That has been my most popular post on this blog, by far.
I wrote it because I wanted to convey how simple a workout can be, and probably should be for most people.
Totally stripped down. Nothing but a timer, a towel and water bottle, and a kettlebell of a decent weight. You could make the argument that a “totally stripped down” workout would only involve bodyweight exercises, but that’s beside the point.
A lot of people avoid physical activity because of two things:
Time
Preconceived thoughts and anxiety about how the workout will feel.
Simple workouts are time effective and aim to limit anxiety. You look at the agenda for the workout and say to yourself, “Oh, I just have to focus on kettlebell swings today. I can do that”.
If you have a kettlebell or have the means to acquire a kettlebell for the future, I will ALWAYS encourage you to make the purchase. Don’t wait, don’t peruse, don’t over-analyze.
Just buy and be done with it. You won’t be sorry.
Well, I take that back, you could be sorry… if you buy it and fizzle out and using it. Then it’s just another heavy object holding a door open. What a shame that would be.
Anyways, I wanted to build on that post, because I felt that the workouts displayed were rock solid, and applicable to a large population of readers.
They are simple, yet brutally effective. I would consider them entry-level workouts, however, I have to admit that I continue to use the 15sec work/ 15sec rest (24 rounds) kettlebell swing protocol to this day.
The only difference is that I have climbed the ladder in weight. When I started with the protocol, I used a 20kg kettlebell from LifeLine Fitness. I then climbed to the 24kg kettlebell, then to the 28kg kettlebell and now on to the 32kg kettlebell. All were purchased from LifeLine Fitness also (yes, I promote these guys heavily, they make equipment worth buying).
Don’t be fooled by elaborate training protocols. Keep it simple and be detailed.
A simple workout/program executed to perfection will trump the world’s most complex/perfectly written program done poorly.
The combination of a suspension trainer and kettlebells is magic.
Seriously, they are match made in heaven.
Let’s look at workout that I’ve employed over the years…
A workout like this is complete.
The kettlebell swings alone are enough to initiate a tremendous training stimulus, but when paired with the other movements, the workout is magic. Push, pull and ballistic movements for the upper and lower body are all represented here.
With high volume workouts, I typically choose simple rep schemes. It’s annoying trying to remember how many reps to complete in the middle of round, when you’re real focus should be on controlling your breathing and fatigue. Once you experience this frustration, you’ll wish that you would have picked simple rep schemes.
After completing each round, I would rest anywhere from 45-75 seconds depending on your conditioning level. Don’t be a hero and rest for 45sec in the first round if you can’t handle it. This decision may bite you in the ass in the later rounds when your fatigue levels spike.
Fatigue accumulates throughout the workout, just as it does for every workout. It’s inevitable that it’s coming, but timing it so that you complete quality work while you can is the idea here.
The number of rounds that you complete is depends on your ability to complete quality work (exercise technique, complete reps, etc). If your form breaks, you make the decision to rest before re-engaging, or you pull the plug on the workout altogether.
Safety first, always. Form good habits.
Put this workout in your back pocket for now, load it in the chamber when you need a challenging high tempo training session.
Cheers to ST’s, BW’s and KB’s!
KG
(PS: I turned on “Location Tagging” so that you’ll really believe that I reside in God’s Country… Eau Claire, WI)
There is a concept emerging from the behavioral/psychology scene that I predict is going to make it’s way into the health and wellness arena.
Happiness.
The pursuit of happiness over the pursuit of weight loss, fat loss, muscle, athletic prowess.
Because happiness is at the root of all of these things if you stop and think about it.
We all want to lose weight for different reasons, but when you boil it down, the foundational motivation to lose weight might be so that we can experience emotions of happiness.
Happiness is the fuel is at the root of nearly every action that we take in our lives, and when opportunities slip by, we tend to lose these feelings of happiness. We experience regret, discontent and guilt.
We feel bad, not happy.
Everyone wants to feel happy. Happy feels good.
I’m not a scientist and won’t pretend to be, but what if you shifted your thought process away from “I want to lose weight” to “I want to be happy”?
Would that change anything for you?
Maybe, maybe not. Not every method is effective for every person.
I think humans have a tendency to place focus on the wrong things at times, and I can certainly be lumped into this bunch. We develop tunnel vision toward something we want, like weight loss or money for example. But we don’t stop and think about our deeper reasoning for wanting it.
It seems like the moment that we uncover the real reasons for our pursuits might be the moment that we develop an unshakeable attitude and drive toward accomplishing that pursuit.
When I initially read Alwyn Cosgroves post (shown above) I immediately felt that it was too good not to share.
Once I established my training philosophy, I was set for life. I was set to teach others and also to execute for my own benefit.
It doesn’t matter what equipment is around, what I have access to or what I don’t have access to.
I can accomplish something even though I don’t have everything.
Sure, my ideas and preferences will evolve, but I think that much of what I believe makes a great program and workout is solidified. I am not sure (at this point) how it can get much better, without sacrificing certain things that I morally cannot consciously sacrifice. One of those being safety of myself, or the you guys.
I write about kettlebells and suspension trainers on this blog A LOT.
But it’s not for any other reason than I believe whole heartedly that the combination of kettlebells and suspension trainers make for insanely effective workouts, especially since they fit into my training philosophy so well.
Kettlebells provide loaded (resistance), ground based movements that are primarily (not all) completed in a vertical standing position. The bold print is a part of my training philosophy. I could substitute “kettlebells” for a whole host of other fitness equipment, and things would be just fine.
Movements like kettlebell swings and turkish get ups are world class for building a variety of qualities, at the same time.
Suspension trainers are an entire gym in a box, weighing in at less than 2lbs tops. Equipment-free bodyweight training is great, but suspension training makes it better. Suspension trainers allow for the leverage of a person’s bodyweight against gravity. My favorite benefit of the suspension trainer is the fact that you can PULL! Inverted rows (aka: body rows) and chin ups (supinated and neutral grip) are all made possible by two straps with handles.
Get rid of that shoddy kitchen chair set up that you’ve been using for so long…
But as stated in Alwyns commentary above, kettlebells and suspension trainers are just tools that I use to to implement my philosophy of what makes a great workout, program, etc. I am not exclusive to any piece of equipment. That’s not my style.
The fact is that most equipment works wonderfully.
It’s the user (aka: you) that has the opportunity to make the magic happen.
I know a lot of people that own a complete set of kettlebells and the best suspension trainer money can buy, but they don’t have a philosophy, or any sort of guidance on how to use it. In turn, they are stalemate in their efforts, or on to the next fashionably trendy workout tool.
For most people who are beyond their days of athletics, the total body approach to training is probably best. I know that there are upper body/lower body splits and a thousand other ways to organize your weekly training, but total body is effective in short windows of time.
Time is probably our most precious commodity. We can never get time back. Once a minute passes, that minute is gone. Same with days, weeks, and months. Time keeps moving forward at the same steady pace regardless if we want it to slow down or stand still.
That being said, leveraging a total body workout, using a smart philosophy to structure the workout is (in my personal opinion) the best approach for accomplishing goals of fat loss, building all around strength and many other athletic qualities using time management.
But, it must also be said that paying attention to your nutrition, specifically what you shove into your mouth and drink, is the most time effective way to stay lean.
My advice to all of you is this: Treat tools are tools, not philosophies.
Gravity decides what an object is going to weigh, humans decide how the object will be shaped, how the weight is distributed and to some degree how the tool should be used best. An example of how a tool should be used best is in fact, the kettlebell. You can swing a dumbbell, sure. But your first time swinging a kettlebell will lead you to believe that dumbbell shouldn’t be swung.
Kettlebells are the standout choice for swings and many other exercises.
But I can in fact swing a dumbbell. I can also perform a turkish get up with a dumbbell, or a sandbag, or a filled milk carton, or a loaded backpack, etc. It might not feel the greatest, but I can do it because it has weight and a handle to grip.
The tool is not the philosophy. It is an augment to the philosophy. A supplement to your training philosophy.
Again, I can perform a squat with any tool, or no tool. If I don’t have a two, it’s bilateral air squats or for an added loaded and challenge, it’s pistol squats.
Therefore, pay attention to more important aspects of your workout such as:
– Consistent progression of loading.
– Rest
– Time under tension
– Range of motion
– Sets/Reps
– Heart Rate
– Movement patterns
– Exercise progression
– Your goals, needs, abilities and dysfunction
-etc…
These are things that can you can use to imprint your own philosophy of how an effective training session or long-term program should be designed, regardless of what equipment you have or don’t have.
Very simple thought pattern yet often overlooked. Thanks Alwyn…
With all of the rage about WOD’s, WMD’s and DTF’s, whoops…
I thought that I would post a quote from one of Ido Portal’s YouTube videos. I love this guys philosophy on exploring movement. Referring to Ido as a jack of all trades wouldn’t be fair, because in modern society we often think of someone like this as being “sort of” good at everything, but a master of none.
Maybe I’ll start posting SWOD’s, “swing workout of the day”. Or BOD’s, “breakfast of the day”. Maybe TOD’s, “television of the day”.
But through watching his few YouTube videos and reading some written word from Ido, it seems that he has it all figured out. I like his approach.
P.S. I’m still unsure about the everted ankle jumping, but hey, I don’t need to agree with everything that everyone says.
My personal feeling on this statement is quite simple…
Why subject yourself to proving this statement incorrect? When your ability to move is taken from you, what if you cannot get it back? Or worse?
And what’s more simple than taking a clean, squat and press and forming it into a great workout?
Today I’m sharing a 20 minute kettlebell workout that incorporates three tried and true exercises.
The training effect is awesome, and the time investment is minimal.
I’m a connoisseur of exercises and using basic equipment to create great workout, but I always keep focus on movement patterns. Compound exercises that train the entire body. Keep
Keeping it simple, for me, is keeping it effective. Simplicity eliminates decision fatigue and increases my focus and productivity.
Do less, but do it better.
Here are the 3 exercises we’ll be using for the workout:
Double Kettlebell Cleans
Double Kettlebell Squat
Double Overhead Kettlebell Press
Just three exercises, and good ones at that.
The clean, squat and press are time-tested exercises for building power, strength and muscle.
Kettlebell cleans are an hip hinging ballistic/explosive total body movement.
Kettlebell squats are a lower-body pushing exercise.
Kettlebell overhead press trains the vertical push pattern, which has great carryover to the daily living.
Combining all 3 exercises into a circuit makes it a total body effort. Plus, keeping the rest periods short and completing multiple rounds, the training effect is potent.
If calorie are in check, workouts like this are great for keeping muscle and accelerating fat loss.
Warm-up
Always work through a warm-up to prepare your body for more intense work ahead.
10-15 minutes is all you need to get a warm-up, work through mobility drills, lightly loaded movement patterns and raise core temperature.
Here are some GREAT movements for warm-ups:
14 Exercise Full Body Warm Up
The pre-workout period will also give you an opportunity to assess how your body is feeling on that particular day.
Not feeling it? Run down? Poor night’s sleep, stress, etc? Don’t be afraid to work through a warm up, but bypass the workout for the day. Come back tomorrow fresh and focused.
Much of my pre-workout warm-ups are infused with ground-based movements and active joint mobility training.
On the tail end of the warm-up, I’ll jump rope, flow with a macebell or practice some lighter kettlebell drills.
The Workout:
Transitioning to a different exercise on every rep makes this circuit more challenging.
Again, you’re not doing the same exercise for X amount of reps before moving onto the next exercise, you’re performing 1 rep of clean, then 1 rep of squat and then 1 rep of overhead press before circling back to the clean.
1 time through the clean + squat + press = 1 rep.
Each set consists of 6 reps per exercise. The workout is recommended for 10 total sets. That’s a grand total of 60 reps per exercise.
The kettlebell is constantly moving throughout the workout, changing levels and positions.
Rest periods. If a 30 second rest period is completely unmanageable for 8 rounds, TAKE LONGER REST. Try 45-60 seconds. When workouts are shared, whether on this blog or any other website, you must consider your own fitness level and make adjustments as needed. NOTHING is set in stone. Tweak the session to suit your needs.
Weight. Use moderate to heavy weight for this workout. I like 24kg for males and 12-18kg for females.
Because this little circuit is using 3 different exercises, the weight you choose will correspond to both the weakest exercise of the three AND the recommended reps.
The weakest exercise with either be the clean or the overhead press for most people, and the weight of the kettlebell should be something you can squeeze 2-3 additional reps out of.
So, if the overhead press is the weakest exercise, select the weight based on that and make sure you can press it 8-10 times (even though suggested reps are 6 each)
It’s not really, and it never will be, but the point here is that the gym reminds me of a jail cell.
When I first started training, it was very traditional. Barbells, cable machines, stationary bikes and treadmills were the ticket. It was how people stayed “fit”, strong and athletic.
Again, these tools still work, but the deeper you go into the rabbit hole, the more you question why building high functioning bodies has to be such a cookie cutter process.
Barbells will never go away. Why? Because a barbell’s design is perfect for lifting heavy things off of the ground, loading up the squat pattern and building explosive power through exercises like the clean, snatch and push press. We need tools like barbells. Barbells are safe. A quality barbell isn’t going to break mid-rep, and there are a series of checks that a person can run through to make sure that replicate their technique every single time.
But what I am beginning to question- and the better term might be “explore”- is why movement should be so cookie cutter.
Because that is how I am seeing it these days. It’s cookie cutter. We preach posture, we preach exercise technique, we preach moving within manageable ranges of motion. But how about this… let’s get out of the gym and move. Forget about all of the in-depth information, get off of the couch and out of the house. It’s sunny and 80 degrees outside and it’s a prime opportunity to use your god-given right to move yourself around.
If you’re a newer to training , and you cannot handle your bodyweight… the load that you carry around with you 24/7/365… forget about barbells, cable machines and kettlebells. You have bigger fish to fry than worrying about the next great exercise.
When I left the gym I started to LOVE training again. When you’re done with organized athletics, working out just for the sake of working out is a sure-fire way to burn out. Boredom sets in and you start to wonder what all of the effort is for? A six-pack? Honestly, who cares.
Six packs are nothing without function.
You can have a rippled six-pack and blow out your back in a heart beat, tear a rotator cuff, etc.
It’s like, “Congratulations, you can see your stomach muscles through your skin, but you can’t run a mile or pull yourself up to a bar or pull yourself out of Quasimodo posture”.
In fact, these days, I think that dedicating your training to achieving a six-pack is comical.
Once you get in this “I’m training for a six-pack” mindset, you’ll go insane trying to get it or attempting to maintain. It will elude most people not because their workout program sucks, but because their eating habits suck. You wouldn’t believe how hard that is for people to swallow (no pun intended). If you want a six-pack and don’t have it despite insane physical efforts, it’s most likely because your eating is not conducive to having a six pack. Ok?
It would be like if you started a business only with the goal of getting uber-rich and but ignored your customer service.
It’s short-sighted.
Get yourself out of the gym and start moving more. What do parents tell their kids when they are inside for way too long?… “Go play outside”. Adults should take their own advice.
Once you’re outside bodyweight training is an amazing method to leverage when you use the correct formula. Climb some stairs, hills or jog flat ground. Get your heart rate up and get the blood circulating rapidly. Mix in some squats. If you cannot squat, grab onto a pole, hinge your hips down and back, keep your chest tall without folding at the lower back and feel the movement. Use the pole to help groove that squat pattern, and what it should feel like. Gradually let go of the pole and continue to “feel” the movement.
“Face the Wall” squats are great for learning technique.
If you cannot perform a certain movement- and I use the squat as a common example because it seems to give people the most trouble- you have got to practice it. Occasionally, you’re going to find that your internal wiring is all mixed up. In this case, you need to implement corrective exercises, which I why I promote The Functional Movement Screen so much.
Everyone should be able to squat, among other things. This isn’t a circus move that is exclusive to fitness buffs, this is exclusive to all humans. If you cannot squat, you need to figure out why and restore your ability to squat.
Gym memberships. We seem to think that just because we buy a gym membership we have just bought ourselves a fit body. But you haven’t. What you did is you bought yourself a gym membership, a contract that says you can walk into a brick and mortar structure where a bunch of fitness equipment resides, waiting for the next person to pick it up, push it, pull it or run on it.
But most people who purchase memberships never go. Buying the membership is the easiest part of the process. Anyone can hand over a credit card, swipe it and feel great about their decision. Especially credit cards, because when you don’t physically see the money being handed over, the impact of the purchase is dampened.
The real work begins when you make it a priority to go that gym over and over again. Daily. Every other day. Or at least on some kind of consistent schedule.
But most people burn out or never commit from the beginning. Out of the gates hard and fizzle, or they purchase the membership and never go in the first place. But they have the membership, so they will go “someday”. The membership is comforting because they always have it in their back pocket, never to be used… but it’s “there”.
In the back of my mind, I have long thought movement should be explored. We should be able to execute movements that require power and strength, yet exhibit a stable full range of motion and gracefulness regardless of the environment or the obstacle. And let me tell you something flat-out, one brief glimpse at how life happens in real-time when you are actively engaged in movement (outside of the confines of the gym) will reveal that you need to be able to adapt to the unknown.
However, I also believe that exploring movement should be done unloaded. External loading in really awkward positions can cause injury, and that erases any ground that you’ve made. Move with your body, and your body only.
Unknown stress, unknown range of motion, etc.
You’ll never be running on a trail and find a barbell neatly loaded with a chalk container sitting next to it. You’ll find a rock with shitty hand holes for gripping that is weighted heavier on one side than it is on the other, and wet. Or maybe that rock isn’t on the running trail, but it’s a part of the magnificent landscaping in your yard. Maybe you’re gripping 40lb bags of mulch carrying for 30 yards up an incline, shoveling gravel or raking a 2 acre yard.
You cannot train for this stuff. You can prepare, and barbell training and other more traditional forms of gym work can aid in your completing of these tasks, but we have to develop succeed in raw movement. It’s life. Movement is part of life. So I have embarked on my dabbling of increasing my ability to move, mixing in Ido Portal-like methodology (logo seen above, great logo).
I believe that there is something to be learned here. Getting out of the cookie cutter mindset and into the movement mindset. Exploring the bear crawl, moving into a lateral lunge flowing into a crab crawl, gorilla hops and then into single leg pistol followed by a pull up to a bar where you pike out and lower yourself with a graceful strength.
Got that? 🙂
I value the building of systematic strength. I value programs that are geared toward making damn sure that strength progress and conditioning progress can be measured and evaluated. We call this “periodization”. We move through 3-4 week phases where focus is placed on building a certain quality, such as strength or hypertrophy. But all of this work needs to transfer over into the unknown, into life.
Systematic strength building and conditioning will always have a place for every human, and I will never stop promoting that to athletes, Mom’s and Dad’s and the elderly. We should place some focus on this method of building physical fitness.
But once we leave the gym, we have to realize that movement is more than bending over to pick up a piece of iron, grunting, standing up with it, then dropping it back on the floor.
Fitness is a blip on the movement map.
Fitness doesn’t mean that you can move.
In fact, I really don’t know what fitness means? Who’s considered fit? The powerlifter who can pick up 1,000lbs in a deadlift? The marathon runner who can win the Boston marathon? The UFC fighter? Usain Bolt? The kettlebell guru? The Crossfit Games champ?
I know this might not make sense right now, but fitness does not mean that you can move.
Ah, the gym. It’s really dead to me at this point. I value the tools found in the gym, particularly cable machines that can be used for movements that cross the midline, such as chops and lifts, but not the gym itself. I think there are better places to train. Places that inject an energy into your sessions.
With the evolution of training equipment that is capable for training outdoors, I’ve never been more motivated to explore movement in different environments, using different tools and lately with others who value the same approach. It’s a great bonding experience to train outside with someone else and finish the workout together, just as it is to climb a 14,000 foot mountain, bike 100 miles or complete a marathon.
With the popularity of unique outdoor activities like stand up paddleboards on the rise, I’ve never felt more justified about my decision to leave the gym in my rearview.
Come join me out here.
Cheers to movement and your ability to do it anywhere!
I’ve wanted to write a piece about workout finishers for a long, long, long time.
Workout finishers are the equivalent of seasoning your steak after you’ve grilled it or applying that final coat of wax your car after you’ve washed it.
You’ve done the bulk of the work and now it is time for the final splash of effort.
Workout finishers are micro-workouts (located within the bigger workout) placed at the end of the workout which typically involve a variety of exercises (resistance based or otherwise) performed in a work capacity-like fashion.
I have to say, I am a fan of workout finishers.
But I think they are mis-understood sometimes.
Workout finishers aren’t meant to be the workout. The workout is still the workout. Workout finishers are an adjunct that most commonly comes at the end of a full training session. This isn’t law by any means, just my interpretation of how the workout finisher fits into the grand scheme of things.
Workout finishers seem to fit best at the end of a workout after all power, strength and stability exercises have been completed using organized rest. The workout finisher serves as a low-load, highly metabolic “icing on the cake” adjunct to the rest of the workout. The incomplete (or no rest) rest combined with various groupings of muscular taxing movements will elevate your heart rate rapidly, burn out your lungs and leave you wondering why you decided to add a finisher in the first place.
I’ve measured my heart rate to be near its peak BPM (beats per minute) at the end of a finisher or shortly thereafter.
Workout finishers are a healthy alternative to more traditional forms of cardiovascular conditioning, which can inject a major breath of fresh air back into your workout.
There’s nothing wrong with shuttle runs, stationary bike sprints or incline treadmill intervals, but let’s face it… those activities can get monotonous after a while.
Part of establishing sustainable workout habits is making it interesting and fun. If you begin to dread the same old conditioning session at the end of the workout, you may end up avoiding it altogether.
The key to workout finishers is finding a flowing combination of manageable exercises, with a rep schedule, tempo and pace that will allow you to maintain (and own) your exercise technique while fatiguing your body beyond your comfort zone for the last time that time.
In my experience, lower body movements always work great.
In particular, squat and lunge variations work wonderfully. Total body oriented movements like burpees and squat-to-press work great also.
Finding upper body exercises that work well inside of a workout finisher can be a bit more challenging. Battling ropes, push ups and inverted rows (using a suspension trainer, rings or Smith Machine) are examples of exercises that have worked well for me.
Battling ropes, something that most people won’t have at their house or their gym, might just be the best choice for upper body work capacity. The stimulus received from battling rope drills is unique to the tool, since the variation in wave patterns is so wide.
Check them out here to understand what I mean…
In a pinch, you could use resistance bands, although I still struggle with resistance bands because of the inconsistent loading throughout the range of motion. In other words, the bands provide little resistance at the beginning of the movement while the load is increased at the band is stretched further. The maximum loading occurs at the end range of the exercise. If you’re just using bands for an added stimulus, they definitely do work. I just wish the loading was consistent the entire way is all.
Dave Schmitz has some great stuff on resistance band training. The more articles and videos I view from Dave, the more I find myself dabbling with band training. I’m toes deep in that pool.
So I bet you’re ready for the workouts already?
Ok, here you go!
I’ll warn you that the “Swings and Burpees” workout finisher is tough. Even if you didn’t set a time target for completion, it’s a challenging task. I have breached the 6 minute mark a few times, and 5:30min would be a really great time. Don’t cheat your swings and full burpees.
The AMAP of burpees just sucks. It’s tiring to go from a lying position to a standing position over and over again. Very tiring.
The bodyweight leg complex is a variation of a workout that I used to use. The reps used to be 24 for each exercise, but my form went to hell all too quick, so I dialed it back. Good form and manageable fatigue make this a great workout finisher. If you finish all of the exercises in say, 90 seconds, then you have just earned yourself 90 seconds of rest before starting the next cycle through. The time it takes to finish the work, is the time that you earn for your rest.
Intergrate workout finishers into your regularly scheduled program. You’ll love it.
An entire workout can be centered around the kettlebell swing.
There are very few exercises other exercises I would feel comfortable saying that about. But the kettlebell swing is definitely a movement that be an all-in-one solution. One stop shopping if you will.
Based on the popularity of my previous post, It’s Just a Kettlebell Swing Workout, I decided to go ahead and continue posting samplings of other kettlebell swing based workouts.
But I must be clear about one thing: I am in no way endorsing that the kettlebell swing be the only exercise that you leverage in your movement training programs.
While the kettlebell swing is certainly a world-class movement, it is important to develop strength and power through other exercises as well. Remember, the human body pushes, pulls, jumps, twists, carries, etc.
Humans have to be able to execute a wide range physical tasks if you stop and think about it. Especially when you consider that you never really know what the demands of the workday or weekend are going to bring.
Workouts are scheduled bouts of physical exertion. You know exactly what is going to happen during a workout and how it is going to happen. So much of our daily lives are unscheduled, random and out of our control. The workout is one aspect of our lives that we can control. We control the amount of effort, intensity, exercise selection and duration of the workout. We have complete control of what happens during this brief period of time.
It’s a real turn on for some people who feel like they have little control over anything else in their schedule.
Anyways, back to the point of this blog post.
Kettlebell swings, and how we can organize and rearrange kettlebell swings into highly effective training sessions.
When I sense boredom creeping up on my training habits (as many of you have also experienced) I know that it is time to shuffle a few things around. I value the impact that 2-handed kettlebell swings- especially heavier swings for longer duration work sets- can have on maintaining my body composition, but I also know that too much of anything can be a bad thing.
Boredom is part of being human, so it’s important to inject energy into your training sessions.
In this case, single arm swings added an element to my training session that reinvigorated the entire session.
Here is what the workout looked like.
If you get serious about adopting kettlebell swings into your workouts, you’re quickly find that your body will enter a different realm of lean. I have to admit that I thought kettlebells were gimmicky in the beginning, but after submerging myself into kettlebells exclusively one Summer, I prove my own opinions incorrect.
I got really lean, really quick. From just swinging the damn thing between my legs, back and forth like a pendulum. The concept seemed too good to be true initially.
Interestingly enough, I didn’t have the greatest technique at the time, but I had established a great foundation of all around strength, stability and resilience to fatigue which allowed me to continue advancing my workouts.
This is an important point. I would strongly advise that anyone reading this post go and seek out a professional who has the credentials of a high level swinger. RKC (Russian Kettlebell Challenge) or StrongFirst certified individuals would be a great place to start. Most of these folks were trained under Pavel Psatsouline, who is the godfather of kettlebells in the Western World. You would get fantastic tips, tricks and technique adjustment from these individuals.
But, if you have a willingness to learn and a decent bodily awareness, I also personally believe that you can teach yourself how to swing at home. Set up a smart phone and shoot short clips of yourself swinging. Compare it to other videos like the following:
Pay attention to the difference in your technique and Neghar’s swing technique. Critique yourself bit by bit. Make the small adjustments. Most people will notice that they are “lifting” the bell versus swinging it, or squatting versus hinging the hips.
We have the ability to teach ourselves things- not just mental education but physical education also- which I sometimes think that we forget. We can be self-sustaining.
If you find that you have little time, and want a workout that is bare bones simple, try this little diddy…
Recently, I jumped into this exact workout prior to my evening plans. I didn’t have much time to train but needed to get some amount of work done to feel good about myself, so this 10 minute workout fit the bill. Using a 28kg KB, I recorded 215 swings. Not a world record but also not too bad in my mind.
Kettlebell swings are a highly productive exercise. Add them to your training, and with an ounce of consistency I know that you’ll see some significant return on your investment. Just do it.
Kettlebells are probably one of the most effective workout tools on the planet.
They are also one of the most under-researched on the planet.
So, this post was sparked by my own interest.
Kettlebells have proven time and time again to blow fat off of people’s bodies, most notably without losing much muscle in the process since all of the movements are loaded, both strength and ballistic exercises.
This makes kettlebell great for ditching fat without sacrificing any valuable lean muscle tissue.
Excerpt: “Some unique loading patterns discovered during the kettlebell swing included the posterior shear of the L4 vertebra on L5, which is opposite in polarity to a traditional lift. Thus, quantitative analysis provides an insight into why many individuals credit kettlebell swings with restoring and enhancing back health and function, although a few find that they irritate tissues.”
This is mostly good. Stuart McGill is a world leader in spine research as it relates to exercise. His work is cited and quoted in a lot of publications. Kettlebell training, like any style of training, can be detrimental to your body if you choose to ignore technique. Skip the learning the basics and you make yourself susceptible to injury.
Chalk one up for kettlebell swings, snatches and bottoms up holds.
Here is a video clip of the bottoms up kettlebell hold:
Your mid-section will light up like the Fourth of July while stabilizing the kettlebell in this inverted fashion. Very challenging move. Stay tight, tall and braced.
Protecting the spine while training is of utmost importance, and the most important role of the abdominal musculature. Despite what mainstream projects the abs to be important for. Protect your spine people.
This little study looked at the oxygen cost of kettlebells, more specifically the two-handed kettlebell swing.
The metabolic challenge delivered during a kettlebell workout is large. Part of the maximizing this challenge is selecting the proper weight bell. It should be heavy, but not so heavy that you cannot finish the workout. Swinging light bells encourages poor technique and decreases the impact of the overall workout.
I’ve talked about leveraging kettlebell swings on this blog over and over again. I cannot say enough about a properly performed swing, and what it can do for you body, performance and posture. Preserving muscle while eliminating fat is such a desirable route when you’re seeking body transformations.
Simple workouts can achieve big results. Here is a recent post where I diagram some classic kettlebell workouts.
The kettlebell swing is an explosive deadlift. The extension of the hips out of the hinge is aggressive as you drive the hips forward, standing yourself up vertically.
This hip snap is the same hip snap that athletes use for putting large amounts of force into the ground as they accelerate across the field, court or ice.
This hip snap is not just for athletes, its beneficial for the working male or female, Mom and Dad and even physically able elderly populations. The hips are designed to be the power source of the human body. We spend most of our time on our feet, so having powerful hips is a great thing.
Will you be able to dunk a basketball? I can’t promise you that, but it will get you closer to the rim according to this study.
Will you boost your strength and explosive strength when you call upon it? This little study thinks so.
*** Again, choose to swing heavy kettlebells over light kettlebells to reap the full benefits, but not so heavy that you cannot fully extend the hips or move the bell quickly.
Cheers to the kettlebell and the emerging research behind its use…
I transferred this post away from the static page tabs above and into a post.
1) Resistance/Ground Based/Closed Chain
Train with some kind of load or resistance as much as possible. Push, pull, pick up, drag, carry, swing, squat, throw, slam… All with resistance and all with your feet on the ground whenever possible. Lean muscle tissue from resistance training.
Women… (sigh) You are not going to get “bulky” from picking up some weight. Don’t be afraid of it. If you knew what it takes to look like a bodybuilder you would laugh. You’ll never get there. If you want the “toning” effect… pick up some weight and get after it. Nothing is sexier than a woman who is confident in the gym. Ease into it with some effective bodyweight movements and progress from there… you’ll quickly realize what I am talking about.
2) Aerobic/Anaerobic (Cardiovascular improvement)
Aerobic training isn’t the devil… it just isn’t the most effective way to drop fat and look better. If time is a factor, and it often is, choose other methods. Stress your cardiovascular system using as many different methods as possible. Run, bike, paddle, swing kettlebells, use battling ropes, row, etc. Train yourself to be effective for short distances, up inclined hills and stairs, flat surfaces, etc. Run for distances that develop endurance-like qualities. Do it all. Tweak the variables: distance, work periods, rest periods, direction, speed, heart rate recovery etc.
Grandma was right, “All things in moderation”. Too much of anything can be bad. Too little can be bad too. Find the balance.
3) Multi-joint (movements not muscles)
Unless you are rehabilitating an injury or training for a bodybuilding competition, avoid training your body in isolation. The body is a single unit made up of many moving parts. Train your body to push, pull, squat, hip hinge, lunge, carry, sprint, etc… and your body composition will change and performance will improve. Muscles and joints love working together (synergistically) to accomplish physical tasks.
4) Joint-by-Joint Approach
The body is a vertical Jinga tower of joints. Some joints need stability and some need mobility. Improve your joint stability where you need it and improve your joint mobility where you need it. Failure to obey this simple rule puts you at risk for injury and decreased performance. Generalized approach, but simple and crazy effective. Freedom to move effortlessly in all 3 planes will keep you functional in the game of life, and most of all, injury free.
5) Progression
In simple terms, every movement/exercise has an easier or more difficult variation. You just have to know where to start based on your abilities. Beginners must spend time mastering the basics before they earn the right to step up to a more difficult variations. Proper progression means leaving your ego at the door. Do what YOU can do, not what you WANT to do or what you saw someone else do. This is a hard lesson to learn and implement (even for myself a long time ago), but in the long run, you’ll thank me on this one. All in good time.
6) Rest—Recovery—Regeneration
Train hard… Recover harder. If you train hard enough, you can elicit a training effect worthy of fat loss, injury prevention and performance. If you recover hard enough, you will give yourself the opportunity to continue to train hard week in and week out. Recovery is also where the magic happens. Nutrition, sleep, hydration and soft tissue maintenance allows for a life-time of physical success.
Foam roll, roll a lacrosse ball on your feet, iron out your muscles with Tiger Tail. Keep your tissue healthy and circulation flowing. Stretch and elongate. Soft tissue restrictions are uncomfortable and breed dysfunctional movement.
Think of it this way: You have a full glass of water prior to a workout (water= energy levels/fatigue, etc). After completing your workout, you have now poured out have of the glass of water (fatigue, hormones, muscular health, etc). It is important to put more water back in your glass before the next training session (rest, recovery, regeneration). If you pour all of the water out of your glass before you replenish what you have poured out from your workout, you increase the likelihood of injury, over-training and increased fatigue, sub-optimal hormone balance, decreased performance, etc. Keep your glass full and your body will be happy. Keep the balance.
8) System
Just like movements over muscles… choose systems over workouts. Following a system will always get you further in the long-term than “winging” it. A system is a road map to body re-design. It’s a plan. A system allows a person to experience continued improvement in a scheduled, intelligent, measurable and safe method. A system is sustainable and built for the long-term.
* There are a TON of variables to consider when designing a training program. Getting yourself adjusted to healthy habits takes repetition/practice and body re-design takes time. Be patient but don’t get complacent. Attack the hell out of it. You have to be all in on this. Focus on doing the simple things really well and be patient as your body begins to experience positive aesthetic change and performance.
M(eaux)tion Fitness 