We all live in a very hectic world. Most people over the age of 40 already have a lot on their plate. Busy and stressful careers, family obligations, keeping up with their friends and of course watching their health and putting in some exercise time.
Physical workouts are meant to rejuvenate the body, stimulate muscle growth, help with fat loss and induce a state of well being. In the words of Lee Haney, when you work out you should “stimulate, not annihilate”. The more we age and the busier we get, the more this becomes the absolute truth about fitness and health.
Today, I will share with you a great kettlebell workout for busy people over 40 that is short, fun and very effective for achieving a great physique.
Table of Contents
Tips for the Kettlebell swing
The 2 things you need to know are:
- Always start with a weight that you are comfortable with for high reps,
- Always use good form to protect your body and get all the benefits.
Note for Beginners
Be careful if you want to start training with kettlebells. While you can find a lot of great resources online that can help you, the best way is to have a certified kettlebell expert show you how to do things.
A good point to tell if your form sucks is a sore lower back (during or after your workout). You should be feeling the burn in your hamstrings and not in your back. If you feel any discomfort in that area, stop what you are doing. If on the next day, you feel sore in your lower back, then you did something wrong while you were training.
When and who should do this workout?
This workout is great for all levels of trainees. From the novice to the experienced veteran, all levels can greatly benefit from this.
It is something I do when I am having a bad day and want to mix things around. Or when I really need to work out after a very busy week without destroying myself.
The workout
- Warm up.
- 3-4 sets of 100 reps with 16-24kg kettlebells (depending on your body weight)
- 30 second break between sets
- Cool down.
Total Time of workout: 15 minutes
About the workout
Always start any workout regardless of duration with a proper warmup to protect from injury and to get the best out of your training.
Start with 33 reps with your non-dominant side (left for right-handed people and vice versa for lefties) and then switch for another 33 with your dominant. Once you reach 33 reps on both sides, immediately grab the bell with both hands and do another 34 swings. A total of 33+33+34=100 reps.
Put the kettlebell down and walk around to catch your breath for 30 seconds. If you are young or in great shape you can do pushups, shadow boxing or hindu squats for 30 seconds.
Then pick up the bell again and knock out another 2 sets in the same fashion.
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 (Sun salutation from yoga). If you are not familiar with yoga, just replace the last part with light stretching.
How to properly perform the swing
- When you swing remember to not use your arm(s).
- Your arm(s) should be fully extended as you hook the kettlebell(s) (not grab them).
- Let your body swing the kettlebells up as you start little by little until you get to the full swing.
- The key here is to squeeze your core and glutes. This is where all the power is coming from.
In this video 60 year old coach Steve Maxwell performs an advanced variation of the kettlebell swing (alternating single hand swing). Observe the smooth movement, the bend knees and how both feet stay flat on the ground.
Workout benefits
The kettlebell swing is the perhaps one of the best exercises as it can give you the best of 2 worlds: cardio and hypertrophy. It focuses on the posterior chain and works the entire body: quads and hams, triceps and biceps, the back and deltoids.
Overall this simple workout will give your entire body the proper stimulus for strength and hypertrophy and it is also fantastic for muscular endurance. The short 30 second breaks will induce a nice growth hormone release which will burn fat and allow you to gain muscle.
What to use for this workout
Depending on how strong I feel I use a 20kg or 24kg kettlebell at 155-160lbs bodyweight (70-72kilos) for this exercise.
You will need to adjust the weight to fit your own needs. Bigger men can use a heavier kettlebell – limited only by their kettlebell expertise and physical condition.
For example, while the basic kettlebell for a 200lbs man should be 20-24kg, if the trainee is a novice, I would have him start with a 12kg or even an 8kg. Women at 50-60kgs (110-130lbs) should start with a 6kg to 8kg kettlebell, again depending on their bodyweight and fitness level.
Remember that the basic idea is to build your system up, not burn yourself out.
So if you are busy and over the age of 40, this is a great and simple workout that will allow you to stay in shape, lose fat and help your muscles grow.
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
C.W.C, E.H, 200YRT
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