I have to confess- I was a little taken aback, even offended at first.
Then I just had to chuckle quietly…
Someone had gotten a repayment for Kettlebell Burn 2.0 since it was “way too basic” for him. He is an “advanced kettlebell user.” This is really hilarious, because I am an advanced kettlebell customer, and when I follow the training as outlined – it hurts my butt. (Burn is structured to be used by anyone – regardless of their “skill level.”)
So that got me to thinking – how do you create a “basic” kettlebell program “complex.”
Here are some ideas that you can execute right away.
1. Use a larger kettlebell. This seems really understandable, but it was lost on the guy requesting the refund. If you can make it through Burn with a 48kg kettlebell, I would be intimidated – very impressed. (Ok, maybe I’m still a bit take aback…) But anyway, I think you grasp my point. Is your program “too easy” – go up a kettlebell size. The weight difference will inform you how dialed in your technique really is.
2. Modify the tempo. Do you race through your Get Up? (I do sometimes…) Well slow it down. This increases your time under load, and therefore, according to some strength authorities, will increase your muscle. Do you move at a snail’s pace when you Press or Squat? Well speed it up!
Bear in mind, Force = Mass * acceleration. Move the same weight faster, increase force output and then strength.
3. Decrease your leverage. Let’s just say you finish the ROP with your 24kg but you’re really strapped for cash and can’t get a new kettlebell for another 3 months. How do modify the ROP to still get strong using only your 24kg?
Lessen your leverage – take your legs out of the equation. Try kneeling or Seated Presses. This makes your upper body work harder, strengthening your lats, pecs, delts, and triceps even more.
4. Dare yourself. This seems like a strange one at first – but if you really contemplate about it, so many of us just go through the motions. Take a stopwatch and distinguish how much sweat you can get done in 20 minutes.
Now do the same quantity of work your next training session – that’s right – the exact same workout – in 19 minutes. Keep cutting off minutes until you can no longer make development.
So, see how many Swings you can accomplish with your heaviest (or here’s a novel idea – lightest) kettlebell in 20 minutes. Then do the same number next time in 19 minutes.
5. Increase the complexity of the workout. You can even do basic exercises and make them tricky. (You know, writing this post makes me contend that there is nothing basic at all about the Get Up…) For example – let’s say you can do 10 minutes of Get Ups with a 24kg. That’s nice work. “Basic” but nice. What if you loaded two 12kgs in your hand and then did your Get Ups. Could you still get the same number of GUs in that 10 minutes (see point #4).
Probably not.
So there you have it – 5 techniques to put together your “basic” kettlebell exercises more “advanced.” Give any one of them a try and let me know how these ideas work for you.
Hey – speaking of basic, there’s nothing more basic than food. Yet when it comes to eating we tend to complicate things to the point of screwing them up. Here are some basic but proven beliefs: * Gain strength – eat a little more. * Gain muscle – eat a lot more. * Lose fat – eat fewer. (Most of the time…) But with fat loss, we tend to screw that up really awful.