Today we're going to concentrate on more of a strength training approach along the lines of the 5x5 model. Because we're still in a break-in period, I'm going to stick with the 16 kg bell, while my wife will use her pair of 9kg bells.
Basic warm-up
Cables -- Overhead pulldown x 20; Front chest pull x 20; Tricep extension x 20; One-arm press x 20; Bent row x 20. We'll do these using Lifeline USA's cables. The trick is to stay relatively light and use a quick pace to get the blood pumping.
Squats -- Close-stance x 8; Medium-stance x 8; Wide-stance x 8; Hurdler squat stretch x 8; Cossack stretch x 8; Boot strapper x 8; Hindu jump squat x 8.
Kettlebell painkiller complex -- Windmill x 5 each side; Good morning x 5 each side; Twisting deadlift x 5 each side; Swings x 20 (two-handed). These are done with a kettlebell lighter than you normally use. These should be easy. The goal should be to focus on the movement and get the muscles ready for the workout to follow.
Bridge -- Start with 30 seconds.
Now for the main workout:
Double Kettlebell Swing x 5
Double Kettlebell Clean & Press x 5
Double Kettlebell Squat x 5
Kettlebell Renegade Row x 5
Double Kettlebell Floor Press x 5
Rest 3 minutes.
Repeat for 2-4 more times.
Finish with Powerwheel rollouts for 3 sets of 5 reps.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Got Gas? Kettlebell Swingers Do!
Today's workout is going to be a bit more simple, but will force us to work on our endurance. We'll be doing swings for 20 reps combined with 10 pushups...for 20 minutes. The trick here is to get settled into a good pace and not worry about the numbers. Work on your form and stay as relaxed as possible. Before you know it, you're done.
Remember, the swing is the cornerstone of kettlebell exercises. Master the swing, and your fitness levels will soar!
We'll start with the same warm-up from Monday's workout.
Basic warm-up
Cables -- Overhead pulldown x 20; Front chest pull x 20; Tricep extension x 20; One-arm press x 20; Bent row x 20. We'll do these using Lifeline USA's cables. The trick is to stay relatively light and use a quick pace to get the blood pumping.
Squats -- Close-stance x 8; Medium-stance x 8; Wide-stance x 8; Hurdler squat stretch x 8; Cossack stretch x 8; Boot strapper x 8; Hindu jump squat x 8.
Kettlebell painkiller complex -- Windmill x 5 each side; Good morning x 5 each side; Twisting deadlift x 5 each side; Swings x 20 (two-handed). These are done with a kettlebell lighter than you normally use. These should be easy. The goal should be to focus on the movement and get the muscles ready for the workout to follow.
Bridge -- Start with 30 seconds.
Now for the main workout:
Kettlebell swing for 20 reps. 2-handed, 1-hand, switch hands, whatever floats your boat. Just get 20 reps.
10 pushups. You might vary the width of your hands, or raise your feet to make it more difficult if you want.
Repeat 1 & 2 for 20 minutes. Rest if needed, but don't stop moving until you hit the 20 minute mark. Keep track of your sets and try to get more next time.
That's it! Finish up with Powerwheel rollouts for 3 sets of 5 reps.
Next up: A simple strength routine.
Remember, the swing is the cornerstone of kettlebell exercises. Master the swing, and your fitness levels will soar!
We'll start with the same warm-up from Monday's workout.
Basic warm-up
Cables -- Overhead pulldown x 20; Front chest pull x 20; Tricep extension x 20; One-arm press x 20; Bent row x 20. We'll do these using Lifeline USA's cables. The trick is to stay relatively light and use a quick pace to get the blood pumping.
Squats -- Close-stance x 8; Medium-stance x 8; Wide-stance x 8; Hurdler squat stretch x 8; Cossack stretch x 8; Boot strapper x 8; Hindu jump squat x 8.
Kettlebell painkiller complex -- Windmill x 5 each side; Good morning x 5 each side; Twisting deadlift x 5 each side; Swings x 20 (two-handed). These are done with a kettlebell lighter than you normally use. These should be easy. The goal should be to focus on the movement and get the muscles ready for the workout to follow.
Bridge -- Start with 30 seconds.
Now for the main workout:
Kettlebell swing for 20 reps. 2-handed, 1-hand, switch hands, whatever floats your boat. Just get 20 reps.
10 pushups. You might vary the width of your hands, or raise your feet to make it more difficult if you want.
Repeat 1 & 2 for 20 minutes. Rest if needed, but don't stop moving until you hit the 20 minute mark. Keep track of your sets and try to get more next time.
That's it! Finish up with Powerwheel rollouts for 3 sets of 5 reps.
Next up: A simple strength routine.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Our New Kettlebell Workouts For March
My wife has been bugging me to start working out again, and as it happens, I was re-reading Bud Jeffries Super Strength and Endurance For Martial Arts:
(http://strongerman.com/martial_arts.html)
Bud has a lot of good ideas for mixed implement conditioning and I found some ideas for a few workouts to get our minds and bodies out of the winter doldrums.
I'm going to use three different kettlebell-based workouts, and do them for a month or so in order to get us back into the exercise habit.
Here's what we're doing today:
Basic warm-up
Cables -- Overhead pulldown x 20; Front chest pull x 20; Tricep extension x 20; One-arm press x 20; Bent row x 20. We'll do these using Lifeline USA's cables. The trick is to stay relatively light and use a quick pace to get the blood pumping.
Squats -- Close-stance x 8; Medium-stance x 8; Wide-stance x 8; Hurdler squat stretch x 8; Cossack stretch x 8; Boot strapper x 8; Hindu jump squat x 8.
Kettlebell painkiller complex -- Windmill x 5 each side; Good morning x 5 each side; Twisting deadlift x 5 each side; Swings x 20 (two-handed). These are done with a kettlebell lighter than you normally use. These should be easy. The goal should be to focus on the movement and get the muscles ready for the workout to follow.
Bridge -- Start with 30 seconds.
Now for the main workout:
As I haven't been training for a while, I'm going to use a 16kg (35lb) kettlebell, while my wife will be using a 9kg (20lb) kettlebell.
(http://strongerman.com/martial_arts.html)
Bud has a lot of good ideas for mixed implement conditioning and I found some ideas for a few workouts to get our minds and bodies out of the winter doldrums.
I'm going to use three different kettlebell-based workouts, and do them for a month or so in order to get us back into the exercise habit.
Here's what we're doing today:
Basic warm-up
Cables -- Overhead pulldown x 20; Front chest pull x 20; Tricep extension x 20; One-arm press x 20; Bent row x 20. We'll do these using Lifeline USA's cables. The trick is to stay relatively light and use a quick pace to get the blood pumping.
Squats -- Close-stance x 8; Medium-stance x 8; Wide-stance x 8; Hurdler squat stretch x 8; Cossack stretch x 8; Boot strapper x 8; Hindu jump squat x 8.
Kettlebell painkiller complex -- Windmill x 5 each side; Good morning x 5 each side; Twisting deadlift x 5 each side; Swings x 20 (two-handed). These are done with a kettlebell lighter than you normally use. These should be easy. The goal should be to focus on the movement and get the muscles ready for the workout to follow.
Bridge -- Start with 30 seconds.
Now for the main workout:
As I haven't been training for a while, I'm going to use a 16kg (35lb) kettlebell, while my wife will be using a 9kg (20lb) kettlebell.
Clean the kettlebell, squat the kettlebell, press the kettlebell, windmill with the kettlebell. 5 times through the series before switching hands and repeating. As we're just getting back into our workouts, we'll go slow and steady with an emphasis on breathing and form.
Swings - 2-handed and for 20 reps.
Squat thrusts - 10 reps.
1 minute rest then repeat 1-3, two more times, for a total of three times through the series. Checkout the slideshare in the sidebar for a view of the kettlebell exercises.
Finish with 3 sets of 5 reps in the Powerwheel roll-out from the kneeling position.
All told, this workout took us a little less than 45 minutes. Stay tuned for Wednesday's workout.
Of course, the exercises listed above may be too strenuous or dangerous for some people. The reader should therefore consult a physician before trying them.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Welcome!
I'm addicted to information. The net is my tonic, with answers to almost everything. From the first days of the web when downloads took forever to the thousands of hits for a subject thanks to Google and others, I'm still amazed by what's available for anyone to find.
What's this got to do with fitness? Well, everything! I know there are folks who like to be spoon fed information and don't have the time or the interest to search for things on their own. At the same time, there are those who don't want to follow the crowd and who want to explore and decide for themselves. That's me (and maybe you!).
I read a lot of fitness related pages and I'm always amused by the orthodxy of weight training. You can find "experts" with opinions on everything who are sure that their system is best. The problem is, human beings are not identical creatures. We may be made up of the same parts, but we don't always respond to stressors the same way.
One 6'2", 205 lb. male might respond best to a 5X5 system, where another might respond best to a circuit training system. There are so many different variables affecting us all, that a cookie-cutter approach to training often fails the individual and leads to a loss of motivation and a halt to training.
I'm 43 years old and have been "lifting" semi-regularly since I was 20. During that time, I've tried bodybuilding, powerlifting, circuit training, 3X3, 5X5, 20-rep squats, "Singles and Doubles", "Twisted Conditioning", "Hard Style" kettlebells, Girevoy Sport kettlebells, sandbags, kegs, bodyweight conditioning, running, cycling, swimming, "Old School" weight training, and combinations thereof.
So which worked the best? They all did.
At least for a while. Like about 3-4 weeks until I got bored and began searching for the next "best" program. So what does that lead to?
Well for me, I get sidetracked by other things around the house like kid duty, home projects, overtime, and whatever else life throws at me that distracts me from training regularly. My first focus is my family, but one of the things I've learned is, if my head isn't straight, then my time with my family isn't always enjoyable for them or for me.
A regular training routine helps to "clear the cobwebs" by energizing the system and stimulating the brain. I was reading Clark Howard's show notes for today, and saw the following that helps explain what I mean:
Exercise can slow the aging process
http://clarkhoward.com/shownotes/index.html
Basically, Clark explains how a British study through the Archives of Internal Medicine showed how regular exercise slows the aging of the body and increase longevity by 5-6 years. Check it out! Clark has lots of great stuff on his site, mostly aimed at consumer protection.
I'll have more on this subject soon. Time to go home.
What's this got to do with fitness? Well, everything! I know there are folks who like to be spoon fed information and don't have the time or the interest to search for things on their own. At the same time, there are those who don't want to follow the crowd and who want to explore and decide for themselves. That's me (and maybe you!).
I read a lot of fitness related pages and I'm always amused by the orthodxy of weight training. You can find "experts" with opinions on everything who are sure that their system is best. The problem is, human beings are not identical creatures. We may be made up of the same parts, but we don't always respond to stressors the same way.
One 6'2", 205 lb. male might respond best to a 5X5 system, where another might respond best to a circuit training system. There are so many different variables affecting us all, that a cookie-cutter approach to training often fails the individual and leads to a loss of motivation and a halt to training.
I'm 43 years old and have been "lifting" semi-regularly since I was 20. During that time, I've tried bodybuilding, powerlifting, circuit training, 3X3, 5X5, 20-rep squats, "Singles and Doubles", "Twisted Conditioning", "Hard Style" kettlebells, Girevoy Sport kettlebells, sandbags, kegs, bodyweight conditioning, running, cycling, swimming, "Old School" weight training, and combinations thereof.
So which worked the best? They all did.
At least for a while. Like about 3-4 weeks until I got bored and began searching for the next "best" program. So what does that lead to?
Well for me, I get sidetracked by other things around the house like kid duty, home projects, overtime, and whatever else life throws at me that distracts me from training regularly. My first focus is my family, but one of the things I've learned is, if my head isn't straight, then my time with my family isn't always enjoyable for them or for me.
A regular training routine helps to "clear the cobwebs" by energizing the system and stimulating the brain. I was reading Clark Howard's show notes for today, and saw the following that helps explain what I mean:
Exercise can slow the aging process
http://clarkhoward.com/shownotes/index.html
Basically, Clark explains how a British study through the Archives of Internal Medicine showed how regular exercise slows the aging of the body and increase longevity by 5-6 years. Check it out! Clark has lots of great stuff on his site, mostly aimed at consumer protection.
I'll have more on this subject soon. Time to go home.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
