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RKC School of Strength

Official blog of the RKC

short workouts

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%.

Ryan Jankowitz Kettlebell SwingWorkout 1:

  • Left arm kettlebell swings for 10 reps, right arm kettlebell swings for 10 reps
  • One get-up with the left, one get-up with the right

Repeat for 10 minutes, resting if and when necessary. Increase time as desired.

Workout 2:

  • 20 two-handed kettlebell swings
  • 1 minute of jumping rope

Repeat for 10 minutes, resting if and when necessary. Increase time as desired.

The two workouts above inspired several variations that I also enjoy adding to my online clients’ programming and my own training. Try the workouts below, and see how you can create your own spin on them.

Workout 3:

  • 20 two-handed kettlebell swings
  • 5-10 push-ups
  • 1 minute of jumping rope

Repeat for 10 minutes, resting if and when necessary. Increase time as desired.

Ryan Jankowitz Kettlebell Snatches

Workout 4:

  • Left arm kettlebell snatches for 7 reps, right arm kettlebell snatches for 7 reps
  • 1 minute of jumping rope

Repeat for 10 minutes, resting if and when necessary. Increase time as desired.

Workout 5:

  • One get-up on the left side
  • Left arm kettlebell swings for 10 reps
  • One get-up on the right side
  • Right arm kettlebell swing for 10 reps

Repeat for 10 minutes, resting if and when necessary. Increase time as desired.

Workout 6:

  • One get-up on the left side with five kettlebell snatches at the top
  • One get-up on the right side with five kettlebell snatches at the top

Repeat for 10 minutes, resting if and when necessary. Increase time as desired.

Now, you and your clients no longer have an excuse for not having “enough time” to workout.

Stay Strong,
Ryan Jankowitz

 

****

Ryan Jankowitz, RKC-II Instructor, CK-FMS, is a life-long athlete who can’t imagine sitting behind a desk. He enjoys sharing his passion for fitness and spreading the RKC knowledge. Ryan operates an online fitness coaching service and is available for private kettlebell workshops as well. You can reach him at ryan@rjkettlebell.com or through his website rjkettlebell.com. He also works with clients and teaches kettlebell classes at Fitness on the Run in Alexandria, Virginia. If you’re in the area, visit fitnessontherun.net and come swing some bells with Ryan.

Filed Under: Kettlebell Training, Workout of the Week Tagged With: kettlebell workouts, programming, Ryan Jankowitz, short workouts, workouts

Five 5s: Five Simple, Effective, Nourishing Kettlebell Workouts

March 2, 2016 By Nick Lynch 11 Comments

Nick Lynch Group Workout Kettlebell Jerks

Sometimes, I just want to do a quick workout and either can’t or don’t want to spend an hour to do it. That’s why I put together this series of efficient kettlebell workouts which can be done in a short amount of time with minimal equipment (a kettlebell, the floor, rings and a pull-up bar of some type). These workouts are also simple to modify. If you DO have an hour in the gym, you can simply multiply your sets. As you’re reading, I invite you to take note of any questions you may have and ask them in the comments section below this blog post. I’m more than happy to do my best when answering them. I hope you enjoy these programs as much as we do in Milwaukee!

1: “The Zen of Zane”

Frank Zane used to train chest, triceps and shoulders in one day. Compared to how his competition was training, his approach was totally bizarre. His competition was training opposing muscle groups such as chest and biceps. Frank was known for his amazing symmetry and muscularity. With a daily dose of this workout, I think you might start to look and feel like Frank Zane!

Set a timer for five minutes and repeat the following sequence of exercises until five minutes has passed.

  • 5 push presses per side
  • 5 pull-ups
  • 5-10 push-ups
  • 30 seconds break
  • 1 push-up
  • 1 push press per side
  • 1 pull-up
  • 5 push presses per side
  • 5 pull-ups
  • 5-10 push-ups
  • 30 seconds break

Modification
Trade reps for seconds. For example, instead of 10 pull ups, perform a 10-seconds flex arm hang.

2: “My Favorite”

This workout is my personal favorite, let’s see what you think!

Set a timer for eight minutes, complete at least four full sets of the following:

  • 5 ring dips
  • 25 swings
  • 1:30 minutes rest

Modifications
Option one: try putting your feet a raised platform for extra stability. Option two: perform bench dips instead of ring dips. Option three: forming a triangle with your hands, and perform 5 push-ups, be sure to use the entire range of motion, bringing your sternum down to your hands.

3: “Lungs of Hell”

The name of this workout is a tribute to the classic Megadeth song which I think also sounds great played loud along with this workout…

Set a timer for five minutes, and perform the following sequence safely for time:

Perform a get-up to standing, do 5 overhead lunges, 5 push presses, 5 squats, then 5 snatches. Keeping the kettlebell overhead finish the get-up and return to the floor. Switch sides, resting as needed.

Modifications:
Option one, reduce your reps to three. Option two, reduce the size of the kettlebell you’re using. Option three, reduce your reps to one.

4: “Speak To Me/Breathe”

Pink Floyd begins their infamous albums, Dark Side of the Moon with “Speak To Me” which leads right into “Breathe.” I think this is funny because this could also describe the breathing techniques we teach and use in the RKC community. There’s the classic hiss during the swing and goblet squat “hoooop” grunt. You’ll need to focus on your vocalizing your breaths to keep up with these reps. The end result is amazing lung capacity, strong legs, bullet-proof abs, and grip strength that won’t quit!

Set a timer for 8 minutes with the goal of completing 4 rounds of the following:

  • 10 goblet squats
  • 25 swings
  • rest
  • 5 goblet squats
  • 25 swings
  • rest

Use a HEAVY kettlebell.

Modifications
Option one: use a lighter kettlebell. Option two: reduce overall reps. Option three: perform bodyweight squats and vertical jumps instead of goblet squats and swings.

5: “Look Alive”

Coordination and attention to detail make this last workout effective and nourishing. It’s challenging and fun at the same time because you must focus on every rep for the entire five minutes.

Set a timer for five minutes. Repeat the following sequence for a total of five sets. If you finish early, take a short active-rest break and, a swig of water and continue until the end of five minutes.

  • 5 push-ups
  • 5 partial jumps (please refer to video for the technique)
  • 5 swings

These five simple but scalable workouts produce results even when time is limited. I invite you to share your experience after trying one or all of the Five-5s. Feel free to have fun and modify them to fit your needs.

Enjoy and until next time, have a most excellent day!
Nick Lynch, RKC Team Leader

Nick Lynch Five Five

***

RKC Team Leader Nick Lynch is a Strength and Conditioning Coach at Milwaukee School of Engineering University (MSOE). He owns Superb Health Milwaukee, a kettlebell studio in Milwaukee, WI. He has 13 years of full-time training and coaching experience and a lifetime of wellness education. Nick lives in Milwaukee, WI with his wife Natalie and son Weston.

Filed Under: Kettlebell Training, Workout of the Week Tagged With: bodyweight and kettlebell workout, kettlebell workout, kettlebell workouts, Nick Lynch, short workouts, workout, Workout Wednesday

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

July 23, 2014 By Pat Flynn 1 Comment

Pat_Flynn_Dust

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.

Pat_Flynn_usual

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: exercise programming, Kettlebell, kettlebell complexes, kettlebell workouts, Pat Flynn, short workouts, workout variety, workouts

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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.