Boost your fitness at home with these high intensity kettlebell exercises and HIIT workouts to improve your strength and cardio.
As a busy mom of 3 little ones, I need quick and effective workouts. And kettlebell HIIT workouts are one of my favorite ways to stay in tip top shape.
If I’m being honest, it’s not like I am training for too many athletic events these days. Between changing diapers, breastfeeding, potty training, hide ‘n’ seek, and keeping up with the house, I don’t have a lot of time to dedicate to my workouts.
So I really need to make sure that my fitness routine is balanced and hits the major fitness components.
And the kettlebell is one of the best ways to work on and improve your strength, cardio, balance, power, and reaction time at home.
Are kettlebells high intensity?
Kettlebells are a great choice for HIIT workouts because of their ability to be used in powerful, momentous repetitions that efficiently elevate heart rate while stimulated a muscular response.
The kettlebell’s very design is advantageous towards high intensity training. The heavier the kettlebell you choose, the more intensity you will be working under in the form of strength or power.
Plus, the shape and weight distribution are perfect for chaining powerful olympic lifts into high repetitions for a killer cardiovascular effect.
What is the most effective kettlebell exercise?
The kettlebell swing is an extremely effective high intensity exercise that improves total body cardio, strength, balance, coordination, and power.
However, your effort and technique are key to improving efficacy of your kettlebell exercise and workouts.
Avoid working with a weight that you lack control of or find that you lose the intended pace of the workout. When taking this approach, you can be sure to maximize results and minimize risk of injury.
Choosing full body kettlebell exercises that focus on power will be the most effective and making your workout high intensity.
Can kettlebell swings be HIIT?
Kettlebell swings are a great exercise for HIIT workouts because they recruit multiple muscle groups, require powerful movement, and induce a short burst of intense cardio effort.
Keep in mind that High Intensity Interval Training is a format of programming, so even with the right exercises, you still must be sure to structure your HIIT workout appropriately.
HIIT workouts are defined by short bursts of high intensity effort followed by a period of rest that allows enough recovery to work at that same intensity again.
Do this by keeping your high intensity intervals to 30 seconds or less followed by an interval that rests the worked muscle group (10-90 seconds). The higher the intensity, the longer the rest should be.
Get creative and have fun, there are so many ways you can structure your workout to meet this requirement.
High intensity kettlebell exercises at home
You can do any high intensity kettlebell exercise at home because they require minimal space. Some of these exercises include:
- Kettlebell Clean
- Kettlebell Clean and Press
- Kettlebell Squat Clean
- Kettlebell Swing
- Kettlebell Snatch
- Kettlebell Deadlift High Pull
- Kettlebell Push Press
(For a video of demonstration, click on any exercise listed above for a direct link!)
All of these exercises require multiple larger muscle group activation and fast twitch movement while producing a high intensity cardiovascular effort.
Making each of these kettlebell exercises excellent additions to any high intensity kettlebell workout routine.
Kettlebell HIIT workout for fat loss
Kettlebell HIIT workouts are a great addition to your fitness routine if you are looking to lose fat. This is because they are high calorie burning workouts that also help you preserve muscle.
I have two killer kettlebell HIIT workouts designed for women that are looking for a challenge at home. These workouts include a warm-up, cool-down, clear instruction, modification suggestions, and motivating coaching throughout the entire video.
Boxing & Kettlebell HIIT Workout | Full Body
Combine the strength of kettlebells with the intensity of cardio boxing for a fun and different power workout. Fast paced yet simple so anyone can join in. Full body exercises that emphasize core strength and endurance for a slimming physique.
Kickbox & Kettlebell HIIT Workout
Turn up the heat with cardio kickboxing and kettlebell strength. This full body workout is designed to boost metabolism with HIIT formatting and challenge your fitness. An all in one workout that requires just a kettlebell and your best effort.
Looking for a kettlebell workout plan that you can follow at home? Download my FREE 4-Week Kettlebell Workout Plan designed for women looking for an effective workout routine they improve strength, cardio, power, and balance while they have fun!
I may not be a professional athlete, but motherhood is quite the sport! It requires a lot of physical endurance, strength (especially core), and a quick response (especially for those sneaky toddlers!).
And I have found high intensity kettlebell exercises and workouts are one of the most effective ways to stay on the ball and in great shape! Create some kettlebell HIIT workouts or find ones you enjoy and rotate them into your workout routine each week.