When time is of the essence, it can be difficult to fit in a workout, or feel accomplished after completing a quick workout. An AMRAP, ["as many rounds as possible"], drill like this one is an efficient & effective total body strength & cardio workout. I use them religiously in short breaks between clients!
Here's the drill:
100 Jump Rope
50 Mountain Climber [per leg!]
25 KB Swing
12 Plank March + 2 Reach & Taps
Set a timer for 20min & see how many rounds you can get done before it ends!
DISCLAIMER: Kettlebells are tricky AF! I HIGHLY recommend working 1 on 1 with myself or another trainer to master this movement pattern before attempting this drill. A potential back injury is NOT worth doing this today - wait until you've mastered a simple swing before trying this.
FORM:
[Jump Rope]
- Engage your lats by pulling your shoulder blades back & down & keeping your neck long
- Keep your elbows close to your hips, elbows at 90* angles, & externally rotate your shoulders so that your hands are aligned with your hips rather than reach in front of them
- Your wrists are really the only things that should move in order to swing the rope - the more you move your shoulders/forearms, the more likely you are to trip up
[Mountain Climbers]
- Get into a solid plank: hands directly beneath shoulders, lats engaged, abs pulled tight, booty & quads squeezing, driving heels back toward floor
- Each time you lift a foot, crunch that knee forward toward the space between your elbows - avoid kicking your heels up behind you, your shins should be parallel to the floor
- Keeps your hips at shoulder level - avoid letting them bounce up & down & challenge yourself to keep them in the same exact spot
[Kettlebell Swings]
- Spine stays straight, always.
*** The key to a KB swing is understanding that the movement pattern of your hips dictates the movement pattern of the bell. If you want the bell to swing back to front, your hips must "swing" back to front. It's NOT a simple squatting motion. Letting your hips move up & down while trying to get the bell to move back to front WILL hurt your lower back.***
- When the bell swings back, your knees soften and your hips hinge, [butt sticks back but spine stays straight].
- To swing the bell forward, act like someone surprised you with a smack on the booty - snap your hips forward and squeeze those cheeks!
- Keep your neck long, lats engaged, & SQUEEZE THAT CORE!
[Plank March + 2 Reach & Taps]
- Get into a solid plank: hands directly beneath shoulders, lats engaged, abs pulled tight, booty & quads squeezing, driving heels back toward floor
- I also recommend placing your feet wider - the wider you place them, the more stability you'll have for the march
- As you walk down to your forearms & back up to your hands, your goal is to keep your hips square to the floor - if you find your hips keep twisting despite squeezing your abs & booty as tight as you can, place your feet a little wider like I noted above
- Again, as you reach & tap the KB, your hips should stay square to the floor - the farther you have to reach, the more it'll challenge your stability, so adjust it based on your core strength & ability to maintain proper form
How many rounds did you get in 20min?! Tell me on FB/IG/TW @cassiebstrong!
B Strong,
Cassie B.