Crawling patterns and kettlebell swings are two great exercises that work really well together inside of circuits.

Quick and saucy training stimulus.

Combining two exercises might sound limiting, but if you select the right exercises it can be a really effective way to train. 

Workouts don’t need to be complicated to be effective.  There doesn’t need to be a long list of exercises to work through.  

Alternating between two non-competing movements allows for max energy to be plugged into each movement, improves time efficiency while keeping the work focused.

Let’s talk about crawling and kettlebell swings, shall we?

Crawling

Crawling exercises can be performed in almost any training space.  Tiny hotel rooms, outside, or at home in the make-shift home gym.  

6-8 feet of straightaway space can accommodate any crawling variation.    

There are a hundred different ways to modify the crawl to fit your environment and training space.  

However, as you gain strength and coordination with the patterns, consider increasing the challenge by introducing obstacles, crawling over, under and around different terrain creates a whole new challenge.  

Crawling looks easy.  Baby’s crawl without a problem, so adults shouldn’t have an issue, right?

The shoulders, chest, core, and hips tire quickly, which is not necessarily an indicator of an effective workout, but more so a point to make for folks who think crawling looks “too easy”.  

Here are some notable benefits of crawling:

•  Spatial awareness
•  Total body strength and conditioning 
•  Coordination
•  Confidence (movement skill education)
•  Minimalist (can be performed anywhere, anytime)
•  Scalable for beginners to elite movers
•  Easily adjusted to elicit different training effects
•  Pair well with other exercises (lower body, pulling, swings)
•  Natural movement other than lifting weights and linear cardio

Kettlebell Swings

Kettlebells are one of the most versatile pieces of gym equipment on the planet.

A single kettlebell is all that’s required to crush a workout featuring kettlebell swings.

Similar to crawling, kettlebell swings can be performed in extremely small spaces, outside, hotel rooms, etc.  

Higher rep kettlebell swing workouts are fantastic for burning calories and accelerating fat loss. It’s essentially loaded conditioning, similar to metabolic conditioning.

Kettlebell swings will burn fat while doing a surprisingly great job at maintaining muscle mass.

Some bloggers would feel guilt writing something like that, but there are too many testimonials to argue otherwise.

Thousands people who’ve leveraged kettlebell swings for body transformation. With good nutrition and a caloric deficit, using higher volume kettlebell swings will blast fat.

Benefits of kettlebell swings:

• Increased power for the “go” muscles
• Builds a strong back
• Grip endurance
• Quick learning curve
• Minimalist… 1 kettlebell for a great workout
• Time-efficient total body training
• Cardio, both aerobic and anaerobic
• Pair well with other exercises (ex: crawling)

Crawling Variations 

📺 Forward/Backward Crawl

📺 Sideways (Lateral) Crawl

📺 Bear Walk

📺 Lizard Crawl

You can see how the lizard crawl and bear walk differ with regard to hip position.  

Hips stay high, arms straight with the Bear Walk.

The lizard crawl is a whole other situation. Lizard crawling drops the hips close to the floor, making this crawling variation a serious challenge.

Kettlebell Swing Variations

The video above demonstrates 3 basic kettlebell swing variations:

• 2-hand kettlebell swing
• 1-hand kettlebell swing
• Hand-to-hand swing

There are a lot more variations to explore, but I would consider these to be the fundamentals. 

We will pair these variations up with a crawling pattern for each of the nano-circuits shared below. 

Nano-Circuit Training

Nano-Circuits incorporate 3 exercises or less.  

They are simple, saucy, and focused.

Reducing the number of exercises in the circuit removes unnecessary thinking.

There’s no stopping to check what exercises come next, how many reps, etc.

You just go.

Here are a few ideas for you to try:          

Forward/Backward Crawl + 2-Arm Kettlebell Swings

Accumulate 20 yards of forward and backward crawling.  

After finishing the crawl, step up to the kettlebell and perform 10 swings.  

Side-to-Side Crawl + Single Arm Kettlebell Swings

Accumulate 20 yards of side to side crawl.  

Upon finishing the crawl, step up to the kettlebell and perform 10 reps of 1-hand swings.  

FW/BW/Side-to-Side + Bear Walk + 2 -Arm Swings

Perform forward, backward, side-to-side crawl, bear walk for 10 yards each…

… step up to the kettlebell and bang out 10 reps of 2-arm swings.

Lizard Crawl + Hand to Hand Kettlebell Swings

Obliques are going to take a beating with this combo.  The lizard crawl is one of the toughest crawling patterns. Lizard crawling might require shortening the crawl distance because of how aggressive it is.  Play around with it.  Perform 5 reps per arm with the hand to hand swings.  Use a lighter kettlebell if needed. 

Move with focus. 

Not every exercise needs to be picture-perfect from the get-go, but DO NOT RUSH THE MOVEMENTS.

Slow down, focus, move with stability

Beginners will feel and look wobbly, which is why selecting an exercise variation of the appropriate difficulty level is so important. 

Even with simple exercises, movement mechanics are rarely sexy in the early days.

No matter which exercise variations you choose, establish the discipline DO IT RIGHT, versus opting to do it fast, intensely or while versus blasting through it chasing burn. 

Generally, moving slow to learn exercises and develop strength, mechanics, and coordination.  

I think people chase fatigue by rushing through exercises far too early in the process.

Learn slow, create a solid foundation, then add in the sexy stuff.

Here’s a fun crawling challenge: the 60 second, 10 yard crawl.