HIIT/Step w/ Kettlebell & Heavy Weights

HIIT/Step w/ Kettlebell & Heavy Weights is yet another amazing and fun workout from Yvette Bachman. I know I say it about every one of her workouts but every time I do one, I think it is my favorite. Well, I love this one so much I think it is my favorite now! The time seemed to fly with this workout. She always manages to cram everything I love into a single workout–and she has done this with just about every workout of hers I’ve tried so far. This workout is separated into two parts. For the first half you are alternating cardio step moves with kettlebell moves. For the last half you are doing heavy strength work on your back and biceps and you alternate the strength work with step cardio moves. She ends the workout with a long yoga inspired stretch. In addition to the back and bicep work, you also get some lower body work and some shoulder and tricep work. The focus is definitely your back and biceps, but she hits just about everything else, too, except your chest.

For the second half of the workout you are only doing 5-8 reps of each strength exercise so you really need to challenge yourself. I used 40 pounds for my back (for most of the moves) and 20 pounds for my biceps. That is heavy for me but I was able to get out 8 reps with good form on all of the exercises. So next time I do this workout, I will increase my weight. One thing I noticed in this workout is that some of the exercisers used momentum to get those heavy dumbbells up. If you have to use momentum for every rep then the dumbbells are too heavy for you. There is nothing wrong with using momentum to eke out that last rep–but if you cannot do the majority of your reps with good form without using momentum to complete your reps–then you need to lower your weight. Just because you see people in a video (on YouTube or DVD–doesn’t matter where) using momentum doesn’t make it proper weight lifting technique. Just an FYI.

HIIT/Step w/ Kettlebell & Heavy Weights is 67 minutes; 8 minute warm up and 6:30 minute yoga stretch. Equipment: step @ 8 inches (in vertical position), 15 pound kettlebell and one 15 pound dumbbell. This is for the first half of the workout. For the second half you will add risers to your step, bringing it up to 10 inches, and you need heavier dumbbells for the back and bicep strength work. This is the recommended equipment. I actually used a wider variety of kettlebells and dumbbells for the first portion, so the weights listed below are what I used. Just know that in the workout, Yvette and crew only used a 15 pound kettlebell and a 15 pound dumbbell for the first part. They also wore weighted gloves.

The structure of the first part of the workout is 30 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest.

1. With hands on step, donkey kick jump over step then jump beside step
2. 2 hops on step + straddle squat jump, hands touching step
3. Double arm KB swing (25# KB)
4. Long jump + burpee, stand and shuffle/run backwards to start
5. One arm KB swing (20# KB)
6. Lateral jumps over step (one foot always on step)
7. One arm KB swing, other arm
8. One plank jack w/ hands on step + 2 full jacks (standing)
9. One arm DB swing w/ squat, one foot on step (when squatting, step off step other foot onto floor) (one 15# DB)
10. Step one foot onto step and other foot out to side, alternate sides
11. Repeat #9 on other leg
12. Pivot and lunge side to side w/ small hop as you pivot
13. Sumo squat w/ upright row using KB (20# KB)
14. Lateral squat jumps over step (one foot always on step) w/ hand touching step when in squat
15. Sump squat w/ one arm upright row using KB (15# KB)
16. Fast shuffle 3x to side then jump
17. Repeat #15 on other arm
18. With hands on step, donkey kick jump over step 3x then jump beside step
19. Uneven squat pulses 3x then step over step while pressing DB overhead and repeat on other side; ends w/ overhead presses while standing on top of step (one 20# DB)
20. Walk out to plank, do 2 plank jacks, walk hands back into feet, stand and do 2 jacks
21. Sumo catch press (jump into sumo squat lowering KB to ground, jump feet in and press KB overhead); ends w/ 4 overhead presses (20# KB)
22. Step on step and do a front kick, jump back into lunge on floor, touching fingers to step
23. Pulse in sumo squat 3x, jump back to plank, jump back to sumo (hands on step for plank); ends w/ plank hold
24. Repeat #22 on other leg
25. Hero swing (double arm KB swing, swinging KB overhead) (20# KB)
26. Step over top of step and do 2 jacks; ends w/ 8 jacks
27. Pulsing sumo squat 3x holding one DB between thighs, jump feet in while curling DB; ends w/ 8 DB curls (one 20# DB)
28. Long jump while straddling step + burpee w/ hands on step + fast shuffle back to start
29. Pulse squat 3x + knee raise while pressing KB overhead, alternate knee raises (15# KB)
30. 3 knee repeater straddle on step (she shows a more advanced level for this move)
31. Overhead tricep extension w/ KB (20# KB)
32. Jump side to side over step w/ jumping jack arms
33. Pulse squat 3x, stand w/ overhead press, pulse squat 3x to other side (20# KB)
34. In plank, alternate tapping opposite shoulder 6x, jump feet in and do 2 jacks (hands on step for plank)
35. With one foot on step, do a one arm upright row w/ side leg raise (one 15# DB)
36. Start in plank w/ hands on step, jump feet in to sumo squat, sumo walk forward then back
37. Repeat #35 on other side of body

1:30 minute water break (raise step to 10 inches, put kettlebells away and get your heavier dumbbells)

Back & Biceps: You will be doing 5-8 reps of each exercise so you need to have heavy dumbbells. For this portion she frequently says you are doing one minute intervals for the cardio but it never seemed like one minute and I timed a few when writing this review and the ones I timed were 50 seconds. I didn’t time them all so there may have been some that were a full minute but none of them felt that long to me.

1. One arm row (one 40# DB)
2. Straddle, straddle, knee raise w/ jump (on step)
3. Bicep curls (20# DBs)
4. 3 straddles, 4 jumps backward (so you are behind step), 2 jacks
5. Pullovers (one 40# DB)
6. Step jump over step and do burpee on the floor
7. Concentration curls (one 20# DB)
8. Fast straddle steps on step
9. Rear delt flys (12# DBs)
10. Repeat #8 starting w/ other foot
11. Seated hammer curls (20# DBs)
12. Basic step + 2 jacks on floor
13. Repeat #1
14. 3 pulsing squats w/ on foot on step then jump over to other side of step and repeat
15. Standing bicep supination curls (20# DBs)
16. Plank T stands
17. Repeat #5
18. Step one foot on step while stepping other foot out to side, repeat on other leg then do a step knee raise each leg; ends w/ 8 step knee raises (Yvette calls them “Marios”)
19. Repeat #7
20. Punch/step to side, step back while circling arms (there is a hop w/ every step)
21. Repeat #9
22. Repeat #20 on other side of body
23. Repeat #11

Get rid of step and grab mat for yoga. Start in plank and lower slowly to mat and do a cobra, push back to plank, downward dog, 3 leg dog, runners lunge w/ overhead arm raises. Warrior 1, warrior 2. Starting at downward dog, repeat on other side of body. Cobra. Side lying quad stretch. Lying spine twist. Lying flat on back, stretch arms overhead and legs away. Side lying quad stretch. Lying spine twist. Seated forward fold. Figure 4 stretch (seated pigeon). Standing shoulder stretch. Tricep stretch. Forward fold; reach toward one foot. Standing cat cows. Deep breaths.

For more info on Yvette Bachman and other (free) streaming workouts I’ve sampled and reviewed, check out my Streaming page.