Kettlebells are arguably the most versatile fitness tool out there. Their offset center of mass makes them ideal for power phase training, but they are also widely used for strength and stability training too. Exercises such as the turkish getup and windmill have become synonymous with kettlebell training, which could really be referred to as strongman, or what I prefer, strong person. The kettlebell was developed as a one handed piece of equipment, ideal for creating unity evenly in your entire body. While two handed versions of the swing are commonly practiced and quite beneficial, it’s not until you get into the one handed moves that you really start seeing how versatile this tool is.
Today, we are going to progress beyond the simple one arm exercises to more challenging versions, using two hands and two bells. If you haven’t already mastered the one arm versions of the swing and clean&jerk, don’t move up to this practice quite yet. Start with the kettlebell fundamentals workout and build up from there. Using dual bells doesn’t necessarily have to be harder, but it will be different than using just one bell at a time. People with a tight upper back may struggle when lifting both bells overhead at the same time, where as with one it wasn’t as much of an issue. While single bell training can be more about what you can grip, dual bells are more about what you can handle in your core.
Today, I am taking you through what I would consider to be the fundamentals of dual bell training, with the alternating clean being used as a progression of the standard dual bell clean. We will do ten reps of each exercise and break at the end of the round, with a total of three total rounds.
Push press or jerk
Clean the two bells to the rack position and push-press or jerk them overhead.
Renegade row
Keep a tight plank as you row each kettlebell in alternating fashion.
Push up
Kettlebell push ups add an element of instability and also increase your potential range of motion.
Alternating clean
A challenging coordination at first, keep practicing and you will get it in no time!
I am using two 44lb bells, for a total of 88lbs. You can adjust your weights according to your ability and energy level. Training like this is going to work every muscle in your body and drive the heart rate up at the same time. With each hand on a bell, you will be lifting more overall weight, putting more stress on your core muscles and cardiovascular system. I hope you enjoyed the workout, have fun getting stronger!
Peter Hirsh
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