Kettlebell Complex: Beauty in Simplicity

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I’ve been trying out this new #kettlebell complex I made last week. It’s more to do with endurance and #strength than anything else. It’s simple but it will definitely take its toll on your body. I conjured this while lying on my back, thinking of my previous article and about how it is sometimes important to stick with the basics.

Complexes are great specially if you have a lot of equipment available for use. But often times people perform these complexes in an attempt to complete or finish them without focusing on technique and form. I’ve seen too many people finish these complexes just so they can tell themselves how they were able to complete it. This is dangerous for people who aren’t so experienced with kettlebells. Injuries usually stem from repeating an imperfect technique which results from the user adjusting the technique to their liking and not them adjusting to it.

Let’s get this straight: When you are training, the technique remains static at all costs and the user will be the one to mold themselves around it even if they have to use lighter weights. The technique is like a constant that it has a fixed value which most people have agreed to and with the reason being safety.

It goes without saying that sometimes we tend to forget how to properly execute a simple swing or a clean what with all the fun we’re having at doing swing-squat-clean complexes. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying going beyond the basic move set is not the way to go. What I’m saying is 100 perfectly executed swings is far better than a swing-clean-press-squat-push up complex done in a “just to finish” fashion. Not only are you not maximizing the fat burning and strength building capability of the workout but you’re also risking injury, something proper form would have prevented. The purpose of going back to basics is to review your foundation, testing the stability of the very platform in which you have placed your kettlebell skills. It’s a chance to see if you’re straying or staying; focused or distracted.

Beauty in Simplicity

Now mind you, I’ve posted articles on different kinds of complexes before but this is in addition to that. The great thing about one or a pair of kettlebells is the variety of workouts you can perform. You basically have your own gym if you own a pair and some decent floor space. As with that, here is the complex I developed. You may find some similarities to other complexes you’ve seen somewhere else (and please tell me where you saw it) but I guarantee you I just thought of this myself.

Beauty in Simplicity complex:

Tool: 1 x 32 kg (or the heaviest kettlebell you can swing 100 times with in 5 minutes)

Sets will be in a descending ladder which means you will subtract the total number of reps as you progress

1st set

10 Single kettlebell swings per arm (20 swings total)

5 kettlebell squats per arm (10 total)

5 one leg push ups per leg (10 total)

2nd set

8 Single kettlebell swings per arm (16 swings total)

4 kettlebell squats per arm (8 squats total)

4 one leg push ups per leg (8 push ups total)

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5th set

2 Single kettlebell swings per arm (4 swings total)

1 kettlebell squat per arm (2 squats total)

1 one leg push ups per leg (2 push ups total)

This workout may take you less than 10 minutes or up to 15 minutes, depending on your skill level with the kettlebell you use. Now why use the heaviest bell you can swing for 100 times under 5 minutes? Simple reason: this is to see if your form has been perfected. The kettlebell swing is the simplest but also the most effective workout you can use. As Andrew Read states it:

If you were looking for a single exercise to care for the human frame you’d probably look for an exercise that helped us regain our posture from one of sitting hunched over to one that was upright, extended, and open. You’d probably also look for an exercise that worked the posterior chain to overcome all the negative effects of sitting and, if you could find one exercise that could do both of those, you’d probably also wonder if you could find one super exercise that could strengthen your heart and help you lose weight, too.

It’s called the kettlebell swing.