Just because exercise is simple doesn’t mean that it has to be boring. Take the kettlebell swing, for instance. By varying the weight, the reps, duration and rest, I could do swings exclusively for weeks and get a great workout every time…and do something different, every time, too.
It should come as little surprise then, that a movement as fantastic as the KB swing makes several appearances in my Favorite Fifteen. So here’s number 9 on the list of my fifteen favorite workouts:
The Workout
15-minute Countdown: 15 Kettlebell Swings
How I Do It
I warm up with some pushups and some deep squats, then I get after my swings with a 70# kettlebell, doing fifteen reps every minute, on the minute, for fifteen minutes.
Explanation
This is interval work. It takes about 25 seconds to complete fifteen reps, which leaves about 35 seconds for recovery. It’s important to remember the importance of technique, especially when grip starts to fatigue (which is the first thing to go…at least for me). So remember to keep your weight back on your heels, an arch in your lower back, explosion from the hips, full hip extension at the top of the rep, and – as always – creating “float” in the bell at the top of the rep, so as not to “pull” it upward.
Give it a whirl with a heavy kettlebell and leave a comment below!
Have you tried #10? The Double KB Olympics?
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