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Get a full-body workout with one piece of equipment: The kettlebell

This cast-iron, ball-shaped weight has all the bells and whistles necessary to achieve a superior workout.

Ashley Greenblatt

Would you like to simplify your workout? If you are tired of wasting precious gym time hopping from machine to machine, consider building your next sweat session around a single piece of equipment.

By designing your workout around one apparatus, such as a kettlebell, you can be more effective at whittling down your waistline and gym time. This cast-iron, ball-shaped weight packs in all the bells and whistles necessary to achieve a superior workout. Here's how it works:

Not so standard squat
12-15 repetitions
Muscles worked: Hamstrings, glutes, quads, core, deltoids, biceps 

This muscle-making squat helps tone the entire body. Test your toughness by seeing how long you can brave this weighted bend.

  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding the kettlebell close to your chest.

  2. Keep your bodyweight in your heels as you hinge back at the hips. Lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Hold for 10 counts.

  3. Push through your heels to return to a standing position and hold for 2 counts.

  4. Continue this 10:2 sequence for 12-15 repetitions.

Walking lunge pass
10-12 repetitions on each side
Muscles worked: Quads, hamstrings, glutes, core

Strengthen your mind-body connection with an exercise that relies heavily on hand-eye coordination. As we age, hand-eye coordination tends to deteriorate, which is why it is so important to practice exercises that not only bolster the muscles, but the brain, as well.

  1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and the kettlebell in your right hand.

  2. Take a step forward with your right leg, bending down into a lunge position with your knees bent at 90-degree angles.

  3. Loop the kettlebell through your front leg and grasp it with your left hand. Push through your right heel to return to a standing position.

  4. Continue this forward step and exchange sequence for 12-15 repetitions on each side.

Single-leg deadlift
10-12 repetitions on each side
Muscles worked: Back, deltoids, core, hamstrings, quads, glutes

This move requires patience. If balance is a fitness factor you have yet to perfect, move slowly through this exercise, omitting the kettlebell entirely until you master the move. Once you feel balanced, incorporate the kettlebell for an added challenge.

  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Keep your knees slightly bent and the kettlebell in your left hand.

  2. Hinge your torso forward at the hips and elevate your right leg off the ground. Lean your body forward until your chest is about parallel to the ground, forming a "T" shape. This move should be slow and controlled. Try to avoid letting the weight pull you down quickly.

  3. Keep your abs and glutes tight as you push through your left heel to slowly return to the starting position. Continue this back-and-forth hinging motion for 10-12 repetitions on each side.

Make gains by switching up stale workouts.

Earn it.

Ashley B. Greenblatt is a certified personal trainer and wellness coach. To learn more, visit ashleyblakefitness.com.