Kettlebell Complexes — Designing Your Own Workouts
How do you design your own kettlebell complex to achieve your goals?
First, determine what your goal is: Build muscle, lose fat, improve conditioning, LGN (Look Good Nekkid)… yes…
Second, determine your resources.
How many kettlebells do you have?
What sizes are they? Light? Medium? Heavy?
How many of the kettlebell exercises can you do safely with them?
One? Some? Most? All?
Third, how much time do you have to train or workout each week?
1… 2… 3 hours? More?
This will determine how many complexes you should do a week and for how long. I always advise erring on the side of caution and going easy at first.
Fourth, assess your strengths and weaknesses.
For most people, the upper body pressing muscles are the weakest link in the complex. So build yours around the kettlebell press.
Can you squat?
If not, don’t include the kettlebell front squat.
Stick to the ballistics — the kettlebell swing, clean, and snatch.
How’s your conditioning?
If it’s subpar, then you should start with fewer exercises in your complex — 3 is a good number.
And use longer rests between sets.
If it’s stellar? Use up to 6 exercises. And use shorter rests between sets.
Double Kettlebell Complexes
As great as kettlebell complexes are, I don’t believe their “full power” is realized until you use a pair of kettlebells to perform them.
Why?
Simple.
You can use more total weight and create a greater stimulus for change.
For example:
If you’re using a 24kg for your single kettlebell complex and you do 100 reps total, that’s 2400kg lifted on that day.
By contrast, if you use a pair of 16kg kettlebells for the same complex, and you do 100 reps, you’ve just lifted 3200kg –
Or 33% more work… and you probably did it in less time because you didn’t have to switch sides.
Plus, double kettlebell complexes are harder and more challenging.
They double down on the 10 reasons to use kettlebell complexes making them seem more like 20.
Standard double kettlebell exercises I include are:
Double Kettlebell Swing
Double Kettlebell Clean
Double Kettlebell Front Squat
Double Kettlebell [Military] Press
Double Kettlebell Snatch
Double Kettlebell Push Press
Double Kettlebell High Pull
… and sometimes I’ll even throw in the ever brutal, Double Kettlebell Jerk, which I do not recommend for beginners.
