This archive report was first published on 19 September 2019.
Looking for a way to take your bodyweight workout to the next level? Incorporating kettlebell movements is a great way to elevate your routine, and trainer Eric Leija, also known as Primal Swoledier, has a perfect example of how it's done.
On his latest Instagram post, Leija shares a three-step kettlebell routine that combines rows, presses, pushups, and lunges to challenge your entire body. This efficient workout is perfect for people with small apartments or those who find themselves in hotel gyms with limited space.
"This is a nice total-body circuit that's set up exactly how you want it to be," says Ebenezer Samuel, CSCS, fitness director and personal trainer at Men's Health. "You're doing pull moves—rows and cleans—first, followed by pushups, and then a leg move with those plyo lunges."
According to Samuel, the opening flow is smart, focusing primarily on rowing the kettlebells. This motion is carried over into the kettlebell cleans that follow, and then kept tight as you do the shoulder presses. It's essential to choose a light weight to start, something you're comfortable pressing overhead, not necessarily a heavy weight you'd want to do for rows, Samuel advises.
Take your time on the pushups, too: "Leija does them at a slow tempo to build time-under-tension," Samuel says. "Keep your elbows tight to your torso; don't let them flare out." And don't be afraid to simply do standard reverse lunges on the plyo lunges, Samuel adds.
