A Beginner’s Kettlebell Workout

All movements in this workout are single arm lifts. One may choose appropriate sized kettlebells for the warmup, but choose a single kettlebell to progress through the superset work.

Warmup

Swing:  15x Right / 15x Left
Press:   5x Right / 5x Left

Superset

(A)   Clean:           1’ Right / 1’ Left

          Rest one minute

(B)   Push Press:   1’ Right / 1’ Left

          Rest one minute

Repeat (A) and (B) as written 3 times through.
 

As (A) & (B) get easier to accomplish, begin to stretch the time on each hand by 30 seconds. Be flexible with this. For example, at first only stretch the first superset to 1’30”, leaving the second and third supersets at 1’. Later on, stretch both the first and second supersets to 1’30”, leaving the last superset at 1’. Continue in this manner next progressing to 2’ per hand, 2’30” per hand and lastly to 3’ per hand. In all cases keep the rest fixed at one minute.

Once one hits 2’ per hand in each lift, it would be alright to only cycle through the progression twice, instead of three times. And finally, when one hits 3’ per hand, only a single superset would suffice for the day.

The key to success with kettlebell lifting is being consistent with one’s lifting, not killing oneself in a single session. Therefore I suggest beginners to finish their lifting before they overdo it. Take your time, give your body a chance to build up its ability to recover adequately and you will be amazed at how far your lifting and fitness progresses.

Nomenclature: 15x = 15 reps; 1’ = 1 minute; 1’30” = 1 minute 30 seconds