So today I did the Spartacus Workout one more time.
This time I did it in 40-20 Workout-Rest intervals and completed full 3 sets with 2 minutes rests between sets. Total time 34 minutes and I was done, fully soaked with sweat! Definitely going to keep this in my workout rotation list. 🙂
It’s time to re-visit a workout from a source that usually isn’t: Mens Health Magazine 🙂
But this workout inspired by the Starz television series Spartacus is a real piece of work.
It’s a 60-15 High Intensity Interval Workout with exercises that work almost every muscle in your body. Click here for the page on Mens Health website and here to download the poster PDF which you can print having all exercises in one page. You can also download a MP3 from the WorkoutMuse website for free. This way you don’t have to keep track of your time yourself. Its rather generic so you can re-arrange or change the exercises to create different 60-15 10 exercise workouts on your own.
Since I only have a 16kg Kettlebell and no interest in buying dumbbells I slightly modified the workout to my needs and condition:
Station 1 Kettlebell Goblet Squat (Hold Kettlebell at chest level)
Station 2 Mountain Climber
Station 3 Single-arm Kettlebell Swing (The real deal :) )
Station 4 T-pushup (16kg too heavy for me, did it weightless)
Station 5 Split Jump
Station 6 Kettlebell row (30 seconds on each side)
Station 7 Kettlebell side lunge and touch
(KB in opposite hand and switching at touch point)
Station 8 Pushup-position row
(Uneven pushup position with single KB rotating to alternate)
Station 9 Kettlebell lunge and rotation
Station 10 Kettlebell push press (Single KB 30 seconds on each side)
Did this in 60-30 exercise-rest intervals for two sets. With a 16kg Kettlebell this was intense enough for me 😀
Today Easy 30 Kettlebell Workout it is. I decided to call it a “Back to Basics” week, doing the old stuff with re-emphasis on form and technique.
I try to do my workouts during my noon break at the office Mon-Wed-Fri but some times other things come up and I am forced to skip or shift.
Last week was one of those times, I was only able to workout on Tue and Wed, first being a the 300 Meltdown and second being full body-weight only (12 minutes of interval Burpees to be more precise).
This week I hope to be back on track with yet another Easy Kettlebell 30 minutes routine with a slight difference. Lately I noticed that I tend to slack on form and technique as my arms got stronger and I’m still at 16kg for the Kettlebell. Primary drive of the core and hip almost disappeared and I feel like I’m going backwards with my strength and stamina.
Therefore today’s focus was almost exclusively on tightening the core and hips for proper drive rather then speed and quantity.
Today went back to do yet another Meltdown 300 workout because I chose not to put together my own custom.
Since I did a 300 Workout yesterday (which I should have done Monday but more important matters pressed), I did the Easy 30 Kettlebell Workout to take it “easy” 🙂
This is the workout I did initially when getting into Kettlebells, well actually I did the Easy 20 which is a slightly stripped down version. 30 and 20 stand for minutes it takes to complete the workout.
Its basically a time based interval training workout for which more details can be found at LiftKettlebells.com . You can download mp3 files where you get instructed when to do what which comes in handy if you don’t have a interval timer to help you. The MP3s have two versions, with background music and instructions only so you can mix your own music on top of it 🙂
Give it a try and don’t let the name fool you. Its quite a nice workout for all but the most hardcore guys/gals 😉
40 Kettlebell Swings (2 Handed) 10 Turkish Get-Ups (5 Left 5 Right) 40 Kettlebell Snatches (20 Left 20 Right) 10 Kettlebell Windmills (5 Left 5 Right) 40 Kettlebell Swings (2 Handed) 10 Push-Ups (Slow) 40 Kettlebell Snatches (10L-10R-8L-8R-2L-2R Grip issue had me alternate) 10 Kettlebell Windmills (5 Left 5 Right) 50 Mountain Climbers
I noticed I have trouble with my grip over the course of these custom 300 workouts.
I use a cheap 16kg filled plastic Kettlebell which has a larger then standard handle and body. Looks more like a 24kg or even 32kg proper solid iron Kettlebell. So doing consecutive Kettlebell moves with little rest in between goes really tough on my lower arm.
Apart from this issue I am really happy to chop and change the order and intensity of my workouts. Up until 3-4 weeks ago I was sticking to some workouts I found on the Internet but with these my progress began to plateau. So I decided to add variety to unsettle my body and make it actually work.
Recently I switched back to more lower body kind of exercises as I seem to bulk up too much too soon with upper body intensive choices. And also I had a small accident some 5 months ago which causes my left shoulder to ache if I get too keen on working it 🙂
That said, I do revisit the workouts I initially found as they have become part of the variety.
50 Kettlebell Snatches 25 Goblet Squats 50 Kettlebell Swings 2H 50 Jump Lunges 20 Kettlebell Windmills (10L 10R) 10 Turkish Get-Ups (5L 5R) 25 Burpees 10 Kettlebell Windmills (5L 5R) 10 Turkish Get-Ups (5L 5R) 50 Mountain Climbers
Time not accurately being around 22 minutes with a 16kg kettlebell.