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Kettlebell

I love working out with Kettlebells and feel like they have been a way for me to efficiently and effectively push out quick but strong workouts. The swing is one of my favourite exercises.

Core exercises:​

  • Swing - swing the bell between your legs and use your hip movements to swing the bell upwards. The arms should almost function as a rope, and not be utilized to move the kettlebell.
  • Clean, swing the kettlebell between the legs and up to the shoulder where it is "racked" into the armpit.
  • Snatch, same as the clean, but overhead. The kettlebell is swung over the head and is resting at the forearm bet
  • Turkish get up. The act of rising with a kettlebell above your head. Very technical.
  • Goblet Squat, or any other type of squat. Helpful.

I found working out using kettlebells and dumbbells to be very effective and should be part of the routine for most people. Doing correct kettlebell exercises can be difficult, but I found the following videos to be of help.

Getting started with Kettlebells​

The best way to do kettlebells is to focus on the basics, i.e. the swing and evolve from there. I think the way i progressed was very helpful for me, and I had a great experience getting the hang of the basics by doing this routine:

  • Learn the basic swing technique, and start warming up of your traditional exercise routine by doing kettlebell swings, this will help you get started. Here is some good intro material to the swing/clean/snatch.
  • Work on your hip mobility. Start the routine of warm-ups with some hip flexibility and shoulder flexibility Training. The Downward/Upward facing dog is great for starters, but also this quick warm-up. Also, here is a 12-minute hip mobility routine.
  • Do the Turkish get up a couple of times, a good start is with a negligible weight or just using your arm. This helps you get start A great way to get into the sport is to make it part of a warmup or cooldown routine, for example, warming up with some 50 swings before going about with your regular exercises.

Example Warm Up​

  1. Start with some hip mobility, do the alternating 90-degree hip flex and then some upward/downward facing dog movements, the point is to stretch the hips and shoulders.
  2. Do some swings, and start light. I recommend doing about 50 to 100 swings.
  3. Work on the clean and snatch, use only simple weights. Do this for ten reps on each side.
  4. Practice the Turkish getup. Do this for 3-5 times each side. If you are getting started try without weights. Focus on doing it right. This will be a good starting point for kettlebell workouts, when you feel more comfortable make it more of the main workout or do it between heavier sets.

Kettlebell Exercises​

EMOM​

EMOM stands for Every Minute On the Minute, a principle used in strength training. At the start of each minute, you perform a specific exercise for a certain number of reps. The remaining time within that minute is for rest before the next round begins. I found this to be a good way to finish off a workout. A good example of this is the bye-bye legs EMOM

AMRAP​

AMRAP stands for "as many rounds as possible" or "as many reps as possible." In a workout, AMRAP means completing a designated set of exercises and repetitions as many times as you can within a specific time frame.

Full Body Kettlebell AMRAP​

Single kettlebell, do the following on each arm.

  • 1 Kettlebell standstill snatch
  • 1 Kettlebell shoulder press
  • 2 Squats.
  • 1 Pushup on Kettlebell
  • Switch kettlebell in plank position
  • 1 Push up.
  • Turkish get up (Only get up!)

Links

Thoughts

  • This is important for older people even more so than younger. It helps keep you healthy longer.