THE
GUIDE TO
HOW TO THROW YOUR
WEIGHT AROUND
valleyfitness.co.uk
THE
GUIDE TO
HOW TO THROW YOUR
WEIGHT AROUND
By Sam Bond
Kettlebell Workout Project Team Martin Cheifetz, Samantha Lund, Steve Pickles,
John Plummer and Matt Turner
Photography by Duncan Nicholls
Cover Photo by Ian Spanier
ISBN 978-1-78420-007-7 (pdf edition)
Published in the UK by Weider Publishing Ltd.
Copyright © (2013) Weider Publications, LLC
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or email [email protected]
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and representations made therein, nor the quality or delivery of the products/services themselves.
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While the latest fitness trends and gimmicky exercises come and go, basic weightlifting
techniques and old-school exercises remain the primary training tools of the elite athlete.
Recently, however, a seemingly peculiar training apparatus has gained some well-earned
recognition and a rise in popularity. Originally used as a weight to hold down market stalls,
the kettlebell soon became the means for much competitive strongman action. But just how
useful are these weird and wonderful balls of cast iron and how functional can they really be?
In this exclusive e-book we show you just how versatile kettlebells can be and how to use
them properly.
Kettlebells have long been used to develop whole-body explosive power and improve
physical conditioning. Like all basic weightlifting techniques and apparatus, kettlebells trace
their origins right back to when market folk would compete in functional lifts and competitions to see who could display the greatest strength and power. Nevertheless, their uniqueness
and peculiar design may put some trainers off from using them properly. In the following
pages we are going to take you through some exclusive kettlebell training programmes, each
packed full of kettlebell exercises and training techniques used to build strength and power,
to lose fat and to improve cardiovascular conditioning. For those of you who are already
familiar with kettlebells, we will go on to demonstrate some advanced kettlebell training
techniques for serious fitness gains!
CONTENTS
WORKOUT 1 - Weight Loss and Fat Burning
WORKOUT 2 - Endurance and Cardio Conditioning
WORKOUT 3 - Strength and Power
WORKOUT 4 - Advanced Techniques
Here at Muscle&Fitness we seriously believe that kettlebells are a viable training tool that
should and can be used by all. Good luck with your training efforts. Stay strong.
muscle-fitness.co.uk
01
WEIGHT LOSS
AND FAT BURNING
WORKOUT
1
Before the birth of fixed-motion resistance machines, the basics
were relied upon to develop the whole body.
Displays of strength and power became such a spectacle that other disciplines evolved from
the training and now gym-goers often train separately for aesthetics, functionality and injury prevention, among other things. Yet as these fitness trends have developed, people have
moved further and further away from the basics, losing sight of the fundamental principles
of training. Muscle&Fitness has put together a very simple and basic training programme with
the specific goal of losing weight and making the most of your time in the gym.
When aiming to lose weight, it’s best to keep things simple. Don’t overly concern yourself
with the idea of losing fat: it is a pitfall that leads many into erroneously exercising on a crosstrainer for sixty minutes each morning in the so-called ‘fat-burning’ zone. We are all simply
a product of the balance between calories taken in and calories expended. So to lose weight
and thus fat, it is best to aim to just burn off calories. With that in mind, this programme will
keep you moving for extended periods of time and we hope to show you just how easy and
fun weight loss can be.
Unlike most conventional workout pro-grammes, this requires the athlete to cycle through
a range of exercises, not completely exhausting one muscle group before moving on to the
next. Once a full cycle is completed, there is a short rest, and the cycle is repeated.
TRAINING FOR WEIGHT LOSS AND FAT BURNING
EXERCISE
ACTIVE RECOVERY KETTLEBELL
Power Clean
Slingshot
Turkish Get-up
Swing
Renegade Row
Halo
Alternate Floor Press
Halo
Side Plank Press
Slingshot
Light/moderate
Light/moderate
Light/moderate
Light/moderate
Light/moderate
Light/moderate
Light/moderate
Light/moderate
Light/moderate
Light/moderate
REPS/DURATION
CIRCUITS
REST
15-20 reps
60 secs
15-20 reps
60 secs
15-20 reps
60 secs
15-20 reps
60 secs
15-20 reps
60 secs
2/5
2/5
2/5
2/5
2/5
2/5
2/5
2/5
2/5
2/5
20–30 secs
20–30 secs
20–30 secs
20–30 secs
20–30 secs
20–30 secs
3–4 mins
3–4 mins
20–30 secs
20–30 secs
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02
WORKOUT
1
WEIGHT LOSS AND FAT BURNING
POWER CLEAN
The power clean requires the athlete
to quickly and forcefully bring the
kettlebells from the floor to shoulder
height in one movement. Starting in a half
squat position, keep your back straight and
your weight through your heels. Gripping the
kettlebells firmly and keeping the arms straight
to begin with, aggressively explode your hips
forwards and upwards. As the kettlebells come
up, allow the arms to relax and bend. Rotate
your arms backwards and flip the kettlebells
over, catching them at shoulder height. At this
stage your elbows will point out to the sides
and your knuckles should be facing up. To
reduce the force of the kettlebells hitting your
forearms, tightly squeeze the handles. To return
the kettlebells to the start position, bring the
elbows back behind the kettlebells and allow
them to drop. Break the movement by allowing
your hips to be forced backwards and the legs
to bend. Guide the kettlebells back to the floor
and beyond the foot stance, if necessary. You
should be ready to perform another rep,
if needed. If you prefer, you can perform this
exercise single-handed with
one kettlebell.
muscle-fitness.co.uk
03
WORKOUT
1
WEIGHT LOSS AND FAT BURNING
TURKISH GET-UP
Perhaps one of the most obscure exercises
you can do with a kettlebell is the Turkish
get-up. The get-up is an extremely dynamic
exercise helping to develop fantastic trunk
strength, whole-body coordination and
shoulder stability. Lie on the floor in the
supine position with the kettlebell-side knee
up and the foot flat on the floor. Press the
kettlebell directly upwards and look towards
the ceiling or the kettlebell—whichever you
feel is best. Using your free arm to aid you,
sit up and keep the kettlebell directly over
the shoulder. Bringing your buttocks off the
floor, move the flat leg underneath you
and bear your weight through your knee.
Kneeling up and still keeping the kettlebell
extended over-head, stand up. This exercise
can seem very awkward at first, but with
practice you will be ableto perform the
exercise repeatedly with control and
precision. To return to the floor, simply
reverse the actions taken to ‘get-up’. If you
thought going up was tricky, coming back
down is even trickier.
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04
WORKOUT
1
WEIGHT LOSS AND FAT BURNING
RENEGADE ROW
Start in the top position of a kettlebell push-up with the kettlebells slightly closer than
shoulder width and your feet reasonably wide apart for stability. Pull one kettlebell up
to your chest, bringing your elbow past your side and keeping your arm tucked into
the body. You may twist slightly during this exercise which is acceptable providing you
do so in a controlled manner. Because the weight is positioned below the handle of
the kettlebell, you should be able to achieve a greater degree of flexion at the elbow
and shoulder joint than you would doing similar exercises with dumbbells. Lower the
kettlebell back to the floor beingcareful not to commence the other arm until the
kettlebell is secure on flat ground.
muscle-fitness.co.uk
05
WORKOUT
1
WEIGHT LOSS AND FAT BURNING
ALTERNATE FLOOR PRESS
At first glance, this exercise will not seem
too challenging but due to the amount
of work involved from your midsection,
we urge you to use a smaller weight and
work your way up. Lie on the floor and
position the kettlebells at your shoulders.
Grip both kettlebells and commence the
movement by pushing one kettlebell
straight up towards the ceiling. As you
press upwards, bring the back of your
active shoulder off the floor almost
like performing a stomach crunch. It
is important not to rock with this
movement in an effort to make it easier,
so pay particular attention to the level
of control during the upwards phase of
the press. Lower the kettlebell under
control back to the floor and repeat the
movement on the other arm. One press
is one rep so aim to perform between
eight and ten reps on each arm in each
set.
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06
WORKOUT
1
WEIGHT LOSS AND FAT BURNING
HALO
Holding one kettlebell in both hands at chest
level and standing upright, circle your head with
the kettlebell in one continuous movement.
Having long hair can really make this difficult
so tie your hair up securely! This is a fantastic
exercise for conditioning the shoulders. It can
help to prevent injury and prepare the shoulders
for a workout and is more intense than may seem
at first glance. Doing this between other kettlebell
exercises is sure to keep you burning a maximum
amount of calories whilst preparing for your next
exercise. It is wise to tense your buttocks and
midsection; maintaining good posture whilst
performing halos. Try not to move your head
unless you are accommodating for extreme
shoulder inflexibility. After thirty seconds, switch
direction.
muscle-fitness.co.uk
07
WORKOUT
1
WEIGHT LOSS AND FAT BURNING
SLINGSHOT
This is a fantastic exercise for active recovery and can
be as hard or as easy as you want to make it. We aren’t
completely cruel at Muscle&Fitness so we thought we
would use this exercise twice in this workout. Standing
upright with good posture, begin swinging the kettlebell
around the body, passing it from one hand to the other
in front and behind the body. When performing this
exercise, it is important to let the arms fully extend under
the force of the sling to avoid injury. As ever, when
exercising with kettlebells, be sure that you consciously
ensure a tight grip on the handle when passing between
hands. After thirty seconds, switch
direction.
valleyfitness.co.uk
08
WORKOUT
1
WEIGHT LOSS AND FAT BURNING
SIDE PLANK PRESS
Adopting the conventional side plank position (body straight and in line), hold the
kettlebell at your shoulder in a catch position. You may need someone to pass you
the kettlebell when the weight increases beyond that which you can move into
position from the floor yourself. In one smooth movement, extend the arm, pressing
the kettlebell directly upwards. The downward phase follows this upward phase and
will be fairly self evident. Stabilising this movement will no doubt be the most
challenging issue here so it is important to ensure that all movements are controlled
and deliberate. It may help to separate your feet and to look up at the kettlebell.
muscle-fitness.co.uk
09
WORKOUT
1
WEIGHT LOSS AND FAT BURNING
DOUBLE-HANDED SWING
SWING
Swing a kettlebell between your legs thrusting your hips forwards to give the
kettlebell momentum. Pretty simple, right? Don’t be fooled; this is an extremely taxing
exercise and to really develop your skills in this workout, you are going to be doing
double- and single-armed kettlebell swings. To switch from the double, (using both
hands to hold the kettlebell), to a single-arm swing, let go of the kettlebell at the top
of the swing and without delay, release your grip on one hand. Try and make the switch
as seamless and smooth as possible. To switch arms whilst performing the single-arm
swing, simultaneously let go of the kettlebell at the top of the swing and grasp
the handle with your free hand. People tend to have preferences when it comes to
double- and single-armed swings so we will leave it up to you to decide how long you
spend doing each in the sixty seconds sets.
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10
WORKOUT
1
WEIGHT LOSS AND FAT BURNING
SINGLE-HANDED SWING
muscle-fitness.co.uk
11
WORKOUT
2
ENDURANCE AND
CARDIO CONDITIONING
With the right selection of kettlebell exercises, you can fit a
whole-body workout into just 45 minutes, working on explosive
power, stamina and core strength and best of all, you can do it
nearly anywhere!
How many times have we all decided that we are going to get fit yet we just cannot endure
the monotony of sitting on an exercise bike for hour after hour? One of the most effective
ways to improve aerobic fitness is to actually train anaerobically and you can do this by
training for strength endurance. The concept may seem strange, but anaerobic capacity may
be a rate-influencing factor in your performance. Repeatedly stressing the anaerobic system
will elicit physiological and biochemical adaptations which allow you to train aerobically at
a higher work rate without stressing the anaerobic systems. Not only is it an effective training
method, but it’s actually fun and you don’t need to spend an entire evening running around
a track.
TRAINING FOR STRENGTH, ENDURANCE AND
CARDIOVASCULAR CONDITIONING
EXERCISE
KETTLEBELL
Kettlebell Push-up
Any
REPS/DURATION
SETS
REST
15-25 reps
2-3
Light/moderate
2-3 mins
2-3
Alternate Jump Lunge
Light/moderate
30-40 reps
2-3
Side Press
Light/moderate
15-25 reps
2-3
Double-Arm Clean & Jerk
Light/moderate
15-25 reps
2-3
30-45 secs
between sets
30-45 secs
between sets
30-45 secs
between sets
30-45 secs
between sets
30-45 secs
between sets
Kettlebell Swing
valleyfitness.co.uk
12
WORKOUT
2
ENDURANCE AND CARDIO CONDITIONING
SIDE PRESS
Like most kettlebell exercises, the
side press appears easier than it is in
practice. Starting in the catch position,
press the kettlebell upwards as you
simultaneously bend over to the side.
Vary the extent you bend according to
your own flexibility; it may be wise to
bend over more and more with each rep
until you have determined where your
limits lie when you first attempt this
exercise. To aid the movement, move your
inactive arm across your body as you
press. You must make sure your body
bends only in the frontal plane (to the
side) and not forwards or
backwards and it can help to
look up at the kettlebell as
you press.
muscle-fitness.co.uk
13
WORKOUT
2
ENDURANCE AND CARDIO CONDITIONING
KETTLEBELL PUSH-UP
The majority of people are familiar with push-ups and there are, of course,
several variations that can make them more challenging. No version we have
come across is more demanding and more fun than the kettlebell push-up.
Position two kettlebells on stable ground at a preferred distance apart and align
the handles accordingly. Come up onto your feet into the plank position, ready
to begin the push-ups. You are well advised to take this exercise slowly as it can
be more tricky than it looks. When you are comfortable, you can begin your set
by lowering yourself fully, keeping your whole body in line; do not drop or lift
your hips. When you have reached the desired bottom position, extend your
arms and push yourself up to return to the start position. For those of you who
are daring, you can even try turning the kettlebells upside down and balancing
on the handle of the kettlebell, but do apply extreme caution when doing these
push-ups – they are not for the faint-hearted!
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14
WORKOUT
2
ENDURANCE AND CARDIO CONDITIONING
ALTERNATE JUMP LUNGE
Holding the kettlebell in the catch
position (perform a power clean to
get set for this exercise), part your
legs as if taking an exaggerated
step. Your step may vary in length
according to preference but ensure
that your front foot always remains
flat and that you are in a suitable
position to jump upwards in a
controlled, forceful manner. Keeping
your body in an upright position,
lower your hips until the knee of your
b a c k l e g i s c l o s e to t h e f l o o r
(Itis unwise to continue until your
knee hits the floor as this will result
in bruising!). Once in this bottom
position, aggressively explode
upwards switching your legs while in
the air. For those of you who wish to
adopt an even more athletic-focused
approach, you can aim attention at
driving the back leg forwards as you
come up from the bottom position.
Remember, one rep is landing from
one foot on to the other and two reps
completes the cycle. As you tire,
your exercise form can become very
sloppy and your explosive power
can dwindle. At this stage you can
complete the sets by performing front
squats.
muscle-fitness.co.uk
15
WORKOUT
2
ENDURANCE AND CARDIO CONDITIONING
KETTLEBELL SWING
Perhaps the most popular kettlebell
exercise is the one most infrequently
performed correctly. Incorrect technique
can lead to injuries and over an exhausting three minute set, your technique can
become very sloppy. It is therefore best
to use a lighter weight to begin with and
gradually progress to larger weights
when ready. Stand over the kettlebell
with your legs shoulder-width apart.
Moving your hips backwards, bend down
and firmly grip the handle with both
hands. With your arms fully extended
and your back straight, snap the hips
forwards letting your arms naturally
swing forwards raising the kettlebell.
Initially, it may take a few swings to build
up the momentum and rhythm of the
swing, so don’t be too concerned with
the height of the kettlebell. Make sure
the kettlebell follows the centre line of
the body and when it returns, avoid sudden movements; you should aim to keep
the swing as smooth as possible. When
watching someone perform kettlebell
swings you could be fooled into believing it is predominantly a shoulder exercise. In fact, the force of the movement
should actually come from the sharp
forward-snappingof the hips. Kettlebell
swings canalso be performed singlearmedbut ensure you are competent at
double-handed swings before attempting these.
valleyfitness.co.uk
16
WORKOUT
2
ENDURANCE AND CARDIO CONDITIONING
DOUBLE-ARM CLEAN AND JERK
The clean and jerk is essentially two movements that can be performed separately or
together. You will require the power clean technique to prepare for several kettlebell
exercises, so it is important to develop your technique to a good level. The power clean
requires the athlete to quickly and forcefully bring the kettlebells from the floor to
shoulder height in one movement. Starting in a half squat position, keep your back
straight and your weight through your heels. Gripping the kettlebells tightly, keep the
arm straight to begin with. Aggressively explode your hips forwards and upwards
and as the kettlebells come up, allow the arms to relax and bend. Rotating the arms
backwards, flip the kettlebells over and catch them at shoulder height. To reduce the
force of the kettlebells hitting your forearms, tightly squeeze the handles. You will
be able to clean a larger weight than you will be able to press so the next phase is
actually considered a jerk rather than a press. Flexing the legs suitably, extend the
legs as though about to jump up (in some cases you might even leave the ground),
pressing the kettlebells upwards as sharply as you can until the arms are fully
extended.Lower the kettlebells back to the catch position and back to the ground
ready to perform the next rep. You can also perform this exercise using a single
kettlebell.
muscle-fitness.co.uk
17
WORKOUT
3
STRENGTH
AND POWER
Kettlebells have long been used to develop whole-body explosive
power and improve physical conditioning. Nevertheless, their
uniqueness and peculiar design may put some trainers off using
them properly.
In this workout we will take you through training for strength and power using just kettlebells.
Adopting a lower rep range protocol will allow you to train with a load weighing up to 75 to
85% of your 1RM. This will increase your absolute strength and explosive power by recruiting
higher-threshold motor units which are responsible for developing functional strength and
power. Increasing your absolute strength will translate into further gains in muscle mass when
starting a more standard hypertrophy cycle. Coupled with lookinggood and feeling great,
this strength and power workout will result in your complete transformation into a powerful
athlete.
TRAINING FOR STRENGTH AND POWER
EXERCISE
REPS
SETS
REST
Double Arm Power Snatch Heavy
KETTLEBELL
2-5
3-6
Pistol Squat
Moderate/heavy
2-5
3-6
Single Leg deadlift
Heavy
4-8
3-6
Overhead Press
Heavy
2-5
3-6
Kettlebell Jump
Heavy
4-8
3-6
3-4 minutes
between sets
1-2 minutes
between legs
1-2 minutes
between legs
3-4 minutes
between sets
3-4 minutes
between sets
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18
WORKOUT
3
STRENGTH AND POWER
SINGLE-LEG DEADLIFT
The single-leg deadlift can be completed with a kettlebell in each hand or a single
kettlebell, as shown here. This movement engages just about all of the lower body and
will help strengthen the stabilising muscles around the hip joint which will help prevent
injury. To start the movement stand erect with the kettlebell held in both hands in front of
you. Stand on one foot and raise the other off the floor behind you. Bend forwards and
move the hips backwards, allowing the inactive leg to follow its natural direction by
extending to the rear. If you have balance issues you can touch the floor with the inactive
foot. Gently touch the kettlebell on the floor whilst still maintaining a flat back. Return to
the standing position by reversing the downward movement, remembering not to bend
the arms and ‘pull’ the kettlebell up.
muscle-fitness.co.uk
19
WORKOUT
3
STRENGTH AND POWER
KETTLEBELL JUMP
Performing kettlebell jumps will allow you to improve the explosive power in the
lower body. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart or wherever you instinctively
feel that you are strongest. Hold the kettlebell with both hands in front of the chest
just below the chin. Keep your elbows close together and if you can, as far forward as
possible. Breaking at the hips, squat down, keeping the elbows between your legs.
Once you have reached the desired depth (preferably your thighs should be below
parallel to the floor) rapidly extend your legs and jump as high as you can keeping your
body upright and the kettlebell close to you. As you land, immediately return to the
bottom position and repeat as required. Remember to grip the kettlebell tightly and
to perform the upward phase as quickly as you can for maximum force generation.
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20
WORKOUT
3
STRENGTH AND POWER
OVERHEAD PRESS
Standing erect with the kettlebells at shoulder
height in the catch position, forcefully press directly upwards until the arms are fully extended.
If necessary, to aid the pressing movement, bend
the knees slightly and quickly extend the legs
asyou commence the upward phase (this adds
to the momentumof the upward travelling
kettlebells). Lower the kettlebells by releasing
the tension in the arms making sure you control
the descent of thekettlebells to the catch position. Use a little flex of the hips and knees to
cushion the weights’ impact if you prefer. To
increase the difficulty of this exercise, turn the
kettlebells upside down and perform a bottomsup press.
muscle-fitness.co.uk
21
WORKOUT
3
STRENGTH AND POWER
DOUBLE-ARM POWER SNATCH
The power snatch is one of the best tests
of explosive power whereby the kettlebell
is pulled from the ground to an extended
overhead position in one continuous
movement. The starting position differs
slightly from that of the standard deadlift;
the elbows are turned out slightly and the
shoulders are marginally in front of the
kettlebells. Keeping your feet flat on the
floor and your back straight, lower your
hips until you can reach the kettlebells
with straight arms. To begin the movement, aggressively snap your hips forwards becoming more upright and allowing the kettlebells to swing slightly
forwards of the body. As you approach a
near fully upright position your arms
will naturally be flexing, pulling the kettlebells back towards the body and over
your head into an extended arm position.
If necessary, dip under the kettlebells in
order to fully extend the arm overhead.
Catch the kettlebellson the backs of your
forearms remembering to grip the handle
tightly in order to reduce the impact on
the wrists.
To return to the starting position, lower
the kettlebells to shoulder height as
though completing an overhead press.
Bring the elbows back behind the
kettlebells and allow them to drop to the
floor bending the legs and moving the
hips backwards as you bend down. You
should be ready to perform another rep
if necessary. If you are uncomfortable
using two kettlebells, you can perform
the power snatch single handed.
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22
WORKOUT
3
STRENGTH AND POWER
PISTOL SQUAT
The pistol squat is essentially a single-leg squat
with the kettlebell being held in front
of the chest and the inactive leg held out to the
front. The movement is very similar to
a barbell front squat, developing your leg
strength through your full range of movment.
Being a single-leg movement the exercise
conditions the stability in your hips, knees
and ankles, which reduces the risk of injury.
S t a n d i n g e re c t , s t a r t t h e m ove m e n t
by standing on one leg, with your foot
positioned towards the
centre of the pelvis. Ensure
you are stable. Descend
until you reach the rockbottom position, or as low as
you can go. To return to the top, drive
all your weight through your heel and into
the ground extending the leg and keeping your
head up.
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23
WORKOUT
4
ADVANCED
TECHNIQUES
It is this simple: you will never have exhausted all possibilities
for training with kettlebells. All we can do is continue to learn
more about them.
In this booklet you can see a variety of exercises meticulously performed for the camera.
What you don’t see is the tens and hundreds of repetitions that didn’t look picture perfect,
the mistakes, the falls and the sweat that never made the final choice for the glossy pages. It
doesn’t take long from first picking up a kettlebell to realise that they aren’t your standard
training aide. They can be awkward and difficult to handle. The uniqueness of a kettlebell is
that the weight is positioned under the handle rather than at either side like a
dumbbell. Coupled with a thicker handle, it is their hard-to-handle qualities which make them
such good training tools. The gravitational forces differ because of where the weight is
positioned which can completely change the dynamics of an exercise.
SWINGS
To make swings a little bit tougher, add flips and rotations
to the kettlebell when switching arms at the top of the
swing. This is not just a fancy display of skill but a good
way of creating the need to snap the hips forwards when
swinging even harder to get more ‘air time’ when swinging. First try spinning the kettlebell through 180 degrees
when switching arms. Try it in both directions. If you feel
confident, try a full 360 degree spin between switching
arms and if you really want to push your luck and test
your hip snap, try flipping the kettlebell both forwards
and backwards between swings. Exercise extreme caution
when performing these drills; floors can be damaged,
toes can be bruised, egos can be smashed!
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24
WORKOUT
4
ADVANCED TECHNIQUES
WINDMILL
Often there are some exercises that can be too
challenging and so easier versions of the same
exercises can be performed to make them more
achievable. That said, making an exercise
harder can be fun too. Like the overhead press,
the side press can easily be mastered (albeit
depending on flexibility!). To develop the side
press further, attempt a windmill. Starting in
the catch position, press the kettlebell directly upwards and maintain an extended arm
throughout the exercise. With your legs at a
suitable distance apart to suit both hip and
shoulder flexibility, turn your feet away from
the extended arm, reach down to the floor and
touch your toes on the opposite side of the
body to the extended arm. Keep your legs
straight (but not necessarily locked) and
your chest out throughout this movement.
The windmill can be incredibly difficult so
you are well advised to progress slowly
to reaching the rock-bottom position.
As a final challenge, when at the bottom position of the windmill, perform another side press and then
return to the standing position of
the windmill.
muscle-fitness.co.uk
25
WORKOUT
4
ADVANCED TECHNIQUES
RENEGADE ROWS & PRESS-UPS
There are ways of adapting existing exercises or joining multiple exercises together.
Anyone who has attempted a renegade row will understand how well they lend themselves to kettlebell push-ups. For an added challenge, incorporate the two exercises
and perform one renegade row between each kettlebell press. This is a great conditioning exercise for the upper body and can help to improve shoulder stability which
could lead to a bigger bench.
valleyfitness.co.uk
26
WORKOUT
4
ADVANCED TECHNIQUES
FIGURE OF 8
The figure of 8 is another good exercise to add to the list of active recovery exercises.
Smoothly pass the kettlebell between your legs in a figure of 8 motion. You will need to pay
particular attention to keeping your arms straight/locked to avoid undue tension on the arm
flexors (biceps) and remember to maintain a good lifting position: legs bent, spine neutral
and in line and your chest up. Don’t forget you can switch direction when it feels appropriate.
muscle-fitness.co.uk
27
WORKOUT
4
ADVANCED TECHNIQUES
BOTTOMS UP PRESS
The temptation with extended durationexercises/workouts is to simply go through
the motions. This not going to cut it with
kettlebells and sloppy form will lead to injury and at best, poor gains. Maintain correct
form throughout the workout and ensure
correct breathing techniques are used. A
good way, though admittedly not an obvious
way, of ensuring you make things as strict as
possible is to make the movement more complex. The tougher a movement is the less
weight you will be able to use and so you are
able to maintain better form. A good way to
ensure you aren’t just throwing the weights
around without due care is to change the
orientation of the kettlebell. By turning the
kettlebell upside down, an overhead press
becomes an immensely more difficult bottoms-up press.
SOTS DOUBLE PRESS, SOTS
BOTTOMS-UP DOUBLE PRESS
You can turn a simple press into a more difficult
press in so many ways. Take for example, the Sots
press: if pressing kettlebells whilst standing up
wasn’t hard enough, try squatting down and doing it. Perform a power clean with two equally
weighted kettlebells and hold them at shoulder
height in the catch position. Next, squat down
into the bottom position of the front squat. From
here, maintaining a good lifting posture and a
solid torso, press both kettlebells directly upwards
in one smooth action. Repeat for the desired
number of repetitions and return to the standing
position with the kettlebells at shoulder height
before lowering them to the floor. Don’t forget
you can always go that extra yard and perform a
bottoms-up press.
valleyfitness.co.uk
28
WORKOUT
4
ADVANCED TECHNIQUES
SQUAT DOWN, SIT UP, BUTT ACTIVATION AND STAND UP
You really need to experiment with what weight you can manage with this exercise,
more so than any other exercise. Too much and you won’t be achieving the right movements; too little and you might well crash and burn into the mat. Grasping the kettlebell
in both hands at chest level, descend to the rock-bottom front squat position. Your legs
will need to be wide enough to accommodate you actually being able to lower yourself
onto your buttocks without using your hands. (Repeatedly getting this first part of the
movement wrong can result in bruising – you have been warned!) In a controlled manner, lower your torso to the floor as though completing a sit-up. Continuing the movement beyond a normal sit-up, move the kettlebell from your chest to an overhead
position. Once the kettlebell is behind your head, reverse this action in a smooth
continuous movement. Naturally you will use some of the rocking momentum from
pulling the kettlebell from overhead to chest level to aid you moving onto your feet
from the sit-up position. From here you simply stand up but you may need to extend
your arms slightly, moving the kettlebell forwards and away from the body thereby
moving your centre of gravity over your feet to allow the squat ascent. Phew! Nothing
left but to try it.
muscle-fitness.co.uk
29
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