Today’s workout finisher combines two non-competing exercises:  kettlebell swings and push-ups.

The simplicity of a two exercise workout finisher might lead you to believe it’ll be easy.

Wrong.

Bouncing between these two exercises non-stop for 5 minutes is exhausting. By the 3rd round, you’ll understand. The training effect is massive.  

Push-Ups

Push-ups on an upper body horizontal pushing exercise.  Push-ups build strength and condition the chest, arms and core.  Bodyweight push-ups can be performed virtually anywhere.  Long before I started this blog, people were leveraging push-ups to build strong bodies. Long after I’m gone people will still be using push-ups to build muscle and improve performance. Do not underestimate push-ups.

Push-ups (and the progressions) are one of the most under-progressed movement patterns. People stop at 2-arm push-ups and opt for high reps using a sub-maximal exercise variation. Explore the progressions that exist beyond 2-arm bodyweight push-ups. Carpet slide push-ups, archer, typewriter and single arm push-ups are worth your time.

Kettlebell Swings

Kettlebell swings are an explosive hip hinging exercise. On every repetition, the kettlebell travels through a arc of motion, hiking between the leg, pulling through out and up to the sternum height.  Kettlebell swings have a pendulum-like look to them.  Kettlebells are incredibly resourceful tools for building fitness.  Swings are a great exercise to train the “go” muscles of the body, the posterior chain.  For people that want to train power but don’t want to mess around with Olympic lifts (snatches, cleans, etc), swings are the exercise.  

Workout Finisher:  Push-Ups and Kettlebell Swings

Perform as many rounds as possible (AMRAP) in 5 minutes.  

Take rest if you need it. There’s zero reason to injure yourself because you were chasing a personal record with horse-sh*t technique brought on by fatigue.  Stay disciplined with technique.  

Conditioning yourself to move well when tired takes time. Lots of personal trainers act like fatigue does not exist out in the real world, or high intensity (machine free) conditioning is “dangerous”. I’ve developed an opinion that it’s dangerous not to do it.

If you’re living a physical life, conditioning your body to move with integrity when you’re exhausted will serve you well.

Fatigue is a technique killer, yes, but the gym is a controlled environment where we can practice demonstrating technique when fatigue creeps in.

Like I mentioned above, take rest if you need it. There’s no shame.