I’m about 48 days away from the YJA convention. Here’s what I look like right now at 175.5 lbs:
Date is May 15, 2010
Best Kettlebell Exercises for Women
There are three particular ares that concern women: arms, abs, and legs. I’ll show you the best exercises to target each of these areas.
Two Handed Swing
- Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Grab the kettlebell with both hands by the handle. Push your hips back and bend your knees slightly. Keep your back straight and squeeze your shoulder blades.
- Swing the Kettlebell back between your legs, then reverse the movement quickly. Use your hips to swing the Kettlebell forward as high as possible. Do not use shoulder or arm strength to propel the Kettlebell forward.
- Let the Kettlebell fall back towards you. Guide it back between your legs and explode forward. The movement needs to be continuous.
Single Leg Deadlift
- Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Hold a kettlebell in one hand. You can also do this movement with two Kettlebells. Bend forward at the waist while swinging one foot back behind your body.
- Keep going until you touch the Kettlebell to the floor. Keep your front knee slightly bent and back straight. Look forward at all times to maintain balance. Return to starting position and repeat on the other side.
Squat Press
- Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Clean a Kettlebell up to your shoulder. Push your hips back and bend your knees to perform the squat portion of the movement. On the way up, explode and press the Kettlebell over your head.
- Immediately rack the Kettlebell and repeat.
These three exercises should be a great start to achieving your goals. However, don’t disregard other body parts such as your bicep, chest, and back. To fix this, I suggest performing pushups and pullups along with the three Kettlebell exercises above for a full body workout.
Here is what a sample workout would look like:
- Pushups 3×10, 60 seconds rest after each set
- Single Leg Deadlift, 3×5 each side, 60 seconds rest after each set
- Pullups 3×3, 60 seconds rest after each set
- Two-Arm Swing 3×15, 60 seconds rest after each set
- Squat Press 3×5 each side, 60 seconds rest after each set
Follow this program for 3-4 weeks, then switch it up to a more challenging workout.
For additional Kettlebell workouts, I suggest picking up a copy of Kettlebell Revolution. Click here for more information
Kettlebell Workout for Men
According to Jason C. Brown, creator of KettlebellAthletics.com, the reason why Kettlebells training is becoming so popular because, “It’s user friendly and doesn’t require as much wrist, shoulder, or upper back flexibility as barbells and dumbbells do. You speed your metabolism and burn more calories by adding more total muscle.”
Kettlebell training is hard, but it works. For complete beginners, it’s important to start with the basics. Try and get a spotter or perform the movements in front of a mirror so you can spot yourself.
It’s also a good idea to tape yourself. This way you can review the tape and see what you need to work on. There are also some great programs out there you can grab to help you learn basic Kettlebell moves.
But for the most part, all Kettlebell movements require you to do one thing: to keep your back straight. Everyone that I coach, I tell them to squeeze their shoulder blades. This prevents you from loosing your balance while performing any Kettlebell movement.
Brown also suggests that you, “Keep your weight on your heels during almost all Kettlebell exercises.” This will help recruit your glutes and hamstrings. For sports, this means more strength, power, and muscle mass.
Here’s great lower body workout for men to use to help them burn fat and build muscle:
3 circuits of:
- Two Hand Kettlebell Swings, 30 seconds
- Kettlebell One arm Snatch, 30 seconds each hand
- Two Kettlebell Front Squat, 30 seconds
- Rest 60 seconds
This workout only takes 9 minutes to perform, but will be one of the toughest lower body workouts you’ve done. As you can see, Kettlebells allow you to design, short, quick workouts. These short, quick workouts allow you to schedule your program around a busy schedule.
Here are a few tips to help prevent injury while performing Kettlebell workouts:
- Keep your wrist straight. Most newbies bend their wrist back when lifting Kettlebell. Bending your wrist will cause injury.
- When performing cleans and snatches, don’t let the bell fall over and hit your wrist. Learn “punching through” and “catching’ the Kettlebell before it hits your wrist.
For additional Kettlebell workouts, I suggest picking up a copy of Kettlebell Revolution. Click here for more information
Kettlebell Workout for Abs
Kettlebells are great for abs. Almost every single movement you perform adequately engages the abdominal region. By combining direct ab movements such as windmills and around the worlds with indirect ab work such as front squats and snatches, you can develop stronger and bigger abdominals.
Getting your actual six pack will be based on how well your nutrition is. Combine high intensity kettlebell workouts with interval cario and a sound diet plan, and you’ll be that much closer to a visible six pack.
Lets go over a basic kettlebell workout you can use to target the abdominal region:
3 rounds of:
- Kettlebell Figure 8′s, 10 repetitions each side
- Kettlebell Russian Twist, 10 repetitions each side
- Rest 60 seconds
Perform this simple superset at the end of your regular Kettlebell workout. Start off with just 1 round, and build up to 3 rounds as you get stronger. Lets go over the movements:
Figure 8
- Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Place one kettlebell directly beneath and in between your legs. Keep your abs tight and back straight as you grab the Kettlebell with one hand.
- Now push the Kettlebell backwards, through your legs and grab it with the other hand. Swing it around to the outside of your other leg, and swing back past through your legs and grab it with the original hand.
- Think of dribbling a basketball.
Russian Twist
- Sit on the floor with your hands on either side of the Kettlebell, bottoms up. Bottoms up means that the handle of the Kettlebell is pointed towards the ground. You’re holding the Kettlebell upside down with two hands.
- Keep your elbows close to your body and lean back until you feel like your falling backwards. Twist to the left side, keeping the Kettlebell steady. Extend as far as you can. Return to the middle and twist to the right side.
Make sure you master these two brutal movements before programming them into your workouts. For additional Kettlebell workouts, I suggest picking up a copy of Kettlebell Revolution. Click here for more information
Kettlebell Workout Routines for Men
Kettlebell Workouts can help men build strength, muscle, and drop fat. Guys tend to get stronger faster then women do, and so they need to be constantly challenged with more weight and varied exercises.
With Kettlebells, you don’t need to continue to add weight – as adding weight is difficult with Kettlebells. However, there are so many unique movements that you do with Kettlebells, that you can continue to get stronger and add muscle.
Here’s an advanced strength and muscle workout using some unique Kettlebell movements:
3 rounds of:
- Getup Situp, 5 reps each hand, 30 seconds rest
- Floor Chest Press, 5 reps each hand, 30 seconds rest
- Lawnmower Rows, 5 reps each hand, 30 seconds rest
- Rolling Pistol Squats, 5 reps each hand, 30 seconds rest
- Partner Assisted Eccentric Swings, 5 reps each hand, 30 seconds rest
Now, some of these movements are brutally hard. So you can substitute the movements for easier ones that you already know how to perform. I’ll go over a few that you may have not see before:
Getup Situp
The getup situp is similar to a Turkish Get up except that you do not stand all the way up. The idea is to start off in a lying down position with the Kettlebell extended out over your head, and then simply perform a situp while keeping the Kettlebell locked out over head.
Lawnmower Rows
Stand with your feet wider than shoulder width apart. Grab a Kettlebell with your right hand. Bend your body to the left side, placing your left forearm on your left thigh. Bend your knee slightly and keep your back straight.
Perform a row, starting the pull from near your left foot. This looks you’re starting a lawnmower engine.
Rolling Pistol Squats
If you can’t do pistols, then do these with two feet. Hold the Kettlebell in front of your body with two hands, each on the side of the handle. Perform squat. At the bottom position of the squat, roll back.
Then roll forwards back into squat position and stand up. (Make sure the Kettlebell doesn’t hit you in the head). For additional Kettlebell workouts, I suggest picking up a copy of Kettlebell Revolution. Click here for more information
The Best Kettlebell Workout
I’ve said it many times before. There is no such thing as the “BEST” workout. Then, what’s with the title? Well, that’s really just to draw you in. And apparently it worked because you’re reading this!
I do have a point. Here it is: marketers are using words like “Best” to draw you in and make you believe that their workouts are better then everyone else out there. The truth is the best workout does not exist.
There is only a “better” workout.
Here’s my tip to you: when choosing your workout, try to choose something that’s more challenging then what you’re currently doing. Fitness is a work in progress. It’s a lifetime commitment.
You don’t do it for 3 months and then give up. You don’t stop after you’ve achieved your dream body. It’s forever. If you’re not ready to make that long term commitment, then forget about even purchasing a Kettlebell or training program.
Get serious.
Now that I’ve got that out of my system, lets get into some program design. There is no best way to design a Kettlebell program. And the great thing about Kettlebells is that there are lots of different techniques you can use to design a workout.
You have pyramids, supersets, trisets, interval training, circuit training, rounds training, edt, lactic acid training, ladder training, wave loading, and hundreds of other twists of existing training methods.
So which one do you choose? Anyone. Just choose a training program, and gradually improve upon it. Keep up to date with the latest training techniques by grabbing the latest products put out by world class strength coaches.
Yeah. I’m basically telling you to buy eBooks online. Why? Well why not? It’s cheaper than getting a Kettlebell Coach. And it’s more effective because you can do the workouts at your own pace and time.
There’s no one watching. No one telling you that what you’re doing is wrong. Oh and by the if you ever come across anyone that states that they’re training program is better than what you’re doing right now….ignore them. For some really great Kettlebell workouts, I suggest picking up a copy of Kettlebell Revolution. Click here for more information
Best Kettlebell Exercises for Fat Loss
Alright, so you know Kettlebell exercises are great for fat loss. But are there certain movements that are better for fat loss then others? You better believe it! We want movements that burn the most fat by increasing your heart rate.
Here they are:
Kettlebell Front Squat
Squats engage a lot of muscle at once, which makes them great for burning fat. To perform this movement, clean a kettlebell and rack it to your shoulders. Place the other hand out in front of your for balance.
Push your hips back and bend your knees. Keep your chest out and shoulders back. Make sure to keep your abs tight and breath normally. Keep pushing your hips back until your thighs are slightly past parallel to the floor.
Return back to starting position and repeat with the other hand.
2 Handed KB Squat
There is also a 2 handed version of the Kettlebell Front Squat. With this version, you simply grab the Kettlebell with both hands on either sides of the handle. This movement will place greater stress on the abdominals.
You can make the movement easier by holding the Kettlebell closer to your body, and more difficult by holding the Kettlebell away from your body with straight arms. Try both version to see which works best for you.
Kettlebell Turkish Get Up
The Turkish getup is a full body movement, which makes it an incredible fat burning exercise. However, it’s also one of the most difficult movements to master. I personally hate it. But it works!
The main idea is lay on your back with a kettlebell held with one hand extended straight out above your head. From this position, you are to get up to standing position while keeping the Kettlebell in this same, locked out position over your head.
The best way to execute this is in the following manner:
- Lay down on the floor with the Kettlebell in your right hand extended out above your head. To execute the movement, bring your right leg in and use it to pivot to the left. Keep pivoting until your left hand is on the floor behind you.
- Use your right leg and left arm to move forward. As you continue to drive forward, bring your right leg in and place your left foot forward. At this point, you should be in the bottom position of the lunge.
- Take a breath and stand up completely. The Kettlebell should be overhead in locked out position at all times. To complete the movement, reverse it so that you are laying back on the ground.
Master these three movements and you’ll be leaner in no time! For additional Kettlebell workouts, I suggest picking up a copy of Kettlebell Revolution. Click here for more information
Kettlebell Workout for Runners
When I think of runners, I think of these incredibly skinny, borderline anorexic, weak individuals who do way too much cardio to pack on any lean muscle mass. Sorry, but when I see marathon athletes, that’s what I see.
Over the years, almost every single athlete out there has realized the importance of strength training in their athletic regimens. Endurance athletes such runners should add in strength training to increase their lean muscle mass, improve their power, and boost endurance.
After seeing endurance athletes such as Lance Armstrong use Kettlebells in their regimen, endurance athletes are finally starting to embrace Kettlebells as a supplement to their long distance running.
So, what kind of training program should runner follow? One that increases their explosive power and is opposite of their long distance runs. So we’re talking about heavy, low rep power movements.
Here’s a sample workout:
3 rounds of:
- Alternating Kettlebell Swings, 5 repetitions, 30 seconds rest
- Kettlebell Front Squat,5 repetitions, 30 seconds rest
- Kettlebell Clean and Press, 5 repetitions, 30 seconds rest
- Kettlebell High Pull, 5 repetitions, 30 seconds rest
- One Leg Kettlebell Deadlift, 5 repetitions, 30 seconds rest
Why the 30 seconds rest periods after each set? Well I feel that runners need to train at periods of high intensity. So the Kettlebell exercise is their high intensity portion, followed by a 30 second, or low intensity portion.
Runners usually stay at a low to moderate intensity level in their runs without training in the high intensity zone. It’s good to switch things up. In addition, the shorter rest periods makes your body work harder than normal.
I would also recommend adding sprint interval into your training program. You can do this either after your Kettlebell workout, or at a different session. Here is a sample sprint interval workout:
10 rounds of:
- 30 seconds Sprints
- 60 seconds Jog
These two workouts should be enough to improve your running speed.
For additional Kettlebell workouts, I suggest picking up a copy of Kettlebell Revolution. Click here for more information
Kettlebell Workout Routines for Fat Loss
Now this is what people are REALLY after! Fat loss. The question is….can Kettlebells ACTUALLY help you burn fat? The answer is simple – YES! Now, lets cut through all the hoopla that more Kettlebell trainer talk about and realize why Kettlebell are so effective for fat loss.
The truth is that any sort of resistance training is very vital to fat loss. Even if you were to follow a basic bodybuilding style training program and combine it with cardio and a sound diet, you’d lose fat.
But the reason I prefer Kettlebell workouts is because they are a) challenging, b) fun, and c) something different. You see, most people don’t get results with traditional strength training routines because they’re too long and boring.
Well, Kettlebell workouts are short and exiting. That is why people people spend lots of money to purchase them – it saves them time and money in the long run.
Lets move onto something you care about: Fat Loss Workout Routines. What kind of workout routine should you follow with Kettlebells to help you burn fat? Well, the most important thing is that the routine must be intense.
This means that the exercises you choose must be challenging, and must be done with little to no rest in between each set. If you rest too long between each set, you will lose the fat burning effect.
You must absolutely get our heart rate up, and you must sweat. I want you to sweat puddles! PUDDLES!
One of the best ways to design a fat burning Kettlebell workout is to use intervals. This is where you perform an exercise for a set period of time, followed by a set period of rest. Try the following workout:
Perform each movement for 40 seconds, followed by a 20 second rest period. Then move onto the next movement:
- Two Arm Kettlebell Swings
- Kettlebell Overhead Press
- Two Handed Kettlebell Squat
- One arm Kettlebell High Pull
- Hands on Kettlebell Pushup
- One Hand Alternating Swing
- Kettlebell Thruster
- Hands Out Kettlebell Crunch
If you still have energy at the end of the circuit, you can try another round.
For additional Kettlebell workouts, I suggest picking up a copy of Kettlebell Revolution. Click here for more information
Kettlebell Workout Routines for Women
Women love Kettlebell’s because they do a great job of targeting trouble spots important to women: hips, thighs, and butt. Almost every single Kettlebell movement adequately targets these muscle groups.
But women need to be careful not to overwork these muscle groups. I don’t believe in spot reduction, and when your body burns fat, it burns fat all over your body. If you have significant levels of bodyfat in these areas, make sure you combine your kettlebel workouts with a sound diet.
So what are effective Kettlebell Workout Routines for Women? Well, just as I don’t believe in spot reduction, I don’t believe that you need a dramatically different program for women. For any goal that you have you want to simply modify a basic workout to include movements that target your trouble spots.
For example, here is a basic Kettlebell workout:
- Kettlebell Row, 2 sets of 5 repetitions, 60 seconds rest
- Kettlebell Swing, 2 sets of 10 repetitions, 60 seconds rest
- Kettlebell Overhead Press, 2 sets of 5 repetitions, 60 seconds rest
- Kettlebell Front Squat, 2 sets of 10 repetitions, 60 seconds rest
- Kettlebell Chest Press, 2 sets of 5 repetitions, 60 seconds rest
There are a few simple modifications we can make to this workout to make it more effective for women:
- Place all lower body movements in the beginning
- Add one more lower body movement into the mix
- Increase overall volume (sets and reps) of lower body movements
Now, if there is another part of your body you wish to work on, say triceps, then you can certainly add more volume to overhead and chest presses – two great kettlebell tricep movements.
In addition, you can add in tricep pullover or extensions.
As you progress with your training and become more experienced, you will be able modify any workout to suit your needs.
For additional Kettlebell workouts, I suggest picking up a copy of Kettlebell Revolution. Click here for more information