INTRODUCTION
This program will make you feel as if your spouse has asked you to pass a few standard sobriety tests after you’ve been out all night with your friends. The kettlebell lunges, both forward and backward, and kettlebell passes will make you feel like you have never truly learned how to walk, but the strength and balance you develop will be well worth it. Add to this the weight and position of the kettlebells, and your lungs will be on fi re as well as your muscles. With all of these exercises, take care to not allow your knee to move past the toes of your front foot. Otherwise, this creates a shearing force that your patellar tendon and your knee will probably not like.
The figure 8 is a movement fairly unique to kettlebell training.It is similar to dribbling a basketball over and over between your legs. You want to use your whole body and sway from side to side as well as forward and backward slightly. It teaches you to stay low for an extended period of time, which is valuable in many sports. It also teaches you how to move your hips from side to side. Both of these things work the muscles of the thighs and trunk well. I recommend that this exercise be performed
with a moderate weight for more repetitions. This exercise works best in a lighter range than cleans, for example.
The squat-press is the cousin to the squat-pull. Body position is essentially the same, except that the weight is on the chest for the squat-press and is pressed overhead instead of pulled to the chest. This is a great movement for a football lineman or any athlete who needs to push from the ground up
through the hands. The squat-press is sometimes used with the squat-pull as a stand-alone workout because almost all of the major muscle groups of the body are worked between these two exercises.
Last, you will perform the double fl oor press. This exercise is very similar to the dumbbell press, although the range of motion is somewhat shortened because this is performed from the floor. Your elbows stop just short of a complete range. This works well for athletes who have minor shoulder injuries. Also, the forearms and pectorals are required to be active throughout the movement to keep the kettlebells from falling outward, since they sit to the sides of the forearms instead of lining up
directly with them.
KETTLEBELL BACK LUNGE: KEY POINTS
1. Decide on using one or two kettlebells and whether they will be at your chest, shoulders, or sides.
2. Look straight ahead, and step back with one leg.
3. Keep your front foot fl at and your back foot on its toes.
4. Bend your back knee fi rst, and drop down as close as you can to the floor without touching. Both knees should be bent to right angles.
5. Step forward with your back leg, and step back with the opposite leg.
6. Continue to alternate legs until the set is complete.
Kettlebell Lunge Whether you are lunging forward or backward, it is very important to work in right
angles. Both knees should be bent to 90 degrees at the midpoint of any lunge. Failure to adhere to this rule will result in an irritation of your patellar tendons and soreness in your knees. The easiest way to keep your knees working at this angle is to take a moderate to large stride and to bend your back knee slightly before your front knee regardless of the direction of the lunge. Also, note that the model is looking straight ahead. Doing this helps you keep from leaning forward.
KETTLEBELL PASS: KEY POINTS
1. Begin by holding one kettlebell at your side.
2. Step forward with your free side.
3. Keeping your back fl at, bend your front leg.
4. Pass the kettlebell underneath your front knee to your free hand.
5. Pass the kettlebell back and forth underneath your front knee as you step.
Kettlebell Pass Think of the kettlebell pass as a lunge variation with a shortened range of motion. Your knees do not bend nearly as much as in a traditional lunge, but you still bend forward to coordinate the kettlebell passing behind your knee. This exercise is all about timing. As your knee bends, the kettlebell should be moving behind it. As you take your next step, the kettlebell
should be coming up to prepare for the next pass.
FIGURE 8: KEY POINTS
1. Stand with your legs slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Begin movement with a backswing.
3. Shift your hips to one side, and pass the kettlebell behind that knee.
4. Circle your leg to the front; then pass between your knees.
5. Hand off to your free hand behind the opposite knee.
6. Continue to move in a fi gure 8 pattern.
Caution: Make sure you have trimmed nails, as they might get caught when changing hands with the weight.
Figure 8 Bring the kettlebell straight back between the knees when performing the figure 8. Then
take it to the outside and behind the knee for the pass. This gives you a little extra room to keep from
banging the kettlebell into your shin. Also, your hips should be moving side to side with the kettlebell. This helps bend your knee and make a gap for the kettlebell to move through.
SQUAT-PRESS: KEY POINTS
1. Position yourself with either one kettlebell on your chest or one on each shoulder in a racked position.
2. Look straight ahead, bend your knees, and then bend your hips, dropping into a deep squat.
3. Press your feet into the fl oor, and explode out of the bottom position.
4. When you are standing erect, follow through into the press.
5. Pause and then lower the kettlebell(s) to the starting position.
6. As soon as the weight makes contact with your body, drop into the next repetition.
Squat-Press The key point to remember about the squat-press is that both the downward and upward phases should be performed smoothly. The entire movement from the bottom of the squat to the
full extension of the press should be executed in one nonstop motion. The same is true for going back down, from the top of the press to the bottom of the squat. Also, as with most overhead exercises, press the kettlebells to full extension without allowing them to drift forward at the top.
DOUBLE FLOOR PRESS: KEY POINTS
1. Set two kettlebells on the fl oor slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Lay between the weights so the handles line up with your midsection.
3. Slide your hands through the handles, palms up.
4. Pull the kettlebells to your chest, and turn your elbows out.
5. Press to full extension over the center of your chest.
6. Pause at the top, and then lower slowly until your elbows lightly touch the fl oor.
7. Pause at the bottom while keeping tension in your chest, shoulders, and triceps.
8. Press into the next repetition.
Double Floor Press The double floor press calls for two kettlebells to be pressed at the same time. Balance is challenged less in the double press versus the single press; however, you now have the ability to add a significant amount of weight and give your upper body a great workout. As you press,
remember to center the kettlebells at the top to maximize the range of motion.
By kettlebell training athletes
This program will make you feel as if your spouse has asked you to pass a few standard sobriety tests after you’ve been out all night with your friends. The kettlebell lunges, both forward and backward, and kettlebell passes will make you feel like you have never truly learned how to walk, but the strength and balance you develop will be well worth it. Add to this the weight and position of the kettlebells, and your lungs will be on fi re as well as your muscles. With all of these exercises, take care to not allow your knee to move past the toes of your front foot. Otherwise, this creates a shearing force that your patellar tendon and your knee will probably not like.
The figure 8 is a movement fairly unique to kettlebell training.It is similar to dribbling a basketball over and over between your legs. You want to use your whole body and sway from side to side as well as forward and backward slightly. It teaches you to stay low for an extended period of time, which is valuable in many sports. It also teaches you how to move your hips from side to side. Both of these things work the muscles of the thighs and trunk well. I recommend that this exercise be performed
with a moderate weight for more repetitions. This exercise works best in a lighter range than cleans, for example.
The squat-press is the cousin to the squat-pull. Body position is essentially the same, except that the weight is on the chest for the squat-press and is pressed overhead instead of pulled to the chest. This is a great movement for a football lineman or any athlete who needs to push from the ground up
through the hands. The squat-press is sometimes used with the squat-pull as a stand-alone workout because almost all of the major muscle groups of the body are worked between these two exercises.
Last, you will perform the double fl oor press. This exercise is very similar to the dumbbell press, although the range of motion is somewhat shortened because this is performed from the floor. Your elbows stop just short of a complete range. This works well for athletes who have minor shoulder injuries. Also, the forearms and pectorals are required to be active throughout the movement to keep the kettlebells from falling outward, since they sit to the sides of the forearms instead of lining up
directly with them.
KETTLEBELL BACK LUNGE: KEY POINTS
1. Decide on using one or two kettlebells and whether they will be at your chest, shoulders, or sides.
2. Look straight ahead, and step back with one leg.
3. Keep your front foot fl at and your back foot on its toes.
4. Bend your back knee fi rst, and drop down as close as you can to the floor without touching. Both knees should be bent to right angles.
5. Step forward with your back leg, and step back with the opposite leg.
6. Continue to alternate legs until the set is complete.
angles. Both knees should be bent to 90 degrees at the midpoint of any lunge. Failure to adhere to this rule will result in an irritation of your patellar tendons and soreness in your knees. The easiest way to keep your knees working at this angle is to take a moderate to large stride and to bend your back knee slightly before your front knee regardless of the direction of the lunge. Also, note that the model is looking straight ahead. Doing this helps you keep from leaning forward.
KETTLEBELL PASS: KEY POINTS
1. Begin by holding one kettlebell at your side.
2. Step forward with your free side.
3. Keeping your back fl at, bend your front leg.
4. Pass the kettlebell underneath your front knee to your free hand.
5. Pass the kettlebell back and forth underneath your front knee as you step.
should be coming up to prepare for the next pass.
FIGURE 8: KEY POINTS
1. Stand with your legs slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Begin movement with a backswing.
3. Shift your hips to one side, and pass the kettlebell behind that knee.
4. Circle your leg to the front; then pass between your knees.
5. Hand off to your free hand behind the opposite knee.
6. Continue to move in a fi gure 8 pattern.
Caution: Make sure you have trimmed nails, as they might get caught when changing hands with the weight.
take it to the outside and behind the knee for the pass. This gives you a little extra room to keep from
banging the kettlebell into your shin. Also, your hips should be moving side to side with the kettlebell. This helps bend your knee and make a gap for the kettlebell to move through.
SQUAT-PRESS: KEY POINTS
1. Position yourself with either one kettlebell on your chest or one on each shoulder in a racked position.
2. Look straight ahead, bend your knees, and then bend your hips, dropping into a deep squat.
3. Press your feet into the fl oor, and explode out of the bottom position.
4. When you are standing erect, follow through into the press.
5. Pause and then lower the kettlebell(s) to the starting position.
6. As soon as the weight makes contact with your body, drop into the next repetition.
full extension of the press should be executed in one nonstop motion. The same is true for going back down, from the top of the press to the bottom of the squat. Also, as with most overhead exercises, press the kettlebells to full extension without allowing them to drift forward at the top.
DOUBLE FLOOR PRESS: KEY POINTS
1. Set two kettlebells on the fl oor slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Lay between the weights so the handles line up with your midsection.
3. Slide your hands through the handles, palms up.
4. Pull the kettlebells to your chest, and turn your elbows out.
5. Press to full extension over the center of your chest.
6. Pause at the top, and then lower slowly until your elbows lightly touch the fl oor.
7. Pause at the bottom while keeping tension in your chest, shoulders, and triceps.
8. Press into the next repetition.
remember to center the kettlebells at the top to maximize the range of motion.
By kettlebell training athletes
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