Top 5 kettlebell Movements

This was a very hard list for me to dwindle down to my top 5. As many of you know, kettlebells are my single favorite training tool. I would say a squat rack is but I can't throw a few of them in my trunk and find a spot to workout, although it would be nice. To make this list doable I only included movements that are not combined exercises such as thrusters or any type of complex. Long Cycle is the only exception to this rule and that is because it is one of the 3 KB competition lifts. So here it is...
#5 Snatch
The kettelebll snatch can be used for many different things, all while improving explosiveness and teaching your body how to move as one. It is safe to say that improving explosiveness and overall body awareness will increase your overall athleticism. With that being said, on top of improving your athleticism with each and every snatch performed, you can target complete different ends of the spectrum. You can use a heavy bell and work on strength by doing lower repetition sets, or you can utilize a smaller bell for endurance and cardio. One of my favorite cardio routines to perform with the kettlbell is Steve Cotters VO2 Max Snatch test. Simply grab a bell and snatch it 10 times with your Right hand, followed by 10 with the left. Continue on with this sequence as long as possible without setting the bell down. After performing over 100 straight snatches not only will your Heart be racing but your grip will be shot as well as your whole body. If this form of cardio isn’t more beneficial then slow and steady then I don’t know what it.
#4 Goblet Squat
As many of you know the quadriceps muscles are the ones that generate much of your explosiveness. Weather it be sprinting, jumping, or shooting a double the quads are what generates that explosiveness. My personal favorite exercise to perform for quadriceps strength is front squats. Since most my workouts take place at parks or in places without a squat rack I perform many sets of KB Front Squats (Goblet Squat). You can hold one bell by the horns or add more weight and hold two bells in the rack position. Some more advanced KB front squats that get the core activated would be performing a front squat only holding one KB in the front rack position. Also try holding two different sized bells in the front rack position. Be careful as these are advanced techniques and should not be performed prior to doing thousands of bodyweight squats to master the form.
#3 Kettlebell Swing
As stated above we all know that quads are what generate explosiveness. Unfortunately in today’s day and age young athletes, as well as many “Certified Personal Trainers” think leg curls are a legitimate way to strengthen there hamstrings. What this has led to is thousands of athletes having a muscular imbalance in there quads/posterior chain. Think of all the hamstring pulls you hear about, how many quadriceps pulls do you know about with athletes? The reason being athletes and fitness advocates not only has weak hamstrings but there entire posterior chain is weak as can be. This includes the hamstrings, glutes, lower back, and all muscles of the back half of the body. Dead lifts are great for strengthen these but how many people do these? Kettlebell Swings are the safest and easiest exercise I have found that strengthens the posterior chain. They also tighten up the stomach and increase fat loss, not bad. Performing long duration timed sets of swings is a great form of cardio. All my athletes I train I utilize heavy KB swings in the 8-15 rep range and utilize higher timed sets for the remainder of my clients who, for the most part, just wanna lose weight and tone. With all that being said the most beautiful thing of the KB swing is still to come! It is so basic and easy to teach. As a strength and conditioning coach having effective exercises that are easy to teach is like hitting the lottery.
#2 Long Cycle
Long Cycle, better know as clean and press is the most efficient kettlebell exercise that can be done. The reason this exercise is so effective and efficient is because there are two major movements being performed throughout each repetition, one is a pulling movement, while the other is a pushing. What this means is when strapped for time you can get an unbelievable full body workout in less than 15 minutes… O and also chalk that up as cardio as well. How is that possible? Try performing a 10 min competition set of Long Cycle. Once the proper pace is figured out you will be moving in a constant flow throughout the 10 min set, thus increasing your Heart Rate. Do I think Goblet Squats or Kettlebell Swings can be more effective in a program then long cyle? Absolutely, so why do I have this ahead of those two exercises on the list? Very simple answer, because this is my top 5 kettlebell Exercises. You must integrate sings and goblets into a program to maximize the results with them. As far as long cycle goes, give it 10-15 min and then come argue with me.
#1 Turkish Get-Up
Since this exercise was the loan kettlebell movement to crack my top 5 overall exercise lift it is only fitting to be my top kettlebell lift. Since I already discussed this movement in an earlier post I wont get back into it here, all you need to do is scroll down half a page or so. But what I will do for you is unleash what I believe to be the best 15 min full body workout known to man! Begin with a 5 min warm up of TGU rotating sides every 2 and finish off with a 10 min set of long cycle. 15 min, 2 movements= entire body in pain!























Pictured above is my KB coach and mentor Ken Blackburn breaking the seated press world record at the 2009 World Championships in Miami Fl