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.

• 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:

This one is really just a single exercise, but I’m calling it a combo because it’s a bunch of kettlebell moves all mixed together … it’s truly a smoker. I challenge you to find a muscle group in your body that this exercise doesn’t work.

Here’s the video:

Start this one in a standing position with the kettlebells about six inches in front of you. The first trick is to make sure the KB handles are placed in such a way that your palms can face each other when you jump back to your Push Up.

Jump your feet back to a Push Up position – like a Burpee. Do a Push Up. Now, jump the feet forward in one motion and make sure your feet land outside of the kettlebell handles.

Clean the ‘bells up, do a Front Squat, and move straight from the Front Squat to an Overhead Press. Rack the KB’s, return them to the ground and you’ve done one rep.

For a quick, incredibly tough full body blast, do 50 of these for time. You must pay very close attention to your form with this combo. Especially as the rep count starts to climb, your form can easily break down.

If you’re just starting out, you can of course scale the workout down and do maybe half the amount of reps. You could also do more if 50 is too easy.

(BTW, I got the idea for this one from the ‘original’ full body attack – I’ve just added a Push Up and Front Squat to make it tougher.)

Here’s a video of the original for reference:

That’s it for kettlebell basics combo #4! Enjoy and keep training hard.

Still strugling to learn the basics of kettlebell training? Your first move is to read through the archives and check out the videos on this blog – there’s a ton of great info here. Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter, and you’ll get a free Beginner’s Guide to Kettlebell Training – you can do that by simply inputing your name and email into the form at the upper right of the page. For a more complete and in-depth guide that teaches you basic kettlebell exercises and workouts, check out my KettlebellBasics.net Quick Start Guide. And last but not least, visit the recommended resources page of this blog to order kettlebells and all the other stuff you need to make your kettlebell training a great experience!

Kettlebell Basics Combo #1

Kettlebell Basics Combo #2

Kettlebell Basics Combo #3 incorporates four basic kettlebell drills into a giant circuit: Clean and Presses, Snatches, Goblet Squats, and Hand to Hand Swings.

To complete the circuit, you’ll perform 2 Clean and Presses on each side, 4 Snatches on each side, 12 Goblet Squats, and 16 Hand to Hand Swings.  Repeat this circuit 5 times for an amazing, efficient, full-body-blasting workout!

Don’t forget: You can get free access to the Kettlebell Rx video and a free copy of the Beginner’s Guide to Kettlebell Training by signing up for our newsletter!  Just drop your name and email into the box at the upper right of the page.

Quality kettlebell training advice can be hard to come by- here’s a short list of resources I’ve used to build my kettlebell knowledge over time – I hope you find it useful:

DragonDoor.com

The premier source of kettlebell training info. Pavel Tsatsouline, the man behind The Russian Kettlebell Challenge, Enter The Kettlebell, Return of The Kettlebell and lots of other books from Dragon Door, is largely responsible for popularizing kettlebell training in the U.S.

Enter The Kettlebell by Pavel

The best book, in my opinion, on getting started with kettlebell training. Keeps things basic for you, and Pavel has a both highly effective and highly entertaining way of teaching.  A must have for your KB training library.  The Enter The Kettlebell DVD is also a great tool.

YouTube

A good resource with a lot of good stuff – and a lot of bad. I might sound a little like I’m condradicting myself after this post – the rule is to use YouTube at your own risk and, after looking at all the other resources I recommend here, use your knowledge as a ‘filter’ and decide what’s good and what’s not.

The CrossFit Journal

This is, at $25 a year, one of the best investments you can make in furthering your general training knowledge.   I know the jury is out on CrossFit (I wrote a post about this recently on The Fitness Monster, in fact – you can check it out here), but I think their journal is an awesome resource. There’s not only a lot of kettlebell info here – much of it from Jeff Martone, a former RKC guy – but lots and lots more on every imaginable topic.

Viking Warrior Conditioning

This is a killer book if you’re looking to improve your conditioning.  A word of warning: the program is hard  But if you can survive, you’ll probably get into the best shape of your life.

Another cool thing is that Kenneth Jay, author of Viking Warrior Conditioning, has extensive research that he’s performed himself to back up what he’s saying.

Return of The Kettlebell

What to do once you’re done with Enter The Kettlebell.  Covers advanced kettlebell training methods, most notably double kettlebell drills in detail – again, don’t even think about it until you’ve completed the Rite of Passage!

MikeMahler.com

Another former RKC guy, has an awesome free e-book on kettlebell training you get for signing up for his newsletter. Also has a ton of training dvd’s and holds various workshops across the country. Highly recommended.

ArtofStrength.com

Great YouTube channel, Art of Strength and Punch Kettlebell Gym is headed by Anthony DiLugo, who got his start with the RKC – seeing a common theme here?

There you have it – a short list of kettlebell training resources that should keep you busy for a while! This list is by no means exhaustive – in fact, feel free to leave links to your favorite places to find kettlebell training info in the comments section.

Keep training hard!!

His passion and intensity level is inspiring; but I also know, because he’s a nice guy and I talk to him almost every day, that he wants to lose fat. And I know that there’s probably a more effective way to go about doing it than his current training system – to say the least.

My almost daily exposure to this spectacle has got me thinking: kettlebell training is like the ‘great equalizer’. Take someone who thinks they’re training hard, who’s training using this body part split, bodybuilding style workout, and have them do swings for 10 or 15 minutes. I’ve done it lots of times, and I know that this person gets smoked 9 times out of 10. In fact, most times they can’t make it the full 15 minutes.

On the other hand, I have female clients who are under 130 pounds that can do more swings and squats with a 24 kilo (53 pound) kettlebell than most men.

The point is, kettlebell training has a tendency of evening the playing field. If you think you’re in good shape, get someone who knows what they’re talking about to teach you the basics (or at the very least pick up a copy of the KettlebellBasics.net Quick Start Guide) and give kettlebell training a try.

And to help you learn more about the basics of training with kettlebells, here are a few posts from the archives to get you going:

The Swing

The Get Up

A Beginner Kettlebell Workout

Keep training hard!

The One Hand Swing

A fundamental variation on the two hand swing.  Mechanics on this exercise are identical to the two hand swing, except for the fact that you’re obviously only using one hand, and that you’re turning the hand in slightly  as you bring the kettlebell down – this ‘pre-stretches’ the rotators.  The one hand swing certainly works your grip more and your core muscles -the abs, obliques, hips, glutes, etc.

The Hand To Hand Swing

Here, you simply perform a one hand swing and switch hands mid-air on each rep.  The key is to make the kettlebell float and simply ‘pluck’ it out of the air with the opposite hand at the top of each repetition.  Make sure you practice this one outside to begin with

The Traveling Swing

You can perform the traveling swing a lot of different ways – check out the first video below for some inspiration.  A couple of tips for two of the basic variations – if swinging side to side, the key is to step with the back foot first – otherwise you might be in for some disasterous results  On the forward walking swing, make sure to take quick steps.  

Here’s a couple of cool videos with even more swing variations:

There are a lot of swing variations to play around with – focus on learning one at a time to master your form, stay safe, and get the most you can out of your training. Did I miss any swing variations? What are your thoughts?

P.S. If you need a guide to help you learn the basics of kettlebell training the right way, check out the KettlebellBasics.net Quick Start Guide here: http://kettlebellbasics.net/kettlebellbasics-net-quick-start-guide/