Got this workout from http://trainersteve.tumblr.com/
Did it with one 16kg Kettlebell, was wrong about what a figure 8 to stop and a hot potato drill was but nonetheless, I had fun 🙂
Fun with Kettlebells Workout by TrainerSteve
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Tag Archives: High Intensity
Easy 30 Kettlebell Workout with Mixed Weights
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
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.
So Actually I Was Over-training Lately…
How do I know? Well, I rested during the weekend, read this article about over-training and thought “Wait a minute…”
So today I was able to do a full set of 75 reps of two handed swings before my grip gave way after warming up with jumping jacks and squats.
And I was able to go for 10 inclined push-ups, 10 pistol squats and 10 TGUs (with 24 kg dumbbells but still) after that intense swing session.
Brought in the 16 kg KB to work more on my technique of several moves.
Definitely going to take tomorrow off, over-training is so painful and annoying, makes you feel weaker then you actually are 🙂
Plain Swinging
Done 150 two handed kettlebell swings in 6 sets of 25 reps, calluses becoming back part of my appearance.
Added 10 inclined push-ups, 10 pull-ups (from the edge of a table) and 10 pistol squats. Lots of stretching and rest in between as I still kind of strain my lower back a bit, trying to get used to the much heavier weight.
I will try to increase the reps and decrease the sets, maybe 3 sets 0f 50 reps? I hope my hands and forearms do agree with this 🙂
Mixing weights on the road to 32
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.
Apparently… I Mean Obviously I Lack Grip Strength
The title says it all.
As mentioned in the last post, the 32 kg kettlebell sent me back to square one and then a bit further down.
I tried the Easy 30 Kettlebell workout from liftkettlebells.com and failed miserably. 🙁
I haven’t been doing ballistic moves for more then 2 months, just the TGUs with some bodyweight thrown in. I am out of proper form and more importantly my support grip strength is not up to the task of holding or moving the 32 kg kettlebell.
With the TGU you can have some of the weight rest on your forearm and you hold it still. Whereas with almost all the moves in the Easy 30 the kettlebell moves as well.
I decided that I go all the way back to the very basics as I barely manage 30 seconds of swings single handed don’t even ask me about snatches 🙁
I am also in the search for supportive moves to improve my grip strength as without that nothing goes and using things like wrist supports feels like cheating to me.
But I do have decided to cheat on another area until I get the strength up: Supplements
Yes I will resume using L-Carnitine right before training, whey protein right after and Multivitamins daily for a short period of time until I’m comfortable again. I know its cheating your energy levels up and I still stand my ground that in the long run supplements are the wolf in sheep skin but this helped to get started with the 16 kg so it might very well help me with the huge leap to 32 kg this time around. May be not, but I intent to try.
I’ll keep you guys posted about the progress.
Back to Square One
Going straight to 32 kg today after 20 months with 16 kg (last 2 months doing TGUs with 24kg) got my arse kicked properly.
I feel like I’m starting anew. I originally planned on doing the GtG routine I do lately then throw in a 10 minute 40-20 swing session to kill me off for good.
Well, I only managed 10 TGUs (5L-5R), 10 Pistol Squats (5L-5R), barely did the 40-20 for two minutes and I was done. Sitting on the floor… barely, because I had to work my thighs like I haven’t in a looong time. After doing 5 inclined pushups I called it a day.
I might consider going back to the Easy 20 Kettlebell Workout to get things rolling again with the 32 kg.
Never look back, never back down, stay alert and act sensibly.
What I am up to lately? Turkish Getups :)
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 😉
36-36 20 Sets of Kettlebell Turkish Getups & Windmills!
So on Monday i managed to form some nasty calluses on both of my hands doing the 15-15 50 Set Kettlebell Snatches workout. Still I liked this cardio-strength-endurance combo style and wondered if I could be doing Turkish Getups this way and to take it easier combine them with Windmills.
The 15-15 would be to short (so I thought) as the full TGU takes more time then a Snatch. I decided to do the following:
36 seconds doing 2 TGU’s and 2 Windmills with a 16 kg Kettlebell
36 seconds of rest
20 sets like this.
Turned out I was actually able to do 4 TGU’s and 2 Windmills in each set. So after the first 5-6 sets that’s what I did. I did my share of sweating, I was not fatigue at the end so this was a nice workout, given the fact that the TGU is pretty much a whole body workout.
In the end I did 71 TGUs and 40 Windmills in 26 minutes 🙂