That's Fit

Before jumping into your daily resistance training workout, it's always best to perform a total body warm-up of some kind. In most cases, this can be accomplished with a low- to moderate-intensity session on an elliptical. However, to really prime your muscles, you may also want to include a simple move known as the kettlebell swing.

First -- what the heck is a kettlebell? It's a type of weight that's a bit more unbalanced than a traditional dumbbell. Believe me, you've seen them before -- most likely in grainy, black and white or sepia-toned photos of YMCA gyms from the 1930s. The problem is, many gyms still don't have kettlebells. Does that mean that you're out of luck? Not at all. A dumbbell can work almost just as well for this exercise.

To perform the swing, stand with your feet wider than your shoulders and hold a light kettlebell (or dumbbell) in your right hand in front of your hips, arm straight and with your palm facing your body. Next, squat down, shifting your hips back, as you lower the weight between your legs. Then, swing it forward to chest level as you rise up from your squatting position. Continue in this manner for many reps and then switch arms. Believe me, after a few minutes you'll feel more than just warmed-up.