kettlebell workouts

How to Most Effectively Use Kettlebells to Meet Your New Year Goals

January 3, 2023 By William Sturgeon 1 Comment

It’s that time of year again when most people are wanting to focus on getting back on track with their health and fitness goals. This includes people starting up new gym memberships and starting a workout plan that will help them accomplish the goals they’re setting.

The goals are typically going to be the similar. Some will work towards goals that change their body composition to either increase muscle mass or decrease body fat, while others will be focused on increasing strength or decreasing pain.

Either way your goals are going to need a tool to help you accomplish these tasks. That’s where kettlebell training can come in. The best part about kettlebell training is that you can either train with a coach in person or hire a coach online and train in the comfort of your own home. A professional will almost certainly help you be more successful in accomplishing your goals as a result of the wise guidance and the ongoing accountability.

Here are a few workouts that you can do using kettlebells to help you accomplish some of your goals for 2023!!

Decreasing Body Fat

If you have a goal to decrease body fat the first thing you need to do is find a variety of ways to measure your progress. Your body is not a machine and it will have days and weeks where things will fluctuate. Having a variety of different tools will help you maintain your mental health and keep you on track. My favorite ways of tracking this goal is seeing how clothes fit, taking monthly waist measurements, measuring body fat percentages, and seeing how consistent I am with my nutrition.

Your priority with this goal is to monitor your intake with habits that will help support your goal — the workouts will only help supplement the goal. Slightly decreasing your caloric intake will help you with decreasing your bodyfat because your body will be using your stored body fat as means of a fuel to help keep you energized throughout the day.

Decreased Body Composition Workout

Circuit Training 20-30 minutes

A1. Kettlebell Carries x:30 sec work/:30 sec rest

A2. Kettlebell Swings x:30 sec work/:30 sec rest

A3. Kettlebell Goblet Squats x:30 sec work/:30 sec rest

A4. Kettlebell Bent Rows x:30 sec work/:30 sec rest

A5. Kettlebell Thrusters x:30 sec work/:30 sec rest

Increasing Muscle Mass

If you have a goal of increasing your body composition by adding more muscle mass to your body then the goal will be to go into a caloric surplus. Increase the amount of meals you’re eating in the day or increase the amount of food you are eating in the day. Either way, as long as you are increasing the calories to supplement your goals this will help you achieve them. Aside from increasing your caloric intake, your training will need more volume and time under tension to increase the size of your muscles. This means more sets and using eccentric tempos or other variations to challenge the body.

Increased Body Composition Workout

Density Training 30-40 minutes

A1. Turkish Get Up x1 rep on each side

A2. Ratchet Set Kettlebell Front Squat x5 reps (down all the way, ¼ way up then back down, then ½ way up back down, then all the way up)

A3. Eccentric Kettlebell Deadlift x6 reps (4 seconds down)

A4. Isometric Single Arm Rows x8 reps (2 second pause at top)

A5. 1.5 rep Double Arm Kettlebell Press x6 reps (half way up, back down, all the way up

Increasing Strength

Similar to increasing your body composition, building strength requires the body to increase its caloric intake to supplement the training you will be doing. Strength training requires a greater intensity with the loads you are using and needs lower repetitions. This allows for the body to use sub-max weight in lower rep volumes. Using more sets with lower reps and variations such as ladder sets or plus sets help accomplish this goal.

Increased Strength Workout

Strength Training

A1. KB Split Squat 5 sets of 5 reps

A2. KB Bent Row 5 sets of 8 reps

A3. KB Halos 5 sets of 3 reps each direction

B1. Double Arm Single Leg Kettlebell Deadlift 5 sets of 5 reps each side

B2. Kettlebell Bottom Up Press 5 sets of 5 reps each side

B3. Half Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch 5 sets of 3 breathes each side

C1. Kettlebell Swings 5 sets of 10 reps

Decreasing Pain

Most of us are going to be dealing with some sort of current or past injury that has limited daily tasks such as going up and down stairs, carrying groceries into the house, getting up and off the floor, tight low back or shoulders limiting us from other activities in the day.

When it comes to anything that is causing sharp pain speak with a medical professional to get their expert advice to see what is causing the pain. If it’s dull and achy, proceed with caution and make recommendations to see manual therapy or other modalities that will give your client relief. At my gym, Restored Strength, we primarily work with people who are overcoming or needing help overcoming old or current injuries. Here’s how we work with those clients to help them move and feel better while increasing their strength and endurance.

Restorative Strength Training

A1. Half Kneeling Kettlebell Halo 3 sets of 3 reps each direction

A2. Kettlebell Goblet Squat/Elevated KB Goblet Squat 3-4 sets of 4-8 reps

A3. Single Arm Kettlebell Row/Assisted Single Arm Kettlebell Row 3-4 sets of 4-8 reps each side

B1. Kettlebell Hip roll 3 sets of 3 reps each direction

B2. Kettlebell Deadlift/RDL 3 sets of 6-10 reps

B3. Half Kneeling Kettlebell Press/Half Press 3 sets of 4-8 reps each side

There are a wide variety of tools and exercises you can use to help you accomplish your goals for this year. The biggest thing to remember is that you have plenty of options — but take into consideration that one of the most effective options to use is a kettlebell, because of its extreme versatility.

***

William Sturgeon, RKC Team Leader, RKC II trains clients at his gym, Restored Strength. Contact him through his website at RestoredStrength.com or follow him on Facebook: facebook.com/restoredstrength

How To Burn Fat With Kettlebell Swings

January 27, 2021 By Ryan Jankowitz 5 Comments

If you work out with kettlebells, then you’re probably doing swings… lots of swings.

The kettlebell swing sets the foundation for learning more advanced movements and is a simple way to increase your strength and conditioning.

You may have gotten into kettlebells because you want to get stronger, improve your athletic performance or lose weight. Whatever your goal may be the Kettlebell Swing can help get you there.

Today, I want to talk about how the Hardstyle kettlebell swing can be used to help you burn fat.

Studies have shown that interval training is highly effective for weight loss. Alternating between brief periods of intense exercise and rest/relief is an effective way to burn a lot of calories and increase your stamina.

Using the Hardstyle swing for your intense exercise is a no-brainer because of its effect on your heart rate, low impact on your joints, and the number of muscle groups it engages. Plus, when done correctly it can alleviate back pain.

Hopefully, I’ve made my case for using this exercise as a great tool to help shed fat (along with a healthy diet of course).

Kettlebell swing set up — Effective kettlebell swings begin with a correct setup.

Now, let’s dive into the numbers so you can dial in your workouts and figure out the best combination of reps and rest periods.

In order to create an interval style workout that will promote fat loss you should try and aim for a 1-to-1 or a 2-to-1 work to rest ratio.

So, let’s assume 10 swings take approximately 15 seconds. If you’re using the 1-to-1 work to rest ratio, then you would do 10 kettlebell swings, then rest for 15 seconds. You would keep this interval up for as long as you can maintain good form and power.

If you’re more advanced or you have a higher conditioning level, you can use a 2-to-1 work to rest ratio. That could be 20 kettlebell swings followed by 15 seconds of rest or 10 swings followed by 7 seconds of rest.

You can use these swing intervals at the end of a workout for conditioning or have an entire workout dedicated to this type of training. The choice is yours!

I would love to know what you think and if you find this effective!

Stay Strong and Safe,
Ryan Jankowitz, RKC II

***

Ryan lives in Maryland with his wife and two dogs. They love to go hiking and spend time on the beach. When he’s not telling his dogs to stop chasing squirrels, Ryan enjoys spreading the RKC message and teaching others how to train with kettlebells. He has a 90-day kettlebell program (online) that helps busy adults get into shape and look and feel better by working out effectively and eating healthier so they can boost their energy levels, elevate their self-confidence and look good in their underwear. If you’d like to learn more about it, click here to set up a time to chat with Ryan.

Four Kettlebell Workouts to Maximize Fat Loss

August 21, 2020 By William Sturgeon Leave a Comment

As coaches, instructors or personal trainers, our clients often come to us for help with a fat loss goal. And while there are many ways that we can help our clients achieve their goals, the most important factor to consider for fat loss is nutrition.

There are no specific workouts that can help someone “out train” a bad diet. If someone is still consuming more calories than they are burning, then they will not receive the maximal training effect from a fat loss workout. But, once a client can change the way they eat, then they can really gain the most out of these workouts.

Once nutrition has been handled, strength training is the best way to help your clients lose weight and gain strength. Training in every plane of movement is important for sustaining optimal joint and muscle health. After the strength portion of the session, finish up with a conditioning workout such as the ones listed below. This approach will cater to your client’s specific weight-loss goal.

Here are four example workouts you can add at the end of your clients’ sessions to help with fat loss!

EMOM (Every Minute on the Minute)

Popularized in CrossFit training, EMOM stands for “Every Minute On the Minute”. This type of workout can even be done with one tool and one exercise. You can either work for a predetermined number of reps or for a time interval. If you choose a time interval, be sure to keep the work to rest ratio at 1:1 (30 sec on, 30 sec off) or 2:1 (40 seconds on, 20 seconds off).

Example:

10-15 minutes

Kettlebell Swings :20 seconds
Rest :40 seconds

Density Training

In fitness, density is the amount of work you do within a given time. With this training format, we are not as focused on the amount of weight lifted, or the speed we’re working. The focus is on completing the most amount of work during a set amount of time. This focus will help sustain a decent heart rate throughout the workout.

Example:

30 minutes

Kettlebell Snatch x5
Get-Up x1
Kettlebell Front Squat x6
Kettlebell Bent Over Row x8
Kettlebell See-saw Press x6
Thoracic Rotation x4

AMRAP (As Many Rounds as Possible)

Another workout popularized by CrossFit is AMRAP, which stands for “As Many Rounds as Possible”. An AMRAP workout can use any given number of exercises, but typically 2-5 exercises for a set amount of time. The goal is to move as quickly as possible while racing against the clock. Each week try to complete the same number of rounds or more as compared to the previous week. During the workout, the goal is to minimize rest and maximize the work.

Example:

10-15 minutes

Double Kettlebell Clean x5
Farmers Carry :30 seconds
Double Kettlebell Reverse Lunge x5

Circuits

Traditional circuit training is similar to HIIT, High Intensity Interval Training. A circuit can work a few different ways: station to station or exercise to exercise. The goal can be for reps or for time with each exercise. Often, exercises are grouped so that 2-4 exercises are completed per station, before switching to the next one.

Example:

10 min

Single Arm Swing x5
Single Arm Thruster x6

10 min

Goblet Squat x:20 sec
Single Arm Row x:15 sec

10 min

Two Hand Kettlebell Dead Bug x:20 sec
Single Arm Overhead Carry x:15 sec

When it comes to helping our clients achieve their weight-loss goals, we have to remember that it’s most important to address nutrition first. Then, we can choose from a variety of training approaches to reach their goals.

***

5 Important Considerations For At-Home Kettlebells Workouts

May 20, 2020 By Joe Boffi Leave a Comment

As a co-founder of Catalyst SPORT in NYC, I’ve been exposed to many different people—people just like you.

One of the most common questions I get from both fitness professionals and enthusiasts is, “What is the best piece of equipment I can buy for a home workout?” Being a long-time martial artist, athlete, and strength coach, I have used a plethora of exercise equipment (in the gym and at home). Without a doubt, my answer is always a KETTLEBELL.

With that choice, I wanted to add my top five things to consider for kettlebell workouts at home.

Space & Obstructions:

A significant concern for effective in-home workouts is the amount of physical space required. But, the beauty of using a kettlebell instead of something like a 7.2’ barbell is that you don’t need much space for most of the exercises in your repertoire. If you can lay on your floor with your arms stretched out over your head, you have enough space to do most kettlebell exercises. This much space will be enough for swings, cleans, squats, and most variations of those movements.

To set up for a swing based exercise, I like to consider whatever object (such as a wall or bookcase) which may be confining my space. I walk up to the wall with my arm and hand extended. When my fingertips touch the object, I take a big step back. I’ve now verified that I have the minimum required space in front of me for swinging a kettlebell.

Next, I need to make sure I have enough room behind me for the backswing. To do this, I turn around in place, then reach forward with my arm and fingers. If I cannot touch anything, I have enough space for backswings. Now, you can turn back around and safely swing, clean, and squat away!

Practicing kettlebell snatches requires one more overhead measurement. If you’re a tall person and have low ceilings (or you just aren’t sure), I would always recommend to err on the side of caution and be precise by making an actual measurement. You’ll need a kettlebell, a helper, a tape measure, and a chair. Stand with your arm overhead and your hand open (fingertips facing upward). Have your helper stand on the chair behind you and measure the distance from your middle finger to the ceiling. Record that number. Now measure the height of your kettlebells. Place your kettlebell on its base and measure the height of the bell from the floor to the top of the handle. Comparing your first measure and the height of your kettlebells. Any kettlebell that measures at least an inch or two shorter than the first number you recorded will give you enough clearance to do snatches.

Normally, this should provide you with plenty of extra space overhead, but make sure there are no light fixtures or any obstructions hanging down from the ceiling in the path of your snatch. I always say, better safe than a hole in your ceiling.

Finally, what about the get-up? This one is pretty easy. Lay on the floor and open your legs more than 45 degrees on both sides, then reach your arms out straight from your sides. If you don’t touch or kick anything, then you’re good! Reaching your arms out entirely to the sides may not be necessary, but if you lose control of the kettlebell, you’ll be at less risk of putting a hole in your wall. Next, you need to measure the space above you by standing up with your arm overhead and your hand in a fist. If you don’t touch the ceiling, you have enough room.

Floor Surface:

You may not have too many floor options in your home, but here are some ideas to keep in mind. Generally, any exercise you do standing, you can do on a hard surface like wood, stone, or tile. A hard surface to stand on will give your brain feedback from your feet and the floor. You will also have a stable platform for producing maximal tension and force.

Remember, you are in your home. Try not to aggressively drag or plop your bell down on these surfaces because you may damage them. I suggest standing on the hard surface and placing an area rug, yoga mat, or towel on the floor in front of you; this can serve as a runway for you to start and park your bell.

If you have a room that has a hard rug, this will work as well. My living room (where I do my home workouts) is a hard-packed rug.

It’s a good idea to avoid very thick and squishy rugs. These surfaces make finding the stability you need for a safe workout a difficult, and the feedback from the ground to your feet and brain gets a little lost.

Sweat:

Be aware while working out on hardwood, linoleum, or any shiny floor, your perspiration will make the floor slippery. Have a hand towel ready to help clean up between sets. Conversely, working out on a rug won’t become slippery, but it is more difficult to clean up, so wiping yourself often and doing get-ups on a couple of mats is a good option.

Shake, Rattle & Oops:

When we are doing ballistic movements like swings, cleans, and snatches, we are producing a lot of force right into the floor. In a structure like a house or an apartment, force travels through the floor and will cause items in your room or even rooms next to you to shake. I recommend doing a couple of reps and listening closely for anything that rattles. If you hear something rattle, move or secure that item. On two separate occasions, in two different apartments, I have rattled picture frames off the wall, and one of my wife’s little trinkets off a shelf.

Weight & Exercise Selection:

While working out in your home, choosing the right weight for you, the exercise, and your environment is extra important. I recommend using a weight that you really OWN—or possibly only slightly heavier—during an exercise, so that you don’t lose control or have to bail out of a movement.

The get-up provides an excellent example of why careful weight selection is essential for safe home workouts. Performing a get-up with a bell that is going to be a personal record (PR) or something that you’ve had extreme difficulty completing may not be the best idea at home. For one, you most likely won’t have a spotter, and second, if you do safely bail out, you will probably damage the floor and anything else in the surrounding area that the kettlebell hits. Ouch.

Similar rules apply for your exercise selections. Doing a V02 max style kettlebell snatch workout in your hallway is not a good idea. Remember that unsafe slippery sweat I mentioned before? You probably will not have enough time to catch your breath, let alone responsibly clean up sweat on the floor or yourself. If you lose the kettlebell because of your max output, then where will it go?

Now don’t get me wrong, I want you to work hard and do swings, snatches, and get-ups. I am just telling you to be smart about your weight and exercise selection. If you can workout outside in your yard, then go HAM! But if you are in your hallway or living room, just dial it back a little.

Working out at home is an excellent alternative to the gym. It may seem like you don’t have enough space or equipment, but all you need is a little guidance (which hopefully this article provided) and a kettlebell.

Be safe, aware of your surroundings, and work hard.

***

Joe Boffi, RKC Team Leader can be contacted at Joe@catalystsport.com. For more in-depth guidance from Joe for your workouts, sign-up for Catalyst’s Online Programming.

Get out of Your Kettlebell Rut with These Partner and Group Exercises

January 25, 2017 By Laurel Blackburn 2 Comments

Laurel Blackburn Kettlebell Partner Workouts

I started my fitness business, Boot Camp Fitness and Training in 2005, and I started Tallahassee Kettlebells shortly after my RKC 1 in 2009.

In that time, I have amassed many individual, partner, and group workouts. I still have the notebooks and binders full of workouts and exercises that I have used over the years. Even with these valuable resources, I still like to come up with new exercises or new ways to do old favorites. One of the things that keep my clients coming back year after year is the variety in our workouts.

In my experience, providing a variety of exercises and movements give my clients the results they want. Whether or not they come for fat loss, muscle gain, or to improve performance, movement, and health, the varied workouts and exercises we do fit the bill.

One of the things I pride myself on is creativity—I am very creative. Ask me for percentages or any other math and I’m going to look at you as if you were speaking Latin. But, give me a block of concrete and I’ll come up with ten different exercises.

Give me a pair of kettlebells and the possibilities are endless.

I’m sure many—or even most of you have your go-to exercises and workouts, too. I occasionally find myself going back to the same workouts and getting in a bit of a rut.

There is nothing wrong with the basics. You and your clients should be proficient with the basics like the deadlift, squat, and press variations before you get all fancy. You and your clients should also have good movement patterns and mobility before you start getting too crazy adding new things to our programs. Remember, everything is built on the basics.

In the video at the end of this post, I give you several partner workouts you can use in circuit training with a group or an entire class. Use these exercises to jump start your own creativity. You can add movements, change the reps, add a timer, do ladders or anything else you can come up with.

Partner Workout #1

Swing, Squat, and Pass

Partner A does one swing, one squat, and then uses a rotation pass to hand the kettlebell to partner B. Keep the abs tight!

Variations:

Add a rep to the swings and squats up to ten and back down to one.
Each person does a set number of reps before passing the kettlebell to their partner.
Set a timer, and each partner goes for a set amount of time before passing the kettlebell.
Add different movements each round for a chain. Example:

one swing, pass kettlebell
one swing, one squat, pass kettlebell
one swing, one squat, one two-hand press, pass kettlebell

Partner Workout # 2

Pullover, Triceps Extension, and Pass

Add reps each round
Add a one arm chest press before the pullover. Make sure to switch sides at the start of the next round. It will look like this: Partner one does chest press or presses on the right, five pullovers and five triceps extensions and pass the kettlebell. Partner does the same. Next round partner one starts with a chest press or presses on the left side.

Partner Workout # 3

Renegade Lunges

Do a forward lunge first before the reverse lunge pass.
Add reps to each set.
Partner on does a set amount of forward and reverse lunges before the kettlebell is passed.
Use different holds for the kettlebell such as racked or overhead before the pass.

Get creative and use these few exercise as a platform to come up with some new stuff for your and your clients.

****

Senior RKC, Laurel Blackburn owns Boot Camp Fitness and Training and Tallahassee Kettlebells. Look for Laurel at www.bootcampstogo.com or www.tallahasseekettlebells.com.

In her early fifties, Laurel is out to prove that age is just a number. Her goal is to motivate and inspire people everywhere, both young and old that strength, flexibility and mobility can get better with age. Follow her adventures on her blog: www.SuperStrongNana.com.

Heart Pumping Ten Minute Workouts

August 10, 2016 By Ryan Jankowitz 3 Comments

Ryan Jankowitz Get-Up

We all know how efficient kettlebell training can be. Kettlebell exercises rapidly elevate your heart rate and require every muscle to work in unison. Kettlebell workouts can combine athleticism and grace, tension and relaxation, and strength and conditioning.

I review my RKC manuals often for workout ideas for my clients and myself. Each time I delve into the manuals again, I always rediscover great workouts and get ideas for programming new ones. Sometimes I use the workouts as they are written, but many times I modify them for a little variety.

The two workouts described below are from my collection of RKC manuals. They’re favorite choices for when I need a short conditioning workout for my remote clients or myself. I also find that these short training sessions work well when I am pressed for time or not feeling 100%.

Workout 1: