Category: Videos

Kettlebell Basics Combo #2

On By adminIn Kettlebell Workouts, Videos4 Comments

Here’s the second installment of the Kettlebell Basics Combo series – if you missed the first one, you can check it out here.

For the second kettlebell combo, we have just two exercises – the Snatch and the Turkish Get Up.  You’ll do 5 Snatches on the right side, go immediately into a ‘top-down’ Get Up (see the video for a demo of this one – it’s simply a Get Up that starts and ends in a standing position and with the kettlebell locked out overhead), do a half swing to switch hands, and repeat the same sequence on the left side.  Repeat this five times on the right and five times on the left for a fast, efficient full-body workout.  Here’s a video of Kettlebell Basics Combo #2:

Enjoy!  While I’ve got ya here, I’d also like to point you towards a brand new page on this blog – Recommended Resources.  It’s a list of all the ‘tools of the trade’ you need to learn how to use kettlebells safely and effectively.  I put it together as a resource for you to refer back to on a regular basis, and it’s something I plan on updating frequently as I test more kettlebell-related products and services and learn more myself.  Check it out by clicking the link below:

KettlebellBasics.net Recommended Resources

Kettlebell Basics Combo #1

On By adminIn Basic Kettlebell Drills, Kettlebell Workouts, Tips and Tricks, Videos8 Comments

One awesome thing about mastering the basics of kettlebell training – the Swing, the Get Up, the Squat, the Clean and Press, and the Snatch – is that you can combine these exercises together into ‘flow’ combo circuits (see this post for more about the concept of ‘kettlebell flow’) once you’ve got them down.

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!

Mastering The Art Of ‘Kettlebell Flow’ – Two Cool Videos

On By adminIn Kettlebell Workouts, Tips and Tricks, Videos1 Comment

What in the heck is ‘kettlebell flow’?

Well, first, take a look at this ‘body weight flow’ video to get an idea of what I’m talking about:

Body Weight Flow Video

And here’s an example of a ‘kettlebell flow routine’:

Kettlebell Flow Routine

Pretty cool, huh?

Each movement ‘flows’ together, you keep your heart rate up, and get a great workout – it’s awesome. And you look like a kettlebell master 🙂

So what’s the secret?

It’s practicing the basic movements and getting them down cold. No ‘secret sauce’ – just practice.

The pitfall you want to avoid is jumping around and doing a million kettlebell exercises just for the sake of getting fancy. This is a little like what I tried to do when I first started training with kettlebells – and it didn’t work very well. Once I really focused in on the basics – the Swing, the Get Up, the Squat, the Snatch, and the Clean and Press – is when it all kind of came together.

Keep practicing those kettlebell drills!

P.S. Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter while you’re here – and you’ll get a free copy of Kettlebell Rx: 3 Common Training Mistakes and How To Fix Them!

Kettlebell Swing Styles Part 2

On By adminIn Kettlebell Workouts, Videos1 Comment

I’m betting, off the top of my head, that most of you are doing two hand swings exclusively. I know I did for about the first six months of my kettlebell training.  Although the two hand swing is great, so are the variations of it – especially for increasing involvement of your grip and your core muscles, for fixing side-to-side imbalances, and more. And plus, two hand swings day in and day out just get a little boring after a while.  Let’s quickly cover some common variations – and a few you may not have heard of.

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: https://kettlebellbasics.net/kettlebellbasics-net-quick-start-guide/