You Finally Got Your Kettlebell, Now What?

by Scott Shetler
October 17, 2005

So you finally did it. You read my first article, you got excited about kettlebells, and you decided to purchase one of your very own. About 10 days after clicking the "purchase" button, your UPS guy was cursing you as he struggled to get your really heavy, tiny brown box to the doorstep. You ripped it open, and there it was in all its glory: the ugly, barely finished hunk of iron you read about. Now what? How on earth are you going to get a good workout with one tiny round ball, especially when you are accustomed to hanging out at the local fitness center, with its smoothie bar and endless supply of fancy machines, ellipticals and treadmills? In this article, I will present you with a workout that will familiarize you with your new kettlebell and show you just how brutal a few basic exercises with the "cannon ball with a handle" can be!

2-Arm Swing
- This is the most basic kettlebell exercise and should be done by everyone who trains with the kettlebell.
- Begin with the bell on the ground.
- Stand with your feet straddling the bell in an athletic stance.
- Sit back and bend down, keeping your lower back arched, grabbing the handle with both hands.
- Pick the bell up and swing it back between your legs.
- As the bell decelerates, snap your hips forward as if you were performing a broad jump.
- As the bell is launched into the air visualize projecting the bell in front of you, as if you were going to throw it to a spot twenty feet in front of you.
- Let the bell fall back between your legs, decelerate the force and explode the bell back up until all repetitions are complete.
- Keep in mind the swings can be done for very high reps for a great aerobic workout and they may be performed with one hand as well.
- Never pull the bell with the arms. The swing movement comes from the explosion of the hips. The arms and hands are nothing more than cables and hooks holding the weight.

Front Squat
- Hold the kettlebell by the vertical "horns."
- Lock your elbows tight against your torso.
- Stand with your feet in an athletic stance.
- Arch your lower back and keep it arched throughout the exercise.
- Take in a deep breath, hold it and tense up your abs (i.e. visualize blowing into your abdominal wall).
- Sit back and down, as if sitting back to a stool, while pushing out on your feet. Keep your shins vertical and do not let the knees travel past the toes.
- Keep your head up looking in front of you throughout the exercise. Never look down!
- When you reach the desired depth (i.e. hip joint lower than the knee joint) reverse the movement and stand up.

Clean and Press
- Holding the bell in one hand lightly swing the bell back between the legs and blast it into the air by snapping your hips forward. The hip movement is very similar to what you would do in a broad jump.
- As the bell is propelled upward, bend your elbow slightly and snap your arm to the side of your body. This will allow the bell to flip over your hand and land in the rack position, resting in the crook of the elbow between the forearm and bicep.
- To minimize the impact on the arm dip your knees slightly as you "catch the bell." Think of how you would catch a water balloon someone tossed to you without popping it. Dip your knees slightly and cushion it to absorb the impact.
- From the rack position, keep the body tight and press the bell to a full lockout overhead.
- Lower the bell back to the rack position.
- From the rack, lift the elbow and dump the bell down between the legs and repeat.
- Switch arms and repeat.

1-Arm Row
- Get into a split stance similar to a lunge position.
- Support yourself with your free arm on your forward bent leg.
- Keep your back in good neutral alignment.
- Reach down and pick up the bell with the working arm.
- From a full arm extension, pull the weight up to the lower chest or upper abdomen area.
- Lower and repeat.
- Switch sides.

1-Arm Snatch
- This exercise is basically a clean overhead.
- Begin as you did the clean and swing the bell back between your legs.
- Snap your hips forward and propel the bell into the air in front of you.
- This time pull your arm straight up overhead and "punch" your hand up toward the ceiling.
- This "punch" is crucial as it will allow the bell to flip quickly over your hand and come to rest against your forearm.
- A tip on grip, do not squeeze the handle too tightly. This will prevent the bell from flipping over your hand quickly. Rather loosen your grip on the handle just enough to control the bell so you don't drop it on your head!
- To lower the bell simply let it fall forward, flipping back over your hand.
- Decelerate the bell as it swings back between your legs, reverse the movement and snatch it again for the desired number of repetitions.
- Do the same number of repetition on the other arm.

Figure-8
- This one is easy. Just pretend you are a Globe-Trotter!
- Simply squat down and swing the bell in a figure-8 pattern through and around your legs.
- Be sure to do the same number of repetitions both ways.
- This is an "ab" exercise. It recruits are abs the way we use them in sport, recreation and daily life. We use are abs standing up, not lying on our back crunching away all day. The figure-8 will integrate all the muscles of the torso to produce functional strength and stability.

Constructing the Workout
*Perform this workout three times per week, preferably every other day.

Exercise	Sets x Reps	Rest Between Sets
1. 2-Arm Swing	3 x 10-15	30-60 seconds
2. Front Squat	3-5 x 3-5	45-60 seconds
3. Clean & Press	3 x 5-10 (ea. arm)	30-60 seconds
4. 1-Arm Row	3 x 5-10 (ea. arm)	30-60 seconds
5. 1-Arm Snatch	3-5 x 5-10 (ea. arm)	30-60 seconds
6. Figure-8	3 x 5-10 (ea. direction)	30-60 seconds

Keep in mind that the rest intervals, sets and reps are not written in stone. Only do as much as you can handle, and if at any time you begin feeling dizzy, light-headed or not well, slow down the pace of the exercise, take more rest, or stop the workout and give it a try another day. It is important to start slowly and build up your tolerance to the exercises, as they are very demanding. Some will be easier than others, but give it time and see just how effective of a workout the little ball of iron is. Good luck!

*Thanks to Matt Sikora for providing the photos.