WELCOME TO 2017!
Let’s get this party started, shall we?
The name of the game today is muscular endurance, well. . .sort of. Generally speaking, muscular endurance is “the ability of a muscle or group of muscles to sustain repeated contractions against a resistance for an extended period of time.” This particular skill is as important to your OCR training as it is to your kettlebell certification training (with honorable mentions to The Tactical Strength Challenge. Real talk!). Granted, I don’t expect all you reading this post to be gung-ho on the intensity of such sports or certifications. If you are, be prepared for events lasting up to 8 hours (in some cases DAILY) and be sure you hire yourself a solid coach to see you through. Recommendations for coaches on these levels of athleticism will be posted below.
If you are more of the novice type, there IS a way to start working your strength and conditioning in mere minutes a day. All you need is your body, two kettlebells of different sizes, and 15 minutes. There are a few exercises we will be stacking that will surely test your conditioning levels and push your short term endurance. Check out the videos below for the push up, single arm kettlebell swing, racked squat, kettlebell row and two handed swing.
Push Up: Start in a plank position and lower yourself to the floor. Press out using your arms to a full plank position at the top. Make sure you engage your lats and abdominal muscles to maintain your planked position from the top, bottom, and back up again to full execute your push up.
Single Arm Swing: Start with one kettlebell in front of you. Grab your weight and pull it backward to pack your lat. You should be hinged at the hips as if you are ready to perform a deadlift. Hike your kettlebell behind you and snap you hips forward to get the weight in front of you. Continue to snap your hips forwards repetitively for each repetitions to keep your kettlebell swinging in front of you.
Racked Squat: Start by cleaning your kettlebell up to the racked position on one side of your body. Once in the racked position, slowly lower yourself down to the bottom of a squat. Maintain tension in your abdominal muscles to sustain the weight in one arm. Press your feet down into the floor and slowly ascend out of your squat.
Kettlebell Row: Start by placing your kettlebell in front of you and approach the weight in a staggered stance. Pull your weight back towards your hip slowly and then release your weight down to the floor to complete a full rep.
Two handed Swing: Start with one kettlebell in front of you. Tilt the kettlebell backwards using both arms at the same time to grip your weight and pack your lats. You should be hinged at the hips as if you are ready to perform a deadlift. Hike your kettlebell behind you and snap you hips forward to get the weight in front of you. Continue to snap your hips forwards repetitively for each repetitions to keep your kettlebell swinging in front of you.
Instructor note: I am assuming that if you are reading this post, you have a basic understanding of kettlebell training. If you need further instruction please email me at janelle@janellepica.com for a no hassle consultation or request one here by clicking this link.
Ready for more?
set your timer for 15 minutes and complete the following.
10 push ups
20 single arm swings right arm
5 racked squats right leg
5 racked squats left leg
20 single arm swings on the left arm
5 rows on the left arm
5 rows on the right arm
20 two handed swings
I recommend lighter weights for the single arm swings and rows and moderately heavy kettlebells for the swings. Ladies, for swings and rows grab an 8-12kg kettlebell. For two handed swings grab a 16-20kg. Gentlemen, grab a 12-16kg for single arm swing sand rows. Snag a 20-24kg kettlebell for two handed swings. Do as many rounds as you can with proper form in 15 minutes. Post a comment below too when you test this out so I can see how well you did!
This particular routine listed above will demand that you NOT set the kettlebell down until you complete the ENTIRE complex. This will demand a ton of energy to be released during your workout. Expect your heart to be pumping and expect your breathing to be taxed. In addition, you are training your body to sustain multiple repetitions over and over and over again in a condensed training window that will 1) increase your overall conditioning and 2) test your strength under repetitive non stop movements. Say hello to your intro to muscular endurance training. Expect this to cross over to things such as your overall strength and endurance training (i.e. your biking, hiking, running, etc).
If you want a serious look into the world of muscular endurance, grab a copy of Spartan Fit by Joe De Sena and put yourself through the 30 day challenge. For more information on Kettlebell instruction and how you can get involved with a coach in your area, visit dragondoor.com or strongfirst.com. Again, if you would like my own guidance on this as well, drop me a line at janelle@Janellepica.com or request a free consultation here!
That’s it for the blog today folks! Let nothing stand in your way!
Happy New Year!
PRESS ON!
