Kettlebell Complexes

One of my favorite things about kettlebell training is it's efficiency. You can work the whole body in a surprisingly short amount of time. It's not a free ride though, you need still need to put in a lot of effort ( as well as practice) in order for kettlebell training to be effective.


One of my favorite workouts to do when I have lots of energy but not a lot of time is kettlebell complexes. A complex is where you do several exercises in a row without setting the kettlebell or kettelbells down.  Complexes are very effective because your body is under tension for relatively long amount of time. Even though you moved on to a different exercise the muscles you just used do not get any real rest since you did not put the kettlebell down in between exercises. You can get a lot of work done in a very short amount of time.  But be aware that this type of training is HARD!  Not only do your muscle get a thrashing but your heart and lungs will be working over time as well.

Here is what I did:
Kettlebell complex with two 44lb. bells
-5 snatches
-5 clean and presses
-5 front squats
-5 push ups off of the handles
-5 swings

I did this five times resting 60-90 seconds in between complexes. I had to rest longer towards the end so that my form would not break down.  Even with the extra rest this was a KILLER! It felt a lot like running 400 meter sprints. The whole workout took about 20 minutes, and honestly I don't think I could have survived any thing longer. With this type of training lack of time never has to mean lack of results.