Love kettlebells. How's your routine compared to mine?

msbootcamp

Hey everyone. I'm MsBootcamp. I've "messed around" with kbells about 5 years or so.

They're such a GREAT workout! They are NOT to be done every day, but more like twice a week, with three days of recovery!!

I'm shooting for 10-30 minute workouts at a time, but sometimes willing to settle for even 5 min. Like most mornings before work.

cheers!

ItsCasey

I have been doing pretty intense kettlebell workouts for 45 minutes 3 days a week since the beginning of October. I combine "grind" exercises like Turkish get-ups, front squats, presses, etc., with ballistics like snatches and swings. I am almost done with a 16-week program (only 4 more workouts to go), and then I will be designing my own kettlebell workouts.

My favorite lifts are Turkish get-ups, snatches, and contralateral single-leg deadlifts. I used to despise the single-leg deadlifts, but as I have gotten stronger, I love them. And I'm not sure there is a better full-body strength lift than the get-up. It hits your legs, your butt, your core, and your shoulders. It's a great way to improve your overall strength.

When I really need a good cardio workout while simultaneously working on my core strength, I love to do kettlebell complex drills like swing-high pull-snatch or clean-front squat-press. They are killer, and they do it in a short amount of time.

KidP

Welcome!

When i'm stuck for time (i.e. if there's a day when i only have 15 or 20 minutes to exercise), this is what i do:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCsVnvubjYo . Burpees & 2 handed swings done in a descending/ascending sequence going down by 5/up by 5 for a total of 6 rounds, so: 30 burpees/20 swings,then 25 burpees/25 swings, 20 burpees/30 swings, etc. I usually burn about 300 cals or so in 12 or 13 minutes doing this.

My kettlebell coach taught it to us last summer. In the spring/summer/fall, i was working towards better technique, a higher level of fitness, improving my physique, etc. Right now i'm just trying to burn calories. Not the most noble goal but it's something. I usually use kettlebells 2-3 times a week, dumbbells 2 times per week and an indoor bike on other days.

So during the winter, i stick to 1 or 2 handed swings, around the worlds, goblet squats, etc - sadly nothing that goes up over the head (other than a 2 handed press whilst seated). I just can't afford to have an accident in the house and the ceilings are low.

tiamaria8182

I take a kettlebell class 4 times a week, half an hour each class. Right now that's the only thing I really have time for and love it because it's a combo of cardio and strength training. I only really started taking the class seriously and going 3-4 times a week in October, starting out with the 10 lb kettlebells and struggling to make it through the half hour and have worked my way up to 20/22 lb weights and deadlift 2 44 lb kettlebells.
I've seen a major improvement in my strength since Oct and can tell I've lost inches. I struggled to do 10 women's push ups and last night I did 10 mens and 90 womens.
I want to purchase my own kettlebells to do more at home but kind of waiting to see what weight will work best for me.

agajdosik

I've been doing kettlebells for about 5 years now. And I LOVE them! I use the "Russian" style bell, meaning that as the weight goes up the bell gets bigger, instead of the "American" competition bell.

When I first started it was a struggle to swing 10lbs, now I'm up to 40 - 50lbs on two-handed moves and 20-30lbs with on one-handed. My favorite moves are snatches, double-handed swing, and the standard clean and press. Nothing gets my abs burning quite like a windmill!

I do a lot of different routines with my bells, but my favorite thing to do is a tabata session. I usually do 20 seconds on/10 seconds off (though yesterday I did 30/15) for the moves and will do an 8-10 minute routine 2 or 3 times through. My routines also combine extra cardio like jumping jacks and burpees.

So happy to meet fellow bellers!

TheMerryPup

jq2122,

Sounds like you're on Geoff Neupert's Kettlebell Burn? I was set to finish that up late last December when I pulled a muscle in my right leg. I was in the middle of my next to last week when that happened and it was frustrating! But great program. I rested for a week and now I'm on the second to last week of Giant Killer from his Kettlebell Express program. It's a snatch only program which is perfect for me because there's only the hip hinge with minimal knee flexion. As my leg is still not fully healed yet I'll probably go into his Giant Killer 2.0 program right after this one so I'll be doing snatches into springtime. Can't wait to get back to TGUs though. Great full body exercise.

ItsCasey

I finished Kettlebell Burn 2.0 about two weeks ago. My strength and stamina improved dramatically, as did my core stability, but I hurt my left shoulder doing presses, so for now, I'm pretty much forced to stick with conditioning work and lower body lifts. I can do snatches without feeling actual pain in the shoulder, but I still feel like it's probably best to lay off anything that involves overhead weight until it's healed. I'm doing mostly swings, rows, goblet and front squats, and single-leg deadlifts.

I love get-ups, and I was on the verge of moving from 16 kg to 20 kg on the 15-minute segments before I hurt my shoulder. Like you, I can't wait to get back to them. I'd like to think of them more as a heavy lifting exercise, just to see if I can handle the 24 or 28 kg, but I actually really like the conditioning aspect of doing repetitive get-ups. Geoff is right that you can learn a lot by listening to your body as you do get-ups over and over again.

I got Kettlebell Express and have been going through it to figure out what I'm going to do next. I was really intrigued by the snatch workouts, as well as the thought of spending a month doing nothing but Turkish get-ups. I may give it a whirl when my shoulder heals.

hubie316

Here's the routine I made up after doing a Lauren Brooks DVD for about a month. Using it, I have progressed from using a 15lb to a 25lb for everything except for the snatches (using a 20lb for those). Feel free to critique... I still have a long way to go, but I'd like to do the RKC and Iron Maiden in a few years after I've had more practice and am overall fit. I'm thinking once I get to using a heaver 30/35lb bell comfortably I will definitely decrease the rest durations and go more tabata style. I also need to work on the more complex moves like TGUs.

22 minutes of kettlebell
31 minutes total

2 minutes
10 suitcase dead lifts on each side
Double arm swings til timer ends

1 minute rest

2 minutes
Alternating single arm swings - 5 single arm then switch to other arm, repeat.

1 minute rest

2 minutes
One arm row x10 each arm switching back and forth til timer ends 

1 minute rest

2 minutes
Joseph's move - clean, deep squat, stand and press, swing kettlebell, clean to other side and repeat

1 minute rest

2 minutes
High pull, catch, and squat 

1 minute rest

2 minutes
Mountain climbers x30
Russian Twist x40
Kettlebell crunch rest of time

1 minute rest

2 minutes
Over head swing x20
Double row

1 minute rest

2 minutes
One arm row x10 each side
Clean and press alternating sides  

1 minute rest

2 minutes
Snatches

1 minute rest

2 minutes 
Plank for 1min
Double swing til time ends

1 minute rest

2 minutes
Kettlebell Halo x20
Russian Twist x30
Kettlebell crunch rest of time

quiltbugj

I'm currently working on the "training" phase of swinging my 16kg (35lbs) bell using Tracey Reifkinds progressions as presented in her fabulous book The Swing.

But my favorite current workout is Tracey's BCBE(Burning the Candle at Both Ends) You can find it on YouTube. I do it with my 12kg bell and still need to take a little more rest than Tracey does. Yesterday I finished it in 29 minutes. She does it in 25.

WaimanaloMan

I do Ryan Shanahan's KettleWorx 5 days a week for 30-45mins a go. I alternate core, cardio and abs and I love it!

40Marbles

I'm currently working on the "training" phase of swinging my 16kg (35lbs) bell using Tracey Reifkinds progressions as presented in her fabulous book The Swing.

But my favorite current workout is Tracey's BCBE(Burning the Candle at Both Ends) You can find it on YouTube. I do it with my 12kg bell and still need to take a little more rest than Tracey does. Yesterday I finished it in 29 minutes. She does it in 25.

I am loving that book and her workouts too.

I'm working up to using my 30 lb. for all my swing stuff, and am currently using 20 lb. for snatches.

Yesterday was Tracy's newest swing workout from youtube (one hand swing practice) plus the snatch sections of her 5 & 5 workout from a week or so ago.

It's amazing how quickly you progress with Tracy's workouts. I've done Art of Strength Providence for a while (also a favorite), but I had never gotten through the 3 minute snatch challenge at the end with 20 lb. until last week. Happy Day!!

halimaiqbal00

I have been doing pretty intense kettlebell workouts for 45 minutes 3 days a week since the beginning of October. I combine "grind" exercises like Turkish get-ups, front squats, presses, etc., with ballistics like snatches and swings. I am almost done with a 16-week program (only 4 more workouts to go), and then I will be designing my own kettlebell workouts.

My favorite lifts are Turkish get-ups, snatches, and contralateral single-leg deadlifts. I used to despise the single-leg deadlifts, but as I have gotten stronger, I love them. And I'm not sure there is a better full-body strength lift than the get-up. It hits your legs, your butt, your core, and your shoulders. It's a great way to improve your overall strength.

When I really need a good cardio workout while simultaneously working on my core strength, I love to do kettlebell complex drills like swing-high pull-snatch or clean-front squat-press. They are killer, and they do it in a short amount of time.

Hi, may I ask what the name of the programme is? Or is it one you devised yourself?

ItsCasey

That program was Ketllebell Burn 2.0 by Geoff Neupert.

badzoe

jq2122--What do you think of Kettlebell Burn 2.0? What are you doing now? I don't have a kettlebell exercise routine that I like to follow now and I'm looking for something new. I'm looking for a program that I will like.

halimaiqbal00

That program was Ketllebell Burn 2.0 by Geoff Neupert.

Will check it out-Thanks!

ItsCasey

jq2122--What do you think of Kettlebell Burn 2.0? What are you doing now? I don't have a kettlebell exercise routine that I like to follow now and I'm looking for something new. I'm looking for a program that I will like.

I think it is a great intermediate program. My conditioning improved, and I got a LOT stronger. My only complaint about it is that it is a 16 week program, and the routine only changes once every four weeks, so if you get bored easily, it may be difficult to push yourself through it. But you will get a lot out of it if you hang on till the end. Geoff Neupert is really good at program design.

He also has a collection of programs called Kettlebell Express. There are a ton of programs in it that you can choose from, depending on your goals and what kinds of exercises you like to do.

I am not doing any specific kettlebell program right now. I am following a deadlifting program one day per week, and I spend one day on upper body lifts and one day on Turkish get-ups and hip thrusts. I do kettlebell finishers on all those days after my lifting session (swings, snatches, etc.), and I do HIIT circuits twice a week, also. It's kind of a mashup of different things. I just make sure to increase the weight, reps, etc., every week to ensure that I am making progress and not just doing the same workout over and over again.

Yogi_Carl

Just tonight completed Workout One of Geoff Neupert's KB Express Swing Season: 8 Double Hand Swings x 20 sets; one set per minute = 20 minutes. That's 160 swings in twenty minutes.

At first I thought, "this is gonna be too easy", but half way through I started to generate a core heat I never felt before in kettlebell.

I have done general routines before - Kettlebell Cardio Workout by FitnessBlender.com for starters -
link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7FnkMTL80o. A good cardio/strength workout for tasting the different KB moves.

But this time I am starting to build each move from the base and KB Express is looking good for this.

I did finish off with bodyweight legs exercises but that's my level of fitness and my love of calisthenics.

badzoe

Thanks for the info. I need a new program so I will check it out.