We’ve finally reached the end of a heatwave here in Carlsbad and the cooler temperatures are making the mid day workouts in the sun very enjoyable. We have found a park in Encinitas that has a beautiful ocean view and is quiet enough to film videos so we couldn’t ask for better conditions. I have also switched to using a wireless microphone in an effort to reduce wind noise and increase overall audio quality. Todays workout is one of my favorites, one that you can come back to weekly and never stop seeing amazing results, so I hope you enjoy it. I have a tendency to revel in grinding through the basics and today is no exception as we perform a pretty intense workout with only two lifts. You will develop full body strength, power, endurance and the ability to dig deeply when your body wants to quit.
Before attempting this workout, it is very important that you have developed excellent technique with your kettlebell swing. You should also understand the basic push up progressions so that you can choose the variation that is right for you. In order to perform this workout it is also important to have developed a level of endurance that will allow you to go from one maximal exertion exercise to another. Today’s Practice sessions consists of kettlebell swings, and pushups.
Find a way to keep track of your rounds as you go, in the video I begin with ten rocks and toss them back to their home after every round. You can use anything you like, but I do recommend using something to keep track of ten rounds. Choose a kettlebell that is going to be close to your maximal swing weight for ten swings, I am using a kettlebell that is roughly 50% of my bodyweight.
By switching from a posterior chain exercise (kettlebell swing) to an anterior chain exercise (push up) you will be able to keep your heart rate up, while letting working muscles rest. Both of these exercises require excellent engagement of your core muscles and therefore combine for one of the best practices you can do.
Today’s high power challenge:
Ten rounds
- 10 heavy swings
- 10 pushups
I take a short break every second round, for a total of four breaks in the workout, you should break as necessary. If you time yourself you can come back to this workout every week and try to beat your previous time. Another challenge would be trying to use heavier weights and harder pushup variations. Use your performance over time on this challenge as a way of gauging your improvement. Come back to this session and make it more challenging as you develop more strength, power, and endurance. This workout will cause your entire body to feel sore but it should be a good sore all over and not crippling in any one area.
As I may have mentioned, this is one of my favorite routines for an all around amazing workout and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Thanks for joining me and I will see you next week for a Wednesday lesson and Friday workout.
Leave a Reply