Tag Archives: 16 kg

5-10-20-10-5 Pyramid Workout Kettlebell Basics

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So the other week I thought, “Lets try a pyramid style workout with kettlebells”.
I would the 5 basics combo (press, row, swing, squat, farmers walk), single handed on each side in sets of 5 reps, 10 reps, 20 reps, 10 reps and finally 5 reps again.
Start and end with the 24 kg kettlebell for the 5 rep sets and use the 16 kg kettlebell for the 10 and 20 rep sets.

Sounds easy and decent right? 🙂
Here are the sets:

Back to back with no or minimal rest between moves, first for right hand all the way, then left hand (24 kg Kettlebell):
5 Kettlebell Presses Over Head
5 Kettlebell Rows
5 Kettlebell Swings
5 Kettlebell Squats
Kettlebell Farmers Walk (SHORT side of Basketball field and back)

Rest for a minute or less

With 16 kg Kettlebell, same pattern as above:
10 Kettlebell Presses Over Head
10 Kettlebell Rows
10 Kettlebell Swings
10 Kettlebell Squats
Kettlebell Farmers Walk (LONG side of Basketball field and back)

With 16 kg Kettlebell, same pattern as above:
20 Kettlebell Presses Over Head
20 Kettlebell Rows
20 Kettlebell Swings
20 Kettlebell Squats
Kettlebell Farmers Walk (Around the Basketball field)

Now we go back down on the Pyramid;
With 16 kg Kettlebell, same pattern as above:
10 Kettlebell Presses Over Head
10 Kettlebell Rows
10 Kettlebell Swings
10 Kettlebell Squats
Kettlebell Farmers Walk (LONG side of Basketball field and back)

And finally with the 24 kg Kettlebell:
5 Kettlebell Presses Over Head
5 Kettlebell Rows
5 Kettlebell Swings
5 Kettlebell Squats
Kettlebell Farmers Walk (SHORT side of Basketball field and back)

No big deal I tought, but was extremely wasted afterwards, I wondered why since I originally figured it would a 50 reps (5 10 20 10 5) workout.

Only after the third workout session I really added up all the reps and the number come out as 400 reps total! Well these reps are for each hand over four different moves:

(5+10+20+10+5)x 2 x 4 = 400
Farmers walk around the basketball field for 3 laps!

Taking in account I used a 24 kg and a 16 kg kettlebell this yields to a total 1760 kg moved arround for each move (press, row, swing, squat) and a grand total of 7040 kg ~ 7 metric tons about 15500 lbs. WTF??? 🙂

Basic Kettlebell Move Combos

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Was doing the following routine for the last couple of months in a 60-15 interval fashion:

- Kettlebell Squats (KB in Right Hand)
- Pushups
- 1 Handed Kettlebell Swings (Right Hand)
- Turkish Get-Ups (Right Hand)
- Kettlebell Squats (KB in Left Hand)
- Pushups
- 1 Handed Kettlebell Swings (Left Hand)
- Turkish Get-Ups (Left Hand)
- Kettlebell Goblet Squats
- Pushups
- 2 Handed Kettlebell Swings
- Turkish Get-Ups (Right Hand then Left Hand)

This is one set of 20 minutes with 30 seconds of lead and 90 seconds of trail time.
Usually one set will do but you can repeat as many as you want, just watch your form and grip strength.

Last two weeks I alternated the above with this one, exercises are back to back with 1 minute or so rest in between:

- 3 1H KB Swings (R)
- 3 KB High Pulls (R)
- 3 KB Snatches (R)
- 3 KB Windmills (R)
- 3 KB Squats (R)
- 3 KB Reverse Lunges (R)
- 3 KB Jerks (R)
- 3 KB Presses (R)
- 1 TGU (R) (First down the up)
- 3 Pushups
- 3 1H KB Swings (L)
- 3 KB High Pulls (L)
- 3 KB Snatches (L)
- 3 KB Windmills (L)
- 3 KB Squats (L)
- 3 KB Reverse Lunges (L)
- 3 KB Jerks (L)
- 3 KB Presses (L)
- 1 TGU (L) (First down the up)
- 3 Pushups

2 sets of the above is a decent workout, I sometimes dared to complete 3 sets 🙂

This week I added another flavor to the mix:

- 5 Double KB Push Presses
- 5 Double KB Rows
- 5 Double KB Swings
- 5 Double KB Squats
- Double KB Farmers Walk (for about a minute)
- Rest for a minute or less

As I do not own a second 24 kg KB, I did a asymmetrical double with a 16 kg KB. 4 sets of this and I was good to hit the showers 🙂

Basics 300 Heavier Variation

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Warm up, stretch routines
All moves except TGUs done with 24 kg KB
80 Kettlebell Swings
30 seconds rest
10 Turkish Getups (2L-2R-2L-2R-1L-1R) (24 + 16 kg strapped by belt)
10 Diamond Pushups
10 Goblet Squats
10 Diamond Pushups
10 Goblet Squats
30 seconds rest
60 Kettlebell Swings
30 second rest
50 One Armed Rows (9L-9R-30s rest-8L-8R-30s rest-8L-8R)
30 seconds rest
20 Windmills (5L-5R-5L-5R)
30 second rest
40 Kettlebell Swings
Stretch and cool down

200 Snatches

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Did the 200 snatches mentioned in this dragondoor article today with the 16 kg Kettlebell as an off day(!)  exercise 🙂

I was able (obviously) to do it under 10 minutes and finished off with 10 Turkish GetUps (5 on each side).

Now I have swollen calluses which I didn’t have for a long while. Reason for this, I have short fingers and the handle of the cheap @ss 16 kg KB is quite thick. So I can not do a finger lock properly which would have made things much easier.

Easy 30 Kettlebell Workout with Mixed Weights

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Its been three months since my last post, no spectacular changes, only consistency and perseverance.

Not trying to downplay anything, being consistent and persevering is not a small deed. At least not for me anyway. It requires mental strength and discipline. Both very prone to reluctance, one of the major diseases of our age ruled by attention deficit disorder.

My grip was quite weak when I first started using the 32 kg kettlebell, this is still work in progress.

The Easy 30 Kettlebell Workout from www.liftkettlebells.com is a good mix of ballistic and strength moves with the Kettlebell with some bodyweight exercises thrown in to help balance the load and enhance recovery. Here is how I do it these days:

30s Jumping Jacks 
30s Body Squats 
60s 2H Swings 32kg 
30s Rest 
30s Front Squat L 16kg 
30s Front Squat R 16kg 
30s Rest 
60s Windmill L 32kg 5 reps only then rest
60s Windmill R 32kg 5 reps only then rest
30s 2H Swings Waist High 32kg 
30s 2H Swings Head High 32kg 
30s Swings L 16kg 
30s Swings R 16kg 
60s Rest 
30s Military Press L 16kg 
30s Military Press R 16kg 
30s Rest 
60s Jumping Jacks 
30s Pushups 
60s Rest 
60s 2H Swings 16kg 
30s 2H Swings Overhead 16kg 
60s Rest 
60s One Armed Rows 8 on each side 32kg 
30s Rest 
30s One Armed Rows 4 on each side 32kg 
30s Rest 
45s Pullovers 16kg 
30s Floor Press L 16kg 
30s Floor Press R 16kg 
30s Floor Press L 16kg 
30s Floor Press R 16kg 
30s Pullovers 16kg 
60s Rest 
60s One Armed Rows 8 on each side 32kg 
30s Rest 
30s One Armed Rows 4 on each side 32kg 
30s Rest 
60s Jumping Jacks 
60s Rest 
30s Snatch L 16kg 
30s Snatch R 16kg 
60s Snatch L 16kg 
60s Snatch R 16kg 
30s Snatch L 16kg 
30s Snatch R 16kg

Easy 20 Kettlebell Workout with 32 kg

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So what was I up to since my last post?

I went back to basics, just as I said, doing the Easy 20 Kettlebell Workout with the 32 kg Kettlebell which is basically a stripped down version of the Easy 30. Just enough load to keep me out of breath nevertheless.

Still can’t do proper one handed swings and, obviously, snatches with the 32 so I try my best with the swings and switch to the 16 kg bell for the snatches, focusing on form and technique.

Mixing weights on the road to 32

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In order to make the transition to the 32 kg kettlebell smoother I decided to do some moves with the 16 kg kettlebell and more basic ones with the 32 kg. This way I plan to regain proper former which is crucial to handle the heavier weight.

I was fooled by the centered mass of 32 kg dumbbells into believing that I could handle the 32 kg kettlebell just as well. My forearm pays the price (the bell slaming on it as grip is not up to par yet amplified by poor technique). I am embarrassed to admit but the last 2 months just doing TGUs really took away a lot from my swing, pull, press, windmill, snatch… basically from all of the remaining moves in terms of proper form/technique.

Currently I try to focus on the two handed swing, doing the hip move effectively with proper stance as I still strain my lower back trying to adapt to the heavy bell.

Therefore I will use the 16 kg kettlebell to re-polish the technical skills.

Planning for an Easy 20 session using both 32 and 16.

Two Weeks of daily Turkish Getups

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The last two weeks I was on leave to help my wife studying by taking take of our energizer bunny son which meant less then usual time for throwing around kettlebells 🙂

So I made the decision to do at least 10 TGUs (5 very slow ones on each side making the routine 4-5 minutes long) each day, throw in 5-15 very slow pushups where possible to stimulate my muscles and to maintain.

I missed out on one or two days and did double on others but all in all I kept the consistency so I’m happy with it.

As an added bonus I tied my 16 kg KB with my wives 8 kg KB to get an odd shaped but functional 24 kg KB which was way more grip friendly then a 24 kg dumbbell. 🙂

What I am up to lately? Turkish Getups :)

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Two months have passed since my last post.

I have slowed things down a bit since then, exercise-wise.

With more focus on the Turkish Getup and complementary body weight movements doing them SLOW!

Yes, you heard me, slow. I realized I was rushing the moves lately, resulting in sloppy style not utilizing the core muscles properly. For some moves slower is better if you are not opting for cardio and/or endurance. Well you kinda get the endurance bit with slow.

Last time around I mentioned doing TGUs with the 36-36 HIIT protocol and I did. I was able to squeeze (literally) 4 TGUs inside 36 seconds. I thought I was super, I thought “Well this has gotten easy with the 16 kg kettlebell, I definitely need to move up to 24 kg”.

While I still should get the 24 kg for the ballistic moves (swings snatches etc.) I couldn’t be more wrong about my mastery of the TGU using the 16 kg bell.

I took it the other way around, stretching a single full TGU cycle over 40-50 seconds, doing proper footwork, stance and the bridge.

Turned out that 5 reps on each side at this pace was a complete workout on its own. Really working all the muscles that should get involved… properly! 🙂

Now I am taking the slow path for non-ballistic kettlebell moves to improve form, stability and balance. I also slowed down the cardio moves like for example the squat thrust.

This way I revisited the 300 Meltdown Kettlebel workout. Taking it slower to improve and emphasize proper form instead of rushing the moves trying to beat the time made a world of difference as how my muscles feel and look 😉

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRpbM9nzDcM