Tag Archives: Kettlebell

Kettlebell Workouts combined with Warrior Diet

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This week I started yet again another serious session of Intermittent Fasting as described in the Warrior Diet.

I discovered and started doing it Mid-January last year and was able to drop from 89kg (196lb) to about 76kg (168lb) in about 4 months prior to really getting into gear with Kettlebells.

I continued with the way of the Warrior feeding 🙂 after I started doing Kettlebell workouts on a regular 3 times a week basis. I gained weight as I was building muscles. After a while I loosened up on the way of the Warrior and along with muscles came back some bodyfat.

On an important side note, I have the Auto-immune disorder Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. I read one article and a couple of comments in forums that Intermittent Fasting actually has a positive effect on Auto-immune disorders. On my annual full body check-up it looked good. All values within the healthy range. And the ever so annoying tiredness in the afternoons gone.

Anyway, this year went less effective regarding my Warrior Diet style eating and although I didn’t put back on much of a belly but I was on the fattening road. Hashimoto’s has one interesting side-effect (at least in my case), changes occur slowly, no matter whether good or bad.

And this year I also decided to completely cut off supplements as well and did go that way. But now that I will do a low carb calorie deficit diet and shed some stubborn fat, I went out to get myself some liquid L-Carnitine for before the workouts, some Whey protein for right after the workouts and some vitamins for those days where I can not eat sufficiently.

With the decreased calorie intake the 16kg Kettlebell wasn’t that easy anymore but I still intend to move up to 24kg and 32kg soon. Less reps with more benefits.

Here is this weeks workouts I did on Monday, Wednesday and Friday:

Monday: 50 Snatches (25L 25R) 50 Plank to Pushup 75 2 Handed Kettlebell Swings 25 Burpees 5-10-5-10-5-10-5 (TGU & Windmills alternating hands, see former workouts) 50 Mountain Climbers

Wednesday: 50 Snatches (25L 25R) 25 Pushups 100 Two Handed Kettlebell Swings 25 Burpees 5-10-5-10-5-10-5 (TGU & Windmills) 50 Mountain Climbers

Friday: 50 Squats 50 Jumping Jacks 50 Snatches 25 Pushups 100 Kettlebell Swings (25L 25R 50 Two Handed) 6 TGUs with 24Kg dumbbell (3L 3R) <— sufficient to kill me off

Trying out 32 kg and 24 kg Dumbbells *Ouch*

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First off, I definitely need to move up from the 16 kg Kettlebell, today’s experiment made this very clear to me.

I have done,

75 reps (25-15-10-10-15) two handed swings with an asymmetric 32+ kg dumbbell (3 x 10 kg plates on one side and one 2.5 kg plate acting as an excuse for a handle on the other end 🙂 )

10 reps (1L-1R-1L-1R-1L-1R-1L-1R-1L-1R) of Turkish Get-Ups with a 24 kg dumbbell

I was once again, after many months, forced to concentrate on my form and technique, way less reps from what I did with the 16 kg KB but more challenging which is what it is all about really.

Now I need to find Kettlebells of the right size as both exercises were very painful for my hands and wrists since you need a proper handle for the swing and be able to lean the weight towards your forearm in order to keep your hand inline with your arm (the dumbbell forced me to carry it with my palm facing upwards putting excessive stress on my wrists).

You may wonder “Why the fuss about finding the right size Kettlebells?”, well I live in Istanbul, Kettlebells are not very popular here despite the historical background of old time Turkish strong men using them and the very fact an exercise has its name originating from hereabouts (Turkish Get-Up). So finding a decent one is not an easy task (few places sell the vinyl variations which are basically junk. I should know as my 16 kg KB is a Vinyl one from York Fitness.

I started with a 16 kg Kettlebell one year ago still use it and …

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Well I finally realized that despite my intention to stay with it and increase the difficulty of the moves that I have reached a plato in my progress.

Ballistic moves, most notably the swing, are not effective anymore and what is even more important, since I am not challenged by the weight, my technique has suffered severely. I have lost my form.

After doing 150 2H swings, 150 mountain climbers and 20 clean presses (10 on each side), I decided to tried the Turkish Get Up with 24 kg dumbbells and 2H swings with both 24 kg and 32 kg. Tough job, especially the TGU.

Hence I decided to get myself both the 24 kg and the 32 kg, for strength moves and ballistic moves in that order 🙂

Half 300 Kettlebell Workout

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Well on Wednesday, stubborn as I act lately, I decided to keep working out, and did a half 300 Kettlebell Workout despite the blood filled calluses on both my hands.

Needless to say, one of them blew up on me early in the exercises and to my surprise it wasn’t painful at all (just a bit messy).

Anyway, the half 300 Kettlebell workout is as follows:

25 Snatches (5 Left hand then blood 10 right hand 10 left hand)

25 Plank to Push-up position

25 Alternating One Handed Kettlebell Swings (Starting on the left)

25 Burpees (just plank and jump no push-up)

5 Turkish Get-ups (Left)

5 Windmills (Right)

5 Windmills (Left)

5 Turkish Get-ups (Right)

30 Mountain Climbers

Blood under my calluses on my hands

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Well today should have been a rest day for me but I just couldn’t sit tight and had to go for what I call a “Cardio Rest Day”.

All swell (though unnecessarily ambitious) but my choice of workout proved to be painful at the end.

I decided to do 300 alternating one handed kettlebell swings.

As a result, although it served the purpose for being a decent cardio workout, it also gave me my first ever in life (I’m 35) blood under the calluses I have (from doing KB exercises) on BOTH hands!

Bummer! I will try to come up with some workout tomorrow which will not make things worse. The calluses are currently not very painful so I will do nothing and wait for them to get hard enough to pull off eventually.

Nasty stuff but a little price to pay for the benefits of the Kettlebell.

 

Cheers 🙂

Back from a 4 week break

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We went on vacation for 11 days and then I had a track day on the Istanbul Park circuit. A whole day, seven sessions of 20 minutes from 9 am to 4 pm a very hot day.

17 years after I bought this 1994 Aprilia RS125 we made it onto the intended race track 🙂

I alternated the sessions with my friends Honda CB600F, stings like a hornet 😀

Even though I must have drunk around 6 liters of water and no need to go the toilet I was apparently still dehydrated at the end of the day which took its toll on the rest of the week. I decided to skip workouts until fully recovered and then some.

So today I was back behind my kettlebell doing the last exercise routine in a 40-20 interval fashion for to sets and I was breathless. 🙂

I won’t rush back into pace and pick it up slowly.

60-15 HIIT Kettlebell Bodyweight Workout

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Inspired by the original Spartacus Workout I have put together another 10 exercise 60-15 interval workout of two rounds:

1. Kettlebell Goblet Squat

2. Mountain Climber

3. Alternating One Handed Kettlebell Swing

4. Plank Walk to Push-Up Position

5. Split Jump

6. Kettlebell Row (8 on each side)

7. Kettlebell Side Lunge and Touch

8. Windmill

9. Kettlebell Lunge and Rotation

10. Turkish Get-Up (3 on each side)

This makes one round, rest for 2 minutes and repeat one (or if you feel like it two) more time.

My Sweetheart Wife is Back in Kettlebell Action!

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Yes! After a lengthy break my wife is back working out with Kettlebells. I am very excited for her and will do my best to share my experience and passion on her journey! 🙂

She got on the Kettlebell Train last year after seeing the results that started to show on me (especially the belly area hehe). We had our first child two years ago and our boy is keeping her really busy so she has little time to go to the Gym to workout (which she loves) and responsibilities added up etc.

Anyways she is now back in the game and is swinging with Lauren Brooks joining her on the Videos we downloaded (The Ultimate Body Sculpt Volumes I & II) and is really enjoying feeling her muscles once again.

Although the Videos might look to be geared towards the female Kettlebell audience, I can assure you they are very effective for everyone as every muscle is utilized during the exercises. Use the above link or the box on the side to see for yourself. I’m sure you too will be impressed and motivated as we are 🙂

300 Kettlebell Workout Get Up!

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Yeah I know not a fancy name, I’ll work on my workout naming. 🙂

After going for High Intensity Interval Training in form of the Spartacus Workouts for the past month I decided it was time to switch back to challenge style and put together my own 300 routine.

Here goes:

50 Kettlebell Snatches (25 Left 25 Right)

50 Plank Walk to Push-Up (I really liked this from the Spartacus Workout 2.0 it kicks my ass 😀 )

50 Alternating One Handed Kettlebell Swings

50 Thrust Squats (Half Burpees without the pushup and jump part)

5 Turkish Get-Ups (Left)

10 Windmills (5 Right 5 Left)

5 TGUs (R)

10 Windmills (5L 5R)

5 TGUs (L)

10 Windmills (5R 5L)

5 TGUs (R)

50 Mountain Climbers

 

Basic moves but really efficient, takes around 20-25 minutes depending on my day. Usually the Plank Walk to PushUp and TGU-WM routines take most of the time with the other moves relaxing my arms while keeping my core working. Never saw my triceps work this hard 😀