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RKC School of Strength

Official blog of the RKC

The Metabolic Punch-Up Workout by Andrea Du Cane, Master RKC

January 9, 2013 By Andrea Du Cane 18 Comments

A quick and effective workout to burn off the holiday fat and get your heart pumping.

14 kg kettlebell

I don’t know about you, but I never seem to have enough time during the busy holidays to get my regular time in the gym. I’m over committed, and trying to squeeze the most out of my precious workout time.  After the fun is over, I’m left a bit tired, perhaps with an additional pound or two on the scale and playing catch up at work.

To combat this dilemma I came up with this brutal and efficient workout.

Feel free to mix it up as you see fit.

You’ll notice how I start with the ballistics, and end with the grinds during the first few rounds.  Towards the latter part of the workout I switch the drills around and put the grinds first and end with the dynamic lifts. It is significantly harder starting with the explosive lifts, by the time you get to the presses and squats your heart rate is already high and it’s much harder to control your breathing for the slow lifts.

The key is that at no time during the round to you put the kettlebells down. Not until the entire round is over.  The other key ingredient is using double kettlebells throughout the workout.  Double bells means a lot more load per round.  It’s just more bang for your buck!

Double kettlebells are used for entire workout:

Ladies:  18lbs,  10kg, 12kg, or 14kg  (for strong ladies)

Men:      16kg, 20kg, or 24kg (for strong men)

Rest in between rounds just long enough to catch your breath.

It is imperative that you do active rest between sets and grab water as needed.

Once you begin the next round, there is no putting the kettlebells down!

Round One:

10       double swings

8          double cleans

4-5      double presses

4-5      double squats

REPEAT for round Two

Round Three:

8          double cleans

4-5      double presses

4-5      double squats

10       double swings

REPEAT for round Four

Round Five:

4-5      double presses

4-5      double squats

8          double cleans

10       double swings

REPEAT for round Six (you can stop at round five if needed)

Note, this workout sneaks up on you! You may need or want to drop down to lighter bells or drop a rep of each exercise.  Many will just get through rounds 4 or 5.

ALWAYS work at your own HONEST pace. If you are gassed or losing form stop before things go bad.  There is always tomorrow!

—
Andrea Du Cane is a Master Kettlebell Instructor, CK-FMS, CICS, Primal Move National Instructor RIST, ZHealth certified. She is the Author of The Ageless Body, and The Kettlebell Goddess, The Kettlebell Boomer and Working with Special Populations DVD’s. She has been featured on the TRX-Kettlebell Power DVD, Breaking Muscle website, From Russia With Tough Love book and DVD, Best Body Magazine, and  Oxygen Magazine.
Andrea Du Cane
Master RKC
CK-FMS, CICS
ZHealth, R.I.S.T.
andrea@kettlebellfitness.com
www.kettlebellfitness.com
 

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Dragon Door Publications / The author(s) and publisher of this material are not responsible in any manner whatsoever for any injury that may occur through following the instructions or opinions contained in this material. The activities, physical and otherwise, described herein for informational purposes only, may be too strenuous or dangerous for some people, and the reader(s) should consult a physician before engaging in them.