Hello All
There are many ways to train with your kettlebell
The list below should give you a good start with your training
Complex style
Created by Istvan Javorek for Olympic lifters to help with their conditioning, this style is easily transferred to kettlebell training and it can work better with them due to the kettlebells shape and handle.
Basically you choose say 5 or more moves and do x amount of reps ideally between 8 to 20 per move
Once you pick up the weight you don’t put down till you finish
The limiting factor will be your weakest exercise as that weight will dictate all the others. For example, if you can squat a 28kg Kettlebell but only press a 20, then you would use the 20kg for the complex.
An example of a kettlebell complex would be:
One hand swing into clean into snatch into the military press into squat into row, swap to the other side, then rest 90 seconds between rounds
Alternating sets
These are when you pair two or more moves together and swap between them until all sets are completed.
For example
A1 Kettlebell front squats 3x 10 (rest 45 sec)
A2 Kettlebell military press 3 x 10 (rest 45 sec)
or
A1 Squats 4 x 5 (rest 45 sec)
A2 Renegade Row with pushups 4 x 10/side (rest 45 sec)
A3 Swing 4 x 20 (rest 45 sec)
What does it mean?
Well A1, A2 etc. mean you do A1 first, then go onto A2 then swap back and forth until all the sets are completed. then you move onto the next letter
Some benefits of this type of training:
When your lower body is resting, your upper body is working
You save time overall in your workout as it keeps you to a strict rest period between moves
Here is an example for you to try:
A1 Squats 3 x 10
A2 Military Press 3 x 6
B1 Swings 4 x 20
B2 Push ups 3 x 10
C1 Cleans 3 x 8/side
C2 Lunge 3 x 8/side
C1 Russian Twist 3 x 15/side
Timed based density training
It is when you pick a time of activity and rest and then allocated moves for each time.
For example, today we would do 45 seconds of work with 15 seconds of rest.
So looking at typical program
One arm swings left
One arm swings right
Single rack squat left
Military press left
Single rack squats right
Military press right
Row left
Cleans right
Row right
Cleans left
Russian twist
You do the first move for 45 seconds rest for 15, then go onto the next move and so on as you go down the list
With Russian twist as it can’t be split it is just a full 45 seconds of that.
After you finish all the ones take a 2 min break and start again
Try 3 rounds
A benefit of this is that 2 or more people of varying fitness can do the same program. And can go to their own pace as the time is fixed per exercise
You also get a great strength cardio workout when completing this type of training
The goal is to add more weight or reps when you come back to do it again.
