Kettlebell Full Body
Three full-body kettlebell sessions a week. Strength, conditioning, and grip in one, a minimalist program.
The selected Grain Gym catalog has 13 programs, 448 exercises, and 11 progression systems. This page covers one program's structure.
DOUBLE PROGRESSION
Climb the rep range first, then add weight and reset.
Equipment: Kettlebells
Who this is for
You have one or two kettlebells and twenty minutes. You want to build genuine strength and conditioning without a gym, without machines, without any setup beyond the floor.
Kettlebell training is different from dumbbell training. The off-center load and the swing pattern make it as much a conditioning tool as a strength tool. Expect your heart rate up, expect your forearms to burn.
Structure
Three full-body days a week for 8 weeks: Full Body A, B and C, in that order, every week.
- Full Body A: Kettlebell Goblet Squat 3×8-15, Kettlebell Swing 3×10-20, Kettlebell Press 3×8-15, Kettlebell Alternating Row 3×8-15.
- Full Body B: Kettlebell One-Legged Deadlift 3×8-15, Kettlebell Swing 3×10-20, Kettlebell Extended Range One-Arm Floor Press 3×8-15, Kettlebell Figure 8 3×8-15.
- Full Body C: Kettlebell Thruster 3×8-15, Kettlebell Sumo High Pull 3×8-15, Kettlebell Alternating Press 3×8-15, Kettlebell Turkish Get-Up (Lunge style) 3×1-3.
Progression is double progression, mostly across 8-15 reps (swings 10-20, Turkish get-ups 1-3): once every set reaches the top of the range, the kettlebell goes up by 4 kg.
How to run it in Grain Gym
Kettlebells go up in big jumps, so use the bell that lets you finish the rep range. Single-sided work is done one side at a time.
Notes
- The swing is the most important lift here. Get the hinge right before you load it heavy: hips drive, arms float.
- Conditioning comes built in. You don't need to add cardio.
- If your sessions creep past 45 minutes, you're resting too long or doing too much.