Forget just cruising. You’ll torch more calories, tone up all over and make the minutes fly with this quick treadmill-meetskettlebell circuit.
Forget just cruising. You’ll torch more calories, tone up all over and make the minutes fly with this quick treadmill-meetskettlebell circuit.
It's time to take your runs back inside – and we’ve got the heart-pumping, musclesculpting mash-up that will actually make you look forward to heading to the treadmill again. “This combo is the perfect full-body routine,” says Debora Warner, founder of the Mile High Run Club, a fitness studio in the US whose group treadmill-to-strength-training classes are a hit with runners and regular gym-goers alike. And since you need to run only 400m at a time, anyone can ace it – and even increase your endurance after a few weeks of doing this routine.
How it works: You do 400m at close-to-sprint speed, then hop off the treadmill for a quick set or two of kettlebell moves. “The treadmill quarters strengthen your lower body because they’re at a fast pace,” Debora says.
“The kettlebell moves are dynamic, so your heart rate remains high and you continue to burn calories as you firm your abs and multiple upperbody muscles, like those in your shoulders, chest, and arms – and all while allowing your legs to recover for the next sprint.”
And, in case you need a reminder as you’re running your ass off : Research from the US University of New Mexico showed that exercise boosts your metabolism anywhere from 15 minutes to 48 hours post-workout, depending on how hard you push it.
So long, treadmill to nowhere. Ta-da! A total-body workout on the belt with a bonus calorie afterburn.
INTENSITY Rate of perceived exertion: Hard; shoot for a nine out of 10.
TOTAL TIME About 30 minutes, depending on how fast you run
YOU’LL NEED A treadmill and a kettlebell that weighs four to 12 kilograms
CALORIES BURNED 266*
RUSSIAN SWING
Stand with feet wide and hold handle with both hands in overhand grip, arms extended down. Bend knees and hinge forward from hips to swing kettlebell back between legs to start. Straighten legs and thrust hips forward to swing kettlebell to chin height with momentum [shown]. Return to start. Continue for one minute.
SINGLE-ARM HIGH PULL
Stand with feet wide and hold handle with right hand in overhand grip, arms by sides. Bend knees and hinge forward from hips to swing kettlebell back between legs to start. Straighten legs and thrust hips forward to pull right elbow up and to side so kettlebell comes to shoulder height [shown]. Return to start and continue for 30 seconds. Switch sides; repeat.
HALO
Stand with feet hip-width apart and hold horns (sides of handle) with both hands so bottom of kettlebell faces up by chest, elbows out to sides to start. Lift kettlebell to left side of face and slowly circle it clockwise around head [shown]. Continue for 30 seconds. Switch sides; repeat.
ABS CIRCLE
Stand with feet wide and hold handle with both hands in overhand grip, arms extended down to start. Remove right hand and circle kettlebell around left hip and behind you to grab it with right hand, releasing left [shown] to circle back to start. Continue for one minute. Switch sides; repeat.
The workout
Warm up Jog for five minutes.
Run 400m for two minutes at the max pace you can maintain.
Do Russian swings for one minute.
Rest for 30 seconds.
Do Russian swings for one minute.
Run 400m at your own two-minute max pace.
Do single-arm high pulls for 30 seconds on each side.
Rest for 30 seconds.
Do single-arm high pulls for 30 seconds on each side.
Run 400m at 300m-800m per hour faster than your starting speed.
Do halos clockwise for 30 seconds, then counterclockwise for 30 seconds.
Rest for 30 seconds.
Do halos clockwise for 30 seconds, then counterclockwise for 30 seconds.
Run 400m even faster! Try to increase by 300m-800m per hour once again.
Do abs circles clockwise for one minute, then counterclockwise for one minute.
Rest for 30 seconds.
Do 12 push-ups.
Rest as needed.
Do 12 final push-ups.
*Calorie burn is based on a 63.5kg woman.
