the total KETTLEBELL WORKOUT Discover the trade secrets of the personal trainer and save yourself time and money with this new series of essential handbooks. Kettlebells are one of the most popular pieces of ftness equipment and this book is a one-stop shop for training with them. A complete reference guide, it will show you how to get the most out of your gear, whatever your level of ftness. Accessible ‘one-stop and practical, The Total Kettlebel Workout is packed with a wide range of tried-and- guides to training… tested exercises, each accompanied by easy-to-follow photos and illustrations. a great incentive to push your sessions Contains: that bit further’ Metro • All you need to know to build a structured exercise plan • Tailored sessions to help meet individual targets • Useful analysis for working out your level of strength, mobility and fexibility • A ‘trade secret’ with each exercise, helping you get the most out of the move • Organised by ftness level, the workout plans also include ideas for developing and extending exercises to take into acount increasing the total strength and endurance. Clear, concise and jargon free, The Total Kettlebell Workout is light on theory, heavy on practicality. Whether you want to take it to the gym or use it at home, this KETTLEBELL indispensable handbook is perfect for both the ftness enthusiast and the ftness professional. WORKOUT Steve Barrett is a well-respected ftness industry expert, personal trainer, presenter and leading ftness brand consultant. He has worked in the industry for over 20 steve years and is the author of The Total Gym Ball Workout, The Total Dumbbell Workout barrett and The Total Suspended Bodyweight Training Workout. www.bloomsbury.com £14.99 Trade secrets of a personal trainer 9781408832578_cov_app.indd 1 20/02/2013 11:56 the total KETTLEBELL WORKOUT steve barrett the total kettlebell workout TRADE SECRETS OF A PERSONAL TRAINER Kettlebell_9781408832578_001.indd 1 08/01/2013 13:14 Note While every effort has been made to ensure that the content of this book is as technically accurate and as sound as possible, neither the author nor the publishers can accept responsibility for any injury or loss sustained as a result of the use of this material. This electronic edition published in 2015 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Published by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 50 Bedford Square London WC1B 3DP www.bloomsbury.com First edition 2013 Copyright © 2013 Steve Barrett ISBN (print): 978-1-4088-3257-8 ISBN (ePub): 978-1-4081-9373-0 ISBN (ePdf): 978-1-4081-9374-7 All rights reserved. You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. Steve Barrett has asserted his rights under the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work. A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Acknowledgements Cover photograph © Esc Creative LLP www.esccreative.com Inside photographs © Esc Creative LLP for exercise photos; all filler images © Shutterstock Illustrations by David Gardner Commissioning Editor: Charlotte Croft Editor: Sarah Cole Cover and textual designer: James Watson Bloomsbury is a trademark of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Kettlebell_9781408832578_001.indd 2 09/01/2013 12:31 the total kettlebell workout Trade secrets of a personal trainer Steve Barrett LONDON • NEW DELHI • NEW YORK • SYDNEY Kettlebell_9781408832578_001.indd 3 08/01/2013 13:14 disclaimer and advisory Before attempting any form of exercise, especially that which involves lifting weights, always ensure you have a safe working environment. Ensure that the floor surface you are on is non-slip and do not stand on any rugs or mats that could move when you exercise. Also, clear your exercise space of items that could cause you harm if you collided with them; this includes furniture, pets and children. Pay particular attention to the amount of clearance you have above your head and remember that for some of the exercise moves you will be raising your hands and the weights above head height, so keep away from doorways and light fittings. The information, workouts, health related information and activities described in this publication are practiced and developed by the author and should be used as an adjunct to your understanding of health and fitness and, in particular, strength training. While physical exercise is widely acknowledged as being beneficial to a participant’s health and well-being, the activities and methods outlined in this book may not be appropriate for everyone. It is fitness industry procedure to recommend all individuals, especially those suffering from disease or illness, to consult their doctor for advice on their suitability to follow specific types of activity. This advice also applies to any person who has experienced soft tissue or skeletal injuries in the past, those who have recently received any type of medical treatment or are taking medication and women who are, or think they may be, pregnant. The author has personally researched and tried all of the exercises, methods and advice given in this book on himself and with many training clients. However, this does not mean these activities are universally appropriate and neither he nor the publishers are, therefore, liable or responsible for any injury, distress or harm that you consider may have resulted from following the information contained in this publication. 5 Kettlebell_9781408832578_001.indd 4 08/01/2013 13:14 contents Disclaimer and advisory 4 1 the basics of exercising with kettlebells The S.A.F.E. trainer system (Simple, Achievable, Functional, Exercise) 6 How to use this book 11 FAQs 17 Find your starting point 21 Assess, don’t guess 23 Isolation vs integration 30 Learn it, then work it 33 First you need stability 35 Add some strength 38 Power and speed come with practice 39 2 the portfolio of moves Which moves should I do? 41 Dynamic warm-up moves 50 Kettlebell moves 56 3 training with kettlebells How to use the kettlebell training sessions 116 The workouts 122 And finally… 138 Fitness glossary 140 About the author 156 Index 157 5 Kettlebell_9781408832578_001.indd 5 08/01/2013 13:14 the basics of exercising with kettlebells the basics of exercising 1 with kettlebells the S.A.F.E. trainer system (Simple, Achievable, Functional Exercise) We need to exercise our bodies in a way that is achievable, effective and, most of all, sustainable so that the method becomes part of our lifestyle, rather than an inconvenience. In a perfect world everyone would be able to lift their own bodyweight above their head, have ideal body-fat levels and be able to run a four-minute mile. Any one of these goals is achievable if you are highly motivated and have very few other commitments in your life, but the reality is that most people are so far off this state of perfection that the biggest challenge is either starting an exercise programme, or staying committed and engaged with a method of training for long enough to see any kind of improvement. Exercise is in many ways a perfect product, because it has very few negative side effects, it is cheap to do and highly versatile. But so many high profile, quick-fix programmes and products make exercise sound easy, as though it is a magic wand that once waved will bring near instant results. And with the fitness 6 7 Kettlebell_9781408832578_001.indd 6 08/01/2013 13:14 the basics of exercising with kettlebells industry constantly driven by innovation in products and methods, the diverse the basics and sometimes bewildering amount of advice available makes it all too easy to be overwhelmed. The truth is that many training programmes and methods will of exercising theoretically work, but the level of commitment needed is so high that when you add in work and family responsibilities, stress and other demands upon time, with kettlebells most of us simply cannot stick to a plan. I also find that those programmes which seem too good to be true usually have a series of components that are not explicit in the headline, but are required to achieve the spectacular results they boast about. So you sign up to a workout programme claiming: ‘Instant fat loss – ultra 60 second workout!’ only to find that to achieve the promised weight loss you have to go on an impossible 500-calories-a-day diet. These methods also assume that everybody is fairly perfect already; by this I mean they don’t have any injuries, they are strong, mobile and flexible and have a cardiovascular system that will soak up anaerobic training from day one. If these people are out there, I don’t see them walking up and down the average high street. There is a real need to approach fitness in a more down to earth, less sensationalist way. We need to exercise our bodies in a 6 7 Kettlebell_9781408832578_001.indd 7 08/01/2013 13:14 the total kettlebell workout way that is achievable, effective and, most of all, sustainable so that the method becomes part of our lifestyle, rather than an inconvenience. My S.A.F.E. trainer system (Simple, Achievable, Functional Exercise) is all of these things. It is based on 20 years of personal training experience, including many thousands of hours of coaching, lifting, running, jumping and stretching with people from all walks of life, from the average man or woman to elite athletes. My system respects the natural way that the body adapts to activity and creates a perfect physiological learning curve. All S.A.F.E. trainer system moves develop stability, strength or power. If you’re not familiar with these essential components of human performance, I am sure that you will recognise the saying: ‘You have to walk before you can run’. This is the epitome of my approach, because when a client says they want to run or jump, the first thing I have to establish as a personal trainer is that they are at least already at the walking stage. I consider stability to be the walking phase of human movement, as it teaches you the correct muscle recruitment patterns; strength the running phase, as it trains the body to do these moves against a greater force (resistance); and power the jumping phase, since it teaches you to add speed and dynamics to the movement. So, where do kettlebells fit in? Well, at this stage of most books you will be under no illusion that the author is fanatical about this form of training and that he or she believes that their methods are the solution to everybody’s health and fitness problems. In many cases I would agree because any kind of exercise is better than no exercise, however, simply grabbing a kettlebell and swinging it around like you have seen the guys do at the gym is a fast track route to an injury. Therefore, with this product more than any other I find myself asking if a client is really ready. In my opinion, kettlebells are not suitable for ‘absolute’ beginners to exercise. I know the purist will wave testimonials featuring success stories, but for every one of those there will be a forgotten individual who did too much too soon and sustained an injury to their back or shoulder. Even those of us who do move our bodies frequently need to consider some pre-conditioning before grabbing a kettlebell because a good level of cardiovascular fitness and strength will not automatically predispose you to be ready for the advanced challenges that kettlebells can inflict upon the body. Why not? Inertia! Depending upon the length of your limbs, when a kettlebell is swung through an arc the mass is multiplied by between three and four times the weight of the kettlebell so the 16kg weight that you grabbed for your first session feels more like 64kg at the top of the movement! Is this a problem? Well it shouldn’t be and probably won’t be for most experienced strength athletes (like the ones you normally see in kettlebell books) unlike the people who are ‘work 8 9 Kettlebell_9781408832578_001.indd 8 08/01/2013 13:14