There are a variety of ways you can do some exercises. This doesn’t mean the mechanics are compromised it simply means there are variations. Variations are good! (provided proper mechanics are maintained.)

Let’s talk about kettlebells today.

I teach different variations of exercises to different types of people. I also chose to know and be able to teach different variations of certain exercises because one variation might be more applicable to a certain sport, why another variation might be easier for someone to pick up and perform properly.

We cover these two different variations of snatches, cleans, and high pulls quite well in the Kettlebell Athletics certification as well as at Urban Athlete and any training workshop.

One is a vertical path, where the kettlebell starts either from the floor or from the hang position, just below the knees and travels in a vertical path to it’s ending point, overhead in a snatch, to the rack position in a clean or to chest height in high pulls.

This variation more directly mimics Olympic weight lifting and is very applicable to sports training.

The other variation, we call curvi-linear, where the kettlebell hikes back behind your hips for each movement, the snatch, clean, and high pulls just as it does with a swing. In this variation slightly more momentum is used, and the kettlebell always gets hiked back behind the hips.

I like to teach and use both variations myself. From here there are also more advanced variations that come from following the vertical path, which I will talk about later on.

There’s also a variation from girevoy sport, which is more similar to the curvi-linear variation but has the goal of conserving energy, as these competition sets are aimed to get extremely high repetitions in a ten minute time period with only one hans switch and not putting the kettlebell down.

As long as proper body mechanics are maintained you can use many variations. Just remember that bad form is not a variation.

Today’s workout is one of those quick workouts, now I know not everyone has access to thick ropes, I’ll give you substitutions below.

In this three exercise circuit I do:

-5 Box Jumps
-5/5 Kettlebell Snatches
-30 seconds of Power Ropes

I’ll repeat this circuit for the total amount of time I have, in today’s case about 20 minutes. Despite using heavier weights and a higher box, never sacrifice your form. Even on the power ropes, drop down to less time if your form is starting to suffer.

Q & A

Q: What if you don’t have access to kettlebells?
A: Use dumbbells.

Q: What if you don’t have any plyoboxes?
A: Do jump Squats instead.

Q: What if you don’t have power ropes?
A: Do a quick-paced farmer’s walk with either kettlebells or dumbbells.

Strength training doesn’t have to be this way. In fact unless, we’re talking about elite competition lifters, and good strength workout can have a nice cardiovascular component to it, but not one that leaves you feeling you just sprinted a half marathon.

In the video below I highlight 2 kettlebell exercises and 1 barbell exercise that I believe to be great strength exercises. When you combine all three of them together you have both a full body workout, and a highly effective strength workout.

Check it out…

This is quite possibly one of my favorite workout styles. Recently I dropped a few pounds and in the process I was worried about losing all of my strength. (Ok, so maybe not all of it.) I wanted to make sure I didn’t see a significant decrease in my strength though.

I decided to start incorporating strength workouts like this, that utilize specific strength exercises, but are not intentionally meant to be met con based. I’ve found them to be wonders for keeping my strength up while my weight stays lower.

The video below is a challenging workout that combines the kettlebell two hands anyhow, kettlebell racked bulgarian split squats, and TRX pikes.

All three of these exercises are challenging, so there is no need to complete the workout quickly, focus on your form, and work with weights that are appropriate for you.

3/3 Kettlebell Two Hands Anyhow (Windmill Variation)
6/6 Kettlebell Racked Bulgarian Split Squat
6 TRX Pikes

Below is a short video that briefly shows three different barbell exercises, in a more untraditional way than most people are used to. I’m using the landmine with the barbell.  If you don’t have access to a landmine it is very easy to use just the barbell in the corner, which I’ll show you tomorrow.

Try completing 10-12 reps of each exercise on both sides for several rounds based on your fitness ability.

Later on I come to find that same person has a DVD for kettlebell training. I assume she’s gotten some instruction, I assume she doesn’t fly from the hip with kettlebell exercises that aren’t performed properly. I also assume her form and teaching cues have gotten better.

I assumed wrong, sorry Dad, sometimes I still don’t remember what happens when you assume.

Rather than get in to all the things that are wrong about this person’s kettlebell training, I’d rather address the proper way to perform some of these kettlebell exercises.

Watch the video below…

There is a lot more I can hit on going forward, but these are the basics.

-Kettlebell swings are not based off of a squat.
-The kettlebell should become an extension of your arms.
-The Kettlebell swing focuses on your posterior chain, the lower back, the glutes, the hamstrings.
-The Kettlebell swing does not focus on our anterior delts, this is not a front raise.
-You can and should practice Good Morning Stretches and Romanian Deadlifts to understand the idea of hip hinging if it’s new to you.
-Hike the kettlebell behind your hips, as you stand make sure your hips and knees come to full extension, think athletic and explosive, the kettlebell should be weightless for a brief second and the top of your swing.
-Allow gravity to assist the kettlebell back down behind your hips.
-Always start and stop in the same safe ‘short stop’ position.

I believe in being an expert at what you do. Although I love barbell training, and I believe I do it well, I don’t specialize in teaching it, so I won’t try to sell my coaching skills with the barbell to anyone.

When you step into an industry such as fitness, where everyone has a different opinion on fat loss, strength training, cardio, and the like; I believe you should be sound with your movements and understand the mechanics of what you are doing before you decide to teach it to someone (or demonstrate it on national television, or create an information product based around that type of training, without really having the knowledge.)

If you’ve never kettlebell trained before, I suggest you give a try, you’ll love it for many reasons, but I also suggest you train with someone who’s been coaching it and training it themselves for several years. (I know that doesn’t weed out all the bad seeds, but it hits most.) I suggest you ask around and get some opinions from people who train and coach regularly. And if there isn’t someone close to you, I suggest finding someone who does online coaching.

If you’re going to invest the time and the money into a fitness program, shouldn’t you be sure that you’re getting what you want, not just what you paid for?

Back to the training…

A few weeks ago, as I’ve already mentioned, I got spend some time training with Zach Even-Esh after one of our mastermind meetings. We got a lot of info on video, and this is what Zach wanted to share with you.

Let me know if you have questions below, I’ll some answers to you right away.

Also stay tuned for some Sick Strong Girls training at the Underground in the next few weeks!

The answer: Yes, unless you’re doing it all wrong.

There was a video awhile ago, with Jillian Michaels of The Biggest Loser demonstrating kettlebell exercises with bad form, in my opinion really bad form. And now, she’s got her very own product endorsing kettlebells and their effectiveness.

Whoa! I’m concerned.

I can’t say I’ve watched the DVD, and I probably never will unless someone sends it to me for free. What I can say is I’ve watched that demo and if the DVD is anything like the demo well then there’s a lot of work to do, and a lot of concern to be had.

You see, I could look at this in two ways. One is I’ll have plenty of people to instruct and re-train since they’ve probably been taught poor form, so I could benefit financially. On the flip side I’ve got worry about the potential loss of sales based on this DVD and if people are hurting themselves by not doing the exercises properly. People talk much more about bad experiences than they do positive ones, and they talk about it a lot faster.

It could either way. But here’s my big question…

Didn’t NordicTrack (the company promoting the DVD) recognize the ridicule Jillian Michaels received from her poor display? And if they did, what are they thinking? And if they didn’t, again what are they thinking. I guess her name is big enough and recognized enough that it’s not going to matter. Well it should. Integrity should matter.

Does it? Apparently not.

Below I go over a simple three exercise lower body complex, using kettlebells and bodyweight. (You’ll see a more advanced one in a few days.)

Again, depending on fitness levels this is either going to be someone’s workout for the day, or this will be a portion of someone’s workout.

Let me know what you think!

This is the bonus workout on my new DVD.

Not really, just a funny bloopers my videographer, Paul put together!

In all seriousness I’m wrapping things up with the cover design for the DVD and it will be available shortly for purchase. It’s a great intro DVD covering the basic how-tos of Kettlebell training. I’ll get all the specifics to you very soon!