Friday was my first day back to Kettlebells Sport training, after a week or two break. I tried to make a comeback a few days before, but my hands hurt too bad.
It's important to remember that what you do to your hands today leads to the callus of tomorrow. ...or next week. You might make a blister today, but a callus is a delayed reaction.
My mistake was to assume that I didn't need to grind, scrape, cut, plane, or polish my calluses because I wasn't doing the work, but my lazy two weeks of no hand care led to calluses that were ready to erupt like a pent up volcano. Just ten warmup kettlebell cleans and the calluses immediately tugged and burned.
I'm trying to be less stupid, and more aware, so I stopped immediately and went on to my scheduled gym workout, and took the time to shave and polish my hands later that night. Between the rack pulls, cleans, and chinups, the calluses were a little tender, so even after I took care of them, they hurt. I had to take three more days off from cleans and snatches, and that broke my heart so badly that I took three more days off.
Finally, my hands were good again, and yesterday I was able to get in a good workout, BUT I could still feel it.
My Kettlebell Hand Care Tips
Clean and/or Snatch regularly so your hands don't lose the 'armor' they've built up. When I do these exercises at least once or twice a week, I get fewer calluses and my hands feel great.
If you need a break from serious kettlebell training, consider keeping some Snatching or Cleaning in your regular warmups, just for the sake of your hands and the training that you'll be back to in due time.
If you've truly taken a break from it, get back into it slowly, and take care of any erupting calluses a few days before you plan to train again. Serious callus removal can leave your hands pretty tender.
Sand, scrape, plane, polish, or grind your calluses regularly so they never build up. Don't wait until you see and feel them, but get on a schedule.
If you feel burning hands or tugging calluses in training, stop immediately. You can still train, but use Swings, Jerks, and maybe the Half Snatch instead of the drop of a regular Snatch.
Torn calluses and blood are to be saved for competitions, not training. If you tear, you lose a week or two of training, and there goes your competition.
What a great day! I competed in Kettlebell Sport for the first time. Although I've trained with kettlebells, and used the movements and exercises for years, today was my first time competing.
Jason Dolby, Galya Denzel, & Me
I'm pretty happy with my results, which was 76 reps of the Long Cycle with two 16kg kettlebells.
Next Saturday, I'll be competing in an IKFF Kettlebell Sport Competition in Santa Monica. It will be my first competition to even see, much less in which I participate.
Coach Jason Dolby giving me some pointers
I'm excited! I will be competing in the Long Cycle event, with two 16kg kettlebells.
For those of you who aren't kettlebell nerds, the Long Cycle event is when you do repeated kettlebell clean and jerks for ten minutes. You cannot set down the kettlebells, and the only rest is holding them overhead or "in the rack," which is the position pictured above.
If you are in the Los Angeles area next Saturday (January 21, 2012), feel free to come by and watch us all compete.
I'm not sure of the competition schedule yet, but I believe they will be checking weight at 9am.
Speaking of weight, I need to be careful for the next week. I'm on the bubble of two weight classes and if I don't keep my appetite under control, I'll be competing against guys who are up to 20lbs heavier and potentially much stronger... The days of free eating are over. Until next Saturday.
The One Hour Long Cycle is now behind me, and I'm happy to report that I managed 464 reps with one 20kg kettlebell. This is about 130 more than last year!
Needless to say, I'm happy to have finished the hour without setting the weight down, and with most of the skin still on my hands. Nice!
I now move on to train for my first Kettlebell Sport Competition!
On January 21, 2012, my friend Luke is hosting this event at his gym, LEAF Performance Center, in Santa Monica.
For those not in the know, these competitions aren't an hour, but they are still ten long minutes. Ten minutes straight. Ten minutes, and for guys, it's with two kettlebells. That is really a long time in weight lifting minutes.
I hope to compete with two 24kg kettlebells, which are the green guys pictured above. Official kettlebells are color coded, so green is 24kgs.
My event is going to be the Long Cycle, which Troy and Luke demonstrate, below.
I'm sure Troy is awesome, but since all of their kettlebells are "LEAF" green, and we assume they aren't all 24kgs, we have no idea what he's using to demonstrate. 8s or 12s, I think. Go Troy! I'll see you on January 21st!
Just a few weeks out from the One Hour Long Cycle and my hands are a little tired. A little bit shredded and a little bit too callused. Ouch.
This weekend, I have to hit 50 minutes straight, which I'm not exactly looking forward to. My hands aren't yet up to snuff from the last long training session. I've had to tape them up to hold down some blistered skin.
While my hands heal, I'm concentrating on pressing and squatting, pushups and pullups. I still get my swings in but even those hurt a bit more than I'd like.
My latest goals have been to gain muscle without too much fat, get ready for the OHLC, then look ahead to competing in the Long Cycle with two 24s on January 21st (I aim to hit 37 reps in ten minutes).
I haven't been pleased... I feel fatter than I'd like, although I'm close to my goal of 200lbs, but I've been 198 for almost two months. I need to eat more and get this done. Also, I'm anxious to do more double kettlebell work, but my hands are thrashed from my sweaty mistake in last week's One Hour training. Finally, I'm tired from training too much in general, but not enough in the areas where I want.
I need better clearer goals.
There are positives, however.
I just pressed a 24kg for ten good reps, then followed that up with two more sets of 10. I'm getting stronger and need to buy a 32.
I just did 20 good front squats with a 24kg, too. It took shoes with a heel. With bare feet or Chucks, I can do 15 and my back tires first.
Pride has held me back from using weightlifting shoes, despite the fact that many KB Sport competitors use them. But they use them to get into a good Kettlebell Sport rack position, which I don't need help with. I have the opposite problem and I feel like I'll topple over with heels when I'm in that position. But, I suppose I'll give them a shot, and competitions or not, I can work them into my regular training, too. I'll just have to make sure to do plenty of squats without them; all the goblet squats have helped my squat to get better, even though it's not perfect.
One consolation is that some Oly shoes look awesome.
I really like these, which I saw at last year's One Hour Long Cycle. I hope that dude is there again, so I can ask him about his shoes...
I have no scientific basis for this. There's no "true fact" here. Observational, possibly correlation, possibly excuses...
I've been hitting the kettlebell training pretty hard. Not for strength, but for time. The One Hour Long Cycle is coming up, and I must be prepared!
Saturday, I made it up to 30 minutes of Clean and Jerk with the 24kg kettlebell. Then I "collapsed" on the floor of my garage...
Sunday, I took a break from the kettlebells to do some standup paddling around Dana Point Harbor with Galya.
We hit up the Hummingbird House Cafe, which is a Bulgarian (masquerading as Greek) restaurant. I was starving, and I get a lot of food there.
kufte
shopska salad
bob s lutenitsa (salad with huge beans)
I was full, but after another hour, I had to eat more food. A banana at Trader Joe's, then at home, curry, then too many of these sweet potato desserts that Gal is testing out, much of my daughter's ice cream, a can of tuna, an apple, some nuts, some cheese, and some misc stuff that's too much to remember.
I chalk it down to training hard, and this morning I feel fine, but if you find yourself eating out of control or merely with ongoing ridiculous hunger levels, look to your activity levels, not necessarily your diet.
Eat to support your activity, but make sure your activity levels don't undermine your eating, too.
October 22nd, 2011, my friend Jason Dolby is holding the 2nd annual One Hour Long Cycle, this time to raise money for the Japanese relief effort.
The whole world is keenly aware of the devastation caused by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, and the ongoing nuclear tragedy that continues to this day. We feel for them all, but for Jason and Orange Kettlebell Club, it's personal; Mutual friend and OKC founder Nazo is from Japan and was there in Tokyo even as it all started. Thankfully she is safe, but the people of Japan, including the family and friends of Nazo, my good friend Aya, and many more are still there and living amidst this ongoing disaster. Won't you help us help them? Please follow the link to join me in the event or just to donate.
Thanks!
Now, please excuse me while I change the tone a bit...
This marathon kettlebell lifting event was brutal last year. I remember it well. One hour of straight kettlebell lifting, without putting the kettlebell down. Last year I used a 20 kilogram kettlebell, and it kicked my butt. I lost track of my reps in my attempt to finish the hour (I did finish), but it was somewhere around 340-350 reps.
Last year, we raised a good deal of money and broke a ton of records.
Jason did an hour straight with TWO 20kg kettlebells. One hour without setting them down and unable to switch hands back and forth like the rest of us could. Amazing.
All in all, there were over 20 of us lifting for an hour, and we all proudly finished!
This year, my plan starts with bumping my kettlebell up to a more manly 24kg. That's almost 53 pounds to those of us who don't speak metric!
I've been training with my 24kg kettlebell for the past week and a half, and I'm prepared to commit to this weight. I'm practicing maintaining six reps per minute, and I'll have to see how this goes. So far, so good!
As of this morning, I have three serious training sessions under my belt, up to 20 minutes of the 1 handed kettlebell clean and jerk (aka One Arm Long Cycle) with a 24kg kettlebell, and a seemingly doable 6 reps per minute... I'm in! What about you?
In my recent quest for strength and size (up to 198, as of this morning), I toned down the kettlebelling and toned up the barbells. I won't tell you that you can't get big on a diet of kettlebells, but I have been having fun with a high frequency, low(ish) volume barbell and corrective exercise routine, courtesy of Dan John and Galina Ivanova [Denzel].
Back to the kettlebells...
I don't own a 32kg kettlebell, so it was fun to push myself on some near max reps up at Chris's EFL this weekend! When Chris and I last met up to lift I was unable to get a 32kg overhead without a serious jerk, much less a push press or a simple press! I am happy to report that I'm now able to press the 32 with both the right and the left (that's each, not using both hands...) AND be able to clean and jerk the heavy round metal dude five times in a row for three sets of five!
I then took advantage of a 28kg, which I also don't own, but should. I did plenty of swings, cleans, and jerks while I had the access!
That being said, I did have to cut the workout short for fear of a torn callus. I was craving longer workouts with the kettlebells, but having torn them before and been down for over a week, I wisely stopped short of ripping things open. I was able to finish up with sets of swings. Even those were painful, but not the kind of painful that rips the skin off your hands.
New prescription: weekly kettlebell cleans or snatches, just to keep the hands ready to work. If I can work in even more kettlebell work, better still.
I'm sure I've had the flu before, but I can't actually remember a time. This has been bad. It's getting better.
On the plus side, I was advised to take time off from training after the One Hour Long Cycle, so here ya go. Time off? Check.
BTW, I have stuff to say, but I have days to catch up on, and I'm still sick. I only get a few minutes of sitting up before I have to lay down; this will may be brief.
Whip It - It was good? I liked it, but a little too much chick flick, in that Riding in Cars with Boys sorta way. Or Fried Green Tomatoes. *shudder*
Conan the Barbarian - Conan never gets old, and was especially good right after Whip It.
In food...
My friend Justin Marks [sic], of Marx Foods, was kind enough to send me some spice awesomeness, and there will be cooking awesomeness to follow. In the meantime, I'll tell you that the box itself contains a mixture of scents that is beyond belief. It will be a shame to use them, but a crime not to.
Sick since Monday, and until tonight I've eaten nothing but eggs, ground beef, and tomatoes. But enter the appetite.
steak, parsley, and Star Glow - a 60's trifecta
Classic fare from the days of yore. Steak and "vegetables" on a Star Glow plate. I'm feeling better already.
In fitness...
Low carb wisdom - Hitting a stall in his fat loss goals, low carb author, blogger, and pod celebrity Jimmy Moore cuts calories and adds activity. My hat's of him for giving this a shot, which flies in the face of much of the low carb dogma. Still, there are many posters telling him that the secret is to go "Atkin's induction" or "full paleo." The desperation can almost be felt in their typed pleas suggestions to drop carbs more or change the macros and ingredients up because "we believe." Seriously. I wish it was as easy as dropping carbs. I'd be jacked as jacked could be.
Paleo wisdom - Calories DO count when trying to lose fat, even on full out paleo, says Robb Wolf.
You DO need a cal deficit, but you do not typically need to focus on it to get to respectable levels of leanness.
You may not have to count them, but they do count. Find a way to eat fewer calories than you burn, and you lose weight.
If people addressed training the same way as they do playing a musical instrument, things would go a lot better for them. You want to play music? Find a teacher, learn how to read notes, play the basic tunes, maybe in a few years you can play a more complicated piece or you can improvise or even write your own piece of music. Training, no! People walk in the gym and they expect they can do it all.
I remember trying power cleans on my own. Ugly. I remember the first time I snatched a kettlebell. ...on my own. Ouch. I remember I used to think my squatting form was safe.
I gave up on the power cleans (I mostly do sandbag cleans, instead), I got the IKFF and OKC to train me on kettlebells, and I'm still getting help with my squats.
Tomorrow is the One Hour Long Cycle charity event. I'll be there, swinging, cleaning, and jerking a 20kg kettlebell for an hour.
Last Saturday, I tapered down with only 40 minutes with a 20kg kettlebell. 280 reps without setting that thing down. I lazily took a few days off. For the hands, of course...
One Hour Long Cycle charity event
Please take a moment to think of all the kids you know who've been stricken with cancer, Leukemia, Downs Syndrome, and other conditions and ailments. Children's Hospital of Los Angeles needs help to help more kids like the ones you know.
Today, I finally hit 60 minutes, straight, of the kettlebell clean and jerk. One hour. One long hour.
This is for Jason's One Hour Long Cycle charity event in two weeks. The proceeds go Children's Hospital of Los Angeles. Unfortunately, having been there, I know too much about the important work that they do for children. Please contribute by following the link and scrolling down until you find Paypal's "Donate" button. It's easy and secure.
Back to me. Two weeks left, so I had to make sure I could finish the hour, which I did by dropping down to a 16kg kettlebell.
It was more boring than hard, but now that it's out of the way, I'll either go faster or heavier.
the "heavier" option
It will be less boring, either way.
One funny thing. It was so uninteresting out there that a red squirrel ran up to check out my chalk bag for a minute, then took off running. See ya, buddy!
I'm not going to change anything now that the PB Challenge is over. Paleo feels good, and keeping the non-paleo crap to under 20% is easy.
The key is to EAT MORE paleo food so that all that ice cream is still under 20%. It's all in the percentages, baby!
I kid
But, my joke does show that you need to take responsibility for your own diet. Don't look for the loopholes, which exist in any diet. Don't eat a whole paleo chicken because it's cool on the diet. Despite the fact that many people find nuts satiating, if you don't, don't eat a pound because nuts are compliant.
Use your brain, you might not be counting calories, but calories do count. People who say otherwise are either wrong or dead wrong. Coconut has a lot of calories, and swigging a can of coconut cream is more than any diet plan can bear. Luckily, it carries its own punishment... Try it.
This article also featured on JPFitness, Feel free to comment or ask questions about this program and many other articles, topics, and programs, here or at JP's.
A ten minute history lesson
I’m currently training for a sport called Kettlebell Sport. At the face of it, it sounds dumb. The name sounds dumb, anyway. Kettlebell Sport. It started in Russia, where it’s called Girevoy Sport. Way back when, kettlebells were only weights used to weigh grain on big scales, not weightlifting tools. The heavy weights, or girya, had those handles so a farmer could lift the weight on and off the scale.
Presumably, after a long day of weighing stuff, the farmers hit the kettlebells and hit the vodka, all the while challenging each other to lift, swing, and press the kettlebells more and more times. Their kettlebells were just a couple of pretty standard weights, so challenging each other to go heavy started at 16kg and ended at 32kg. Going for time or reps was the challenge, and after many repeated challenges, the “sport” was born, finally settling on a period of ten minutes, which is really quite a challenge. It caught on over there in Russia, and people have been doing these ten minute challenges ever since.
Don’t have any kettlebells? Dumbbells are the other option for this ten minute lesson, but they have a far less interesting history, including no Dumbbell Sport! Dumbbells have been around for thousands of years, but since they were actually designed for strength training, there’s less opportunity for crazy. Still, you might think it’s crazy enough just trying to jerk a weight for ten minutes!
The challenge
Our challenge, using a dumbbell or a kettlebell, is based on this ten minute competition that started back in Russia, years ago. In short, the goal in the sport is to perform lifts, pretty much non-stop, for ten minutes. The winner is the one with the most reps. There are a few rules and complications for the real competitors, but the bottom line is ten minutes, non-stop, hard exercise. That’s tough.
I know it might sound pretty ho hum, but think about picking up a dumbbell that you can press overhead ten times. Now start pressing it overhead, as fast or as slow as you like, for ten minutes…without setting it down. What about rest? Sure, you can rest, let it settle on your shoulder for as long as you like. After you’ve “rested,” press some more. If you still can’t imagine, try it for a few minutes. Long before you get to ten, you’ll see my point.
In competition, you’re going all out. You have a strategy to get as many reps as possible in your ten minutes, pacing yourself, counting reps and minutes, and resting strategically. You need at least one more rep than the other guy, but you can’t know how many he’s going to get so you just go, go, go!
In training, the idea is to increase your reps over time. Each week, you need to try to get more reps done. You’re challenging not just time and the weight in your hands, but your body and your mind. You are pushing yourself to go one more rep, all the while it’s getting harder and harder as the minutes count toward ten. Yes, you can rest, but the rest that’s allowed is a joke – you can’t set the weight down or you’re out. You have to hold it to rest. Brutal.
How (and why) to fit this into your regular program
First, why am I recommending that you subject yourself to this ten minute lesson? Let’s face it, it’s just ten minutes. It’s ten hard minutes, but still just a short time. Don’t let the brief nature fool you, it’s tough. Just like four minutes of Tabatas didn’t fool you, at least not twice, don’t let these fool you, either.
Most of us want to get stronger, leaner, and better conditioned, and we look for ways to burn more calories and get in more reps, all without destroying our progress in the weight room, the track, or the kitchen.
Enter GPP (the why of it all)
You may have heard the acronym GPP, or General Physical Preparedness before. The last few years, “doing” GPP has become popular, even though many people don’t know why they want to do it. I think I first learned of GPP via an article by Dave Tate, who found himself super strong, but unable to walk up a flight of stairs or chase after a ball without feeling like dying. Dave looked for ways to improve his GPP, got in “better shape,” and then found that he was able to also work harder under the bar. GPP helped him get stronger.
In many ways GPP is a fun way to exercise, at least the way it’s been portrayed in the fitness media, sites, and blogs. GPP routines are often swinging sledgehammers, pulling sleds, throwing medicine balls, and flinging sandbags. These activities are so dissimilar that it should make you wonder what the hell they all have in common. They can all be used for GPP, that’s what.
The fact is that GPP is just anything that gets you better conditioned and prepared for “general” activities. It’s non-specific for the most part, and rarely involves the same tools, exercises, or activities that you do in your sport of choice. It’s really just designed to get you into a condition where you can handle a good and hard workload without dropping, dying, or quitting early. Good GPP programming also teaches you to push yourself farther and harder than you thought you could handle, but at a safer physical level than you might be able to in your sport.
Without the conditioning, willpower, and drive to really push to your limits, getting in the reps to get stronger isn’t going to happen, going the extra mile isn’t going to happen, and putting on the speed and sprinting to the finish line might be less like a Ferrari and more like a Prius. Your better GPP puts you in the position, physically and mentally, to push yourself harder, getting stronger, faster, and allowing you to burn more calories in the process.
There are many other activities that fall into the GPP category, such as sprinting, barbell complexes, bodyweight circuits, calisthenics, rope jumping, walking, hiking, and so much more. You’re likely doing several of these things already, as they are in many great programs, such as the New Rules of Lifting books, Power Training, Turbulence Training, and the Female Body Breakthrough. They may not call it GPP, but GPP it is.
So, I hope I’ve convinced you to keep up, or add in, GPP work. You obviously have a ton of options, since there’s little right or wrong, but I think this plan fits the bill for many people. For most people it’s going to be a better option than many of the others listed.
Short – I think a 15-20 minute training session is just perfect for an off day GPP session, so my Ten Minute Lesson fits the bill. Including a warmup, a cooldown stretch, and a shower, you can get these workouts done in 30 minutes. A lunch break with room to spare for most of us.
Short, part two – A ten minute set at the end of your regular training session is perfect. This is where many books and programs typically have you do your intervals, HIIT, Tabatas, jump rope, or a short bout of steady state cardio, so these fit perfectly.
Very little equipment needed – One kettlebell or dumbbell is all it takes. That means it’s good for home or the gym. No excuses.
Full body, multi-joint exercise – All the suggested exercises are chosen to hit as much of the body as possible, in minimum time. This is a huge selling point for barbell complexes and bodyweight circuits that are so popular. Many of the same benefits are found here, too.
Self-regulating – Because you’re always trying to beat your last number, you’re forcing yourself to work a little harder over time. Whether it’s a quick increase or large jumps in progress isn’t important. What’s important is that you’re getting just a little bit better, session after session. It’s easy to track, easy to manage, and satisfying to see progress.
Easy to see the progression – Many times, intervals and complexes have no progression that you can count on. They shorten the rest periods, increase the distance, and other parameters. I’m sure they work, but they take faith to follow them. After a few cycles, you can test to see if you’re better, but until then, you just have to trust that the progression is doing the trick. If it’s not, you won’t know for a month or more, if ever.
Safer – Good, safe sprinting takes training to avoid injury. Sledgehammer and tire flipping aren’t as safe as they seem… There are safe options, and this is one of them.
Less intimidating – I’ve been embarrassed to do circuits of jumping jacks, burpees and squat jumps in the gym. I know I shouldn’t be, but leave me alone! Don’t look at me!
I feel like I could go on and on, which is why I wrote this article, but I think that’s a good list right there.
How to fit it in
Because it’s short and a little bit brutal, my suggestion is to do it where you would do an interval or HIIT workout. If you’re doing some sort of Tabata or bodyweight circuit for fat loss, just drop them and do these instead.
Like I wrote above, dumbbell and kettlebell jerks are full body, multi-joint exercises, as are the more advanced lifts listed later. They are going to work your entire body, and they are extremely taxing. Make sure to do them on an off day from your weights, or at the end of a weight training session, not at the beginning.
As unpleasant as this activity sounds, it’s actually very rewarding – the challenge more than makes up for the hard work and sweat. With these ten minute sessions, like we do in Kettlebell Sport, what you will learn about your own tenacity will make the experience worthwhile. The calories you burn will be worth it, too. A nice bonus.
I’m not going to ask you to start with a weight that’s going to kill you, the idea is to be able to do it, and build up over time, challenging yourself as you get stronger and more conditioned.
I’m not going to require you to learn to snatch or clean a kettlebell, either. The goal isn’t the lift or the implement, it’s the challenge, the exercise, and the calories burned.
Now, choose your exercise, estimate your reps per minute, set the timer, and get ready to go.
I chose just these two lifts because they are fairly safe to do and they are easy to learn from a description. For more advanced moves, check out the list at the end of the article.
DB Jerk
Stand with feel about shoulder width apart
Hoist the DB to your shoulder
Hip and knees are slightly bent, like you’re ready to jump
Dip down just a bit, then explode back up, propelling the DB upward
Dip down again, getting under the DB to catch it at the top
Lock it out at the top
Drop the DB back to the shoulder, cushioning the drop by allowing the hip and knees to bend again
Repeat steps 3-7 for your reps
This is a one handed exercise, so at some point you’ll need to switch hands. I would try to switch at the minute mark, each time.
KB Jerk
Stand with feel about shoulder width apart
Hoist the KB to the rack position, cradled against your chest in the crook of your arm
Hip and knees should be slightly bent, like you’re ready to jump
Dip down just a bit, then explode back up, propelling the KB upward
Dip down again, getting under the KB to catch it at the top
Lock it out at the top
Drop the KB back to the rack position, cushioning the drop by allowing the hip and knees to bend again while sinking backward
Repeat steps 3-7 for your reps
This is a one handed exercise, so at some point you’ll need to switch hands. I would try to switch at the minute mark, each time.
Estimating your reps per minute
This can be tough to do the first time, especially if you’ve never done these lifts before. When in doubt, aim low. If you kill it, you can go heavier or with more reps next time.
You will have ten minutes of exercise. If you can jerk the dumbbell twenty times straight, with just one hand, then a good goal might be ten jerks per minute to start.
While you can set a timer for just ten minutes, it’s very hard to know how things are going like that. It’s torture to not know how much longer you have, so don’t even try this. I prefer 20 rounds of 30 seconds, which gives me just enough warnings to keep me going and keep me from wondering.
You will need a timer, of course.
Timer options
Watch – you might have a watch with a good timer, so take a look there, first.
Gymboss – I recommend this since it has so many combinations. Cheap and portable. Plus it’s got a vibrate feature which is good for the public gym. This is what I use when I train outside.
iPhone Apps – I understand that iPhones have timer applications you can get, but I’ll leave that to the iPhone users (I’m Blackberry). I know Blackberries and other phones have them, too, so look around.
A big clock – For a few bucks at the discount store, Target, Walmart, etc. you can have a large analog clock with a second hand. Manually set it to noon and lift until 12:10.
PC/Mac Timer – If you plan to do these in the house (like I often do), you can find many freeware timers on the internet. Here’s one at Ross Training, but there are others out there.
MP3 – I made a 10 minute long mp3 that chimes every once in a while to keep me in the loop.
Are you ready?
Your dumbbell or kettlebell is ready to go? You’ve chosen your target reps per minute? Your timer is set so you can see it or hear it?
Before I say “go,” here are a few final reminders.
Stick to the plan – At the end of minute number one, two, or three, you might feel like you can do far more than your rep target. You must resist and stick to the plan. By the time you get to minute six, seven, and eight, you’ll be struggling to hit the same target that was so easy just a few minutes ago.
Switch hands – Remember to switch hands. Try to go as long as you planned before switching. I would switch hands at the minute mark, if possible, resting until each minute is up. Over time, you’ll improve.
Active rest – It’s not the rest you want, but it’s the rest that’s allowed. When you need to, drop the KB to the rack position and hold it there to rest. If you are using a DB, then drop it to your shoulder or upper chest. Don’t put it on the ground.
When to rest – Rest when you need to, of course, but always rest after your reps are done for each minute. Do not push on and get more reps. Stick to the plan, get your reps done, and get more reps next week.
Now GO!
Evaluating your results
After you’re done and recovered a bit, consider how well you did. Was it too easy to complete all of your reps in the ten minutes? Instead of 10 per minute, try targeting 11 or 12 per minute next week. Did you gas out in minute six or eight? Maybe you went too fast for that weight. Why not try 8 reps per minute, next week. Was it too light or too heavy? Try a different weight next week. The options are almost endless, and there’s no right or wrong.
This first week was tough, right? Next time, with your new target to hit, it’s going to get tougher. You’re battling yourself, and it takes at least one more rep at the end to win the battle. After a few sessions, you’re going to look back at your progress and impress yourself.
Recommended advanced exercises
For those of you who have been swinging kettlebells or dumbbells for quite some time, here are a few more advanced exercises.
Dumbbells
DB Clean
DB Snatch
DB Clean & Jerk
Note – The choice of whether to set the dumbbell on the ground between reps or to swing it between the legs is up to you, and depends on your flexibility, mobility, and your ability to not whack yourself with the dumbbell as it swings down and back. If you have doubts, do them from the floor, just setting it down long enough to start from a dead stop. Rest is only allowed on the shoulder or upper chest, just like in the DB Jerk.
Kettlebells
KB Snatch *
KB Jerk *
KB Clean & Jerk *
KB Clean
Note – The * denotes the official Kettlebell Sport lifts. Kettlebell Clean & Jerk is also knows as Long Cycle, while the Snatch and Jerk are often done as a two event competition known as Biathlon.
Even though the kettlebell snatch and jerk are a big part of Kettlebell Sport, without training and practice, both will include pain. Both the kettlebell clean and kettlebell snatch require some special techniques to keep the kettlebell from swinging over and slamming against your forearm, causing serious lumps and bruises. Save these exercises for after you’ve gotten hooked and got some training.
Why no dumbbell or kettlebell swings? Because there’s no good way to perform the active rest. You can hold it in your hands, but that’s still killing your grip, and setting it down defeats the purpose of the active rest. I love swings, but not here.
Wrap up
I know you may end up cursing me for this little program, but it’s for a good reason, not just to torture you. I’m not going to be so cocky as to say it builds character, but what it does do is show you what “hard” really is. Why is that important? Because many of us these days think things like walking to the park is hard.
If you find that you like the way you’re challenging yourself with these ten minute sets, eventually you may decide to look into Kettlebell Sport. Then, things really get going. Did I mention that guys in competition have to use two kettlebells for the clean and jerk? Oh, bad reps don’t count, of course, and you’re only allowed to switch hands once in your entire ten minutes, you really need to be sharp and tough. That really takes things to the next level!
Like I said earlier, this is not a training program, per se, but it’s a good part of your weekly exercise plan. Do your Ten Minute Set in place of intervals, sprinting, or the cardio at the end of your weight training session. If you’re doing them hard enough, you’ll soon know what hard is.
Speaking of Kettlebell Sport, here’s fellow IKFF-CKT and Kettlebell Sport Chick, Nazo, doing ten minutes of Clean & Jerk in competition.
Oh, the blue kettlebell means 12kgs, in case you’re wondering…
This article has also been featured on JPFitness, Feel free to comment or ask questions about this program and many other articles, topics, and programs, here or at JP's.
I love my kettlebells, and from the looks of the forum, a lot of you do, too. Also like me, many of you are still primarily using barbells and dumbbells to get stronger. Not that you couldn’t drop the barbells and dumbbells completely, and get bigger, stronger, or leaner using just kettlebells, but not everyone has a full set of kettlebells available. Your gym might only have one or two kettlebells, or you might be interested in getting just one to see how you like them. Maybe you just enjoy using barbells. I do.
Since you’re using conventional weights as your primary tool, you might wonder how you can incorporate some kettlebell fun into your training. To wet your whistle on kettlebells, I suggest adding in a kettlebell exercise or routine to your existing program, rather than making your program all about the kettlebell. The perfect place to use the kettlebell is as a workout “finisher.” What’s a finisher? It’s that part of your workout where you “test your mettle.”
A finisher isn’t relegated to kettlebells, it’s a generic term. It can be intervals, HIIT, Tabatas, or some crazy bodyweight circuits. Whatever it is, the author of your current program might already have you doing a “finisher,” whether he or she calls it one or not. The author probably told you that this part of the routine was to accelerate fat loss, raise your V02 Max, cause EPOC, or some other story. I don’t care so much about their reasons for making you do it, what I care about is the effects on your reality; the reality of you making progress toward fat loss and improved conditioning. Usually, reality says that a finisher will likely make you work damn hard, test your resolve, and cause sweat that just won’t stop. It reminds you that you’re working toward a goal of fat loss or conditioning, and that’s the reality that I want for you and for me.
In my experience, I’ve found that a finisher that really pushes me to work hard, reminds me to follow my diet plan, and encourages me to not throw away the hard work that I just did. I tend to feel the effects for hours, and the constant reminder of what I went through makes it that much easier to pass on the dessert. Finisher vs. Workouts
Remember that these finishers aren’t actually your workout; these are calorie burners and mental challenges, more than anything. They come at the end of a workout or can even be done on an off day – when you want that reminder that you trained today. I for one, eat with purpose when I’ve trained, and even something as simple as a few rounds of kettlebell swings can do the trick. Progression
While progression is key to improvement, it’s important to note that we don’t need to see progression on every exercise or every portion of every routine. Monitoring key elements of a routine is important to insure overall progress, but micromanaging each element of each workout is an exercise in futility and frustration.
That being said, assuming one goal of using doing your finishers is to increase your work capacity, do pick one routine to do on a repeat basis, then pick any other ones depending on mood, energy levels, and availability of equipment. I suggest one of these first two, Kettlebell Swings for Reps or Time Kettlebell Swings, since it’s easy to chart progress over time. Reps and Sets vs Time
Since Kettlebells tend to have large jumps between weights, I don’t typically prescribe a set number of reps per set. The ability to do more reps in an amount of time, do the reps faster, or do reps for longer is typically used instead. While kettlebells can obviously make you stronger, this is where dumbbells and barbells typically shine, and are generally easier tools for pure strength and strength progression.
The Finishers are... Kettlebell Swings for Reps
Pick a kettlebell that you can swing 20 times, either two handed or switching hands as needed KB Swings – 20 reps Rest 30s
Repeat for 4 more rounds (100 swings, total)
Next week, cut the rest period to 25 seconds. 20 the next. 15 the next.
At week 5, go back to 30 seconds with 5 or 10 more swings per round, then repeating the pattern of decreasing rest.
If you should ever get to 200 swings, feel free to start over with a heavier kettlebell, possibly switching to a two handed swing if the jump in kettlebell is weight seems like too much.
On the other hand, going longer and harder has it’s merits, so you can always add more rounds or even more swings per round and take it to the next level. Timed Kettlebell Swings
Pick a kettlebell that you can swing for about 30s, either two handed or switching hands as needed. A Gymboss really helps with this one. KB Swings, 30s Rest 30s
Repeat for 4 more rounds
Each week, decrease the rest OR increase the time of swinging, but NOT both. Mix it up Alternating Reverse Lunges, 30s Rest 30s KB Pushups, 30s Rest 30s KB Alternating Renegade Rows, 30s Rest 30s KB Swings, 30s Rest 30s Goblet Squats, 30s Rest 30s
Repeat 2 more rounds Short Circuits
These are short, sweet, and simple, like my little cousin Violet. Also like babysitting Violet, these can really wipe you out!
You can do one or the other, or do both if you have it in you.
Short Circuits #1 KB Jerks, Left, 15s KB Jerks, Right, 15s KB Swings, 30s Rest 60s
Repeat 2 times, then move on to Short Circuit #2 Short Circuit #2 KB Two Point Row, Left, 15s KB Two Point Row, Right, 15s Goblet Squats, 30s Rest 60s
Repeat 2 times The exercises KB Alternating Reverse Lunges – Stand with your feet at about shoulder width, holding one or two kettlebells at your side(s). For what it’s worth, one kb is harder. Step back and sink down, bending both legs at the knees, until you reach a 90 degree angle. Focus your effort on pushing back up with your front leg using your glutes to generate force. Alternate every other leg. KB Pushups – Place two kettlebells of about the same height about a shoulder width apart. Get in the push up position, your hands positioned on the kb handles. Keep your abs very tight as you slowly lower yourself down, with your ankles, knees, hips, upper back and head in one straight line. Lower yourself until your shoulders are lower than your elbows and push yourself back up until your elbows lock. Since you are elevated on kettlebells, you can get an extended range of motion, but only do so if it’s not painful. KB Renegade Rows – Place two kettlebells of about the same height and weight about a shoulder width apart. Get in the push up position, your hands positioned on the kb handles. Keep your abs tight, rowing one kettlebell up and toward your waist. Pause at the top and then lower under control. If you have two different weights, make sure to switch hands for each circuit, so one arm doesn’t get hyooger than the other. KB Goblet Squats – Stand with your feet about shoulder width, feet in line with your knees. Cradle the kettlebell against your chest. Begin as if you were going to sit down into a chair. Squat down as far as possible, sliding your elbows inside of your knees. You can push your knees out with your elbows if that helps you squat even deeper. Don’t let your lower back round. Only squat as far down as you can without rounding. Push back up to a standing position, pause, and repeat KB Jerks– Stand with feel about shoulder width apart. Hoist the KB to the rack (cradled in the crook of your arm) position, cradled against your chest in the crook of your arm. Hip and knees should be slightly bent, like you’re ready to jump. Dip down just a bit, then explode back up, propelling the KB upward. Dip down again, getting under the KB to catch it at the top. Lock it out at the top. Drop the KB back to the rack position, cushioning the drop by allowing the hip and knees to bend again while sinking backward. Repeat your reps, starting with the first dip again. KB Swings – Place your kettlebell on the ground between your feet, standing with feet about shoulder width apart. Pick up the kettlebell, then swing it back between your legs, hinging at the hips and slightly bending your knees while pushing your butt back and keeping your back flat. Absorb the momentum of the kettlebell with your butt and hamstrings, then quickly reverse its direction with explosive hips. Resist pulling with your arms, letting the hips do the work. Let the kettlebell rise as high as possible, then guide it back through your legs to repeat the swing. The entire ride should be smooth, with the exception of the explosive hip thrust. KB Two Point Row – Hold the kettlebell in one hand. Stand with feet wider than shoulder width and bend over from the hips (e.g., shove your hips back, don’t just bend over) until your back is about 45 degrees to the floor. Have “soft” knees to help get into the proper position. Let the weight hang down toward the ground, with the other hand behind your back. Row the weight up until your arm is fully retracted. At the top, pause for a second, squeezing your shoulder blades together, then lower under control, pause, and repeat. Wrap up
Just because the internet has kettlebell fever doesn’t mean you have to catch it, too (but you will). Get one or two, or use them at your gym. Test the waters and see how you like it. If you get the fever (and you will), you can always buy more of them and join the kettlebell cult at any time! They’re always looking for new members.
By the way, the circuits and exercises that I’ve shown you here are just scratching the surface. I picked these because they take little training, pose little danger, and use just one or two lighter weight kettlebells. If you have the training and the kettlebells, take off and run with it.
What’s your favorite finisher? I’d love to see what you’ve come up with, so let me know!
This article has also been featured on JPFitness, Feel free to comment or ask questions about this program and many other articles, topics, and programs, here or at JP's.
BTW, Perform Better is having a great sale, including some great quality kettlebells at a good price. They are also one of the few places who seem to ship heavy things for a reasonable price! ...and kettlebells are heavy...
