Thank you for joining us here on Kettlebell Movement for a workout in the sun and sand on the beach in Carlsbad, Ca. Today, I am taking our up and coming kettlebeller, Casey through a quick workout using long ranges of motion for some full body and core strengthening. The exercises today are slightly more complicated than your basic moves, so watch the video to see how the moves are done. There are lots of little moves that you will need to coordinate to stay on track with us today but feel free to work at your own pace, pause, rewind but whatever you do, don’t fast forward!
Casey is an entry level practitioner that has shown huge improvement since she began training with kettlebells. Her enthusiasm and her drive are her keys to success, and while she is still polishing some of the moves she is learning quickly. When I watch the videos of her training the one thing that is glaringly obvious to me is that the weight we are using is too light! Thats right, in order to perfect her technique, I will need to give her a heavier bell. This is the best way to ensure that she A) uses the proper muscles to lift the weight and B) keeps the bell closer to her body, where a heavy weight will feel a lot lighter. This is because the first thing I see is that the bell has a tendency to swing too far out front during the clean and snatch.
When I move someone to a heavier kettlebell, I may wait until they are mentally ready, regardless of what I see in their technique. While I know that a heavier bell is a good idea, I can’t just give someone a bell that he or she isn’t comfortable with, even if they are strong enough to lift it. If someone becomes intimidated by a heavier bell, it will probably cause their nervous system to go into overload and that will eliminate any possibility of good form. As the practitioner, you should listen closely to your body and you will know when the bell is just too light.
Today’s workout uses combinations of exercises, so in three rounds we will squat, lunge, figure eight, lunge some more, snatch and windmill! We will also be using a swing-switch to transfer the bell to the other hand so the volume and overall variety is quite high!
Today’s Workout
Clean, rack squat, rack lunge, swing switch.
Eight reps per side, for a total of sixteen reps of this combo.
Figure eight to static hold (squat) Figure eight to static hold (lunge)
Eight reps per side, for a total of sixteen reps
Alternating snatch to windmill with swing switch
Eight reps per side, for a total of sixteen reps
There is some coordination needed to perform this series properly, but it is my opinion that if we aren’t improving these things then we are missing a vital part of our training. Be patient with yourself and follow along as best as you can. Casey gave me a few looks like I was crazy when I showed her the workout but she quickly developed the motor patterns and confidence to finish the workout, great job Casey!
Join me on Friday for the final part of my getting back into shape series, as I take you through the most challenging workout in the series yet. Until then, have a wonderful day and enjoy the workout!
