Brie Larson loves to share her workouts on social media, and we’ve already been floored by so many — including her one-arm push-ups, weighted-chain push-ups, and minute-long pull-up holds, just to name a few. Her latest video, posted on May 23 on Instagram, does not disappoint.
In the video, Larson’s doing another impressive strength-training move, this time using a kettlebell. It may not look that hard at first glance, but if you’ve ever done a kettlebell windmill, you’ll know this is super challenging, especially with what appears to be a pretty heavy weight: an 18-pound kettlebell.
“POV you’re @risemovement [Jason Walsh, her trainer] telekinetically controlling my stability via Zoom,” Larson captioned the video. You can see the “Captain Marvel” actor breathing hard and shaking a little under the weight of the kettlebell as she slowly lowers and raises her torso. Walsh comments, “nice control, that’s it.”
Similar to Triangle pose in yoga, the kettlebell windmill takes a degree of hamstring flexibility and balance, but adding the weight requires core and upper-body strength, too. If you’ve never tried this move, start off with no weight or a very light kettlebell or dumbbell. Make sure you’re holding your legs in a strong, stable base, and as you move your torso, keep your belly button pulled in to engage your core muscles. Focus on keeping your spine straight, moving slowly so you don’t strain your back or neck. (When in doubt, don’t hesitate to ask a trainer for help — preferably one with a kettlebell certification.) Do the same number of reps on both sides, and as you become stronger, you can progress to a heavier weight.
Who knows, you might be on Larson’s level in no time.