Two Tips To Improve Your Kettlebell Snatch

The kettlebell Snatch is a tricky movement to get the hang of – I know I got my fair share of bruised wrists when I was learning it.

I stumbled across this video from Jason C. Brown of KettlebellAthletics.com that shares a couple of great tips to help perfect your Snatching form:

To summarize:

Drill 1:

Grab a light kettlebell. Do a bottoms-up Clean with it – so the ‘bell should end up with the bottom facing towards the ceiling and racked at about shoulder level. Now, ‘punch’ your hand around the kettlebell from shoulder level up to being locked out overhead. The idea here is to practice actively getting your hand around the KB, instead of just letting it come over the top and crash down on your wrist.

Drill 2

You want to base the Snatch exercise off of the high pull – in other words, the arc of the ‘bell should be like that of a High Pull vs. a Swing (watch the video to see a demonstration). If you base the Snatch off of the Swing, the arc will be too far in front of your body.

So you can do a progression to work your way into doing a Snatch: Do a Low Pull, do a High Pull, and then a Snatch. I actually use that progression with folks all the time with a lot of success.

Remember: Practice makes perfect. Don’t just blast through your KB workouts with no regard for form; strive for perfection. And if you’re having trouble getting the hang of the kettlebell Snatch, the two tips mentioned in this video should help you out.

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3 Tips To Improve Your Kettlebell Swing

Here’s a short video that didn’t make it into the final KettlebellBasics.net Quick Start Video Series … the audio quality isn’t great, but I still think there’s some good info here.  I cover:

  • 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!

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Advanced Body Weight Methods To Compliment Your Kettlebell Training

Kettlebells are a fantastic tool for building strength endurance and shooting your conditioning level through the roof. But for balanced development, you do need to include other types of training in your overall programming scheme. Using your own body weight as a workout tool is a great solution. Here are three advanced body weight exercise methods that should make a great compliment to your existing kettlebell training program:

1. Static holds

Here’s a somewhat unorthodox technique for building strength your own body weight.  A static hold is, at it’s most basic level, where you simply hold an exercise at a particular point in its range of motion. It’s a great way to make exercises that are easy when you reach a certain fitness level – like Push Ups – more difficult.

As an example, to use this technique with a Push Up, you could do three static holds of 30 seconds each at the bottom, middle, and top of the range of motion of the exercise.

2. Tabata Intervals

The ‘Tabata’ method, just for a quick review, is a simple interval protocol. It involves twenty seconds of all-out work, ten seconds of rest, and is repeated eight times. Then puke, fall down, pass out, etc. 🙂 I wrote more about the Tabata method in this post:

The Advantages Of HIIT Cardio

It works great with a variety of bodyweight exericses, like Squats, Push Ups, and Sit Ups.

3. Using Body Weight Exercises For Cardio

In the same vein as Tabata intervals – if you hate doing traditional cardio (like I do), you can do a body weight circuit instead. You simply need to string together a series of body weight exercises and make sure that they:

  • Keep you moving non-stop for a period of time
  • Keep you heart rate up
  • Aren’t overly intense – you should be able to maintain the flow for at least 15-20 minutes

Here’s a cool video to give you an example:

So there are three advanced body weight exercise training methods to compliment your current kettlebell training program. Build them into your workouts today!

If you’re looking for even more advanced body weight training methods, check out my book and DVD all about how to get an awesome workout anywhere in 30 minutes or less, No Gym? No Excuse! And if you’re interested in a top-secret package deal on all of my products, check out the checkout page of that very same website:

No Gym? No Excuse!

Three Killer Kettlebell Exercises For Abs

Perfect technique with the right kettlebell exercises will give you all the ab work you’ll ever need without doing a single crunch or sit up.  Here are three kettlebell exercises that work the heck out of your abs (and work almost every other muscle in your body as well):

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!!

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Why Kettlebell Circuits Are An Essential Tool In Your Training Toolbox

Many times, one of the first workouts people ever do with their kettlebells is a circuit-style routine.  This is actually a bad idea if you’re just getting started – you’ll get so much more out of simply focusing on perfect technique.  It might not be sexy, but it’s true.

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!!

Kettlebell Routines

kettlebell routines
The best kettlebell routines from KettlebellBasics.net

Variety in your kettlebell training program, contrary to popular belief, can be both good and bad.

If you keep doing the same workout for a long period of time, your body adapts and you stop making progress.  It also gets super boring :).

On the other hand, change things up too much and it’s difficult to measure progress.

Sticking with your program just long enough and changing things up when your gains start to stall is the ticket to steady progress.  And that being said, here are a few kettlebell routines to give you ideas for your workouts and to help you keep things interesting.  Most of these have written descriptions and video – enjoy!

Kettlebell Routines from KettlebellBasics.net

A Beginner Kettlebell Workout

Combines two basic kettlebell exercises – the Swing and the Get Up – into a medium intensity, beginner level workout. Start here after you feel confident with your Swing and Get Up technique.

Kettlebell and Body Weight 300 Workout

Combines the Swing and Goblet Squat with some basic body weight exercises for a short kettlebell circuit.

A ‘Big Five’ Kettlebell Circuit Workout

This one takes all five basic kettlebell exercises – the Swing, the Get Up, the Goblet Squat, the Clean and Press, and the Snatch – and combines them into a giant circuit.

‘Extreme Cardio’ Kettlebell Workout

How to use kettlebells for cardio! Includes two sample workouts.

Two Ultra-Abbreviated KB Circuits

If you’re short on time, here’s two kettlebell workouts you can do in 15 minutes or less.

Kettlebell Basics Combo Series

A video series by yours truly that features four ‘kettlebell combo’ videos so far. Take combo #1 for example – the one arm Swing to one arm Squat to Overhead Press to one arm Snatch. All combos also have a basic workout you can do with them.

Kettlebell Basics Combo #1

Kettlebell Basics Combo #2

Kettlebell Basics Combo #3

Kettlebell Basics Combo #4


New Workouts (updated 11/19/2010):

Kettlebells For Building Muscle – Chest, Shoulders and Tris

Kettlebells For Building Muscle – Legs, Back and Bis

Looking to use kettlebells to build muscle?  Here’s a complete workout plan for you.

Kettlebells For Fat Loss Part 1

Kettlebells For Fat Loss Part 2

Looking to use kettlebells to lose fat?  Here’s another complete workout plan for you.

Snatch, Swing and Clean Workout

Fast KB circuit that incorporates three of the basics –

Kettlebell Boot Camp Workout

Sample workout from my kettlebell boot camp class – combines kettlebells and body weight moves

Kettlebell Fat Blast

Yet another kettlebell workout for fat loss!

Kettlebell Tabata Workout

Kettlebells + the Tabata protocol = serious fat loss 🙂

Even More New Workouts (updated 6/1/11):

Thanksgiving Kettlebell and Body Weight Smoker

‘Fast and furious’ kettlebell and body weight workout (this one’s actually a preview from the KB Basics Swing Manual)

Kettlebells For Cardio Without Machines

Shows you how to get a great cardio workout without boring treadmills or exercise bikes

10 Minute Burpee + Kettlebell Swing Workout

Another quick KB and bodyweight blast

10 Minute Swing + Snatch Cardio Workout

Cool sequence that cycles between kettlebells of different sizes

Kettlebell Workout With The Gymboss Interval Timer

KB workout using the Gymboss interval timer – a tool I personally couldn’t train without

A ‘Crunchless’ Kettlebell Workout For Abs

Think you need to do crunches to train your abs? Think again … give this workout a try

Kettlebell Bodyweight Circuit Workout

Simple circuit using kettlebells and your own bodyweight

Kettlebell Squat Clean + HIIT Cardio Combo

Intense cardio – and a sample of the KB Basics Premium Workouts program

Kettlebell Turkish Get Up/Clean + Press/ Snatch Combo Workout

Very cool training sequence … one of my personal favorite combinations

15 Minute Kettlebell Combo Workout

Another quick kettlebell workout you can knock out in 15 minutes or less

And Even More … (updated 1/12/12):

Kettlebell Workout For Combat Athletes

Being that combat athletes come from a broad group, this kettlebell circuit workout can be adapted to your training program; it is done for time instead of reps and requires the use of a kettlebell in each exercise

Beginner Kettlebell Workout

If you are just beginning to train with kettlebells, this circuit is designed for you, incorporating simple, yet effective kettlebell exercises to get you started

Kettlebell Body Weight Strength Workout

The inclusion of strength training in workouts is incredibly crucial and this workout targets that need with the use of a single kettlebell

Double Kettlebell Circuit Workout

This is a strength based workout incorporating conditioning and two kettlebells

Kettlebell and Body Weight Stability Ball Circuit Workout

To branch out, this workout has ten exercises utilizing body weight, a stability ball, and kettlebells; this combination is great for losing fat and gaining lean muscle

Kettlebell Workout For Firefighters

This kettlebell workout is highly functional and designed specifically for the needs of firefighters

Halloween Kettlebell Workout

Halloween has passed, but that doesn’t mean candy isn’t still available throughout the year, try this bodyweight/kettlebell workout to burn some of those calories!

Kettlebell Strength Workout

This workout incorporates heavy training with kettlebells to improve your strength and fitness level

10 Minute Home Kettlebell Workout Video

Unable to get out of the house?  This kettlebell workout takes little time, but is still incredibly effective

Kettlebell Workout For Seniors

This article goes into detail about the requirements and benefits of seniors and kettlebell training, in addition to providing a specific workout

Black Friday Kettlebell Workout

Although Black Friday may have passed, this workout is still a tough one with a mix of body weight and kettlebell exercises

Kettlebell Workout For Women

Women require different training needs than men and this routine targets that issue with a combination of lunges, get ups, rows, swings, snatches, and cleans

Now, these kettlebell routines are just a start – we’ve got many more to come, so stay tuned!!  Comments and questions are always welcome.

P.S. If you liked these kettlebell workouts, why not subscribe to the KettlebellBasics.net newsletter? You’ll get email updates of new posts, a free video and e-manual just for joining, and more. Just drop your name and email into the box to the upper right of the page to sign up now.

Kettlebell Basics Combo #4

For the forth installment of the Kettlebell Basics Combo series … The Super Full Body Attack!!

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!

The Dumbell Complex

Time to time, you might find yourself away from your kettlebells – maybe on the road for work or vacation – and still in need of the fast and efficient conditioning-style workout you get with your KB’s. The Dumbbell Complex is a great alternative.

Istvan Javorek is the strength coach who has recently popularized the dumbbell complex concept – here’s a video of the Javorek Complex #1:

Quick summary of the complex in the video if you missed it:

Dumbbell Upright Row X 6
Dumbbell High Pull Snatch X 6
Dumbbell Squat Push Press X 6
Dumbbell Bent Over Row X 6
Dumbbell High Pull Snatch X 6

Perform In A Non-Stop, Continuous Order As Listed Above.

Five Exercise X 6 Reps = 30 Reps/Set

This complex can be done once or twice for a warm-up or three to five times for a complete workout.

Enjoy and have a great weekend!

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Kettlebell Basics Combo #3

It’s time for Kettlebell Basics Combo #3!  Here are links to the first two videos in the series in case you missed them:

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.

5 Reasons Why You Should Train Barefoot

Do you realize the impact the footwear you choose when training with kettlebells has on your strength, balance, and cordination? Kettlebell training – and most other training, in fact – is best done with no shoes at all.

According to this article in New York Magazine:

How We’re Wrecking Our Feet With Every Step We Take

Prior to the invention of shoes, people had healthier feet. The modern Zulu population, which often goes barefoot, had the healthiest feet in a study sited in the above article. Europeans, the habitual shoe wearers, had the most foot problems.

So here are five reasons why you should think about losing your shoes for your next kettlebell training session:

1. ‘Feel’ the floor

Going barefoot allows you to build a nice strong base from the ground up for performing kettlebell drills. Also, cross trainers or running shoes may have elevation in the sole as to pitch your feet forward and impair mobility.

2. Strengthen the foot muscles

You get this only with barefoot (and some very unique footwear that I’ll mention in a bit) training. Plus you can use your toes to grip things better.

3. Improves balance

This is almost immediate.  Just try it and report back.

4. No tension loss

If you follow Pavel’s teachings, you know that tension is strength. So cushy shoes are out.

5. Proper gait

Wearing shoes makes natural gait impossible. And chronic shoe wearing can result in lower and upper back pain.

So now let me address the common objections I get to this:

“I train in a gym and I can’t take my shoes off”

“I train at the local park and don’t want to cut my feet/step in dog poo/etc.

“I don’t want to drop a kettlebell on my foot”

Stop being a sissy 🙂

But if these are serious problems for you,Vibram Five Fingers are a cool alternative footwear that are well worth a look. Wearing a pair of Vibrams is, from a biomechanical standpoint, like going barefoot, but gives you some protection against the elements.

vibrams

Check out this article on Tim Ferriss’s Four Hour Blog for more about problems with wearing shoes and the Vibram Five Fingers:

Vibram Five Finger Shoes: The Barefoot Alternative

I don’t personally own a pair of Vibrams (I just train barefoot), but I know a lot of kettlebell people who love them. It comes down to preference and convenience in the end.

What kind of footwear do you sport in your kettlebell training?