101 Kettlebell Workouts: 1 Down... 100 to go!

Ok, so here we go. 1 Workout down and only 100 more to go. For those of you just joining us, you can catch up here.

I've been trying to figure out how to format the first hub about the workout itself. The workout is done, now how do I talk it out, so to speak? I figure I'll take a que from my other life; the world of sales. After working with a client, whether we got the deal or not, it's important to try to "debrief" the experience. So for this one, I'll do just the same and answer 4 simple questions. What happened? What worked? What didn't? What did I learn?

What Happened?

I warmed up with some basic joint mobility drills from Super Joints. This gets the blood flowing and loosens up my muscles. I did some jumping jacks simply because it seemed like a good idea and then I was ready. Workout number one consists of 5 kettlebell Drills to be performed with a single kettlebell. So I grabbed Natasha (that's what I named one of my 24kg kettlebells... I bet you'll never guess what I named my other 24kg...) and I got to work. I did the Military Press, followed by rows, then some goblet squats, windmills and brought it home with some swings

What Worked?

-For starters the Windmills felt great! Keeping the shoulder packed and flexing the lat gave me a strong sense of stability. Also maintaining core tension throughout the movement. One of the reasons I like the windmill is because it has such an old school feel to it. For me at the bottom of the movement, it's easy to pretend it's 1909 instead of 2009...

-Finishing the workout with a few sets of swings is always a good idea. I did a set then more jumping jacks to shake out the tension. Rest for a few seconds and repeat.

-Squatting has been a challenge for me and my leg strength hasn't always been where I wanted it to be and sometimes I tend to hunch over at the shoulders. The good news is I feel like I didn't do that this time. I pried my hips out, stayed on my heals and lengthened my spine. I started to loose a little form towards the end but overall they were some good Goblet Squats.

What Didn't?

-Pressing a 24kg for me is pretty easy so I caught myself not staying as tight as I should be in the first few reps. It's important to act as if the Kettlebell weighs 106 pounds regardless of it's actual weight. Stay tight through out the entire movement and press from a solid foundation.

-As I went to do the rows, it dawned on me that I've never actually done a standard 1 Arm Kettlebell Row. I've done Renegade Rows before, but never regular ol' 1 Arm Rows. I used to do 'em with a dumbbell back in the day when I thought bodybuilding was the way to strength but that was with a hand and knee on the bench, in the gym... but now I'm at the park in the fresh air and all the happy couples are using the benches... so what to do... hmmm... Oh wait, I've seen a drill called the Maxercist Row. It calls for 1 Arm rowing on 1 leg... Ok, too early in the game for that one but I can take the same standing position but leave one leg back and one the ground. Back and the dear abbies are tight, opposite side is tight... merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily... I have since reviewed the Kettlebell 1-Arm Row and am looking forward to it's next appearance...

What did I learn?

Well, for starters this workout is fairly simple and that's a good thing. Now please dear readers, let's not confuse simple with easy. Using a single kettlebell challenges you to keep the opposing side equally tight. This workout is good for a beginning kettlebeller or a seasoned vet. It can be done quickly assuming you keep your rest periods short. That being said this workout is simple enough to stay focused on every repetition and make sure that each rep is near perfect and if it's not, this workout is not so convoluted to where you'll get lost in the routine and forget where and how you can improve.

This workout, being the first real Kettlebell workout I've done in a little while was perfect for me and it refreshed my technique and reminded me of the basics.

Conclusion

Well, there's day 1 of 101! I hope you gained something from it.

Thanks for reading and we'll see you next time...