Health and Fitness: It’s just you and a kettlebell - as Elevate go round the world!

I missed this column last week and for that I apologise, I was busy travelling the world! As Foxy mentioned in his last column, we have launched a new challenge, ‘Elevate Around the World in 28 days’!

This challenge has seen 36 of us attempting to virtually circumnavigate the globe in just 28 days, covering 41,075km between us.

As I write this, we are one week in and its been fun but tough! In the first week I covered over 500km...which I have to repeat again for the next 3 weeks. We’ve made a great start as a team though and we’re over 2000km ahead of our first week’s target, so hopefully we can keep that up. Our top team member has cycled over 800km this week alone!

We’re not just doing the challenge for fun, our main aim is to raise money Medecins San Frontieres (MSF). We’ve raised about £4k of a £10k total so far, which will do a lot of good work but we need your help to raise more. To donate to this worthy cause, please visit our Just Giving page here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/elevatefitness

We’re keeping people updated daily on our Facebook (@elevatefitnessukgym) and Instagram (@elevate_fitness_uk) and our blog on our website here: http://www.elevatefitnessuk.com/aroundtheworld/

We’re also running our usual online classes alongside the challenge, so for those of you who don’t fancy covering 500km a week, you can just join us in the usual way on Facebook and Instagram.

Here is an example workout, using a kettlebell or rucksack and as usual it can be done from anywhere.

Warm Up

You’ll know our usual warm up techniques by now.

Kettlebell Circuit

This part makes up the bulk of the workout, 30 seconds on, 20 seconds off for each exercise. At the end of the round (after the fifth exercise) then rest for 60-90 seconds before starting again. Work for a minimum of 4 rounds, ideally 6.

Seated Press

Sit on the floor with your legs spread to anchor yourself. Hold the kettlebell in both hands at shoulder height, drive your arms upwards and extend it straight to hold the kettlebell above your head and then bring slowly back down to complete the move. This exercise will be working your shoulders and upper arms mainly.

Bulgarian Squat

Standing in a split stance, prop your rear foot up on a chair or a step. From here bend the legs, lowering the back knee down towards the ground. When you get as low as you can comfortably go, stand back up and repeat that same motion on that same leg. Switch legs over after 15seconds. This can be a body weight only exercise or you can make it harder by holding the kettlebell in front of you.

High Pull Twist

Standing with the weight between your legs, keeping a strong spinal position, pick the kettlebell up and pull it high towards your chin, trying to keep your elbows above the wrists. As you’re pulling up rotate your torso around to face your left. On the downward phase rotate back to centre, then repeat on the other side.

Romanian Deadlift (RDL)

RDL or stiff leg deadlift is exactly that. Hinging at the hip whilst maintaining a strong spinal posture (big chest/big bum) and keeping the knees straight (soft not locked out). As the weight comes down you’ll feel a stretch down the backs of the hamstrings and glutes.

Pullover (3 directions)

Laying on the floor and holding the weight above your chest, you’re going to take the weight over the top of your head toward the ground. Whilst doing this raise your hips up at the same time, which will ease the mobility of the shoulders. Then bring the weight back in the same motion. Straight above your head is 12 o’clock, try to take the weight to 11 and 2 o’clock too for increased range and complexity (and your 3 directions).

Finisher

Once you’ve done the bulk of the workout with the kettlebell, we’re going to have a quickfire routine without it just to finish things off. It’s just 2 exercises, of 4 rounds total. For rounds 1 & 3 do each exercise for 30 seconds for a total 1 minute working time. For rounds 2 & 4, we’ll increase that to 60 seconds of each for a total of 2 minutes of work. Enjoy! Here they are:

Pogos

Simple one this, stand with your feet together and mimic the motion of skipping (arms and everything). Jump as high as you can, with minimal knee bend and use your ankles rather than hips and knees to make the jump. Make sure you land on the balls of your feet, not your heels, and stay on these to repeat the jumping movement.

Plank (Elbow to hand)

Start in a traditional planked position down on your elbows. Rather than just hold the pose, you are going to move one hand at a time up so you’re in a plank but on your hands. Then lower one hand at a time back down to your elbows and repeat throughout the timeframe.

Warm down

And that’s us done for another week. I like that workout because it covers quite a few different muscle groups and is an interesting variety of exercises. Once you’re done, stretch out everything you’ve used and relax as much as you can. In the meantime, I’ll be heading off to cycle about 100km probably!

As usual we’ll be doing our usual range of classes online on Facebook (@elevatefitnessukgym) and Instagram (@elevate_fitness_uk), while also doing our Around the World challenge to raise money for MSF. It’s a great cause, so please do help support us: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/elevatefitness