Critique My Kettlebell Routine... (please)

AlmostRandomUserName
AlmostRandomUserName Posts: 14 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
So this is supposed to be a general strength routine to help lose weight (100kg aiming for 85kg) rather than bulk up. All the exercises are done with the same weight kettlebell to keep it flowing and prevent the general faff which comes with waiting for particular bits of equipment.

Generally it's done first thing in the morning so it's a fasted workout.

5 min rower warm-up

3 x sets of below, 2 mins rest between sets.

10 x Around The World
10 x Uni Bent Over Row (per side)
10 x Bottom Up Press (per side)
10 x Side Bend (per side)
10 x Uni Curl (per side)
10 x Shoulder Swing
10 x Halo
10 x Russian Twist
10 x Uni Press (per side)
10 x French Press

5 min stretch off.

For anything one-handed the weight is about right, for anything two handed I might bump the reps up.

If anyone has any pointers that'd be great.

Replies

  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,500 Member
    edited May 2019
    Where are the squat/hip hinge movements?

    Unless I'm misunderstanding no lower body movements except the rowing warm up
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    Way too much foof—halo, around the world, Russian twist, side bends,etc. replace that stuff with squats, snatches, swings, complexes, etc. google some “kettlebell complex workouts” for some ideas.
  • AlmostRandomUserName
    AlmostRandomUserName Posts: 14 Member
    edited May 2019
    No specific lower body moves included as I do quite a bit of cycling so don't want heavy legs on the commute.

    Complex workouts look... simple.
  • pierinifitness
    pierinifitness Posts: 2,226 Member
    Agree with comments of others but I don’t know your KB skills level.

    My advice, as a minimum is a dose of two-hand swings.

    Check out Pat Flynn on YouTube.

    Stick with on-fluff movements - swing, clean, snatch, rack squat and overhead press.

    Depending on your ability, I recommend one if my favorites, the Rdella Power 5. You can find it on YouTube.
  • AlmostRandomUserName
    AlmostRandomUserName Posts: 14 Member
    KB skills? Done the above 3 times - that's a far as it goes.
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,500 Member
    AlmostRandomUserName wrote: »
    No specific lower body moves included as I do quite a bit of cycling so don't want heavy legs on the commute.

    Complex workouts look... simple.

    Squats, hip hinge movement and lunges are basic human movements required for activities of daily living You're really not training them biking.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    edited May 2019
    AlmostRandomUserName wrote: »
    So this is supposed to be a general strength routine to help lose weight (100kg aiming for 85kg) rather than bulk up. All the exercises are done with the same weight kettlebell to keep it flowing and prevent the general faff which comes with waiting for particular bits of equipment.

    Generally it's done first thing in the morning so it's a fasted workout.

    5 min rower warm-up

    3 x sets of below, 2 mins rest between sets.

    10 x Around The World
    10 x Uni Bent Over Row (per side)
    10 x Bottom Up Press (per side)
    10 x Side Bend (per side)
    10 x Uni Curl (per side)
    10 x Shoulder Swing
    10 x Halo
    10 x Russian Twist
    10 x Uni Press (per side)
    10 x French Press

    5 min stretch off.

    For anything one-handed the weight is about right, for anything two handed I might bump the reps up.

    If anyone has any pointers that'd be great.

    A strength routine really isn't going to create weight loss, aside from maybe a couple hundred calories burned. Weight loss is accomplished by creating a calorie deficit, primarily through diet.

    Whether the routine builds strength depends entirely on the weight used relative to what's easy/challenging "for you".

    I would add some swings (properly done) and squats. Lower body work will help your cycling.

  • AlmostRandomUserName
    AlmostRandomUserName Posts: 14 Member
    Right, taking the above on board we'll give the Rdella 5 a shot and see how it goes.
  • pierinifitness
    pierinifitness Posts: 2,226 Member
    AlmostRandomUserName wrote: »
    Right, taking the above on board we'll give the Rdella 5 a shot and see how it goes.

    It’s a tough one so wisely pick your first time KB load. I regularly do it using a 20kg KB for 5 rounds and always walk away spent.
  • AlmostRandomUserName
    AlmostRandomUserName Posts: 14 Member
    Aimed low with 12kg and got through 5 sets relatively "comfortably". Could probably go to 14kg now and still do the 5 sets but 16kg would prob be a bit much at the minute. I'll get a couple more sessions under my belt first then increase the weight I think.
  • staticsplit
    staticsplit Posts: 538 Member
    AlmostRandomUserName wrote: »
    No specific lower body moves included as I do quite a bit of cycling so don't want heavy legs on the commute.

    Complex workouts look... simple.

    Kettlebell swings mostly work out your glutes and abs, not your legs. Same with deadlift type movements (plus a bit of hammies).
  • pierinifitness
    pierinifitness Posts: 2,226 Member
    edited May 2019
    AlmostRandomUserName wrote: »
    Aimed low with 12kg and got through 5 sets relatively "comfortably". Could probably go to 14kg now and still do the 5 sets but 16kg would prob be a bit much at the minute. I'll get a couple more sessions under my belt first then increase the weight I think.

    That's great, thanks for sharing your introductory experience. As you go heavier with a KB weight, you'll find that more is not better as far as how often you perform that particular KB complex. It is one of my benchmark fitness assessment tools that I use to measure cardiovascular conditioning and strength endurance measured by the time it takes to complete 5 rounds. I test myself every time I do it and have a journal for several years of recorded times.

    Glad you had a positive experience; keep marching forward.

This discussion has been closed.

Categories