This skipping and kettlebell workout burns fat, builds functional strength and improves whole-body fitness. But then it’s no surprise that this workout confers all these benefits, considering it is comprised of arguably two of the best exercises in existence.
Skipping
Skipping is widely acknowledged as one of the best fat-burning exercises on the market. As Bruce Lee purportedly said, 10-minutes of skipping is the equivalent of 30-minutes of running.
Related: Need a skipping rope?
As well as incinerating fat, skipping also improves muscle definition. By including skipping into your general training routine it won’t be long until you start seeing visibly sharper muscle separation. But regular skipping won’t just make your muscles more defined, it also improves endurance.
In addition to enhanced aesthetics, you’ll likely enjoy an increase in cardiovascular performance. Skipping is a great aerobic exercise, one that quickly gets the heart rate up and blood flowing.
Related: need to learn how to skip? We teach you in 7 steps
Kettlebell
Whereas skipping takes care of cardio and muscle endurance, the kettlebell exercise will help build strength in the major muscle groups.
The kettlebell is a celebrated functional fitness developer; which accounts for why it is so popular among the fitness fraternity. For this workout, we’ll be focusing only on the kettlebell swing.
Related: Discover the best Competition Kettlebells
The kettlebell swing is a powerful foundational exercise that improves posterior chain and core strength. Other fitness benefits associated with kettlebell swinging include gorilla-like grip strength, enhanced muscle endurance, and improved whole-body fitness.
For circuits and HIIT workouts the kettlebell swing exercise is best because, as well as engaging the posterior chain, it is comparatively safe to perform. The same cannot be said of more technically complex movement such as the snatch or long cycle.
Related: Need to brush up on your kettlebell swing technique?
The benefits of this skipping and kettlebell workout
Burns fat and consumes calories
Engages the cardiorespiratory systems
Provides a complete workout
Develops strength across the posterior chain
Is completely modifiable
Short and sweet thus suitable for a lunchtime fitness snack
How to approach this skipping and kettlebell workout
At its essence, this skipping and kettlebell workout is super simple. Your objective is to complete as many skipping and kettlebell swing sets as possible in 10-minutes.
However, depending on your current level of fitness, you may want to make a few adjustments. In this video demonstration, I opt for the advanced level, which involves 100 skips and 50 kettlebell swings with a 32kg bell.
But if your feel those numbers are a bit much, consider the following two options:
Beginner: 25 skips to 12 kettlebell swings (12/16kg)
Intermediate: 50 skips to 25 kettlebell swings (16/24kg)
Skipping kettlebell workout key points
As previously stated, the objective of this skipping and kettlebell workout is to complete as many of the above sets as possible in 10-minutes. You must complete all the reps in the set before transitioning.
To achieve the best possible score, you should aim to skip and swing nonstop for the entirety of the workout.
But of course you do not have to pursue that objective. Instead you can take rests between sets if you feel you need to. If you do decide to rest I advise sticking to a specific duration – say 10, 20 or 30-seconds – so as to avoid exercise procrastination.
10-minute skipping and kettlebell workout
Make this a 20 minute skipping and kettlebell workout
If 10-minutes is too short for you, or you wanted to make this skipping and kettlebell workout into a full training session, simply double the duration. Of course, if you do opt for 20-minutes you’ll have to temper the intensity at which you work.
By selecting the 20-minute workout you can also incorporate different kettlebell exercises. With more training time on our hands, the workout dynamics are not disrupted so much when transitioning between exercises.
For kettlebell exercise ideas check out these 10 Killer Kettlebell Exercises
Helpful hints and tips for this skipping and kettlebell workout
To help keep track of the number of skip/swing sets you’ve completed, consider using the above grid to track your progress.
If you want to turn up the intensity of this workout, there’s two ways to achieve this. Way 1: do double unders for the last 10 skips of each set. Way 2: swing the kettlebell above your head.
Start the workout with a relatively light kettlebell – but have a heavy bell on standby. When you hit the 5-minute marker, switch up a gear and finish the workout with the heavy kettlebell.
Enjoyed this skipping and kettlebell workout?
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Circuit training is one of the best forms of physical exercise for maintaining and increasing overall-fitness. A well designed circuit will provide a great cardiovascular workout, strengthening the heart and lungs in the process, whilst also improving muscle endurance and developing functional strength. This unique combination, of fat burning and muscle building, which singular exercises, such as running, cycling, swimming or weights cannot give, will help to sculpt a lean defined physique.
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