Pat Flynn

7 Fun and Whimsical Kettlebell Workouts to Burn Fat and Build Muscle

July 23, 2014 By Pat Flynn 1 Comment

Yesterday, in the sultry middle of the afternoon, I went outside to do some sprints. There is a hill in the far corner of my neighborhood of the perfect gradation for this kind of work, and at the top, standing all alone, is a tree. After my rounds, I inspected the tree and made the wonderful discovery that this loveliness was a producer of blackberries, fresh, dark and delicious. I picked some, and ate. The verdict was that they were of top quality, and not costly; so I thought I’d gather two or three bunches, carry them home, and making an honest pie out of my efforts, but at the last minute decided against it. Pie is no good. Too much sugar, too much work, and I don’t know the first or last thing about baking.

I unquestionably detest the fuss of baked goods, all the measuring that goes along with it. It is too much of a meticulous science for me—I need something that will give me the room to wiggle when I need it, or the ability to make things up as I go along without the promise of dismal results.

Today, and everywhere, all the people are training, following a strictly periodized program, and adhering to their charts and tables of statistics. Everything is baked goods—all the ingredients, now, are measured meticulously; the sets, the reps, and the time between exertions—and nobody has done a whimsical workout in years. Because nobody, so far as I know, has been given the permission to simply throw a bunch of exercises into a skillet and see how it turns out. Even CrossFit, the proposed inventor of stir-fried exercise (proposed…), well now all of them are following some sort of granular programming, too (I would say something further about that here, usually, and then regret it later).

I thought the purpose of exercise, like cooking, was meant to be fun. It’s the whimsy we are missing, now, and it’s the whimsy that can breathe freshness into an otherwise very stale exercise routine. Having said this, I am not against structure of any kind. I measure out ingredients for myself, certainly I do it for my clients, and I bake things—but every so often, like yesterday, I take out the skillet and see what I can come up with on the spot. My creation wasn’t bad either. Sprints and hindu push-ups, ten rounds, resting as little as I needed between efforts. Could have used a little more heat, I think, but overall I was pleased with the dish.

What I say is pretty true. Whimsy has its proper place in training, and can be used usefully. The best place for it, by the way, is for your fat burning stuff. Strength work should be kept largely repetitious, and maybe even a little bit boring—but your conditioning! Ah, yes, your conditioning indeed! Well spruce that right up why don’t you? Throw in some red pepper flakes, a little splash bourbon even, and from time to time, feel free to go out on a limb and invent something new entirely. Mostly when I’m doing it—improvising, that is—I take the same, few basic ingredients (the fundamental human movements: push, pull, hinge, squat, core), and tinker with their ordering and dose. Rarely do I cook with any thing exotic as I’m somewhat cowardly, but maybe you will?

What follows are seven of my more whimsically put together kettlebell complexes. They’ve gained honorable mention here for being well-mannered, even-tempered, thoughtfully assembled, and worth doing.

– Pat

PS – If you enjoy these workouts and kettlebell complexes, I have 101 more of them which you can get HERE, free of charge.

Double Kettlebell See-Saw Thrusters

Grab two bells: males use 2x24kg, females use 2×16. Then, clean the bells into the rack and perform the following:

1 squat to overhead press (right)

1 squat to overhead press (left)
1 squat to overhead press (right + left)
1 squat to overhead press (right)

1 squat to overhead press (left)
1 squat to overhead press (right + left)

Set 15 minutes on the clock, and gather as many quality rounds as you can.

The “Cardio” Workout that Builds Muscle

This I scrapped together on the spot when the strong and lovely Jen Sinkler came down to hang out, swing bells, and eat oysters with me.

Full Body “Girls Gone Strong” Workout

I can claim no credit for this as Molly either zipped it together on the spot or pulled it from out storage, I never asked which.

She explains the need to know in the video.

How to Crawl Your Way to Better Fitness

It was chilly weather when the Aleks “The Hebrew Hammer” came to town, but we were excited to see what the mixture of our demented brains could come up with.

The Beastmother

Fred, the groundhog who lives outside of the Dragon Gym, who is twenty pounds overweight and looks like an objectionable dog, waits in high anticipation each year for the budding of the peach tree. I was going to say Fred inspired this workout, but he really had nothing to do with it.

A Workout of Just Swings and Goblet Squat

A Complex of Uneven Proportions

This workout requires two bells of opposing sizes—for males I suggest a 24kg and a 16kg, for females a 16kg and an 8kg.

1 double swing
1 double clean
1 double press
1 front squat
2 double swing
2 double clean
2 double press
2 front squat
3 double swing
3 double clean
3 double press
3 front squat

Again, like all the other workouts (unless otherwise noted) set 15 minutes on the clock and accumulate as many quality rounds as you can.

***

About Pat Flynn: Pat Flynn is a certified Russian Kettlebell Challenge instructor, fitness philosopher, and 7th degree blackbelt in hanging out. Pat is the founder of ChroniclesOfStrength.com and chief contributor to the Chronicles of Strength Inner Circle where he shares his best ideas on how to chop fat and multiply muscle through kettlebell complex training. Pat also offers online coaching. It’s expensive, and certainly not for those who are fragile by nature. Email Pat at PatFlynn@ChroniclesOfStrength.com with the subject line of “online coaching” to learn more.

Melt Fat Like Raw Meat on a Hot Grill with These 7 Time-Crunched Kettlebell Workouts

June 5, 2013 By Pat Flynn 11 Comments

Workout #1: The Chewie

The scene of this tale is set in my very own home, approximately three days ago, and is the particular account of how I tested the workout which you will find down below on my willfully obedient St. Bernard puppy.

I would have used a human subject, but I didn’t have one handy. I’ve run out, you see.

And so one does what one can. The subject—name: Chewie Patrick Flynn, age: 2.5 months—has a gentle face, a loose jaw, and a congenital proclivity to slobber. He sports a dirty brown coat with a white underbelly. His face hides behind a black mask, causing him to look like a bandit. But then he has these delightful little freckles scattered about his nose. It looks inconsistent. Either way his background checks out. He’s clean. Just don’t ask him to whistle. He can’t. But then again neither can a catfish. Anyways, he lives his life largely in leisure. This is to say he knows more about napping than the fellow who invented it.

“Chewie, come.”

“My dear Sir and Kinsman, could you not plainly see that I am in the middle of something enormously important. What is it that you would seek of me?”

“Good boy!!!”

“Make it quick, jester, I must return to my muttons.”

“Ok Chewie, I just need you to do something for me real quick. It’s just a short little workout I came up with, won’t take long, just a few minutes.”

“I must say the quality of discourse between us has taken a steep plunge as of late. Let us have done with this frivolous talk—advance your proposition at once.”

“Ok here’s what I got. I call it a time-crunched workout. You know, for those times when you just don’t have any time, and need to get in something real quick. It’s mostly made up of kettlebell complexes. Nothing you don’t know. Super for blasting fat, building muscle, and all that, which means it’s got something of the demoniacal in it—WINK WINK! But it’ll be fun, promise!”

“As you wish. But first, be a respectable fellow and deliver me that stuffed giraffe right there, if you please—you can’t possibly expect me to entertain just one bully bone all day, now can you.”

Chewie gave it a few squeaks then whirled it up into the air, like a pancake, where it did a few somersaults. He then began clobbering it about the head, stomping his paws with all the malicious intent of a homicidal maniac. How adorable!

“Ah, that’s better. Now on to business. Please continue.”

“Ok, so the first complex is all double cleans and front squats, but it’s done in a kind of odd sequence. It goes eight double cleans, five front squats, five double cleans, three front squats, three double cleans, two front squats, two double cleans, and one front squat. And I want you to run three rounds of it. Think you got that?”

“Father, please, I can call out a Fibonacci sequence quicker than a terrier can smell out a mole.”

*Complex details:

8 x double clean
5 x double front squat
5 x double clean
3 x double front squat
3 x double clean
2 x double front squat
2 x double clean
1x double front squat

Recommended weight: Males and Females: 2 x 20kg or 2 x 24kg kettlebells

“Ok, Chewie, so, how was it? How do you feel?”

“I must say my contentment is quite complete. I’m so happy I could maim you.”

I stepped back, just out the way of his reach.

“Ok, well, we’re halfway done, next up is the Holy Fiver, you might remember this one from Racked and Loaded, my free eBook containing 101 of my personal favorite kettlebell complexes for blasting fat and building muscle.”

“Never read it.”

“Oh, well, no matter. It’s just five reps of the following exercises: double swing, double snatch, double clean and press, and front squat. Simple enough, right? And again, I want you to run three rounds of it, if you wouldn’t mind.”

*Complex details:

5 x double swing
5 x double snatch
5 x double clean and press
5 x front squat

Recommended Weight: 2 x 20-24kg for males, 2 x 12-16kg for females

“So…?”

“To give a fair account, I will say that in the first round my life-force traveled in straight channels—that is, it followed a smooth and advantageous course. The task was not a burden, and I was not in need of a breather. But on the second I freely admit that I was assailed at all angles. The rapid and repeated contractions of the striated muscles grew to be very nearly unbearable, as if someone had driven railway spikes into my thighs. Hence, the panting. On the third set I am fairly certain that I met God. Please put that down in your notes.”

“Got it. Anything else?”

“Yes, just one more thing.”

“What’s that?”

“I’m pooping.”

6 More Time-Crunched Kettlebell Complex Workouts

I’m done writing, for now.

If you have any questions, drop them in the comments, email me at PatFlynn@ChroniclesOfStrength.com, Tweet at me, or come say hi on Facebook. Whichever you’d like.

Workout #2: Swing Mountain

Perform 2-3 rounds of the following complex:
2 x two hand swing
1 x goblet squat
4 x two hand swing
2 x goblet squat
6 x two hand swing
3 x goblet squat
8 x two hand swing
4 x goblet squat
10 x two hand swing
5 x goblet squat

Recommend weight: 24kg kettlebell for males, 16kg kettlebell for females

Workout #3: Fresh Off The Yacht

Perform 5 rounds of the following complex :
5 x one arm swing
5 x one arm clean
5 x one arm snatch
5 x one arm jerk
5 x reverse lunge

Workout #4: The Hellion

Perform 1-2 rounds of the following complex:
2 x two hand swing
2 x one one arm swing
2 x squat to press (aka thruster)
Add two reps to each movement the next time through. Continue adding two reps with each cycle until you reach ten. Then go back down in the same fashion.

Recommend weight: 16-24kg for males, 8-16kg for females

Workout #5: The Viking Warrior

Perform 15 minutes of the following snatch interval sequence:
15 seconds x one arm snatch (right arm)
15 seconds rest
15 seconds x one arm snatch (left arm)
15 seconds rest

Workout #6: The Good Samaritan

Perform 3-5 rounds of the following complex
5 x double military press
30 seconds x overhead hold
5 x double front squat
30 seconds x rack hold

Workout #7: The Great Destroyer

Had to.

Perform 1-3 rounds of the following complex:
10 x double swing
10 x double snatch
10 x double clean and press
10 x front squat
10 x push up

Recommend weight: 16-20kg for males, 8-12kg for females

***

How To Get to 8% Body Fat…And Stay There

May 8, 2013 By Pat Flynn 26 Comments

How To Get to 8% Body Fat…And Stay There

To command your respect and hold your attention, I will use big words. And if the desired effect is achieved, you will likely finish this piece thinking you have arrived somewhere in luxury.

For many years now I have beseeched some of the more celebrated wizards of the natural sciences for samplings of their incalculable wisdom, and they have bestowed upon me, most graciously, the secrets behind their biological sorcery—that is, the key to deciphering the riddles of leanness and muscularity. The most enviable of all human forms, indeed is it not?

Now I have experimented in various directions with this sorcery upon the author of this piece, that is, conducting countless experiments upon myself, done mostly in my underpants and long after my keeper has left the grounds.

To name a few: I have danced with the devils of ketosis, boogied with the preachers of starvation (short-term, of course), and partied with the high-priests of Paleo.

But before I venture any further, I offer a few figures and disclosures:

1. I last clocked in at 6.4% body fat via a 7-point caliper test. As this device is rarely precise down to the exact percentile, I recognize I may be higher up into the eights, or down lower maybe even. Whatever.

2. I take no fat burners or drugs of any kind (less you count chicken), only the following supplements: creatine monohydrate (5 grams daily), organic whey protein concentrate, green tea, fish oil, zma, and an organic greens shake.

3. Having six pack abs does not make you a fitness expert, nor does it make you a good coach. It does not gain you entry into heaven, nor does it protect you from bullets, taxes, or hepatitis C. It does not mean you’re healthy—doesn’t even mean you’re fit, necessarily. All you can assume from six pack abs is that the bearer has a low-enough body fat and an amply muscled midsection. That’s it.

I should tell you, however, that when you seek out six pack abs you learn lessons that can be learned no other way. Mine were:

1. If I go below 100 grams of carbs per day, I am likely to scalp someone, burn my house down, or commit some other wholly unreasonable act of unpredictable violence. Once, while in ketosis, I chased a man up a tree, and kept him there for three months.

2. The only PROVEN effective method to lose weight is to spend more calories than you save. So I figure if Americans could just figure out a way to swap their eating habits for their money habits, then everyone would be much richer and far less fat. Someday, maybe.

So, if you’ll permit me, I’d like to show you how I do it—how to get to 8% bodyfat, and stay there—less of course you be a lady, then 8% is far too low, so let us instead shoot for the mid to high teens—if that be the case.

How to Eat for Six Pack Abs

I guess you could call me paleo-esque. I do not eat grains*, really. Wait, never mind, yes I do. White rice is a grain, and I eat that. I also eat white potatoes. Some would call this heresy*, but that’s OK.

* SURGEON GENERAL’S WARNING: Grain eating may be hazardous to your health—dangerous to you and others around you, and will likely result in a slow, agonizing death—and there is loose evidence to suggest that that is not the worst, but that when you wake up on the other side, Satan himself will take you by the hand and personally escort you to the farthest back corner of hell—a place too gracious even for perjurers, adulterers, and mobsters—to have your legs boiled in molten sulfur for one billion calendar years.

You see, I really have every natural disadvantage when it comes to being lean—both congenital and acquired. My family is mostly overweight, and I am Irish—which means I like to drink whiskey, and my friends tell me I’m very good at it. But I have learned to restrict my drinking to only the days that come after yesterday. Occasionally I slip up, but one does what one can. [Editor’s Note: There was no point to this paragraph, and it probably should have been deleted.]

On non-training days, I typically keep my carbs at or around 100 grams, the lowest I can go before violence. My carbs come mostly from things that are green and leafy, berries, and the occasional sweet potato. On training days I will bump my carbs up by 50-100grams, sometimes higher. I will have my largest and carb heaviest meal post workout, and this is when I will have white rice or white potatoes. I think the white starchy carbs make for a lovely post workout addition.

To accumulate a calorie deficit, I fast. For this, I (one) fast for 24 hours 1x a week and (two) fast every day until about one or two o’clock. Since I train in the mornings, my first meal of the day is typically my post-workout meal, and it is large and exciting and I would never think to share it anyone—not even Mother, a critter to which I am emotionally susceptible.

If I feel like I’m going too far into the negative, which happens on occasion, I add breakfast back in, or take out the full fasting day.

How to Train for Six Pack Abs

In my last article I talked largely upon the benefits of metabolic conditioning—specifically kettlebell complex training—for augmenting work capacity. But I forget now if I mentioned the other benefit of high intensity complex training, that is, how it melts fat like raw meat on a hot grill.

Aside from sprinting, I do not run. I do not enjoy it. And because I do not enjoy it, I do not like doing it, because I do not like doing things that I do not enjoy, if you can believe it.

What I do enjoy is low-rep strength work approximately four days a week, high intensity metabolic conditioning two to three days a week, and low-intensity cardiovascular activities as often as possible. This is the philosophy behind my Birth of a Hero program, and it is a potent fat burner.

Allow me to expand upon this.

I train strength, on the main, four days a week. My current split is Monday, Tues, Thurs, Fri.

I work three-month cycles, but I do not wave the load, least not in the traditional sense. Instead, I begin each cycle with a “heavy load” (something that challenges me for 1-5 reps). I keep that load constant for three months. By the end of which, hopefully, it has become a “moderate to light load”, because I have grown stronger. Therefore, I have, in effective, “waved the load,” by not waving it at all. Voilá!

Currently, I am training mostly bodyweight and gymnastic style movements, such as the muscle up and the pistol squat.

I follow a rep scheme of 1,2,3,1,2,3 for every lift I do—a classic gymnastics style rep/set structure. For three months, there is no variation, not even when it starts to feel “easy”. When three months have passed, I bump the weight back up to a “heavy load”— or, in the case of bodyweight training, move onto a more difficult progression—and repeat the cycle.

[I’m not going to just give away the full program, but if you’d like it online coaching, and are willing to pay for it, then please email me at PatFlynn@ChroniclesOfStrength.com with the subject line of “I’m Not a Cheap Ass.” It’s expensive, but I’ve heard it’s worth it.]

Two days a week I add in metabolic conditioning via kettlebell complex training (typically on Mondays and Fridays). If I’m feeling spunky, I’ll make it three (or perform a metric crap ton of kettlebell swings intermittently throughout the week). This comes after my strength training, never before. I keep my complex work diverse—sometimes double bell, sometimes single bell, sometimes heavy, sometimes light. Inefficiency is your friend here and offers the refreshment of variety.

If you’d like some ideas, I have a free eBook on 101 Kettlebell Complexes that you can download HERE. It’s a gift, don’t worry about it.

Finally, I keep on the move as much as I can. Super-low-intensity stuff, lots of walking and hiking, especially on the weekends. Fasted hiking is a sneaky way to cut off that last bit of stubborn fat. I oftentimes bring along my trusty St. Bernard, Lola, for guidance and good humor.

Lola

Concluding Thoughts

There are a great many articles out there on how to get lean from people who have tried but did not succeed, even more from those who have never bothered to try at all but just wanted to talk about it anyways. I just wanted to be a little different, that’s all.
– Pat
PS – If you have any questions, please drop them in the comments or come say hi on Facebook.

***

About Pat Flynn, RKC: Pat Flynn is a certified Russian Kettlebell Challenge instructor, fitness philosopher, and 7^th degree blackbelt in hanging out. Pat is the founder of ChroniclesOfStrength.com where he talks mostly on how to chop fat and multiply muscle through kettlebell complex training.

The 9-Minute Kettlebell Complex From Hell

April 24, 2013 By Pat Flynn 12 Comments

Complex creation is a delicate art. If not constructed thoughtfully and with a proper understanding of the primary function of the thing itself, you will not have a complex. You will have tapioca. You will be assiduously chugging your way through, sweat beating off your brow, optimistically thinking you’re going to make it, and then, out of nowhere, it hits you with the double snatch and there you are.

I employ kettlebell complexes for the singular function of augmenting metabolic capacity, and I would argue that that is how everyone ought to employ them.

Fatigue is not desired when training strength, as we’ve come to know. But when conditioning yourself, metabolically or otherwise, fatigue is nearly inevitable. To understand this is to know that if we wish to increase the efficient delivery of the metabolic pathways, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, we must then impose a demand upon them blah, blah, blah, blah, blah , law of adaptation, blah, blah, blah. That is, if we wish to NOT get tired so quickly, then we have to make a habit out of tiring ourselves, from time to time.

And it is here that I admit even Crossfit has gained an elementary understanding. What they have failed to understand, however, is that capacity training does not need to be so complex or cluttered to be effective. There are perilous cracks in the system, you see—the inclusion of high rep Olympic lifting is demonstrative of this, and is in large part why I am naturally hesitant to encourage anyone to partake in a Crossfit WOD, less I have something against them.

So, if fatigue is generally unavoidable with capacity training—which it is—then we ought to construct our complexes from movements that are not of such a high technical skill. But this is not to say from movements that are easy—oh no, no, no.

Let us take the swing for example. It is a relatively low skill movement, is it not? I mean, you throw your hips back and then blast ‘em forward like you’re really getting after something. But would you call this an “easy” movement? I certainly would not—even after all these years I still would not call it an “easy” movement. To this very day the swing still presents me with a considerable metabolic challenge. But, since it is of relatively low skill, proficiency may be maintained well into the higher repetitions. Thus, it makes for a safe and convenient component for complex construction.

The same can be said of all the fundamental kettlebell movements, really. Yes, even the snatch. While the “czar of all kettlebell lifts” may be technically more demanding than the swing, it is still a relatively low-skill movement—particularly when compared to something like the barbell snatch.

This is why I fancy the kettlebell for metabolic training to the extent that I do. The movements are comparatively “low-skill” yet remain “high-demand”, not to mention friendlier on the joints than say kipping pull ups or box jumps (both of which are rubbish for capacity training, if you ask me).

Remember, the objective of metabolic conditioning is simply to keep the system as a whole under a prolonged period of stress (the heart, lungs, kidneys, etc) while cycling through various muscle groups and energy systems. This takes a special kind of conditioning to endure, specifically, it is what Arthur Jones referred to as “the metabolic condition”. This is to say that it takes metabolic conditioning to develop “the metabolic condition”. And what I’m saying is this can be achieved conveniently, cleanly, and safely through kettlebell complex training.

I have over at my website a library of metabolic conditioning complexes. I have even put together a free eBook of 101 of my favorite kettlebell complexes for blasting fat and boosting muscle. If you’re into this sort of thing, you may download it HERE.

But today, I wish to share with you one particularly heinous invention of mine.

Did I say invention? Because I did not mean to. No man is truly original—it is an impossible task, can’t be done. We are, in fact, congenitally incapable of origination, not a singular fleeting thought has ever truly been our own. We are ultimately all a function of our outside influences. Through these outside influences we may then make new associations and connections—if we are so able—and turn out innovation, but never, ever origination. We just can’t do it.

So I hereby concede that this is not my invention, simply my innovation. It is merely the consequence of what results when you enter the bathroom with Enter the Kettlebell in one hand, Dante’s Inferno in the other, and read them both in the very same session.

There are a few prerequisites to this complex. The first of which, is that you must own the technique of the all the collective kettlebell techniques individually. That is, you must have proficiency in each movement by itself before you even think about stringing them together. Actually, that’s pretty much the only prerequisite.

There are also a few rules to this complex. The first is unbreakable, and that, of course, is to maintain safe form at all times. If form starts to go, put the bell down at once and rest for as long as necessary. The second is to maintain consistent form; meaning, as you grow more and more fatigued, you must diligently fight the urge to cheat reps—namely, cutting depth in the swing or the squat. I’d rather you rested and continued on with consistent form when you are able than to push through sloppily and disjointedly. Thirdly, work at a REASONABLE pace. Do NOT make an attempt to squeeze as many reps in per set as possible, as this will only lead to some really crappy movement. The idea here is not to try and set any records, just to keep moving the entire time with good form.

For the average male a 16kg or 20kg kettlebell will do fine. This may seem light, but just take my word on it for now. For the ladies, I’d recommend an 8kg or a 12kg.

The complex is as follows:

The one arm swing (30 seconds left + 30 seconds right)

The high pull (30 seconds left + 30 seconds right)

The clean (30 seconds left + 30 seconds right)

The snatch (30 seconds left + 30 seconds right)

The reverse lunge (30 seconds left + 30 seconds right)

The military press (30 seconds left + 30 seconds right)

The two hand swing (30 seconds)

Four point plank (30 seconds)

The two hand swing (30 seconds)

Four point plank (30 seconds)

Push Up (30 seconds)

Hey, I guess that’s really only eight a half minutes. Go figure.

*The source of this complex at present remains unverified. It is likely that it is not actually from Hell as the author claims.

***

Pat Flynn is the founder of Chronicles of Strength, publisher of the Chronicles of Strength Newsletter, and chief contributor to the Chronicles of Strength Inner Circle – a membership site dedicated to helping others grow strong(er) and get lean(er) through kettlebell training and primal fitness approaches. Pat is also the co-author of the upcoming book tentatively titled Paleo Fitness for Dummies.

But that is not the worst. Pat Flynn is also a certified Russian Kettlebell Challenge instructor, and other things of the sort. He talks mostly on how to chop fat and build muscle through kettlebell complex training.

He has an unrivaled capacity to think hard about himself for hours on end – and when at last he is exhausted of the subject matter, he is then in a condition to watch Matlock.

The Vital Few: Ab Exercises For a Stronger, Harder Midsection

March 1, 2013 By Pat Flynn 8 Comments

I was raised somewhat backwards and mostly stayed that way. Momma always said, “Son, you’re special.” And, really, I think she meant good by it—but whatever, there is at least one theoretical advantage to this. That is, I’ve found that the answers to life’s peskiest problems can be found, almost invariably, by moving in the opposite direction of the general pull of the masses. If they go up. Best to go down. Them right? You left. Slow. Fast.

Take for example, body fat. Leanness, which I can say I know a thing or two about, has more to do with the 23 hours of restraint outside the gym, than it does the hour of effort in it. Take for example, muscular strength, which has more to do with the tuning of the nervous system, than it does the bulking of the muscles. These are just two examples where, if we followed conventional wisdom, we would be led largely in the wrong direction to cluster with the mostly unsuccessful.

This whole fascination over the striated muscles of the abdomen is an interesting case, too. I, like most infidels, suffer from this fetish—I will not deny it, I like having flashy abs. But unlike most, I do not work my abs grounded. Rather, I’m quite fond of strengthening my midsection in suspension—hanging from a bar, a pair of rings, straps, or other such dangly devices.

Windshield Wiper

For me, these alone seem to do what the classic sit-up or crunch cannot—which is to say they add some desired thickness to the abdominal wall, creating an outright blocky and somewhat geometrical appearance—protrusions and depressions in all the right places, if you will. There are, of course, other tremendous benefits of hanging ab exercises that could be mentioned, but they are far less interesting to me, and I think if I start to talk on them I’ll get bored and so quit this piece entirely.

The hanging leg raise, the windshield wiper , and the L-Sit are three heinous exercises for hardening the midsection; one linear, one rotational, one static, all undeniably marvelous. In my own sight, they are the vital few—quote unquote, ab exercises—to replace the trivial many. This is to say that a fellow or a ma’am who can rep hanging leg raises and said variations seldom has an unimpressive midsection. Are there still gaps to be filled? Surely there are. But not too many.

L – Sit

Here I come to you with no formalized routine, or anything of the sort. I’m not all that keen on setting someone to the business of what some would call an “ab workout”. Instead, I think you should just practice these two movements very nearly daily. No set or rep scheme, really—just purposeful movement rehearsal. Strive to make the movements look almost romantic, as lovely as choreography.

Hanging Leg Raise

—

Pat Flynn, RKC: Pat Flynn is a certified Russian Kettlebell Challenge instructor, fitness philosopher, and 7^th degree blackbelt in hanging out. Pat is the founder of ChroniclesOfStrength.com where he talks mostly on how to chop fat and multiply muscle through kettlebell complex training.

5 Kettlebell Complexes to Blast Fat and Boost Muscle

December 21, 2012 By Pat Flynn 46 Comments

The purpose of this article is to venture a few workout suggestions—that is, some of the dirtiest and the damnedest ever seen.

I, like most who are blessed with some form of attention disorder, suffer from a low adherence to unchallenging and uninteresting exercise programs. If there is any chance of me following a program with little deviation, then from time to time, I need to experience the rush of workout that redlines me.

To say it another way, I subscribe to the general theory that tough workouts are more fun.

Now to this, the critic may pose a question regarding effectiveness. What good is having fun in the weight room, if we have nothing to show for it aside from the short-lived euphoria of a mental lollypop and swampy undergarments?

And to this doubter, I would say touché! To forgo effectiveness for fun would surely flip us over the edge of reason. But to assert that fun and effective are mutually exclusive is an exhibition of broken logic.

Fun is subjective and unquantifiable. I mean, how does one measure fun? In oodles? Sure, that sounds kind of tasty, but there’s no such metric for evaluation, nor will there ever, because not everybody’s idea of fun is the same.

And to be fair, not everyone will find as much delight in the upcoming assignments as I. It just seems like (because it seems like is honestly the best approximation I got on this subject matter) that most, not all, but most, find tough to be more fun than easy.

I won’t speculate on the reasons why. I have shared my observations on what I believe to be true and will now show you how to add a little bourbon to the sauce of your training program.

These workouts (the bourbon), which you can plug into just about any conditioning slot in your training program (assuming you have one), will fortify your spirit, harden your muscle, and peel away body fat.

Let’s begin.

What Is Metabolic Conditioning

Metabolic conditioning is now a term familiar to many, and since there is little good purpose to be served by trotting an old horse once more around the track, I will only touch on this point lightly to familiarize any new recruits, and then refer out to more extensive works.

In short, metabolic conditioning is any exercise, or series of exercises, aimed at improving the efficiency at which your body stores and delivers energy for any given activity.[1]

Some of the best work I’ve found on metabolic conditioning comes from Arthur Jones, who arguably coined the term back in the 1970s. Jones, while working with a group of varsity football players at West Point, found that when he shortened the rest periods between exercises in a circuit, his cadets were unable to handle the metabolic demands—despite them being in good shape.

So what gives? Why were these strong and well-conditioned athletes experiencing rapid shutdown when rest was dramatically shortened or eliminated between exercises in a circuit?

Jones offered the following theory:

“If there is interest in totally unsupported theories, then I do have a theory… a theory that I have no great confidence in at this point; I think that the body may simply be unable to provide the required chemical changes that are necessary to work that hard for a prolonged period of time. The required oxygen is available, and the circulatory system is capable of distributing it rapidly enough… the required nutrients are also available, but perhaps the body cannot provide the required metabolic changes at such a pace.”[2]

Jones continued to train his cadets in this fast-paced manner and concluded the following:

“Once a subject becomes capable of training in this fashion without going into shock as a result, then it becomes possible to work his muscles to a point of momentary failure while maintaining both the pulse rate and breathing at very high levels throughout the entire workout. And, since it was impossible for the beginning trainee to work in this fashion, it is thus obvious that something besides strength and cardiovascular ability has been improved… the subject has also greatly improved his metabolic ability.

And just what advantage does such a factor give an athlete? Well, how would a coach like to have a football team that literally did not require rest for a period of 30 minutes? Such a team could return to scrimmage immediately without the necessity to huddle… thus giving their opponents no chance to rest.”[3]

For the entire collection of Arthur Jones notes on metabolic conditioning, I highly recommend that you head over to ArthurJonesExercise.com and read his full article on Flexibility and Metabolic Condition.[4]

The premise of metabolic conditioning is to marry strength and cardio. The goal is to keep the system under stress, and working as a whole for some prolonged period of time. The simplest way to do this is to string together a series of compound exercises, and presently I will show you how to achieve this effect through kettlebell complex training.

What Are Kettlebell Complexes?

For our purposes, complexes (specifically kettlebell complexes) are compound exercises to be performed successively and uninterruptedly.

Compound exercises, as you may well know, call upon the coordinated action of multiple muscle groups to move multiple joints through a range of motion simultaneously.

But to perform them successively and uninterruptedly means to string these exercises together and execute them without the luxury of rest.

Complexes can be performed with almost any implement or no implement at all. The kettlebell, however, lends itself uniquely to complex training. The compact nature of the implement, along with its offset center of gravity, encourages one to flow seamlessly from movement to movement. As the saying goes, you can’t swing a barbell between your legs.

Who Are Kettlebell Complexes For?

I play Tae Kwon Do. I competed throughout college, and many times was bested by a more skillful competitor. What I’ve learned from this sport is that sometimes you you will lose because someone is better than you and that’s OK. It’s how you learn.

But never should you lose because someone is better conditioned than you.

That’s where kettlebell complex training comes in. My mentor, Brian Petty RKC, a lifelong fighter, once told me that kettlebell training is the closest thing you can get to fighting without throwing a punch. He explained to me that kettlebell complex training allows us to generate “high quality fatigue” and that the feeling of lactic acid flooding the system to the point of one feeling almost panicked, or poisoned even, is the reality of a physical confrontation. I agree on all points.

To understand why this is important is to know that a fight is often won in the last round, and when there are two competitors of equal skill, the winner is the one with greater strength and staying power.

I should also mention that when coupled with a workable diet, metabolic conditioning will melt fat like raw meat on a hot grill. This is how I keep under 8% body fat year round.

The great deal of stress and systemic fatigue generated from kettlebell complex training stokes the metabolic furnace, creates a large oxygen debt, and promises prolonged caloric after-burn. To understand this is to know why short and intense kettlebell complex training sessions are far more effective for melting fat than low-intensity aerobics ever were.

Into The Lungs of Hell

I believe kettlebell complexes are such handy fat-chopping devices that every fitness enthusiast should have at least five pegged to memory. Now I have more folders full of complexes than Romney has binders full of women, so if you’ll permit me, I’d like to offer a few up a few of my favorites.

The Great Destroyer

The Great Destroyer is like an extremely hot pepper. It’s both alluring and frightening. You want to taste it, but as soon as you do you regret it.

Once you run your first set of The Great Destroyer, I think this will strike you as a pretty good analogy.

The Great Destroyer Consists of the following:

Double Kettlebell Swing x 10 Reps
Double Kettlebell Snatch x 10 Reps
Double Kettlebell Front Squat x 10 Reps
Double Kettlebell Clean and Press x 10 reps
Push Ups x 10 Reps
Bent Over Rows x 10 Reps

Recommended Operating Weight:

Pair of 16kg or 20kg kettlebells for most males
Pair of 8kg or 12kg kettlebells for most females

The Hellion

This single kettlebell complex is deceptively challenging. The fatigue, like a night prowler, creeps up and slams you unexpectedly.

Check it out, The Hellion goes like this:

Two Hand Swing
One Arm Swing (Left + Right)
Single Arm Kettlebell Thruster (Left + Right)

Start with two reps of each movement. Then, after your first cycle through, perform four reps of each movement. Continue to ladder up by two reps every cycle until you are performing a total of ten reps of each movement. Descend the ladder in the same fashion. 😀

Recommended Operating Weight:

One 16kg or 20kg kettlebell for most males
One 12kg or 16kg kettlebell for most females

Sequential Dismay

Imagine what it’d feel like to have a thousand cold knives slipped into your quads, twisted, and withdrawn. That’s Sequential Dismay.

The sequence of this complex is based off the Fibonacci series in reverse, starting from eight, and combines double kettlebells cleans and front squats.

In case you’re a little rusty on your logical sequences, Sequential Dismay looks like this:

Double Kettlebell Clean x 8 reps
Double Kettlebell Front Squat x 5 reps
Double Kettlebell Clean x 5 reps
Double Kettlebell Front Squat x 3 reps
Double Kettlebell Clean x 3 reps
Double kettlebell Front Squat x 2 reps
Double Kettlebell Clean x 2 reps
Double Kettlebell Front Squat x 1 rep

Recommended Operating Weight:

A pair of 20kg or 24kg kettlebells for most males
A pair of 12kg or 16kg kettlebells for most females

Fresh Off the Yacht

This type of complex should be made like biscuits: fresh every morning. Pick five single arm kettlebell exercises and perform five reps of each, back to back, with no rest. Once you’ve completed the series on one side, switch arms and repeat.

Here is just one recipe idea to get you started:

One Arm Swing x 5 Reps
One Arm Clean x 5 Reps
One Arm Snatch x 5 Reps
One Arm Jerk x 5 Reps
Reverse Lunge x 5 Reps

Recommended Operating Weight:

One 16kg or 20kg kettlebell for most males
One 12kg or 16kg kettlebell for most females

The Man Maker

I got this kettlebell “sandwich” idea from Jiu Jitsu champion Steve Maxwell, when he paired the double kettlebell clean with a push up on the handles.

I’ve since taken his original recipe, added a few ingredients, and turned it into a party-sub.

The sandwich reference indicates that there are two pieces of “bread” from which to load ingredients (exercises). For our purposes here, the bottom piece of bread is the double kettlebell snatch, and the top is the renegade row (a push-up on the handles of the bells paired with plank rows).

Begin by performing one rep of the double kettlebell snatch and the renegade row. Each cycle there after you will load one additional ingredient (one rep of one new exercise), and continue to cycle through, without rest, until you have constructed a 5-layer sandwich.

I believe an illustration of this monstrosity is obligatory:

Layer 1 – Double Snatch + Renegade Row

Layer 2 – Double Snatch + Double Press + Renegade Row

Layer 3 – Double Snatch + Double Press + Front Squat + Renegade Row

Layer 4 – Double Snatch + Double Press + Front Squat + Double Clean + Renegade Row

Layer 5 – Double Snatch + Double Press + Front Squat + Double Clean + Double Swing + Renegade Row

Perform only one rep of each exercise. No rest between layers.

Recommended Operating Weight:

A pair of 20kg kettlebells for most males
A pair of 12kg kettlebells for most females

Concluding Thoughts

Even at the risk of being overly repetitious, I’ll reiterate that these workouts are brandy to the sauce of ordinary conditioning routines. Just how too much booze ruins the sauce, these too can be overdone.

When applied judiciously, however, kettlebell complexes are marvelous, but the last thing I want to happen to anyone is to collapse in the midst of The Great Destroyer, with two bells overhead, like an overcooked soufflé.

Please lift responsibly.

– Pat Flynn

PS – If you have any questions on how to work kettlebell complexes into your training routine, please drop them in the comment section below.

About Pat Flynn

Pat Flynn is a certified Russian Kettlebell Challenge instructor, fitness philosopher, and 7^th degree blackbelt in hanging out. Pat is the founder of ChroniclesOfStrength.com where he talks mostly on how to chop fat and multiply muscle through kettlebell complex training.

[1] Glassman, Greg (June 2003). “Metabolic Conditioning”. CrossFit Journal (10).

[2] http://www.arthurjonesexercise.com/Athletic/Flexibility1.PDF

[3] http://www.arthurjonesexercise.com/Athletic/Flexibility1.PDF

[4] http://www.arthurjonesexercise.com/Athletic/Flexibility1.PDF