3 Kettlebell Exercises for a Full

Use this workout to make big gains in a short timeframe

At Men's Health, we can't deny the efficacy of weight machines. But that doesn't mean you have to swear by them. While modern training equipment has its place, sometimes it pays to dabble with a more simple approach.

Grab a couple of kettlebells, for instance, and you can storm through a superb full-body session without recourse to the gym. Here, elite trainer Peter Parasiliti takes you through a 20-minute workout, which should be done three times a week, that's designed to build total-body muscle anywhere.

"Working to failure at the last rep should be the goal with all of these exercises," explains Parasiliti. So if you finish a set with a grin on your face, unless you're an avid masochist, you need to add more weight. Try to mix up your sets and reps as much as possible to keep your muscles guessing, too. Let's get after it.

Progression: As you become stronger, begin to alternate lunges – right leg followed by left leg. Then try stepping forward into regular lunges. Again, start off using the same leg, then begin to alternate. Walking lunges – pushing off your front foot immediately into the next lunge rather than returning to the start position – will be most challenging of all.

Progression: To get a fuller range of motion, take this move to the bench, making sure you squeeze your shoulder blades together at the bottom point of the movement. Still too easy? Use an alternating pattern, performing the move with one arm at a time, or for an even greater challenge use a reciprocal pattern: press one kettlebell up then, as you lower it, press the other bell up simultaneously – like a piston.

Progression: To make things harder, move your feet closer together and row just one kettlebell at a time. Try both alternating arms each rep and running through all of them with each arm before switching.

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