1. We usually start off with a dynamic warm up of some kind … something like the warm up I talked about in this post: How To Warm Up For Your Next Kettlebell Workout In 3 Minutes Or Less

2. Then we move on to a ’strength circuit’ – this is sometimes kettlebells only, sometimes kettlebells and body weight or dumbbell exercises mixed together.  It’s usually a combo of two exercises, performed for a specific amount of reps each and rotated back and forth for 5 minutes non-stop.  This is a great set up that allows folks of various fitness levels to all get a great workout in a group setting.  Here’s a video of one of my favorite combos (this is actually a sample video from a brand new workout program I have out – I’ll give you more details about it at the end of this post):

3. Then, we do two ‘conditioning circuits’ – this might be something like:

10 Kettlebell Squat Cleans

5 Kettlebell ‘Renegade Rows’ each side

10 Walking Overhead Kettlebell Lunges

And we’ll run through these sequences in the same fashion as many times as we can for 7-10 minutes.

4. I then take about 5 minutes to do core and/or corrective work – Planks, Hip Bridges, stuff like that.

5. To finish, we do a simple static stretch at the end.

In 45 minutes you get resistance training, conditioning work, core work, exercises for injury prevention, and flexibility – and that’s tough to beat

That’s the structure of a typical kettlebell boot camp workout at Forest Vance Training, Inc.  Hope that helps you design your own boot camp workouts in the future!

Oh, and the video above is from my new 30 Day Rapid Fat Loss Challenge total transformation plan … if you’re trying to lose body fat, it’s for sure at least worth checking out.  Heck, I’m giving away bonuses with it for the next few days (3 days to be exact) that are worth more than the actual product, including a free copy of the KettlebellBasics.net Quick Start Guide … and on top of that, the package is over 50% off.  Get the details here:

The 30 Day Rapid Fat Loss Challenge

1. Don’t sit up to start the movement – roll instead

‘Punch’ up towards the ceiling while rolling on to the elbow at the same time to get yourself off the floor.  This small detail makes getting up so much easier – and it’s how the exercise is supposed to be performed.

2. Learn the first half first

The best way to learn the Get Up is by learning the first half of the movement; if you try to stand all the way up from day one, you’re going to make things a lot harder on yourself. Just come up to where your down arm is locked out and is supporting your weight, and then return to the ground. You can actually get a lot of milage out of the movement by just practicing the first half; here’s how to perform the half Get Up:

3. Do a sideways Windmill to stand up

As you bring the foot through and go to your lunge position, aim to get your knee close to your hand – then do a sideways Windmill to stand up. Don’t sit back on your hand – this is a very common mistake.

These tips might be a little hard to visualize – see if you can pick out what I’m talking about as I go through the movement in this video:

Apply these Turkish Get Up tips to your kettlebell training today and I know you’ll see some fast improvements.  And keep training hard!

P.S. Kettlebells From The Ground Up by Master RKC Brett Jones and world-renowned physical therapist Grey Cook is a fantastic resource if you’re looking to really master the Turkish Get Up and get everything you can out of it – you can check out a recent review I did of the product here:

Kettlebells From The Ground Up Review

However, double kettlebell training can take your workouts to a whole new level. As I mentioned in this post on Return of the Kettlebell by Pavel, double kettlebell training gives you a whole lot more ‘metabolic whallop’ for your buck. It’s also great for putting on muscle – moving more weight stimulates more muscle.

In this article, I’m going to give a quick overview of five ‘basic’ double kettlebell exercises:  The Double Swing, the Double Clean, the Double Press, the Double Squat, and the Double Snatch.  Next time, I’ll give you a couple of double kettlebell sample workouts you can try.

Hopefully this goes without saying, but mastering the basic kettlebell exercises with one kettlebell should come before trying to learn them using two.  Make sure to read through the archives of this blog for technique and workout tips if you’re still looking to get the basic exercises down.

The Double Swing

The mechanics of the Double Swing are identical to the single kettlebell Swing, with a couple of exceptions:

1. You’ll have to take a slightly wider stance than you would with a ‘normal’ Swing to get the kettlebells to clear your legs.

2. Turn the handles in slightly as you bring the kettlebells down and back to pre-load the external rotators

Here’s a video demo of the standard Swing to review:

The Double Clean

The Double Clean is, like the Double Swing, very similar to its single-kettlebell counterpart.  You’ll simply clean both kettlebells at the same time up to the shoulder.  Also, same as the Double Swing, make sure to internally rotate the kettlebell handles to pre-load the external rotators as they come down and are hike-passed between the legs.

The Double Press

Same mechanics as the single-arm Press.  Here you’ll just be working with more weight total, and actually be more balanced during the press.

Here’s a good video demonstration of the Double Kettlebell Clean and Press:

The Double Squat

The Double Squat is actually a good sub for a traditional Barbell Front Squat. It’s a lot easier on the wrists and is pretty darn challenging – a double front squat with a pair of 32k’s will challenge even a strong man.

Here’s what the Double Kettlebell Squat looks like:

The Double Snatch

This one is a little tricky, largely because of the weight of two kettlebells is going to have the tendency to pull you down.  In many instances, you’ll be snatching upwards of half your entire body weight.  So, what you want to do is snatch the kettlebells up above your head, and then bring them down to your shoulders before you snatch them back up.

Here’s a video that does a good job of explaining the Double Swing to Double Snatch progression:

There you have the basic five double kettlebell exercises: The Swing, Clean, Press, Squat and Snatch.  Next time, I’ll outline a couple of sample double kettlebell workouts for you.  Keep training hard!!

P.S.  If anything is unclear, I explain all of these double kettlebell exercises in greater detail in my KettlebellBasics.net Quick Start Guide

P.S.S. One thing about double kettlebell training: You’ll probably need to order more kettlebells  As you know, I personally use and highly recommend Dragon Door kettlebells – check out this post if you want to know why

P.S.S.S. Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated on all the latest from KettlebellBasics.net (and to get first word of the next post in this series) – just drop your name and email into the box at the upper right of the page

• The importance of a proper hip crease during the Swing
• Why you should feel like you’re hike passing the KB back during the ‘bell’s decent phase
• How to ‘lock in’ your upper body throughout the exercise

Enjoy!

To grab your free copy of my training video ‘Kettlebell Rx: 3 Common Training Mistakes and How To Fix Them’, sign up for the KettlebellBasics.net newsletter!  Just drop your name and email into the box at the upper right of the page.

1. Renegade Rows

This exercise, while working a lot of other muscle groups at the same time, is probably one of the most challenging ab exercises you’ll ever do.  Here’s a quick video with some great tips on how to perfect it:

And an entire post on the Kettlebell Row and variations of it, like the Renegade Row:

The Kettlebell Row

2. Front Squats

Kettlebell Front Squats are one of the best kettlebell exercises for your abs. They force you to stabilize a weight in front of you and maintain a neutral spine (if you’re doing the exercise right, that is) through a very real-world and functional movement – squatting! Here’s the full article on how to do the Kettlebell Squat:

The Kettlebell Squat

3. The Turkish Get Up

The Turkish Get Up is another fantastic exercise for your abs that can be performed using kettlebells. It is, however, highly technical – here’s an article on this blog about how to perform it properly:

The Turkish Get Up

The KettlebellBasics.net Quick Start Guide manual and video series also covers how to do the Turkish Get Up in detail.

So there you have three great kettlebell exercises for the abs – the Renegade Row, the Front Squat, and the Turkish Get Up.  Incorporate these exercises into your existing routine and start reaping the benefits today!!

If you’d like to learn more about the basics of kettlebell training, make sure to sign up for our newsletter and claim your free gifts!  Just drop your name and email into the box at the upper right of this page.

Now on the other hand, if you’ve been faithfully practicing your kettlebell moves, your technique is improving and you’re getting the basic exercises down pat …

Guess what? It’s about time to add the kettlebell circuit to your training arsenal. Here’s just a few of the benefits you can expect from incorporting kettlebell circuits into your routine:

* Burning fat without sacrificing muscle mass
* Improved conditioning
* Increased strength
* Increased athleticism

Another great thing about kettlebell circuits is that they are super efficient and usually can be completed in 20 minutes or less.

Here’s an example of a kettlebell circuit workout – it’s a video from my ‘kettlebell combo’ video series:

Don’t forget: Although it might not be that exciting, mastering the basics is essential before you start doing kettlebell circuits.  You’ll get a better workout, prevent injury and enjoy your kettlebell training experience a lot more.

Kettlebell circuits are an awesome way to burn fat, improve your conditioning, increase strength, and increase athleticism. Start incorporating them into your routine today!!

If you haven’t mastered the basics of kettlebell training, the KettlebellBasics.net Quick Start Guide is a great place to start. I’ve recently added a video series to the package, and the price is going up next week, so now’s the time to grab a copy if you haven’t already at a great price!!

• Background and history of the kettlebell
• Why ‘cushy’ shoes are a no-no for your kettlebell training
• How to learn the ‘hip hinge’ and the proper swing movement pattern from the KB deadlift

And much more!  Check it out for yourself:

So I’ve decided to do a short series of videos showing you how to do a few of these ‘kettlebell basics combos’. Here’s the first in the series:

To perform this combo, you’ll do 3 One Arm Swings, 3 One Arm Squat to Overhead Presses, and 3 One Arm Snatches, all continuously and on the same side (as shown in the video above).

You’ll then switch sides and complete the circuit again on the opposite side.

Complete ten rounds of this on the right and ten rounds on the left for a complete workout.

Enjoy!

One more thing: doing circuits like these requires mastery of the basic kettlebell drills first. You must have a solid grasp of the basic drills before you can start ripping them off in a circuit fashion like this. If you’re just getting started, here are two places to start:

1. Sign up for the KettlebellBasics.net newsletter and get 1. A Free Beginner’s Guide to Kettlebell Training and 2. Kettlebell Rx – a free KB training video. Just enter your name and email above to sign up today!

2. Pick up a copy of the KettlebellBasics.net Quick Start Guide and get a complete guide to the basics of kettlebell training, audio mp3’s to guide you through your workouts, a bonus guide to fixing three commmon KB training mistakes, and more. Click here to find out more and pick up a copy today!

No different than a swing, the starting position must come from pushing the hips back behind you – loading up the glutes and hamstrings takes the stress off the lower back.   The first and most basic version of the KB row is the two-hand variety.  To perform this exercise, start with a wide stance and the hips pushed back. Both kettlebells will go between your feet. Start the movement by pulling both ‘bells up to your stomach.  Make sure to visualize using your back doing the work and squeeze the shoulder blades together at the top.

The second version of the exercise is the one arm kettlebell row.  You’ll start this one with a staggered stance and the kettlebell directly next to the front foot.  Simply grab the ‘bell, row it up towards the same shoulder, and get a slight twist in your torso as the kettlebell reaches the top of the movement.  Here’s a quick video demo of the exercise:

The third variation of the kettlebell row is the alternating version. This one is identical to the two arm row with regards to set up and positioning, except for the fact that we’ll be alternating arms – hold the ‘resting’ side’s ‘bell up to the body while you row with the other side.

The last variation of the kettlebell row is the ‘renegade’ row. This is much like a push up and row combined – this one is an awesome full – body smoker. This video provides a good description of the movement:

The row is a great kettlebell drill that can add some nice variation into your training routine. Try incorporating some or all of these variations of the drill into your existing program. Keep training hard and good luck!

If you enjoyed this post, make sure to sign up for our newsletter while you’re here and check out our free training video! Simply enter your name and email in the box in the upper right hand corner of the page for instant access.

1.  Learn and master the swing.  Mastery of the swing teaches you how to use your hips properly.  Do man makers twice a week for at least a month before you even think about snatching.

2.  There are different snatch styles; we’re focusing on hardstyle – so no cork-screw.  The kettlebell will flip over your wrist as it comes over the top, not rotate around it.

3.  Be agressive!  The more tentative you are about punching your hand through and finishing at overhead lockout, the harder the ‘bell will hit you in the wrist.

4.  Keep the ‘bell close to the body (think kettlebell clean).  This isn’t a swing, it’s a snatch – we’re trying to project the force up over our head in a snatch and out in front of us during a swing.

5.  Think about ‘throwing’ the weight down from the top.  Attempt to close the distance from the elbow to the rib cage as fast as possible as the ‘bell comes down in front of you.

6.  Energy is driven from the hamstrings and glutes; load those babies up!  A high rep snatch workout should leave your posterior chain sore for days.

7.  Learn the high pull.  Create weightlessness with the hams and glutes.  Then progress to high pull – snatch – high pull – snatch – etc.  This is a nice progression that helps a lot if you’re having trouble getting the weight to flip over your wrist smoothly.

Put these seven tips to use and you’ll have the snatch mastered in no time!  Do you have any more tips that have helped you improve the kettlebell snatch?  Share them in the comments section below!

P.S. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter while you’re here and check out the free ‘Kettlebell Rx:  3 common kettlebell training mistakes and how to fix them’ video – you’ll get a more detailed description of a few of these tips in addition to other basic drills to improve your kettlebell training technique.