Basic Kettlebell Workout Template

strength

Apr 12

Now that I’ve recovered from my injury, I am ready to set up — and share with you — my basic Kettlebell workout routine template that you can use, and modify as you see fit. I will fill most of the week for you with exercises you can use, modify, and add to in order to make up your own routine. Don’t train every day. Skip a day between heavy workouts. Or skip two days. Use these routines only as suggestions for what might best fit your body. I tend to workout M, T, W one week and then T, TH, SAT the next. My base routine now uses a 24kg bell with the forward goal to reach the 32kg bell, but I know that will take a long time, and a lot of work. Your bell weight can, and must, differ from mine.

Warm Up: I do this routine before every workout. I tend to workout early in the morning. Side stretches. Arm stretches. 10 bodyweight squats. 30 second sit-squat. Five hip, and knee, rotations in each direction. Floor stretches for legs. 5 20kg Halos each direction. 30 second spine bridge. 5 20kg Goblet Squats. I also take a 30 minute walk each day around noontime, and add some gentle Yoga at night to wind down.

Monday: 24kg Swing to Clean to Press to Squat; then Swing to switch hands, repeat on the other side. 10 times. I will sometimes add bell weight, and keep the same routine, or drop bell weight and do more reps.

Tuesday: Turkish Get Ups. Start with 3 per side. Increase by 1 rep per side each week until I reach 7 reps per side. Then, I add more bell weight.

Wednesday: 24kg Swing to Clean to Press to Squat; then Swing to switch hands, repeat on the other side. 11 times. (See Monday for other extensions).

Thursday: 20kg Snatch. 3 Snatches each side; Swing switch to other hand. 10 reps. Add bell weight to keep the same number of reps, or add weight and keep the reps the same as needed.

Friday: 24kg Swing to Clean to Press to Squat; then Swing to switch hands, repeat on the other side. 12 times. (See Monday for extra extensions).

Saturday: Swing Day! 32kg bell, 20 Swings, 5 sets. Increase sets to build stamina. Add bell weight as desired to gain strength.

Sunday: This is my complete rest day. I tend to overtrain, and having one day set aside where I am not allowed to lift any iron is a must. I will always do some walking, and some stretching, but that’s it. I must force a recovery against my bitter will.

Cool Down: After every routine above, I cool down with Pec stretches each side. 33 Parallette push ups. 30 second Up Dog. 60 second Down Dog. Hamstring stretching. Quad stretching. Strap stretching for legs and hips.

I tend to feel like I’m cheating if I don’t produce a daily workout effort, and that is an unnecessary guilt I deal with every day. In letting go of that need to push myself, I can gain greater strength and physical reliability. That’s probably good advice I should take for life beyond the ringing bells.