Grab the kettlebells: Greg O'Shea's full-body workout to tone up

Olympian Greg O'Shea offers some advice for those low on motivation this week

Greg O'Shea is back with another workout

As we come to the end of February, some seven weeks since we first started working on our New Year's resolutions, many people may feel they've 'lost' the motivation that was so easy to muster on January 1. 

Losing motivation is normal and you shouldn't get down on yourself for experiencing it. Nobody is motivated all the time — even professional athletes struggle with motivation.

If you are struggling with motivation, I recommend giving yourself a couple of days to rest before starting back with some light exercise that you find enjoyable, whether yoga, pilates, swimming or maybe a light run. Exercise can and should be fun, and it shouldn't feel like a chore. 

If you don't enjoy doing something, you don't have to do it. I like to mix up my workouts with dumbbells, kettlebells and Pilates to keep it fresh and interesting — find what works for you.

Greg's muscle-toning kettlebell workout 

This week we're doing a full-body kettlebell workout that focuses on toning — complete five rounds of the following circuit. Do 30 seconds of work for each circuit followed by 15 seconds of rest between exercises. Take a one-minute rest between rounds — or as much as you need to feel relatively recovered to perform the exercises safely.

Kettlebell Swings 

• Start with the kettlebell on the floor between your feet, which should be hip-distance apart
• Bending slightly at the knees and hingeing from the hips, grab the kettlebell with both hands and stand upright
• Still hinging from the hips, swing the kettlebell backwards between your legs, allowing your torso to move slightly towards the ground, to create momentum
• Drive your hips forward and stand upright to send the kettlebell up to shoulder height, no higher
• Let the kettlebell return back between your legs and repeat the move
• All the power comes from your hip drive, your arms should not be doing the work

Greg O'Shea demonstrating a goblet squat. Photograph Moya Nolan

Goblet Squat 

• Hold the kettlebell with both hands on your chest
• Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-distance apart
• Squat down as if you're sitting in a chair and then stand back up
• Repeat

Single Arm Bentover row 

• Start with the weight at your feet with your feet hip-distance apart and a slight bend in your knees
• Hinge from the hips and grab the weight with one hand, making sure to keep your back in a strong position and not allowing it to break
• Pull the weight up and into the same side you are holding it with, pausing for a second with your hand touching your side
• Relax your arm down and repeat
• Swap sides every five reps to ensure you're working both sides evenly
• This movement should be done slowly

Kettlebell Halo 

• Hold the weight with both hands at chest height. Raise the kettlebell and circle it slowly in a clockwise direction around your head
• Pause at your chest and then circle it slowly in an anti-clockwise direction around your head
• Repeat

Kettlebell racked single arm reverse lunge 

• Hold the kettlebell on your shoulder with the weight resting on your outer hand
• Start by standing upright and then stepping back with one leg into a deep lunge position (knee just grazing the mat, legs at a 90-degree angle at the knee) stand back up and repeat on the other leg
• Make sure to swap hands every five reps to work both arms evenly

Russian Twists 

• Sit on the mat with the kettlebell held in both hands
• Raise your legs off the floor and then twist to one side and drop the weight to barely touch the floor
• Then twist to the other side
• Repeat

Greg's tip of the week: Hydration 

Your body is about 60% water. The body constantly loses water throughout the day, mostly through urine and sweat and from regular body functions like breathing. To prevent dehydration, you need to get plenty of water from drinks and food every day

There are many different opinions on just how much water you should be drinking daily. Health experts commonly recommend eight 8oz glasses, which equals about 2lt. This is called the 8×8 rule and is easy to remember

A top tip is to purchase a good quality one-litre water bottle and bring it everywhere with you, this way you'll keep sipping away at it and you'll be surprised with how much water you have consumed by the end of the day

• For more live Workouts and Wellness tips from Olympian Greg O'Shea, subscribe to 'BettrWithGreg' via the website www.bettrwithgreg.com
• Location: Our thanks to the Datry Health Club, Dublin 6