101 Kettlebell Workouts: Number 12 Goes Down

Some may call it a kettle ball, others kettle weight. Now some even say kettle worx. The term is Kettlebell.  An ancient system of measurement turned strength training tool.  Originally from Russia and still referred to, in some circles, as a girya.  In Russia, a man who trains with Kettlebells is known as a girevik.  And in the words of Chief American Girevik, Pavel Tsatsouline, "Respect... the Kettlebell."

Speaking of Pavel, "When we say strength, we mean Kettlebell, when we say Kettlebell, we mean strentgh."

And so it goes with Master RKC David Whitley's 101 Kettlebell Workouts. Here's how Old No. 12 went down. It went down with a burning sensation similar to Old No. 7 but the aftermath is much more positive!

If you're looking for a routine that will quickly add strength to the lower extremities while blasting the core and firing up the metabolic furnace to burn off some fat, then listen up, because here's one routine that'll do that for you!

This particular workout as were the previous eleven were taken from David Whitley's "101 Kettlebell Workouts" and you can get your own copy for free over at irontamer.com. If you're just tuning in, I'm doing all 101 and blogging on each one. Workout number 12 here wraps up part one, which is 12 Workouts for General Conditioning.

Workout number 12 is the Lower Body version of Number 11. In Number 11 we alternated presses and rows on the minute for 20 minutes. Number 12 is squats and swings for 20 minutes. Hip-Hip-Horray!

How'd it go? Well. Very well. I added a little variety to make it "funner". For the squats, I used my 16kg Kettlebell. I did a squat drill that is actually really fun and requires some dexterity, thus the lighter weight. It's called a Squat Clean. What I would do is hike the kettlebell behind my legs like normal, swing it up and at the top release the kettlbell allowing the horn to turn under and the bottom to come forward towards me 180 degrees and the catch the bell on it's side, in my hands. The best way to describe how I'm holding my hands is this: Put your hands together as if you are praying. Your fingers should be about the same height as your chin. Now open your hands out and move your arms away from your grill. That's the position to catch the bell. Remember one of the golden rules of Kettlebelling, "Never Compete for Space with a Kettlebell." The Kettlebell will always win. In this case, so will your dentist. At the catch I'd pull myself down into a full squat and back up, tossing the bell around and catching the horn only to return into a basic swing and repeat in one fluid movement (if there is such a thing in Hardstyle Kettlebell training). Do 5 reps.

I take a break until the top of the next minute and then I went over to my 24kg bell for a set of 10 swings. Squat, Swing, Squat, Swing. 20 minutes later we have jello for legs, abs on fire, hips are sore, back feels worked. I stretch, hang, cobra, and shake to release the tension. I spent 10 minutes "cooling" down.

Head for home, slam a protein shake, shower up and go to work.

These last 12 workouts have been great. It took me a month to get here and I feel ready for the next step which you will read about soon since you're following along. Being healthy and fit is more than just a part of my life now. It is part of my being. The intensity that comes with kettlebell training also allows one to strengthen the mind and soul as well as the body. And please let's not confuse being healthy and in shape with you're body image. Let's keep those separate for now as we will expose some of the myths of exercise, health and body image in the next segment.

Thanks for following along so far!

Get your copy of 101 Kettlebell Workouts over at irontamer.com

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