As I explained in a previous article, sometimes it is a good idea to do a smaller workout especially if you know you will have a busy or stressful week coming up. This week I was moving house so it was important to stay in shape and not exhaust my body.
So I went with 2 simple kettlebell exercises and just did 4 supersets. (A superset is a set that combines 2 exercises with no rest in between.)
Table of Contents
The workout
- Warm up.
- 10 Clean and Press with 2x20kg kettlebell both hands
- followed by 10 Kettlebell rows with 2x20kg kettlebells
- rest 30-60 seconds
- repeat above superset 3 more times
- Cool down.
Total Time of workout: 15 minutes
About the workout
Once again, start by warming up your entire body, especially if you train in the morning like me.
Start with your non-dominant side for the clean and press exercise and then switch to your dominant side without a break.
You will need to know how to properly perform a clean and press and it is not something I can cover in detail in this article. For that reason I have included a video from one of my favorite kettlebell coaches, Steve Cotter, who explains how to perform a kettlebell clean in great detail.
Once I am done with both hands, I change to renegade rows. I start with my non-dominant side and then switch to the dominant until I get all the reps done. Remember to squeeze your glutes and core to stabilize yourself and to achieve good form.
Check out the best description of this exercise (imo) from kettlebell expert Mike Mahler in the following video. Skip to 3:14, for the renegade row.
WORKOUT BENEFITS
- This workout will work your arms, shoulders and back as well as your core and legs.
- It focuses on both hypertrophy and strength so it will help you gain some lean muscle mass and shed off unwanted fat.
WHAT TO USE FOR THIS WORKOUT
I used 2 x 20kg kettlebells for this exercise.
You will need to adjust the weight to fit your own needs. I weigh 155-160lbs (70-72kilos) and I basically use this amount of weight because I want to stay fresh (I usually work out with 24kg kettlebells)
Also you might need to adjust the sets accordingly to your age and condition. For younger people, 4 to 5 sets are great. For older lifters (over 35-40y.o) 2-3 sets might be enough especially if you expect stressful events in the following days.
For the COOL DOWN
Always finish up with a cool down session. I personally do a cool down session that includes Neck bridge holds, a superset of abs and an extended Surya Namaskar (a.k.a Sun salutation, a series of yoga asanas). If you are not familiar with yoga, just replace the last part with light stretching.
Proceed with your post-workout shake (check out any of my shake recipes) and enjoy the rest of your day.
This is another fast and easy workout for busy people, people over 40 or anyone who is under a lot of stress. It will help you stay in shape or even make some nice new gains if you have been working long enough.
I hope you enjoyed this article as much as I did writing it. Putting together this article took a bit of time but it will only take you a second to click on Share buttons and show your support to this blog.
Try this workout and let me know what you think by leaving a comment below. Also if you have any comments or questions, feel free to leave a comment and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Until then live strong, healthy and free!
by Nick Sigma SHF
CWC, EH, E-YRT200
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