most of the work. Although you haven’t jumped straight into a one armed push up, one side of your body is definitely doing most of the work.
Once you’ve done 12 reps, or if you can’t do this much yet, as many as you can, change your arms so that the other one is now out to the side and the other arm is back in place.
Try and do 12 reps and then swap over arms again

Aim to do three sets with both arms. As they get easier, move your arm out further to the side until it is hardly helping your other arm at all. Keep trying this until you can comfortably do three sets of 12 reps. This is the first step of how to do one arm push ups.

The Second Step to Mastering Single Arm Push Ups

Now that you are doing three sets of 12 reps with one arm out to the side, and your working arm is taking most of the weight, it is now time to move to the next level of difficulty. For this you will need some kind of prop, something like a small step or study box will do perfectly. Whatever you choose it should be about six inches high off the ground and stable enough to hold some of your weight.

Get in the regular push up position. Remember to keep your legs close together and avoid splaying them out to make the exercise easier and therefore less effective.
Take one arm and move it out to the side but this time rest your palm on top of the step or box you are going to use.
Do your first push up. This time you will find it even harder than before to complete the exercise. As one of your arms is raised off the ground your working arm will be taking even more of the weight.
Try and do 12 reps or if not, as many as you can start with.
Swap arms so that the other one is up on the step or box and complete another set.

Again, aim for three sets of 12 reps and then move onto the next step.

Moving on to Single Arm Push Ups

Now you have done the prep work you are ready to try a single armed push up with a good chance at success.

Get into the regular starting push up position with your arms just outside shoulder width, fingers facing forward and your legs together.
Take one arm and place it on your lower back. Keep it out of the way to avoid succumbing to temptation and using it when things get tough.
Do your first one arm push up!

You might only be able to do one or two to begin with but keep at it and you will soon be doing three sets of 12 reps with ease. Once these become too easy try doing them with your legs elevated by resting them on a step of piece of furniture. Once this also, becomes too easy, you will have to invest in some weights or find a heavy object you can rest on your back to increase the amount of weight you are lifting.

A Simple Home Exercise to Zap the Fat and Build Muscle

As you can see, you can transform this relatively easy exercise into something much harder and useful by following a few simple steps. There are three reasons to work your way up to one armed push ups in order to change your body composition and say goodbye to skinny fat syndrome:

They become a difficult exercise that really helps to build your chest, shoulder and tricep muscles.
The extra muscle you grow will increase your body’s metabolism which means it burns more calories per day than it did before. With your new faster metabolism you will soon be on your way to getting rid of stubborn fat deposits around your waist and belly that give you the appearance of being skinny and fat at the same time.
They also make a great party trick!

Although this is a great exercise to have at your disposal it is essential that you don’t neglect the other areas and muscles groups of your body. Doing so will ensure you end up with an unbalanced body which could be almost as bad as how you were before! The good news is you can give your entire body a workout at home with barely any equipment at all. You can even do squats at home for toned, athletic legs and by adding a few dumbbells or kettlebells to your collection you can do even more great exercises without ever setting foot in the gym.

Join up with me on Facebook and let me know when you can do 10 one armed push ups, I’d love to hear from you.

How to Workout your Hamstrings at Home

November 7, 2012 by Jay 2 Comments

Before we get started let’s quickly cover what the hamstring is and why you should be giving it a regular workout at home or in the gym. The term hamstring refers to a group of muscles and tendons (ham and strings) that are located on the back of the upper leg. Their main job, along with the quadriceps, is to allow the knee joint to move. While the quadriceps are found on the front of the leg, the hamstrings are located on the back of the thigh and interact with the knee and hips joints. As well as their main responsibility, which is knee flexion, they are also involved in the extension of the hip. The hamstrings also have other jobs related to running and walking which makes them a very important group of muscles.

Why Workout Your Hamstrings?

This muscle group is very important and when damaged, can severely affect your ability to walk or run. For this simple reason it is a very good idea to ensure you have strong and healthy hamstrings. Having strong hamstring muscles makes daily tasks like walking up stairs much easier and as these muscles make up a large part of your upper legs, developing these muscles can go a long way to giving your legs that healthy, athletic, toned appearance. Also, if you want to avoid the dreaded torn hamstring injury, read on!

How to Get Great Looking Legs

Whether you are a man or woman, if you want to look your best then you need to make sure your legs get as much attention when you are working out as your upper body. If you want strong, healthy looking legs that don’t wobble when you walk, building up and toning the hamstring muscles should be your number one priority. Not only will this give you great looking legs but they will be less likely to get injured should you partake in any strenuous activities.

The Best Hamstring Exercises at Home

The good news is that you can get a decent hamstring and leg workout in at home without splashing out on expensive fitness equipment. Squats are the best leg exercises out there when it comes to strengthening, sculpting and powering-up your lower body and as we covered in a recent guide you can easily do squats at home without the need for a squat rack or expensive Olympic barbells. So apart from squats what other exercises should you be doing for getting your legs in great shape?

Stiff Legged Deadlift

While the regular deadlift works the hamstrings somewhat, the muscles in your back do most of the work and therefore reap most of the rewards. If you want to give your legs and hams a great workout you need to change to the stiff legged deadlift or Romanian deadlift as this lower body exercise is sometimes called. To do this exercise at home you will need some kind of weights to get the most out of it. But you don’t need a full set of plates and a barbell; some low cost dumbbells or some kettlebells will suffice. This is how to do this great leg exercise at home:

Hold the weights in your hand, arms by your side and with your feet shoulder width apart.
Keep looking forwards and bend at the hips keeping your back straight. Lower the weights slowly until they are as low as you can comfortably go. Bend your knees slightly while doing this so they are not locked but don’t squat down. You should feel this in your hamstrings.
While focusing on your hamstrings, lift the weights while keeping your back straight to return to the starting position. Make sure you keep looking forward as you complete the movement.
Keep your shoulders pulled back to prevent your back from bending or arching: it should be straight.

Remember to keep your back straight at all times. Keep looking forward, don’t look down as there is a good chance your back will start to round and bend.

Lunges

You can do lunges with no weights at all although a pair of handheld dumbbells will enable you to reap the rewards of this exercise more quickly. Alternatively hold something heavy in your hands like a water bottle filled with gravel. Lunges are great because they not only work your hamstrings but also your quads and glutes, putting you on the right path to a toned looking lower body. Follow these steps to start doing lunges at home:

Hold a weight/water bottle/shopping bag in each hand, letting your arms hang by your sides.
While standing straight and looking ahead, take a step forward with one leg, keeping your other foot in place.
Bend the knee of your back foot so that the knee is almost touching the ground.
Now push off with the front foot to return to the starting position.
Pause and get your balance back and then step forward again but this time with the other foot.
Push back again with the front foot to return to the starting position.

To make sure you perform these dumbbell lunges properly, do not step too far forward with the front foot and never bend your front leg so that the knee is beyond the toes of the front foot. This is the same for squats and will prevent your knees taking too much of the weight which can lead to injuries.

Fitting These Home Hamstring Exercises into your Routine

These are just a couple of exercises you can easily do at home with simple weight training gear or homemade equipment. As they are training your lower body you can fit them into your routine on the day that you work your legs and lower body.

If you want some more ideas for working your leg muscles in order to develop a strong and aesthetically pleasing lower body have a look at the kettlebell leg workout page.

How to Do Squats at Home

October 18, 2012 by Jay Leave a Comment

If you don’t have this at home don’t worry

One of the best exercises you can perform in the gym is the squat but what if you are training at home with limited equipment? When doing this exercise in the gym you would typically use a power rack or a squat rack as well as an Olympic barbell and some weights. However if you are training at home you probably won’t have access to that sort of equipment unless you are lucky enough to have a well equipped home gym.

So how can you do squats at at home? Well, the good news is that with just a couple of dumbbells you can perform this excellent exercise and get your legs and lower body in great shape in no time at all.

Why Even Bother Doing Squats?

If you are new to working out and are just starting out on the road to getting in shape you might be wondering why a normal, sane person would do the squat exercise. It can look quite dangerous from a far, seeing someone tottering about with 100’s of pounds of iron resting on their neck while they squat down lower than you probably ever do even without any weight on your back! So why bother doing this lower body exercise? Well there are a few good reasons for doing squats:

If you fail to exercise and develop the muscles in your lower body, your upper body won’t improve as well as it could as your body has a natural tendency to keep both your halves in proportion.
Despite the above your upper body will develop somewhat and if you don’t work your lower body you will end up with chicken legs propping up an out of proportion, muscular upper body: not a good look!
If you want your lower body to be toned and beach-ready then you need to exercise your leg muscles and the squat is the best way to do it. No one wants to see a flabby backside at the beach and the squat is one sure-fire way to eliminate any unwanted wobble.
The more muscle your body consists of the more calories it burns during the day and night. As there are lots of muscles in your legs and lower body, developing those muscles can help increase your overall daily calorie expenditure meaning its easier to lose weight and you can get away with eating more of what you like, not just the food that is good for you.

Dumbbells Squats at Home for Powerful Legs

So now you know why you should be doing squats its time to look at how you can do them at home without lots of expensive gym equipment. The best way to do this exercise with the least equipment without going totally DIY and doing water bottle squats or building your own rack is to use a pair of dumbbells or kettlebells and do this exercise that way. As dumbbells tend to be lighter than an Olympic bar and some plates you probably won’t be able to go as heavy as you can in the gym but you can do more reps and go deeper to make up for this shortcoming.

How to Do Dumbbell Squats:

Get into the starting position by standing up straight with your legs shoulder width apart and your toes pointing out ahead of you but with a slight turn out to the sides. Take a weight in each hand with your palms facing in and your arms relaxed by your sides.
Start to bend your legs at the knees but keep your back and neck straight, while you look out, straight ahead.
As you begin to squat down make sure that your knees are above your toes and do not move forwards, past them. You should not be leaning forward but lowering yourself as if sitting down on an imaginary chair.
When you get to the point where your thighs and upper legs are parallel with the floor you can stop there and return to the starting position by breathing out and pushing up from the heels of your feet in an explosive a manner as you can manage.
Alternatively, if you are using a weight that is comfortable and you don’t have any heavier dumbbells, or you just want to push yourself further you can continue squatting past where your upper legs are parallel with the floor and go down as low as you can. This is known as ‘ass to the grass’ and makes this exercise even more effective and challenging.
Once you get back to the starting position take a moment then do it all over again.

How many reps? If your goal is to build muscle and tone and develop your lower body then we recommend doing 3 or 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps. Personally I’d go for one warm up set with a light weight of eights reps and then three sets of heavy squats for eight reps each. However if you only have light weights at home then do more reps and sets until you can do no more.

Going Deep vs Using a Heavier Weight

For some people going down as low as parallel is enough for them and they prefer to add more weight to this exercise instead of going down as low as possible. Personally, I always always opt for doing an exercise as well as possible before increasing the weight. So for me, I’d recommend you go down as low as you can rather than doing a half-squat and increasing the weight.

Over to You

So whether you are male or female, training because you want to lose weight, get in shape or just get stronger the squat should be at the heart of any routine you follow. If you are training at home there is no excuse not to do this exercise as a pair of dumbbells or a set of kettlebells are more than adequate. Even if you don’t have any weights you can still do this exercise and get some benefit from it.

Chest Exercises for Suspension Training

September 27, 2012 by Jay Leave a Comment

You don’t need a bench press or a heavy set of barbells to get in a great chest workout at home. In fact all you really need is a set of suspension trainers and a bit of space. Of course you can simply do body weight exercises but if you want to make your workouts more time and effort efficient using something like the suspension straps is the best way in terms of cost, space and time requirements.

What are suspension trainers? Suspension trainers turn any space, indoors or out, into a fully functioning gym capable of giving your whole body a workout. Whether you want to lose weight, get toned or put on some quality muscle a suspension trainer should be your first port of call. Check out our suspension trainer round-up for the pros and cons of the different models available.

Right let’s get down to business. Here are some of our favourite chest exercises that can be performed with a set of suspension straps like the TRX Pro or the Jungle Gym XT to name just two.

Suspension Strap Push Ups

Are regular push ups too easy for you? Want to ensure your chest gets enough of a workout? Then the suspension push ups take one of the most popular exercises in the world to the next level. Let’s go:

Setup the straps so that the handles are about 6 inches from the floor.
Put your hands into the handles and hold on!
Lower your body into the regular press up or push up starting position.
Now perform a push up but try to keep your hands as still as possible preventing the straps from moving about.
Keep a straight line from your toes to your shoulders: don’t bend your back.

If you want to make this exercise a bit easier raise the height of the handles to take some of the weight off.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7MZFe5dqW4

Suspension Trainer Chest Press

This is similar to the above push up exercise but the greater height of the handles makes the range of movement more akin to the incline bench press exercise.

Set up the trainer so the straps or handles are about waist height.
Hold on to the handles and put your arms slightly out in front of you.
Lean forwards on to the straps lowering your body as low as you can.
Keep a straight line from your head to your ankles and avoid bending your back.
Straighten your arms and push back from your chest to return to the starting position.

To make this exercise more difficult stand further back so the distance you travel as you lean is greater.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAeY1Uh4D30

Suspension Strap Chest Fly

This is similar to the dumbbell chest fly exercise except you don’t need any weights and the potential wobble of the suspension straps makes it much more difficult to perform!

Setup the straps so the handles are about waist height.
While standing take a strap or handle in each hand and walk forward with your arms out in front of you until the straps are tight and your hands are just below shoulder height.
Lean your body in towards your hands and then extend your arms out to the side of you.
Bring your arms back to your sides while keeping any wobble to a minimum.
Perform the rest of the reps and then push yourself back to the starting position.

You can combine the chest fly with the chest press if you want to make things more interesting. To do so do a press back to the starting position after each fly. Then lower yourself again and perform another fly.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mBhCvQXqHE

Suspension Strap Chest Exercise Routine

These three exercises will give you a good chest workout at home without the need for any gym equipment (apart from the straps of course). Change the order you do them in each week to ensure that each exercise gets a turn of going first at the start of your chest workout when your muscles are fresh and ready for a good workout.

Aim to do between 8 and 12 reps for each exercise and do three sets for each one so your workout looks something like this:

Warm up
Suspension Strap Pull-ups: 3 sets of 10 reps
Suspension Trainer Chest Press: 3 sets of 10 reps
Suspension Strap Chest Fly: 3 sets of 10 reps

Remember to change the order each time you do this workout so your muscles don’t get complacent from doing the same thing week in week out. Read our article on changing your routine to enable new muscle growth for some good reasons why a change is as good as a rest.

If you are interested in taking up this type of exercise at home, why not check out our round-up of the best suspension trainers.

Suspension Trainer Exercises For a Great Ab Workout

September 26, 2012 by Jay

Suspension Trainer

If you’ve recently picked up a suspension trainer or are lucky enough to be a member of a gym with one of these hugely dynamic and versatile pieces of fitness equipment then you might be wondering just what exercises there are out there for working your abdominal muscles in order to get a flat and toned stomach or if you are dedicated enough, a six pack.

If you haven’t got your own suspension trainer yet then take a look at our report on the most popular models on the market by clicking here now.

Well you will be pleased to know there are a good selection of suspension trainer ab exercises out there. This means you can choose from a range of effective exercises to ensure that your muscles don’t get used to the same exercises that are performed week in, week out. Say goodbye to boring floor crunches and check out some of these fun and challenging exercises:

The Reverse Crunch Knee Tuck

Assume the press up position but hook your ankles into the handles of a suspension trainer. Your feet should be about a foot from the floor.
Lift your knees away from the ground which will bring them into a tucked position under your chest. Breathe in as you do so and tense your core muscles while performing the exercise.
Return your feet to the starting position to complete one rep of this exercise. Breathe out while doing so.

The Suspension Trainer Plank

The plank is hard enough but imagine doing it with your legs suspended off the floor. Well thanks to your new suspension straps you can add this even tougher version of the plank to your ab routine.

Place your feet into the handles or straps of your suspension trainer so the laces or top of your foot is resting on the handles.
Get into the plank position with your body supported by your forearms.
Keep your glutes and core tight at all time and try to keep your body as still as possible. Preventing your body from moving is what takes this already difficult exercise to the next level. How many minutes can you last for?

Suspension Trainer Obliques Assault

Lie on the floor on your back and hold on to the straps with both hands.
Lift yourself up from the floor so only your feet are in contact with the ground keeping your back straight and a straight line from head to ankles.
Pull on one strap to lift one side of your body up and then pull on the other side to change sides.
Keep doing this while tensing your core to really hit those oblique muscles that make up the side of your midsection.

These are just a few of the great many core muscle workouts available to those of you with access to a set of suspension straps. Keep tuned for more great exercise ideas for a powerful home workout.

To help you pick the right home workout equipment for your take a look at our reviews of the best suspension trainers.

How to Get in Shape at Home Without Equipment

September 21, 2012 by Jay Leave a Comment

Home Training for Men and Women

Previously we looked at the best ways to do a cardio workout at home without any specific cardio equipment but now we are going to talk about the options available for those of us who want to get in shape at home without any equipment whatsoever.

We will also discuss some of the ways you can use household items instead of weights to take your home training to the next level. If you are looking to get toned, add some lean muscle mass and get in a calorie burning workout read on for some great tips.

If you can spare the space or expense of buying just one piece of equipment you will start to see results quicker and reach your goals a lot faster. If you can make the necessary sacrifices in terms of space and budget then we recommend one of these kettlebells, but if this isn’t an option for you right now don’t worry as you can still get a good home workout in without any specialised gear!

A Home Workout without Any Equipment

Whatever your goals are this routine should give you a good workout at home without any weight training equipment. It might not be the best for those wanting to increase their fitness levels but it should still leave you our of breath if you work through it at a high intensity! If you want to tone up and get in shape or even put on some good quality lean muscle mass then this is ideal for you.

It is perfect for those with no access to weight training gear or people who just want to try something different. If you are on the road or on holiday and away from home this is a great way to stay active when you have no access to a gym.

Give it a try and leave a comment below to let us know how many reps you managed!

We recommend you aim for 8-12 reps in order to give your muscles a good workout and get them growing in no time.

Commando Handstand Push Ups

The commando part doesn’t refer to any lack of underwear but to the military personal who supposedly pioneered this exercise. This takes your regular press up or push up and turns it on its head quite literally making it harder to perform and therefore much more effective for building those shoulder and tricep muscles essential for a sculpted upper body. Lets go:

With your back against the wall crouch down and put your hands on the floor.
Walk backwards up the wall so that you are in effect doing a handstand against the wall.
Bend your arms at the elbow and lower yourself down towards the ground. Bring your chin as close to the ground as possible.
Push up and straighten your arms to the starting position to complete the rep.

If you have great balancing abilities and are able to do free standing handstands then you can try this exercise facing the other way with the back of your legs resting against the wall. This version will also give your core muscles a good workout too as you will use them for stability.

Incline Press Ups

Use the Wall for Incline Training

This is another twist on the classic press up and this time we will be working your chest and tricep muscles.

Stand facing a wall and place your palms on the wall with your fingers pointing up.
Keeping your hands on the wall, take a few big steps back so your body is running diagonal from the floor to the wall.
Bend your arms at the elbow and lower yourself towards the wall keeping your back straight and unbent as you move towards the wall.
Once you are as close to the wall as you can get push off from the wall using your arms and chest muscles.

This exercise works the same muscles as you would doing an incline bench press or incline dumbbell press but without the need for any weights or fitness gear.

Water Bottle Curls

If you want to have a muscle building workout at home without and weight training equipment you will have to start improvising at some point with any household objects you can get your hands on. One simple and cheap way to turn some everyday objects into free weights is to recycle drinking water bottles such as the 1.5 and 2 litre bottles that are sold almost everywhere.

Conveniently 1 litre of water weighs 1 kilogram so if you round up some empties, fill them with water you have a set of weights you can do lots of exercises with at home. If you can get your hands on one of the five litre bottles that come with their own handle you pretty much have a 5 kg dumbbell for free!

To do curls with one of these large bottles to develop your biceps couldn’t be easier, just follow these steps:

Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart with your knees slightly bent so your legs aren’t locked out.
Depending on the heaviness of the weight and how strong you are feeling you can either hold the bottle in one hand or hold it with both hands.
Keep your elbows locked in tight to the side of your body so your upper arms do not move and remains vertical.
Raise your lower arms from the elbow up as high as they will go. Hold the weight at the top of the lift for a second.
Slowly lower the weight back to the starting position to complete the rep.
If you are just using one arm swap arms and complete the rep again with the other arm.
Keep swapping arms until you have done the desired amount of reps (which is usually 8-12).

If you don’t have a large enough bottle you can always get a few smaller ones and put them in a bag and use that as the weight. Remember that 1 litre = 1 kg.

Water Bottle Squats

Do Squats in the Office

You can use your new water bottle dumbbells to do lots of other exercises just as you would with a regular set of bells. Use them for squats for a great lower body exercise that will get your legs in great shape in no time without any expensive equipment.

Stand with your legs about shoulder width apart and with your toes pointing forwards.
Hold the same amount of weight in each hand whether it be a water bottle or a bag containing a few bottles.
Bend your legs at the knee as if you are about to sit down on an imaginary chair.
Keep your back straight and your head facing forward to avoid putting any unnecessary strain on your back or neck.
When your upper legs or thighs are in parallel with the floor rise up slowly to the starting position pushing through your hips and from your toes.
Remember to keep your back straight at all times and do not move your knees forward beyond your toes.

If you want to make these water bottle squats tougher and even more effective you can squat down even lower and go “ass to grass” as they call it but perhaps work your way up to that first!

Working Out with Household Objects instead of Free Weights

Fill a Bag with Sand

Using large water bottles is just one way to get a good muscle building workout in at home without buying any weights but it is just one idea and there are many more things you can use. Some other ideas include:

Use books or rolled up magazines which you can put in a bag.
Fill a bucket with sand or stones and hold the handle for curls, squats and kettlebell swings.
Get a heavy duty bag like these weight training sandbags and fill it with anything heavy you have lying around.
If you’ve got an old football or basketball sitting around doing nothing cut it in half, fill it with sand and reseal with tape or strong adhesive and you have a home made medicine ball.
If you have access to any tools a sledge hammer, or even a regular hammer can be used to great effect.
Similarly any metal chains can be used as free weights as well as heavy rope.
Tins of paint are also excellent for doing curls and shoulder presses with.
Piping can be filled with sand or earth and the ends sealed to make a long tube that can be used in the same way as a barbell for curls and pressing exercieses.

I could go on but I think you get the idea now. Just have a look around your house and garden and I’m sure you will find something you can use to perform exercises with. If you want to find out how much you are lifting use one of these luggage scales with a hook to get a good idea of how your are progressing with your training.

If you want to spend a bit of cash on your home training setup check out this guide to working out at home on a budget.

Home Kettlebell Exercises for a Six Pack

September 20, 2012 by Jay 1 Comment

When it comes to getting a toned stomach and that highly coveted look that is the six pack there is a lot of truth to the old adage that a six pack is made in the kitchen and not the gym.

The reason this saying is so true is that unless you have been eating a healthy diet that has helped you lose fat from your stomach (as well as the rest of your body) you will never have visible abdominal muscles. Sure you might have a six pack or even an eight pack hiding down there but unless your body fat is low enough you or anyone else for that matter will never see it.

Don’t Neglect Weight Training if You Want a Sixer

But even if most of the work towards having visible abs is done on the diet side of things you still need to work those core muscles in order to have abdominals that do become visible when your body fat levels are low enough. It is one thing to be skinny but if the muscles aren’t there they won’t show.

Kettlebell Exercises for Developing a Six Pack

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKkmjYv4V40

If you read our previous report on why a set of kettlebells is all you need to get in shape at home then you should already be a convert to this effective and dynamic way of training. As these weights are very versatile and can be used for working every part of your body (providing you have a good enough imagination) it should come as no surprise that you can perform a number of ab exercises with a kettlebell. We will now take a look at some of our favourites:

The Windmill

This is a great exercise for working your core mid section which includes the muscles responsible for your six pack.

Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart with the kettllebell between your feet.
Bend down from the waist and grip the weight with one hand and lift it above your head so that the arm holding the weight is vertically straight.
Now touch the inside of your foot with the hand not holding the weight while keeping your legs straight and bending at the waist. Make sure the arm holding the weight remains vertically straight.
Return the to starting position to complete the rep.
Make sure you keep your back flat and not bent or rounded at all times and keep your core muscles tensed.

Kettlebell Swings

These are another great weighted ab exercise that are perfect for those who are sick of crunches and traditional floor-based abdominal exercises.

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and your toes facing forward.
Bend your knees slightly and with one weight held in both hands swing it between your legs and then out in front of you so that your arms are horizontal.
Use your hips and your waist to swing the weight rather than your arms.
Keep your eyes and head facing forwards and tense your mid section and core muscles to give them a great workout.
Remember to keep your back flat with no rounded or curvature!

Round the Worlds

These kettlebell ab exercises look easy but they require good hand to eye coordination and quick reflexes so take them slowly the first few times!

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and your toes facing forward.
Hold one weight in both hands and keeping your back straight transfer the weight into one hand.
Then pass the weight behind your back and transfer it into your other hand.
Now move the weight in front of you and pass it to your other hand.
The weight should be moving around you from hand to hand.
Keep your core muscles tight as well as your glutes as you send the weight around the world.
After a few rotations change direction without stopping before switching direction again.

Renegade Rows

“Aren’t rows for your back muscles?” I hear you ask. Well in a sense they are but they are give your core a great workout and hit those ab muscles we are trying to develop from a different angle then they might be used to (depending on your current training).

Get into a push up position but with a kettlebell in each hand between you and the floor.
Keep your shoulders straight and lift one kettlebell up from the ground keeping your arm close to your side.
Return the weight to the starting position and do the same with the other arm.
Do not rotate or twist your torso to ensure your abs get a good workout.
Keep your back straight from toes to head with no bending or rounding.

And there you have it: four great weight ab exercises you can easily perform at home without much space at all. These kettlebell ab exercises show that if you want to shape up at home you can really do it with only a few pieces of equipment that needn’t cost the earth!

If you are yet to pick up a set of kettlebells take a look at our report on the best ‘bells on the market for a great home workout.

How I Beat Skinny Fat Syndrome

September 18, 2012 by Jay Leave a Comment

The Nes didn’t make me fat

When I was a kid I was always pretty skinny. I never overate and we had a healthy lifestyle with a fair amount of exercise and outdoor activities. I never thought about my weight and just took it for granted that I wasn’t the fat kid in class who everyone mocked and teased. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t grow up on a farm where days would be spent roaming the fields, climbing trees and foraging for apples. In fact it was quite the opposite, I grew up in a big city but thanks to the era I was born in it was still considered pretty safe for kids to play outside and we’d spend most afternoons and evenings roaming around our neighbourhood on our bikes, skateboards and scooters. At home most kids from my neighbourhood had their own TVs, VCRs (like an old fashioned Blu-Ray player) and a NES (think Xbox without the fancy graphics and only two buttons on the controller) or a Master System but that wasn’t the only way we got our entertainment. At home we ate healthily but when we were out we were allowed sweets, chips and burgers in moderation.

So what all that in mind it’s no surprise that I grew up on the medium to thin end of the scale.

Skinny Fat isn’t Pretty

Fast forward 10 years to when I’d just finished college after several years of hard partying and no time at all spent cycling, skating or having a kick about and things had begun to change. I was still relatively lean for the most part but was starting to develop a bit of a substantial gut and my chest was starting to get a bit bigger and that growth had nothing to do with press-ups or bench presses and lot more to do with a sedentary lifestyle and an increased consumption of ‘bad’ calories such as takeaways and beers.

It took me a while to see for myself but there was no doubt about it: I was a skinny fat man!

Being skinny fat is no great position to find oneself in. You might look ok-ish when fully clothed but in front of the mirror at night or when undressed at the beach you don’t look a pretty sight at all! Truly fat people might scoff at the complaints of the skinny fat guys and girls as at least they don’t get abuse in the street and they can hide their body composition but when you have skinny fat syndrome you feel just as bad let me tell you.

So How Did I Stop Being Skinny Fat?

Previously I talked about the five stages of getting in shape and once I’d moved out of stage one (denial) I was moving in the right direction in terms of getting over my skinny fatness. My main approach was to join a local gym and start pounding the treadmill and although this was better than nothing it wasn’t long before I realised I was getting fitter and faster at running but the weight wasn’t really coming off and I still looked like the proverbial sack in the mirror.

Cardio isn’t the Answer

Daniel Craig at the Beach

While doing running or any other form of cardio is a great way to get fit it isn’t the best or most effective way to exercise in order to shape up and change the way you look. When it comes to making changes to your body type and shape that are pleasing to the eye the best way to do it is to start lifting those weights!

It wasn’t until I started doing resistance training using the weights machines in the gym and then the free weights once I’d built up a bit of foundation strength and confidence that I noticed the changes taking place.

I began to lose a bit of weight on the scales but more importantly I was building muscle which helped change the way I looked. I was no longer flabby and weak and I had started to become firm and toned. I never became a mass monster but I looked a lot better with my top off and those days out at the swimming pool or beach were now a lot less stressful and nights in under the covers a lot less daunting!

If you are serious about beating skinny fat syndrome then I recommend you either join a gym or start working at home. Working out at home is a lot easier and cheaper than you might imagine and this piece on why a kettlebell is all you need to get in shape at home can give you some great advice on getting started without breaking the bank.

Did you get over being skinny fat? If so leave a comment bellow or connect with us on Facebook.

If you want a guide to help you get in shape fast then check out the Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle ebook now.

The Five Stages of Getting in Great Shape

July 25, 2012 by Jay 2 Comments

For most people ‘getting in shape’ is a life long journey that never quite ends or has a clearly defined finishing point. The goal posts often change or get moved over time. This usually happens for two reasons: 1) you reach a goal and then realise it wasn’t all you were hoping for so you extend it a bit more or 2), you realise you set your sights too high and have to lower your ambitions slightly. So although this journey never ends there are lots of stop off points along the road where you can slow down and appreciate what you’ve gained whether that be an awesome set of guns, a 120kg bench press of just looking good naked. But in order to reach these vantage points of self-reflection there are some stages we all have to go through to get started and keeping going on the right route. Remember the first step is always the hardest so why not take it today?

Stage One: Denial

Like all bad things that happen in life getting out or shape or realising that you have gotten out of shape is often met with denial from the person who is afflicted with this soul-sapping condition. Until this stage is dealt with and your head if no longer burred in the sand you cannot move forwards towards getting back in shape and reaching your health and fitness goals. Like some other conditions that are self-inflicted, sometimes you just have to hit rock bottom before you reach a turning point and wake up and smell the coffee (with three sugars) and decide enough is enough. The day you take a look in the mirror and admit you are overweight or not in the physical condition you want to be in is the day you can start to get your life back on track. Until you truly realise where you are in terms of fitness and how you look then you can’t really move forward and get the ball rolling. While still in denial you can work out and watch what you eat but if you keep telling yourself things aren’t so bad then you won’t be motivated enough in your endeavours to really make a difference and start getting in shape properly.

How I was in Denial

The moment I realised I was out of shape was when a rotund friend of mine kindly pointed out I was beginning to develop man boobs or moobs which meant that I was no longer slim. Being slim or skinny didn’t really bother me, it was just how I was and as far as I knew, at the time, there was no way to change this. But when it became apparent that I’d crossed the line and was taking the first steps towards being fat and that I had already become skinny fat I almost instantly joined a gym for the first time in my life and started exercising regularly also for the first time in my life with a goal to losing the fat I’d started to accumulate over the past few years and more importantly make sure I didn’t put on anymore unwanted pounds.

Stage Two: Other People Trying to Discourage You

When you try to improve yourself whether it’s by joining a gym, taking a self-study course, spending more time at work to impress your managers or taking a break from unhealthy foods for a while, other people will feel threatened. Although what you are doing doesn’t directly affect them at all you can still ruffle plenty of feathers by refusing to accept the status quo and deciding to make some changes that are in your best interests and at the expense of no one else.

Why do your new positive actions cause so many problems for others? Simply because it forces other people to look at how they live their lives and what they could or should be doing to address the problem areas in their lives. It also forces some uncomfortable subjects to raised and talked about which some people would rather not be mentioned. Let’s say you are at a big family meal, Uncle Geoff is there and is looking even more overweight than ever and is starting to feel the negative aspects of all that extra weight but is still tucking into his dinner with abandon. As you have started working out and want to get in shape for your upcoming holiday you decline the offer of dessert from your host. When asked why you reply that you are trying to eat a bit more healthily at the moment this answer is met with derision from fat Uncle Geoff as he knows it is something he should be doing to turn his life around but just doesn’t have the will power. You’ve just mentioned the elephant in the room and now all eyes are on him.

But whatever forms the discouragement from your associates takes and whatever the reasons behind it are try not to let if put you off your goals and prevent you from staying focused.

How Other People Tried to Discourage Me

When I stared making more of an effort at the gym I stopped drinking as much alcohol as I did before as booze can severely hamper your progress due to reduction in testosterone, all those empty calories and the fact that it can put you off eating and training if you are suffering from a brutal hangover after a heavy night on the town. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t stop drinking entirely but I went from four or five big nights out a week to perhaps three or four. Friends got annoyed that I could no longer be counted on for a midweek night out but in the end they understood and some of them even began cutting down how much they drank.

Stage Three: Early Results to Spur You On

When you first join the gym or start working out at home and have decided to start making some positive changes in your life you are usually full of motivation and are brimming with PMA (positive mental attitude) but after a few weeks or months this wears off and you can begin to start skipping sessions and even doubting whether the time you have invested has been worthwhile. Lots of people drop out at this point and hang up their running shoes with resignation but quiet relief that the journey is already over. If you don’t want to be one of those people that quit so early in the game then one way to make sure it doesn’t happen is to achieve some sort of early results or victories to keep you motivated and allow you to recognise all the hard work you have put in.

These victories or positive results can come in many forms and depending on what your goals are could be anything from losing 5 lbs., being able to do 30 push ups or running 5 km in 30 minutes. In order to recognise this progress you need to start taking down some key data as early as possible such as your weight, sporting prowess or my favourite motivation tip: taking some before photos to look back on and laugh at when you’ve been at it a while and no longer look like a starving refugee with a pot belly and moobs. Having meaningful data to compare whether it’s cold hard numbers or photographic evidence can help you recognise your achievements and keep you on the right road and in the direction you want to be heading.

How My Early Results Spurred Me On

When I first started training and going to the gym no one gave me this piece of excellent advice I have just shared with you so I didn’t make any notes apart from that I weighed 12 stone / 76 kg / 168 pounds and was as weak as a kitten. What spurred me on however and kept me motivated was comments from other people about the change in my physique. My friends knew I’d started going to the gym but I didn’t tell my co-workers as there seemed no need to share this information. Then one day at work someone else who was a regular gym goer commented on my new muscles and then word got around and people began asking me how long I’d been working out for and when I started going to the gym etc.

Let me be clear: I’d not turned into some muscle bound freak but had simply gone from skinny fat to looking slightly toned without anyone noticing which in some workplaces never happens despite peoples best efforts. Despite not being one to let comments go to my head and just casually laughing them off this did get me over the first hump and keep me motivated to continue going to the gym when otherwise my dedication might have begun to waiver. In fact from that point onwards I got used to the attention and against my character, I began to look forward to receiving it. Although chasing external validation and approval from others is not a road you want to go down a little bit of positive attention for doing something well is never a bad thing and let’s be honest, the second reason most people want to get in shape after feeling better about themselves is that other people won’t find them too unpleasant to look at!

You don’t have to rely on your friends, family or co-workers to encourage you, try joining up to one of the fitness, health or weight training forums and starting a progress journal where you can state your goals and record your progress while interacting with other people who share your objectives and can related to your struggle as well as provide words of encouragement and helpful tips and advice. Writing down your goals online where people can see them makes them real and the other members of the website will hold you to account which can be a great motivator. Some websites even have ‘shape-up challenges’ where people can enter to win prizes which can also help you stick to your training and diet regime as a bit of competition brings a whole new element of enthusiasm into the proceedings.

Stage Four: The Long Haul and Staying Motivated

During the honeymoon period of your new found health and fitness regime, which can last up to six months as you find your feet in the gym and get a good routine and diet sorted you should notice some positive changes in your appearance and on the scales, however once the initial burst of muscle growth and strength increases known as ‘beginner’s gains’ begin to dry up and progress slows down it can become hard to keep going. If it appears you are not making any progress towards your goals then why would you carry on?

The reality is that at this point you need to get serious about your diet and start being consistent with your exercise routine and sticking to it making sure you aren’t missing training sessions or going off-diet on a regular basis.

If you want to keep the momentum going you had in your first few months then you need to put in a new level of commitment and factor your new way of eating and your levels of activity to keep reaping the rewards. Most people who embark on a new health and fitness campaign will have given up long ago so give yourself a pat on the back for getting this far. Staying healthy and in good shape is a never rending process and requires a change in lifestyle on a permanent basis if you don’t want the gains you’ve already made to fade away. Over time working out, exercising and eating the right foods becomes second nature but until it does just hang in there and keep your eyes on the prize.

My Approach for Staying Motivated for the Long Haul

As I’ve been training for about seven years now regular exercise and being conscious of what I eat is something I think about every day. I might not be as consistent as I once was but I know what is right and what is wrong and I try to stick to the right end of the spectrum wherever possible. One thing I find that really helps to keep me motivated and kicks me into gear when I’m slacking off is looking back at holiday photos when I’ve not be in great shape.

In the photos I can tell that at the time I thought I looked OK and perhaps back then I did look OK for my goals at that time but now a few years on I can see that was not the case! This makes me realise that I probably don’t look that great now even though I’m in better shape and that I need to keep working out and trying not to eat any junk. Basically, take lots of photos whenever you get the chance so you can keep an eye on where you’ve come from but also how far you need to go!

Stage Five: Reaching your Goals and the Ever Moving Goal Posts

Part of the human condition is never being happy with your lot and in some ways it can be frustrating but in other ways it’s not so bad. If we hadn’t strived for more food, better health and improved living conditions all those years ago we wouldn’t have climbed down from the trees in search of pastures new and started the transformation from monkeys to man.

However, this means that more often than not reaching your fitness goals isn’t as satisfying and rewarding as we hoped and can even lead to a feeling of emptiness and disappointment. Sometimes the journey is really better than the destination and reaching that goal of a 100kg bench press, getting a six pack or losing those bingo wings feels more like a bump in the road than reaching the top of the mountain. Life rarely changes when personal goals are met and the only way to deal with it is to set new ones and keep going!

How I Dealt with Success Fatigue

At first the victories came thick and fast: 60kg bench press, adding 5 lbs. of lean muscle mass and with each new goal that was crossed off the list another one magically appeared in its place. When you realise that no one else really cares how much you can lift or how far you can run then the amount of importance you put on reaching targets changes and you begin to look at more open ended goals. We all need goals and targets to stay motivated, after all, dreams are just goals without a timeline. But as you get more into training and the healthy lifestyle your goals change and mine too began to mature. I stopped chasing numbers and my goals become less specific but just as important. Although my goals change from time to time they tend to be focussed around a couple of key areas:

Be fit enough to do what I need to do
Stay lean
Keep training

As you can see there are no numbers there and you could say they are all very subjective and it would be difficult to know when any of them are achieved.

My Goals Explained

When it comes to the first one on the list, ‘Be fit enough to do what I need to do’, it’s all about being fit for purpose and having enough energy to keep going all day. I’m never going to run a marathon so putting in endless hours on the treadmill isn’t necessary. My main fitness challenges at the moment are chasing after my increasingly fast toddler and making sure, in a few years’ time, I can kick a ball around with her and go on bike rides and things like that. That is what I mean by being fit enough to do what I need to do.

For number two I was going to put ‘not get fat’ but that would be focusing on the negative aspect of the goal so I switched it around to ‘Stay lean’ instead as it’s a positive phrase. This goal does what it says on the tin and is simply about keeping off the unwanted pounds that come with over indulgence. If I get a six pack along the way then so be it but now I’m into my 30s my long term goal is just to stay lean.

Finally, ‘Keep training’, simply refers to keep on keeping on. I’m no longer chasing numbers looking for a 200 kg deadlift of a 120kg bench press. When I reach those numbers I will be pleased but they are just stepping stones along the path. I As long as I ‘keep training’ in one way or another all will be well.

The End!

Phew, that was a long one: nearly 3000 words! I wonder if anyone read it all. If you did leave me a comment to let me know this keyboard workout wasn’t for nothing!

Did any of those stages resonate with you? What barriers of obstacles have you encountered on your journey?

The Best Kettlebell Exercises for an Effective Leg Workout

July 7, 2012 by Jay Leave a Comment

If you read our recent article on why a kettlebell is the only piece of home gym equipment you need to get in great shape then you will know we are big fans of this heavyweight Russian export. If you took our advice and picked up one of these pieces of home gym equipment then the chances are you are very happy with your purchase but you might still have a few questions when it comes to using them and a question we often hear asked is ‘how can I do a good lower body workout with just a kettlebell?’.

Well this question is easier to answer than you might think as these weights are very versatile and once you start using your imagination you can find literally hundreds of exercises to perform to help you build muscle, burn fat and ‘tone up’.

These kettlebell exercises are equally suitable for men and women and if your goals are to add lean muscle mass, get that toned and athletic look and burn off those excess calories then these exercises are for you. If you are a female trainer and aren’t sure if kettlebell training is for you then check out this article on the suitability of kettlebells for women trainers.

The Best Lower Body Kettlebell Exercises

The most effective and probably the best known lower body exercise is the squat. This exercise primarily works the thigh, hip and buttock muscles as well as a whole host of secondary muscles such as the lower back, upper arms and the shoulders not to mention the abdominal muscles found around your stomach which you need to develop if you want to complete the beach body look with a six pack. If there was one exercise that could be termed as vital for those who want to get in great shape then it would probably be the squat.

Despite all this lots of people avoid this exercise as it looks quite difficult to perform and has a hint of potential danger about it. While those observations are not entirely incorrect, when executed correctly the squat is very safe and not quite as difficult to master as first appearances may suggest.

When most people picture the squat exercise, they usually imagine people in squat racks with a well loaded barbell on their shoulders squatting for all their worth. While this is usually the case there are other ways to do this exercise that don’t require the use of a lot of equipment and one such variation on this exercise is the kettlebell squat.

How to Perform Kettlebell Squats

If you are lucky enough to have two kettlebells then you can do this exercise by holding a weight in each hand and letting your arms hang down by your sides. Don’t worry if you only have one kettlebell as you can perform the one weight variation of this exercise by following the second set of instructions below. The variation on the squat that requires two weights is sometimes referred to as the suitcase squat as you hold the weights as if you were holding a heavy suitcase in each hand. If you have two weights hold one in each of your hands by the handles with your palms facing inwards towards your body and the bells hanging down. Perform this great leg exercise like so:

Start in a standing position with a kettlebell in each hand and your palms facing your body.
Keeping your back straight bend your legs at the knees at the same time as bending your hips as if you are going to sit down on an imaginary chair.
As you lower yourself make sure your knees don’t move over or past your toes – you do not want to bend over forwards but want to lean back as if getting into more of a sitting position.
When your thighs are parallel with the ground you have reached the point where many people consider the exercise to be completed. Some people go deeper to perform a more strenuous workout but you can stop here if you chose. Do not stop before your thighs are parallel with the ground as you will not have gone deep enough.
Return to the starting position by pushing upwards from your feet and through your legs. Do not slide your knees forward as this will take the weight off your legs and the hamstrings which you are trying to work with this exercise.

To avoid injury make sure you observe the following:

Do not descend too quickly. Move in a slow, controlled motion staying in control of your movement the whole time.
Do not extend your torso too far forward; try to keep it relatively upright with your back in a straight line from waist to neck. Failure to prevent your torso from extending forward can put too much pressure on your lower back which could cause an injury.
Keep your knees behind your toes. Do not bend your legs with your knees moving beyond your toes. If you looked down straight through your knees your toes should be in front of them.

If you are unsure of how to perform kettlebell squats ask an experienced trainer or consult a personal trainer at your local gym. To practice this exercise try performing it without any weights and position a chair behind you so you can practice siting down and standing up without using your arms. You can use a chair while you do the exercise for real and these are called box squats – just make sure the chair is strong enough to hold your weight and the weights you are using!

Squats with One Kettlebell

If you just have one kettlebell then we do not recommend you try and do the above exercise with just one weight. Performing this exercise and being off balance is a good way to get injured and there is no need to even attempt it as this version works just as well:

In an upright standing position hold the handle of one kettlebell with both hands with the weight in front of you close to your chest.
Position your feet slightly less than shoulder with apart and do not lock your knees.
Squat down by bending your knees but keeping your back straight.
As you get closer to the ground make sure that your back is still in the upright position and your knees do not move over or in front of your toes.
Imagine you are sitting back onto a chair rather than bending forward to pick something up.
When your upper legs from your knees to your waist are parallel with the ground you have reached the end of the exercise. You can of course go lower but parallel with the ground is good enough for starting out.
Pause for a second then push up from your legs to return to the starting position.

Do these exercises for three sets of eight to 12 repetitions. Do not fall for the toning myth that states you need to do lots of repetitions with a light weight to ‘get toned’. This is rubbish and if you want to improve your muscle tone you will need to perform between eight and 12 reps with a heavy weight. If you are using one kettlebell and your strength improves to the point where the weight is too light and you can easily do 12 reps then you can try either using two kettlebells with one in each hand or going down further at the end of the squat. Once you have exhausted both these options then you might need to upgrade to a heavier set of weights or invest in a set of adjustable kettlebells which allow you to add more weights to the bell without replacing the whole thing as your strength improves.

Other Kettlebell Leg Exercises

The above mentioned kettlebell squat variations are ideal for a full lower body workout as they hit multiple muscle groups in the bottom half of your body as well as your core. There are other kettlebell leg exercises you can add to your repertoire to keep your workouts dynamic and varied and also to prevent you losing interest but the squat should be a the core of any workout whether training at home or the gym.

Whatever type of kettlebell sets you have access to, I hope you can now see that its possible to work almost any muscle group with this piece of fitness equipment and start working towards your goals with as little fuss as possible.

Some other leg exercises you can perform at home with a kettlebell include:

One legged kettlebell squats
Kettlebell lunges
Box squats
Double swings
Calf Raises
Farmers walk
Dead clean

We will be taking a closer look at the kettlebell leg exercises listed above in the coming weeks so don’t forget to bookmark this site. If you found the information on this page useful and think someone else you know might too then please click on a button below to share this page.

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